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My local shop's 'Free Comic Book Day' turned into a total mess this year.
They had a line around the block by 8 AM, but only got half their promised shipment, so most people left with nothing after waiting for two hours. The owner looked crushed, saying his distributor just didn't come through. Has your shop ever botched a big event day like that?
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avery3057mo ago
Total mess" seems a bit much. It's free comics, not a bread line. People waited two hours, big deal. Happens at every big sale. The owner got screwed by his distributor, that stinks, but it's just a promotional day. Stuff goes wrong in retail all the time.
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riley_west7mo ago
Remember hearing about my buddy's local game store trying to run a midnight release for a huge card set. They promised special prize packs to the first fifty people. Well, over two hundred showed up, and the shipment with the prizes was just... missing. The owner had to apologize to a store full of angry people at 1 AM and give out rain checks. Felt awful for him, because you could tell he was just as upset as the crowd. That kind of stuff can really hurt a small shop's reputation, even when it's not their fault.
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blakef417mo ago
My local shop in Denver had a similar thing happen last year, and it really does hurt the store. I mean, @avery305, it's not just about the free stuff, it's about the only day a year some people even go to a comic shop. The owner builds up that day to bring in new customers, and when it falls apart, those people might never come back. It feels awful for the owner who worked hard, and it's a big deal for the community that shows up. That kind of letdown can mess with a small business for a long time.
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