Your Two Cents Count: Supporting Local Geek Shops
Written by AJ Dent, GeekGirlCon Staff Copy Writer
The day after GeekGirlCon ‘13 ended, I was gushing about the weekend to my pal Erin when she told me something insanely cool. Erin works at a comic book shop called Zanadu, located in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle where we both live. In the weeks leading up to GeekGirlCon ‘13, she and I often discussed its programming, mission statement, and inclusive community. Erin had unfortunately been unable to take the weekend off of work to attend the convention, and listened to my experiences with incredible patience and encouragement. She then had some news of her own to report about those two fantastic days in October.
“I have never seen so many girls visit the shop before. More females swung in on Saturday alone than we typically see in a week. It was crazy! It felt like everyone from the Con came down to shop, we were so packed.”
Free Comic Book Day 2013 at Zanadu Comics
I was floored. I knew that the beloved event would likely drive a few people to where the store resides at 3rd Ave and Virginia Street, but I had no idea that many would seek out this magical place. To say we were both amped about it would be a crazy understatement. Geeks unite!
By now we all know how important it is to support our local bookstores in the face of strictly-online retailers, and to frequent our neighborhood coffee shops so they’re not swallowed up by chains. Record Store Day has grown from a grassroots organization to a monumental can’t-miss celebration for vinyl fans, musicians, and music stores. Look at the difference one shopping day can make!
But what about other locally-owned specialty shops like comic book stores? Free Comic Book Day — the first Saturday of each May — definitely helps drum up business, but since the main lure is free material, many comic-sellers still struggle. While these stores may seem like great places to window shop, just ogling over their wares doesn’t help keep their doors open.
Of course there are times when you’re searching for a gift for someone picky, or only out to buy a specific issue of your favorite series. If nothing looks fitting for your friend or the store is fresh out of your sought-after novella, it’s naturally tempting to simply take off.
But you wouldn’t walk into a coffee shop, hop onto its wifi for an hour, use its restroom, and walk out without ever buying a cup of joe, right? Right. No one is obligated to purchase something just for entering a store (we’d all be permanently broke if that was the case), but keep in mind that these types of shops often have tons of small treasures costing only a couple bucks. The last time I hit Zanadu, just before I skedaddled I noticed a bin of small buttons, dug out one sporting Leatherhead, and left a happy customer after dropping under three dollars. When I realized this was less than the latte I’d been carrying around, and that the shops like these don’t usually have tip jars, it hit me how important every sale must be for them.
Leatherhead Magnet
Even with the internet endlessly selling us stuff, we can never imagine how many comic books are out there waiting to be read. To me, coming face to physical face with the books I’m browsing is much more adventurous. There’s an extra-exciting air around unintentionally stumbling upon your next favorite book, or a series that changes your entire worldview, or a superheroine t-shirt that another geek on the street may call out, thus beginning an awesome new friendship.
It’s all too easy to just click away at a computer and pick up whatever’s trending online that week. Navigating through tangible, amazing-smelling paper — with your hands and nose and everything — is a thrill no one can deny. So let’s keep supporting our local shops, whether they’re selling consigned comic books, mod antiques, novelty toys, or whatever geeky treat Target is missing.
Golden Age Collectibles in Pike Place Market
In fact, almost any small business these days requires such grit and devotion to stay alive, it must be run by geeks. Think also about all the people employed by these unique stores — chances are that if you identify as a geek, you know (or are) one of them. Just look at the magic GeekGirlCon ‘13 helped spark for one Seattle shop. Geekery begets geekery! Let’s get out there and show these businesses some monetary lovin’.
While we’re celebrating grassroots endeavors, don’t forget to include GeekGirlCon ‘14 — pick up your passes today!
