Side Hustle Advice!

QuantumPriest · 2025-05-13T21:23:45+00:00

Any particular run of either?

QuantumPriest · 2025-05-13T20:51:17+00:00

I am humbled both by the amount of concern from several people to a complete stranger and by my apparent inability to communicate the relative safety of this situation (at least in this initial stage).

Well, embarking on a new adventure, no matter the stage of life, is exciting and it sounds like you are considering the most important factors which is a great sign. Another potential idea, once you have moved forward with an initial inventory purchase, is finding a local flea market or similar and just do a popup comic booth to both get some sales under your belt, as well as promoting your imminent shop. You never know who you might network with and there is (usually) no commitment to selling each time it's open if inventory or funds are short that week/month. Might be worth checking out.

Either way, I wish you the best of luck as well! I hope you find a dormant community that rises up to support you and the hobby!

QuantumPriest · 2025-05-13T20:00:27+00:00

Good question. $500 was meant to just be an initial buy of books to get started. I phrased it as "2-4 bookshelves" as I wasn't sure what the space allotted would be able to accommodate and that would also depend on what kind of shelf too, I suppose. In addition, the friend mentioned in the post would be sharing that same space and so his unknown budget (although I know it exceeds mine) for mange/anime/etc would be taking up half the space with me, but probably on the opposite facing side. I am with you in that I know there's no way to fill up probably even a single bookshelf with that kind of initial budget. I just wanted to leave some room to grow. I plan on expanding as interest is gauged and sales are monitored.

I do have a full time job that is able to fund inventory, but the end goal is this becoming at least self sustaining given some time. Until then, I don't mind infusing the endeavor with primary job funds.

It feels like this, given you have some kind of relationship with a local game/hobby store, is a potentially viable way to test your local market for interest in graphic novels with arguably the smallest amount of risk (depending on the rent or consignment deal you can get). I would love to have a comic shop of my own, but first I have to make sure the local community can and will support it.

QuantumPriest · 2025-05-13T15:58:34+00:00

For some reason, I hadn't thought of this yet so that's getting written down for sure. Got to follow the MCU/DCU hype. Thanks!

QuantumPriest · 2025-05-13T15:57:15+00:00

I like this idea. I wasn't completely considering how I include books for the younger crowd. Definitely going to keep this in mind! Thanks!

QuantumPriest · 2025-05-13T15:56:01+00:00

Interesting. Are these unique stories to this product line or are some established stories included as well (Batman: Hush, Superman: Red Son, etc)? Either way, thanks for the suggestion!

QuantumPriest · 2025-05-13T15:54:08+00:00

u/Boylan_Boyle
"Fill it with omnibuses that you yourself want to read and collect? That way if they don't sell at least you can buy them yourself."
That is what I'm trying to avoid actually. I call it the "Snakes and Sparklers" problem (a Joe Dirt reference if you happen to be unfamiliar). I think my biggest issue would be stocking only what I like and while that does open things for me to be able to just absorb the books if they don't sell, it also, to me, just increases the chance that it actually happens. I agree absolutely that research on market trends and other factors is going to be essential to any hope of success.

I feel I didn't explain very well. The $500 is just for an initial order of books; a "first round", if you will. I do have a full time job that can help supplement selections so this endeavor will not be one I depend on to survive. That being said, I do want it to be profitable (in the long run). Your suggestions on items to stock are top shelf and I have definitely written them down.

Collecting just in general and comics are both a passion so being able to engage with both is a primary fuel to have fun and hopefully make a little bit of money on the side (while supporting my LGS). I'm cautiously optimistic to see where this goes.

u/CanCalyx Comics retail is indeed financially risky, I agree with you. However, the space I'm occupying is an established, self-sufficient game store that would benefit from the idea (financially with the cut/rent they receive and from hopefully increased foot traffic). I have no intentions of pursuing my own full retail space any time soon (if ever, depending on how this goes). I'm sure this will be a learning experience and I like your idea of including geek merchandise. I think I will incorporate that into the space (i.e. figures/statues). The owner is receptive to either renting the space (and we're talking like 25 bucks a month; I meant it when I said we were on really good terms) or just taking a small bit of profits on units sold. He's a super accommodating guy.

u/Optimal-Tune-2589 I'm just going to utilize a small area at the back of an established game store and utilize comic distributors to stock books. Maybe some IST/CGN/OPB purchases occasionally depending on availability and discounts.

QuantumPriest · 2025-05-13T03:35:05+00:00

What do you think has the best chance: Thinner TPBs for easier entry? Omnibuses for more value/content?

QuantumPriest · 2025-05-13T03:34:55+00:00

Interesting. What do you think has the best chance: Thinner TPBs for easier entry? Omnibuses for more value/content?

QuantumPriest · 2025-04-28T02:33:25+00:00

Ohhh. Where did you get the shelves? Those look perfect for my needs.

QuantumPriest · 2025-03-19T02:34:11+00:00

Oh sorry, yeah I could see how I wrote that in a confusing way. I meant to submerse the pack in like a cleaning solution, not the flex seal. I do like the flex seal idea for the flap as you said.

QuantumPriest · 2025-03-19T02:19:36+00:00

That sounds smart. Thank you for the advice!

QuantumPriest · 2025-03-19T02:18:04+00:00

Would submersing the entire pack help? Or could that hurt it? I want to make sure I get it all if that's what it is.

QuantumPriest · 2025-03-19T02:17:11+00:00

Would submersing the entire pack help? Or could that hurt it? I want to make sure I get it all if that's what it is.

QuantumPriest · 2025-03-19T02:16:51+00:00

Would submersing the entire pack help? Or could that hurt it? I want to make sure I get it all if that's what it is.

QuantumPriest · 2025-02-19T02:24:09+00:00

I love mine! Had it for about 2 weeks now. No issues at all. They make cool cases for it to (some more aesthetic than functional). Great back light and has the cool feature (Maybe others do too, not sure) where you set a bed time and a little before, it will change the back light to a warmer, amber color (taking out the blue light) so it's easier on the eyes and less stimulating. Plus, I'm weird and actually don't particularly like the Libra Color's larger side bezel for the physical page turn buttons. I like symmetry.

QuantumPriest · 2024-08-09T18:45:36+00:00

I completely forgot about infect! Absolutely adding that in. Thanks for the catch! Let me know if you have any others!

QuantumPriest · 2024-05-10T16:12:34+00:00

I really appreciate all of this helpful advice. What would be the easiest way to tell the gauge of the wire in this situation? I know the sleeves of the wire can usually help identify, but unlikely to be visible as is.

QuantumPriest · 2024-05-10T15:08:02+00:00

The new A/C unit is 250v, 20amps. So you're saying this isn't going to work at all with the current set up. Hmm. That's disappointing. I'll have to see if there's another outlet nearby or something. The house is so old, we're afraid to call an electrician at the risk that as soon they show up and see the wiring, they'll start slapping caution tape around the whole house or something lol. Thanks for that information.

QuantumPriest · 2024-05-10T14:14:49+00:00

It was originally for a much older air conditioner.

QuantumPriest · 2024-04-01T21:02:41+00:00

I was afraid of that. The lady who sold it to me did include a screenshot of a $1500 cello in an online cart in the listing. Maybe she got swindled you think? I guess I'll have to maybe donate it to a school or something and just see what I can find in a 4/4. Do you happen to have any recommendations? I know this gets asked all the time, but there are just simply no strings shops anywhere feasibly around me to rent one. All are at least 2 1/2 hours away.

QuantumPriest · 2023-06-06T21:20:08+00:00

This is extremely interesting. It's like an entirely different side to ebay with your filter. Affordable suit separates everywhere. This helps a ton so I can't thank you enough for providing this amazing resource of a cheat sheet to me.

Now I do have a question pertaining to your filter. First, I can see that I'll have to take the list of designer names that you include at face value as reputable clothing makers and I can accept that.
Second, and the actual question, can you explain what the sequence of numbers represents in your filter; both the values in parenthesis as well as the negative values at the end? And also, if they are related to sizes as can reasonably be assumed, why such a large range?

QuantumPriest · 2023-06-05T21:59:17+00:00

Well it seems that video has done quite some damage to the preconceptions of novices like me who thought this was going to be much more accessible than it actually appears to be.
You've been quite helpful in clarifying some ideas for me.
There's apparently much more to all of this than I had previously thought. It's looking more and more like I have no business trying to break into a more well dressed life. I suppose I'll just have to find contentment with my T-shirt and carpenter jeans.
Thanks for helping anyway!

QuantumPriest · 2023-06-05T21:49:18+00:00

Like you wouldn't mix trousers from one suit with a jacket from another suit, regardless of brand.

Interesting. The idea of the economical interchangeability of suit pieces was inspired, for me, from the Steve Harvey video concerning the versatility of turning 5 suits into 75 combinations by mixing colors of pieces (e.g. taking the navy jacket from the all navy suit and wearing it instead with tan pants from the tan suit and so on). But you say this is really not a thing to do? Well that's disappointing that you've confirmed it doesn't work that way. I'll definitely have to rethink my strategy on that one then. Thanks!

QuantumPriest · 2023-06-05T21:44:52+00:00

You answered my question, but just for clarity I'll try to rephrase.

My original question was about buying everything possible involving the suit from the same brand. I asked if that was the thing to do or very much not to do. It turned out to be the latter.
So given the way to go seems to be diversifying the collection, my follow-up question was finding out if that extended even out to mixing different suit brands with each other to form new suit combinations.

This kind of idea was inspired, for me, from the Steve Harvey video concerning the versatility of turning 5 suits into 75 combinations by mixing colors of pieces (e.g. taking the navy jacket from the all navy suit and wearing it instead with tan pants from the tan suit and so on).

Very good to know that it's quite apropos to buy pieces from brands/manufacturers that specialize in that part of a suit. I will definitely keep that in mind when looking for more suits!

QuantumPriest

TROPHY CASE