Comics and Classics, the best little comic shop at the beach, has decided to close its doors due to the current state of our faltering economy. This is particularly upsetting news considering the vision of C+C included bringing together and showcasing local artists. I received this rather upsetting email yesterday and had to find out what was up:
Hello, All-
It is with great sadness that I must inform all of our pull list customers that Comics & Classics will be closing in the near future. At this point, I do not have a clear idea of when that will be. I am very sorry to let you know that I am unable to accept Diamond’s shipment this Wednesday and will not be able to fill your pull list from this point forward. Any comics from previous shipments are in your pull and will be held until Oct. 31st. We have greatly appreciated the loyal support of the customers who discovered us and enjoyed the experience we tried to bring to Jacksonville. This was a dream Percy and I had since our dating years together and we were very happy running our little store. I am deeply apologetic for not being able to bring you your comics this week and in the future. We did not expect to have to make this decision as suddenly as we have. We ask for your understanding. If there are any collectibles, works of art, books or other merchandise you are interested in, I am happy to negotiate a discounted price for you, so that we can pay our creditors.
Much Joy and Peace-
Kimberly Johnson
Apparently the banks just aren’t lending any money and with a place as new as C+C, it takes money to make money. I’m extremely bummed about this and what it means for small businesses, particularly those just getting started. I can’t imagine how it must feel to have a dream, follow it, and then have it crushed due to shady lending practices and bad decisions on the part of politicians.
Even though this article spells out some of the benefits of our current situation, these are hard times folks. Dark days and all that gloom and doom stuff. For me, this whole economic crisis business hadn’t really hit home until now. Being in the military, I can depend on a steady paycheck and even a cost of living raise just about every year. But in just a few months when that pay stops I have a feeling it is going to be heavy seas indeed.
In the meantime you can go by Comics and Classics and help them get rid of their inventory to pay off their creditors. They are offering some amazing sales from 30-80% off on selected items. I bought a big ol’ stack of trades all for 30% off. There are tons of back issues for just $1 as well. And there is still a ton of art on the wall from local artists such as EdBot5000, Squid Dust, Toy Crusher and Brian Gray, like this piece of his I purchased yesterday. Very cool…
So, screw the economy! I’m putting it in the axis of evil for messing with my favorite comic shop.
2 Comments
my heart goes out to comics and classics. as a fellow small business owner i know the strain of having an independent retail store. people have no clue what a challenge it is to always have fresh new inventory to keep the store stocked and keep up the crazy expenses associated with running a store! andit’s so sad to see more and more of us little guys fading away, only to be replaced by barnes and noble and urban outfitters. small boutique stores can’t offer the biggest selection but the benefit of shopping somewhere like c&s, or the like, is that every product is handpicked and unique. good luck!
Wonderful customers like you, Jack, have made it all worth while. We met some new friends, learned a ton, and are coming out of this experience even stronger (emotionally…if not financially). I’ll be looking for a teaching job again, shaping the young minds of America! Such is life!