I take pride in my store....obviously. But I work in a bit of a vacuum. I don't get to see other stores, except through pictures, very often. I rarely get away, and when we are in other towns, it's hard to get my wife to go with me. She always jokes that I'll announce before I go in, "I don't think I'll tell them I own a shop." And then almost immediately proclaim, "I own a comic shop, too!"
While I was away on the coast, we had a visit from Brett Warnock of Top Shelf publishers. I think of Top Shelf as one of the 'prestige' publishers, along with Fantagraphics and Alternative Press and Oni Press, putting out high quality independent comics and graphic novels. BLANKETS by Craig Thompson, and LOST GIRLS, by Alan Moore are a couple of their titles.
So I checked their website, and found the following review of my store.
• Was on a four-day holiday this last weekend in Bend, and i made time to visit what i believe to be their only real comics shop, Pegasus Books, owned and operated by Duncan McGeary. To be honest, for a small town comics shop, i wasn't holding my breath for anything spectacular. Oh how very wrong i was. This is a truly excellent comics shop, and one that actually competes with the best that Portland has to offer.
While it's a little cramped, the space is used wisely, and the layout couldn't be better. The first section you see when you walk in the door, is real-world genre art and reference books for Fantasy, Film-Noir, Crime Fiction, Sci-fi, etc. But what makes this section brilliant is how he segues these genres into the like-minded material available in comics. So the horror section becomes the horror comics section.
Also right there at the front of the shop is the kid's section. A no-brainer, i think, but i'm amazed at how many comics shops give kids (only the freaking FUTURE of the industry), short shrift.
I was really impressed, and showed my enthusiasm by dropping some serious dough there, picking up the following: the new issue of Wizard; a Marvel Adventures Avengers ashcan, written by rising start Jeff Parker; the out-of-print Thor: Vikings, by Garth Ennis (which i read while The Kid was napping, and LOVED it!!); also by Garth Ennis, the first tpb of Boys, with art by Darick Robertson; a totally impossible to find Spanish language collection in the Todo Max series, El Canto Del Gallo, by world class cartoonist (and super nice guy) Max; and finally, an art book called The Paperback Art of James Avanti.
The paperback artist field is one i'm relatively new to (having only recently "discovered" the incredible Robert McGinnis), and this book is outstanding. Commercial artists like Avanti and McGinnis should be as widely recognized as stalwarts like Rockwell, and maybe, with rich books like these, someday it may happen.
Anyway, if you find yourself in Bend, Oregon for a little R&R, yuo could do worse than to visit this fine store, at 105 Minnesota Avenue. Duncan also writes a fun blog.
I was really pleased that he got my attempt to blend mainstream material with comic material.
When I was on the coast, I visited Amazing Stories in Astoria. A clean, bright, orderly shop, half games, half comics. Mostly limited to the front of the catelog, Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse. I tried to talk to the owner, and he was friendly enough, but not very revealing.
I'm a glutton for talk about my business, and I'm usually disappointed by how rarely owners want to talk. Linda says, "They're taking care of customers...." But I think, if the customer is a regular, they could say something along the lines of, "I rarely get a chance to talk business, so just let me know when you're ready, but meanwhile I'm going to pump this guy for info." Anyway, that's what I do. Sometimes the things I learn will help my business for years and years, which is worth missing a small sale here and there. But I think it's more the nature of small business owners to reveal as little as possible.
I think I've got a good store. Better than good. A diamond in the desert. I get plenty of compliments from tourists, to which I joke, "Tell the locals. They don't know what they got." Which is true, in a way. There is a benefit from being around for 27 years; we've accumulated more than your average store, even in big cities.
Anyway, I rarely get visits from professionals. I had a visit from one of the guys on the Game Industry Forum, and I had a impression he actually didn't even like my store, possibly because he was expected a 'game' store -- and games are a sideline.
I had one visit from one of the guys from the Comic Book Industry Alliance, and I waited for him to post a reaction, but he never did.
I've never been visited by a rep from Diamond; or most of my other suppliers. Bend is a destination area, not a place people just pass through and check the comic shop.
But that reaction, "Hey, this is a way more complete store than I expected," is what I'm shooting for.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
When visiting other towns, the subject of Bend's growth always comes up. Usually, the local will have heard 'rumors' of Bend, but they almost always follow up with the comment, "We're going through the same thing."
Oh, silly people. They just don't get that Bend is growing and sploding on an Order of Magnitude bigger and faster. And you can't really say that, because it comes out as,
"Sure your dog is big, but my dog is bigger."
I am given to understand that downtown Astoria has undergone a bit of a renaissnace lately, "just like Bend." Maybe -- just like Bend circa 1988. Lots of kitschy shops, more like a less classsy Sisters, or more like Seaside. Many more junky shops than art galleries. Not putting it down, but they just don't get how far they would have to go. The center two blocks are mostly filled, but the two blocks on either side are still half empty. There is a store in the middle, called Just Deals, that is three side by side stores, with a huge basement, filled with nothing but pure junky junk. It was very busy. Just a more casual, funky feel.
I did get through to one store owner when I mentioned rents were 2.50 a foot in Bend. Her mouth just sort of dropped open.
We stopped at a friend's store in Sisters, and I found that her rent was nearly half of mine. We also drove through Longview on the way back, and picked up one of those real estate rags, and my estimate was that housing was about 40% cheaper than Bend. Looked up the population, and saw that it had grown from 31,000 to 34,600 from 1990 to 2000. Sort of like the way Bend used to grow, up until 1990.
Working everyday in Bend, I can start to just accept the way it is, and even begin to think its normal. Seeing other towns is a real antidote to that. We ARE different.
Oh, silly people. They just don't get that Bend is growing and sploding on an Order of Magnitude bigger and faster. And you can't really say that, because it comes out as,
"Sure your dog is big, but my dog is bigger."
I am given to understand that downtown Astoria has undergone a bit of a renaissnace lately, "just like Bend." Maybe -- just like Bend circa 1988. Lots of kitschy shops, more like a less classsy Sisters, or more like Seaside. Many more junky shops than art galleries. Not putting it down, but they just don't get how far they would have to go. The center two blocks are mostly filled, but the two blocks on either side are still half empty. There is a store in the middle, called Just Deals, that is three side by side stores, with a huge basement, filled with nothing but pure junky junk. It was very busy. Just a more casual, funky feel.
I did get through to one store owner when I mentioned rents were 2.50 a foot in Bend. Her mouth just sort of dropped open.
We stopped at a friend's store in Sisters, and I found that her rent was nearly half of mine. We also drove through Longview on the way back, and picked up one of those real estate rags, and my estimate was that housing was about 40% cheaper than Bend. Looked up the population, and saw that it had grown from 31,000 to 34,600 from 1990 to 2000. Sort of like the way Bend used to grow, up until 1990.
Working everyday in Bend, I can start to just accept the way it is, and even begin to think its normal. Seeing other towns is a real antidote to that. We ARE different.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
I'm going to make a few guesses about what's happening with the house sales in Bend.
1.) All the Open Houses on the west side, and the lack of Open Houses on the east side. Could it be that people on the east side have bought houses with the intent of actually living in them? That they weren't swayed by the 'status' of living on the west side and instead were picking houses for their livibility? Or that they are more humble means and can't afford to play the real estate game, and that those who are so inclined are all on the west side?
2.) Median prices being so high. Obviously, higher priced houses are selling. I know in sports cards that I sell the higher end expensive boxes at a time when sports card sales are at an all time low.
3.) Prices not coming down. I know that with my product, there comes a time when prices and sales get frozen. When things don't sell any better at lower prices than they do at higher prices, and that the inherent price of production is so high that replacement costs are higher than the price you sell. Prices get stuck. Liquidity suffers. You wait for that one guy who really wants it.
Just some thoughts from a retailer.
1.) All the Open Houses on the west side, and the lack of Open Houses on the east side. Could it be that people on the east side have bought houses with the intent of actually living in them? That they weren't swayed by the 'status' of living on the west side and instead were picking houses for their livibility? Or that they are more humble means and can't afford to play the real estate game, and that those who are so inclined are all on the west side?
2.) Median prices being so high. Obviously, higher priced houses are selling. I know in sports cards that I sell the higher end expensive boxes at a time when sports card sales are at an all time low.
3.) Prices not coming down. I know that with my product, there comes a time when prices and sales get frozen. When things don't sell any better at lower prices than they do at higher prices, and that the inherent price of production is so high that replacement costs are higher than the price you sell. Prices get stuck. Liquidity suffers. You wait for that one guy who really wants it.
Just some thoughts from a retailer.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Back in Portland. Visited 5 bookstores along the way, Lucy's and Godfather's in Astoria; Grammi's and St.Helens Bookstore in St. Helens; and Trillum Books in Cathlemet.
Trillium's was very small, one room, but nice. Same with St. Helens and Lucy's. Small. Grammi's and Godfather's served coffee; Godfather looked like a nice little hangout. They were having a heated argument about the Kennedy assasination, of all things, when we were there.
One thing that kind of kills me is how cluttered all these stores are. A store on a scale of 7 out of 10, would be an 8 or 9 if they would just go over and, I don't know, prop a book back up that has fallen over. Maybe because my store is packed to the gills, I make a real effort to straighten things up on a constant basis. So I know that it really isn't that hard; it takes a few minutes a day which you can easily do as you're chatting with people or whatever. Just do it automatically, everytime you walk by.
So I don't really get the messiness factor. Comic stores are famous for being junky, but you'd think new book stores, whose image really depends on a sense of class would never let books become sodisordered. I have to resist going around and straightening.
Back home tomorrow.
Trillium's was very small, one room, but nice. Same with St. Helens and Lucy's. Small. Grammi's and Godfather's served coffee; Godfather looked like a nice little hangout. They were having a heated argument about the Kennedy assasination, of all things, when we were there.
One thing that kind of kills me is how cluttered all these stores are. A store on a scale of 7 out of 10, would be an 8 or 9 if they would just go over and, I don't know, prop a book back up that has fallen over. Maybe because my store is packed to the gills, I make a real effort to straighten things up on a constant basis. So I know that it really isn't that hard; it takes a few minutes a day which you can easily do as you're chatting with people or whatever. Just do it automatically, everytime you walk by.
So I don't really get the messiness factor. Comic stores are famous for being junky, but you'd think new book stores, whose image really depends on a sense of class would never let books become sodisordered. I have to resist going around and straightening.
Back home tomorrow.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Saturday, June 2, 2007
I'm in Portland, visiting the kids. Friday night with Toby and Lisa, two nights on the coast, and Monday night with Todd and Elsa.
Traffic. Bend has grown so much, that I can fool myself into thinking that we're getting to be a big city. Though I know in my mind, and I pretty consistently tell people that we are still a small town.
Got stuck in a traffic jam on I-5 that crawled along at 10 miles an hour for almost an hour. Got to admit, Bend doesn't have that.
Meanwhile, on the ride over Santiam, got stuck twice behind a car that would slow to 55 on every hill and turny area, and speed up to 70 on the flats and straightaways. My wife's car has so little umphh, that by the time I'd get from 55 to 70 to try to pass, it was too late. I'm never sure if the people who do this are just mean, or thoughtless. As someone once said, never attribute to maliciousness what you can attribute to incompetence.
Despite my best efforts, we've managed to get the weekends off, which is to worst time to be traveling. Years ago, we somehow managed to get the early or mid-weeks, and traveling was easier.
Sitting by the river, (or the coast, where we're heading tomorrow), I can feel the stress just sort of fall away. On NPR the other day, they talked about how you really don't get the full benefit of vacation without two weeks. Yeah, right. I can't imagine that happening again in my working lifetime, which probably IS my lifetime.
But even after 10 minutes of tossing pebbles in the river, I felt myself shiver in relief. Breathe it in.
As a native Bendite, the coast has always had a huge allure to me. I probably wouldn't want to live there, but I love visiting. I've noticed, the coastal people love Bend. Opposites attract. I am a recovering workaholic, and I've made the decision not to call the store for all five days I'm gone.
Long walks on the beaches. That's all I'm gonna do. And reading. (I have to work my way around all the leaves that Linda stuck in my book to flatten them.) And spending time with Linda. Still surprised after 24 years how much we like getting away together. Just the two of us.
Two weeks? Maybe someday......
Traffic. Bend has grown so much, that I can fool myself into thinking that we're getting to be a big city. Though I know in my mind, and I pretty consistently tell people that we are still a small town.
Got stuck in a traffic jam on I-5 that crawled along at 10 miles an hour for almost an hour. Got to admit, Bend doesn't have that.
Meanwhile, on the ride over Santiam, got stuck twice behind a car that would slow to 55 on every hill and turny area, and speed up to 70 on the flats and straightaways. My wife's car has so little umphh, that by the time I'd get from 55 to 70 to try to pass, it was too late. I'm never sure if the people who do this are just mean, or thoughtless. As someone once said, never attribute to maliciousness what you can attribute to incompetence.
Despite my best efforts, we've managed to get the weekends off, which is to worst time to be traveling. Years ago, we somehow managed to get the early or mid-weeks, and traveling was easier.
Sitting by the river, (or the coast, where we're heading tomorrow), I can feel the stress just sort of fall away. On NPR the other day, they talked about how you really don't get the full benefit of vacation without two weeks. Yeah, right. I can't imagine that happening again in my working lifetime, which probably IS my lifetime.
But even after 10 minutes of tossing pebbles in the river, I felt myself shiver in relief. Breathe it in.
As a native Bendite, the coast has always had a huge allure to me. I probably wouldn't want to live there, but I love visiting. I've noticed, the coastal people love Bend. Opposites attract. I am a recovering workaholic, and I've made the decision not to call the store for all five days I'm gone.
Long walks on the beaches. That's all I'm gonna do. And reading. (I have to work my way around all the leaves that Linda stuck in my book to flatten them.) And spending time with Linda. Still surprised after 24 years how much we like getting away together. Just the two of us.
Two weeks? Maybe someday......
Friday, June 1, 2007
Rock Chuck Buffet
I've only seen the fat little critter a couple of times, on top of the dirt piles in back, sniffing the air. I wasn't even sure if he was from around here.
We have a birm to the left of our house, in front, a low-maintenance area with yukka plants, and a rock pile on top. When we first moved in, I saw our friend there for a second.
Linda decided she wanted to dress the birm up a little with exotic grasses, and on the very top, next to the fence, a couple of lilaces.
Woke up the other morning, with half of one of the little clumps of grass neatly sheared. Now, I've seen deer in the area, so I thought that might be it. Yesterday, Linda went out and the little rock chuck was nibbling away. He disappeared into the rocks, about 3 feet away.
He must have woke up some morning and thought breakfast was served in bed. Or that the pizza delivery guy had showed up.
Now what? I'm pretty sure the little guy wiped our hosta's in back; and I'm terribly worried about the juicy peonie buds that are about to bloom. I watched my mother's garden get eaten by deer, but I thought I was safe because of the fence.
I've heard, if I let the little guy get a family going, I'm REALLY in trouble.
I've very purposely not given him a name, because I fear this isn't going to end well for him. At best a live trapping and release. I'll have to do some research. But I fear gardening and rock chucks don't go together.
I've only seen the fat little critter a couple of times, on top of the dirt piles in back, sniffing the air. I wasn't even sure if he was from around here.
We have a birm to the left of our house, in front, a low-maintenance area with yukka plants, and a rock pile on top. When we first moved in, I saw our friend there for a second.
Linda decided she wanted to dress the birm up a little with exotic grasses, and on the very top, next to the fence, a couple of lilaces.
Woke up the other morning, with half of one of the little clumps of grass neatly sheared. Now, I've seen deer in the area, so I thought that might be it. Yesterday, Linda went out and the little rock chuck was nibbling away. He disappeared into the rocks, about 3 feet away.
He must have woke up some morning and thought breakfast was served in bed. Or that the pizza delivery guy had showed up.
Now what? I'm pretty sure the little guy wiped our hosta's in back; and I'm terribly worried about the juicy peonie buds that are about to bloom. I watched my mother's garden get eaten by deer, but I thought I was safe because of the fence.
I've heard, if I let the little guy get a family going, I'm REALLY in trouble.
I've very purposely not given him a name, because I fear this isn't going to end well for him. At best a live trapping and release. I'll have to do some research. But I fear gardening and rock chucks don't go together.
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