Posted in : Comics| Tagged : Comics , infield
The Diamond Best Practices Awards ( BPAs ) are turn back for 2021 , to demonstrate risible book of account industriousness " best practices " in comic shop . The current stave of Best Practices Awards , being herald next week , seek to abide by achievement in Back Issue Display , Community Involvement , In - Store Signage , and Store Layout . Retailers can vote from their Diamond story for the next hebdomad .
Best Back Issue Display
ComicaziSomerville , MAOur Super Premium Back Issue Display is rightfully a lot to behold ! This display is specifically for back issues priced at $ 30 or high — the ointment of the craw ! We have give 2 full 6 - pes glass showing showcase to our most top tier back issues , with clear pricing & shiny stickers to indicate first appearing or key issuing so even the most casual client can understand why these book are so special . Right next to the showcases are our custom - made bins for the rest of our Super Premium collection , build by a local craftsman to our exact specifications . Here you ’ll find more insurance premium keys in Mylar , with 2 exhibit rails above that rotate regularly . The lower shelf hold front - faced & labeled first appearances . The bottom - most shelves confine funny storage bags , gameboard , boxes , page number , frames , & more . Everything you need to start building a collection or append an subsist one with caliber comic strip .
comedian on the GreenScranton , PAIf Modern comics are the life blood of comic stores , then back issue are the spine . customer of all age go through our back issue every hebdomad to find colorful , low-cost and dynamic issues of their best-loved character and love to browse the shelves on the wall and buy pieces of nostalgia . Back take trade very well and we endeavor to keep our boxes stock with something for everyone . The unconstipated customer and the neophyte say our back issues are organized , well lit and our shelves full of hoarded wealth some have never seen in mortal . I ’m nominating our computer storage on behalf of my boss ( without his knowledge ) who check that that anyone who want something to dispatch their run , buy their dream Word of God or find the perfect gift is able to here at Comics on the Green since 1992 .
Famous Faces and FunniesWest Melbourne , FLWhen you have over 400 box of back issue , it can be a challenge to display them in innovative , esthetically pleasing , and organized way . While most of our back effect are prepare the traditional way- alphabetized in longsighted box , we have break minor key comics betray like hotcakes if they ’re pulled out and expose on their own . That ’s where using our massive wall blank space to our advantage come in . The wall above one side of our back takings has become the home to hundreds of minor - key comics . Since the display is in our backroom , we only rack funnies under a sure price but that has in no fashion deterred the popularity of this display . hold the comics on showing create the cardinal comics ( once stuck in longsighted boxes skirt by their $ 3 siblings ) leisurely to patronise from for every type of client . While there ’s always plenty of staff on paw to help locate items , have all the underage keys in one spot cuts down on the search for both stave and our client , especially those that are too uneasy to take about a book . Comic hunters no longer have to dig through prospicient boxes to see if we have that red-hot $ 20 Quran and casual comic devotee can gratify in a " cool " Word without needing to screw everything about it or where to obtain it . The easier you make it for a client to shit for something , the more potential they are to catch it whether it was their mission to corrupt it or whether it is an impulse buy . We ’ve also made it promiscuous for die - hard strip fans and new fans likewise to see WHY a book is a small-scale key . Each volume gets a post - it note recording label with its price in bold marker numbers and a unretentive cause why ( if there truly is one ) that hit the book the price it is , whether that ’s because it ’s a first coming into court , a hard to receive variant or any other sort of reasons . It ’s not the most gamy - technical school approach , but it ’s for sure the easiest way to convey the information to the customer without overhandling the books . It also come back to that theme of ca-ca it approachable for everyone ; it can be daunting to start pick up books that are not lower monetary value and we require everyone to palpate armed with the appropriate information . It also helps client understand we are not just arbitrarily raising the price of a book . Everyone walks away from the display with as much selective information as we can convey to cut down uncertainty and all it take is a lilliputian spot of metre , a fresh sharpie , and a box of Post - its . Since we started displaying small keys this way sale for cay have increased tremendously . Within the next month , we ’re expanding the rack to run along another full wall so we can spread out the paint even more and have room to flourish with books from future aggregation .
Generation X ComicsBedford , TXWe have been unsatisfied with our back issue display for probably 25 class . During the pandemic we adjudicate to finally do something about it . So I speak to several other retailer with nice video display and decided to apply data file cabinets for my back issues . I also add shelves above the cabinets to summate a popping of color and to make them more distinctive . Plus I add big planetary house to the sides of the rack to draw more attention to the area . Finally I lend some ledge to stand up glass cases for exhibit my more expensive back issues . The change was spectacular . The arena is very visible and screams " BACK ISSUES HERE " to anyone nearby . Back issue sales doubled almost right away . This change impacted the tone of the section and we ’ve welcome rave reviews from customers .
Villainous GroundsPerryville , MODuring the time we were function curbside ( March 15th 2020 to June 1st 2021 ) we rent the fourth dimension to put all of our back issues on our website . It was a good clock time to get everything groovy and tidy . So many shops are dreary and dingy but we have used LED inflammation to serve make everything undimmed and easy to read . Since reopen fully we ’ve had unspoiled feedback about the infinite . Customers have annotate on how well organized everything is and they love being able to see under the shelves . A very gifted local artist and friend , @mateja_custom.artwork , plan a comic around our workshop and now we have our own comic book character , Ink . Damien create a few panels to spice up up our space . Ink really adds to the atm !
Zia ComicsLas Cruces , NMZia Comics purchase the back issue comic bins from the local Hastings when they went out of business . These bin are deceptively twisting . All back issue strip are sorted alphabetically with formative partition between titles . divider are comment with the title on a label printer tape for ease of version . There are displays to explain to client how the alphabetical menstruation runs through each presentation and into the next . All comic strip are bagged and board to preserve their condition .
Best Community Involvement
Famous Faces and FunniesWest Melbourne , FLFamous Faces is a storage that prides itself on its community interest . Over the last 27 years , we ’ve arise from a booth in the flea mall to an 11,000 SF pa cultivation superstore and that would have been unacceptable without our residential area . We bang our community so much that we attempt to be as involved as potential . Pre - Pandemic Before Covid 19 modify the world , Famous Faces would be at any event we were invited to or could make space for in our ever increasingly busy docket . Any hazard we had to put a comic into someone ’s hand and introduce ourselves , we would . Movie theatre premieres , weekly trivia games ( written and hosted by FFF staff with natural endowment cards and graphic novel as prizes ) , school day event and field slip , residential district events like Archeology for Autism , Zombie Walk , First Responder Day , etc would all be worked into our monthly schedules . It was n’t often that we would sell at these events , it was just a style to meet our biotic community and get citizenry interested in comics and say " Hey , there ’s a cool topographic point you’re able to fit in " . Without fail , in the week after one of these events , we would see new facial expression we met at the event come in . Not only would we show up to any community of interests event that would have us , but we gave back to our community in any agency we can . We ’ve host Polemonium van-bruntiae case , donate to dozens of Kickstarter project , given away thousands of dollars in book of account , toys , graphical novels , and more for donation , donated proceeds to client who were in need , and championed at - risk of exposure kids in our community through reading . Why ? Because we owe it to our residential district to take maintenance of them like they ’ve taken care of us . When you find yourself in a position to do something , you should and we always seek out opportunities to do so . During Pandemic That said , the pandemic for sure change how we interacted with our residential area . We voluntarily closed from indoor shopping for eight months in 2020 , but we never forgot about our residential district . We place up a curbside post and offered contactless curbside pickup for our veritable nine hours we ’d be opened , we delivered comics to those in the besiege area twice a week for no additional charge , and we launched a huge bouncy sales agreement schedule over Facebook to continue to impart comics and collectible to our community of interests . We even give in free fillip sketches drawn by talented local creative person themed around what they bought . The residential district receive us with intense enthusiasm , and we ’ve had multiple masses severalise us how much joy and stability the sales event brought to their lives . It was n’t just about buy something and supporting a humble byplay , it was about the comradery that developed and the misdirection from the chaos that made the sales successful . We ’ve only lately develop back to being fully open , but we are very thankful that we made it through the risky of it because of our unbelievable community . Famous Faces is a community in and of itself now , and we would n’t change that for the earthly concern .
The Comics ClosetShrewsbury , PAFor the past 5 years we have been involved in giving to Toys For Tots . Most of what we donate come directly from the shop itself and we also melt promotions to get customers involved to donate toy . We had the grinch in the preceding two eld and had photo ops in exchange for a toy dog donation . We also run a 24hr Save Against Fear campaign every November to raise money for Children ’s Miracle connection . To escort we have produce over 4k .
Villainous GroundsPerryville , MOEach year Villainous Grounds married person with a local non - profit radical to host the Heroes for Kids Comic Con . Our charitable event brings together existent aliveness heroes ; First Responders , Military , Law Enforcement , and Fire Fighters with Superheroes ( and some villain ! ) to stir fund for both local and national charities . Our one day Con raised more than $ 8000 in 2021 and also raise awareness of the amusing Bible culture in our residential area . We celebrated unseasoned local artists , giving them a chance to scratch elbows with professional artists , authors , and role player . This , our 2d twelvemonth , about doubled attending of 2019 and we ’re face for those numbers to go up next year . We savour being able-bodied to put up a fun , family favorable , safe event for our community .
Best In-Store Signage
Challengers Comics + ConversationChicago , ILChallengers ' interior signage doctrine is simple : make it easy to read , and less is more . All or our signs are printed ( not hand - write ) , either in - store by us or at a local photocopy place . We essay to keep the stigmatisation on item and that include using our logo often , and lots of red . Signage visible in these photo : We have two 42 " monitors that showcase the calendar week ’s New Releases , as well as a Counter Mat of the week ’s releases for people to treble - check as they get rung up . Each subdivision has a header sign stating what that section contain , and that include Single - Issue comics on the walls and Graphic Novels on the bookshelf , complete with character found on those shelves . Flyers for Upcoming event are post around the computer memory and are available for people to take at the counter . Highlights from the current Previews are on the back of our registry monitor to keep multitude informed of some Modern serial publication they can ( hopefully ) pre - order . There ’s plenty more you ca n’t see , but hopefully these 4 photos give you an thought of how our national signage feel .
Comic QuestLake Forest , CAWe created signs for each intersection section , and themed them accordingly . Here are the picture for the risible sections , Marvel , DC , Image , Comics and Graphic Novels . We made them 3 dimensional so that the lighting could create depth of darkness and more aid . We even modify the standard privy symbol to make it more suited and fun for comic fans .
Famous Faces and FunniesWest Melbourne , FLFamous Faces has a unique frame-up as our location shares retail outer space with a gaming store . The relationship has been nothing but mutually beneficial as it has admit both store to really blossom . Not only do we share customer , but we focus on what we know intimately . That say , having two separate registers ( which means two front counter ) can conduct to some confusion for client . To avail downplay this , a giant sign was attend above the Famous Faces register to help designate our parry from the gaming shops . Hanging the sign let it to become an lynchpin for Famous Faces . It can be intelligibly take care from any point in the front room and really draw the eye ( and thus , attention ) when customer walk back to the front from our backroom . The sheer colour selection act as a beacon light and bring a really cool dada of colour against our concrete walls . The sign was custom - made by the proprietor of the game store , so we had a chance to add some personality to it . Deathstroke is my favorite comic character of all time , so we chose a color pallet inspire by his iconic costume . It ’s unique and lets customers know a little about us at the same time . We also utilize easy - to - read ( and update both in content and position ) planetary house for displays in - memory . Each Pop section , for example , has a exonerated sign of the zodiac announcing its section ; usually , we test to utilize a familiar font or something fun to view the optic without cluttering the sign . For instance , Disney ’s discussion section is written out in the famous Disney signature tune script and Video Games is written in a classic 80 ’s colonnade face . It make the signs fun without impeding their ability to immediately convey selective information . One of my favorite signage musical theme comes in the physique of our recommendation signs . We have K of in writing novel , and that can be a niggling daunting to pick from . My employee took it upon herself to make primer coat augury for big characters or teams like Batman , Avengers , and go - Men . She list seven to eight rubric of graphic novels that make great jumping - on breaker point and it ’s definitely helped hook client on characters they have n’t tried before . To help further independent graphic novel sale , she put together a Seth of signs that list a popular media statute title like X - Files in the " If you like this " editorial and then list a few graphic novels ( like Letter 44 or Planetary for X - Files ) in the adjacent column . It ’s a warm means to deliver lifelike novels to folks who may not even know they ’re expect for their next neat read or do n’t know what form of address to plunk into . It does n’t require any special space and the cost was minimal . We can make a post easy with a simple house and we ’ve discover that round-eyed often work intimately .
Librairie Crossover ComicsMontreal , QCOur store focalise on keeping signage easy to read , alone , and clean . There is a DIY aspect , with the use of recognizable Scrabble roofing tile for some section and other signage that ’s been blended with bill ( like our Enfants / Kids plane section ) . Signs point people to sections they might be interested , highlighting the how interests in dissimilar rule book and avocation is possible in this Crossover of a entrepot !
Best Store Layout
Acme ComicsGreensboro , NCWe are closely approaching our 40th year of military operation here at Acme Comics . With that the shop has see many changes . Most lately with social distancing in mind because of the COVID-19 pandemic we have had to rethink and restructure the entire current of the store , even converting what was once a storage room to more cut-rate sale base infinite . We have made certain everything in the shop is understandably labeled and visible from the moment you walk through our front threshold . This Week ’s Comics has a spotlighted center display that flows into 2 calendar week Ago , 3 Weeks Ago , and 4 workweek Ago , giving client easy access to a full month Charles Frederick Worth of funnies in one space . The enjoyment of modular displays in the main room such as thread maker racks and shelving allows us to play up best sellers and topical intersection such as our " Disney+ " exhibit . From there the store hang into our second room that house our All - Ages section , back livestock , consecrate book ledge for publishers , as well as a well - stocked independent plane section and manga choice . All of that then leads into the former storage way now " Acme Back - Cave " where we house our vintage and payable comics . We ’re extremely majestic of what we have been able to carry out . Thanks for your consideration !
Zia ComicsLas Cruces , NMZia Comics is nearly 8,000 square feet of Geeky Goodness . There is everything from ice emollient to board games . There is even a dedicated gaming area away from the retail base . put over units located away from the wall are lower to allow for just mess logical argument throughout the fund . There is even an colonnade located in a separate room at the back of the store . Everything is locate to allow for more than adequate elbow room between displays so no one feels claustrophobic . With so much space to explore , we made a mathematical function for customers to employ when they enter the front door .
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