Comic Book Supply

Question:
Here is a chance to weigh in on what your thoughts are about this type of business venture. I have been away from the collectors side of the hobby for a long time and I don;t know all of the changes in the business.
Is it a viable venture? Are people going to be coming to the store? Is the comic market soft right now from a collectors point? Do people mostly buy through subscribing, at the store or some other way? Is digital format going to take over? How are the supplemental sales items like figures and toys?

Answer:
At the very least it's a very risky venture. At the moment, only several books are selling more than 100,000 issues a month. How many stores already exist in your area? Most metropolitan areas can't support more than a few that focus on comics. Here, in New Orleans, we had about 10 stores (3 main stores) before Katrina, but now it's down to about 2 or 3 stores. Based on what other people in other areas have told me, even some larger cities have trouble keeping that many stores open.
Most stores need to supplement their income with non-comic merchandise
(I've seen everything from magazines to videos and of course toys and role-playing/card games). Heck, the store I frequent sells all of that, plus music memorabilia (the owner is in a local band, and even breaks out his guitar in the store sometimes).
I don't really see the digital format taking over for a while, if ever.

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