Well, maybe not completely but it has been quite a few crazy years since I have been able to spend any time on this. I am not so sure how consistent I will be but I do plan on posting a little more often than every five years...
Since my last post I have managed to do a few things. I have amassed an inventory far bigger than I have ever had before. Made some fantastic connections with other dealers in the south east and the rest of the country. I have built networks that allow me to acquire pretty much anything that I feel like carrying. It is no longer a problem to find that rare comic or to replace large quantities of bargain inventory when I am running low.
I have also managed to organize a dozen Taking Flight Comic Book Shows at The Sparrow and one Tin City show at the Tin Roof over roughly a two and a half year stretch. Besides selling tons (literally, tons) of great (and some not so great) comics, graphic novels and magazines I have had the pleasure of working with some absolutely fantastic people to help me put on these events. Besides the obvious folks like Cami and the rest of the staff of The Sparrow, all of the awesome help I have gotten from Ryan, Mike, Paul and so many more who have helped by volunteering, well, with a (very) little pay from me, to help move the massive amount of stuff that we bring there are all of the other folks who make these successful.
The three dozen or so artists, the folks from the local press, folks from local social media and the local businesses that always support us. One of the most rewarding things I have had the pleasure to enjoy putting on these shows is to help and develop some of the awesome artists we have in the area. Nothing makes me happier than to see someone who wasn't sure anyone would like there stuff now have the confidence it takes to actually start making a few bucks at their craft. Then there are also my friends Alan, Mandi, Alex, Albert and anyone else who still manage to knock out posters, press releases, signage and whatever else no matter how last minute my request is.
Chris and Holy City Brewing have been kind enough to donate a keg of beer to EVERY show we have done, all of which the bar has sold and donated the full amount to the charity that we are supporting for that event. And when it comes to charities, we have been super happy to help out a bunch of great ones. Communities in Schools, Alzheimer's Foundation, Fresh Future Farm, Chicora Community Garden, Engaging Creative Minds, Ronald McDonald House, Toys for Tots, Wings for Kids and I think that is all of them. Through everyone's generosity we have been able to donate close to $8,000 to these local organizations that do tremendous work in our community.
Besides five Taking Flight shows (February 6 and April 30 so far) and at least one more Tin City show (March 19) already planned for 2016, we are working on a larger event for comic fans in Charleston. This would involve bringing in some nationally known artists, getting great dealers from all around the south east and beyond and just having a good time enjoying the comic scene. Charleston is the number one travel destination in the world, time to get a destination comic book show going on here!
There are several other things that we have in the works. We are shopping for a brick and mortar location. And yes, we are taking our sweet time. The reason is that we want to have a location that fits our business model for years to come that allows us the flexibility to grow and also does not overburden our resources. We are also adding product lines. We have dramatically increased the amount of collector supplies we carry, including carrying supplies for original art and prints. We have started to slowly build up a stock of vintage toys. We have been buying a case of every Magic the Gathering booster set that has come out for the last three years. We even will start selling art supplies at the beginning of next year.
So, like I said in the beginning of this rambling post, I do plan to post a little more often than before. If you have a topic you want to talk about, let me know, I am sure I can say something about it. Thanks again for all of the support, this is just the beginning of what I hope will continue to be a fantastic ride!
