Comments on: Tom Spurgeon saves comics http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/ The News Blog of Comics Culture Fri, 6 Nov 2009 07:07:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Katherine Keller http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2434697 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:31:07 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2434697 Chris Arrant -- My husband has adopted Moby as his platform. This is a very simple breakdown of his costs: iMac (refurb) -- $950 Moby -- $700 New receipt printer, cash drawer, barcode scanner, wireless router, etc -- $300 It's much less time consuming than to do it all by hand the old way, and, as with Brian, it's made tracking and adjusting inventory much easier, but he intial cost is about $1800-2200 get up and running. Chris Arrant –

My husband has adopted Moby as his platform. This is a very simple breakdown of his costs:

iMac (refurb) — $950
Moby — $700
New receipt printer, cash drawer, barcode scanner, wireless router, etc — $300

It’s much less time consuming than to do it all by hand the old way, and, as with Brian, it’s made tracking and adjusting inventory much easier, but he intial cost is about $1800-2200 get up and running.

]]> by: Meltdown Comics and Collectibles’ Blog » Blog Archive » Meltdown on THE BEAT today! http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2430427 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:46:44 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2430427 [...] Read the original at Publisher’s Weekly >> addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.meltcomics.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2F06%2Fmeltdown-on-the-beat-today%2F'; addthis_title = 'Meltdown+on+THE+BEAT+today%21'; addthis_pub = ''; [...] […] Read the original at Publisher’s Weekly >> addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fwww.meltcomics.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F10%2F06%2Fmeltdown-on-the-beat-today%2F’; addthis_title = ‘Meltdown+on+THE+BEAT+today%21′; addthis_pub = ‘’; […]

]]> by: Oliver http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2429899 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:37:15 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2429899 I've been going to Meltdown since it's inception: and it is one fantastic store -and they must be doing something right because it keeps getting grander. I love that store! I’ve been going to Meltdown since it’s inception: and it is one fantastic store -and they must be doing something right because it keeps getting grander. I love that store!

]]> by: Torsten Adair http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2429849 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:23:13 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2429849 While Diamond is careful to roll out their Comics Suite system (they want to offer excellent service), they do have a monthly payment plan, and even give a nice discount if you purchase it in cash. (I don't have my Diamond Summit notes handy, or else I could give a better idea.) A generic 15-department cash register will run about $100. I've been spoiled by Barnes & Noble's POS system. It made reordering so much easier, it allowed me to track expiremental titles to see if they sold or not, it allowed me to track the effectiveness of displays... It made everything easier. How many stores already have an internet connection? Only one register? Brian, what improvements would you like to see for your POS system? While Diamond is careful to roll out their Comics Suite system (they want to offer excellent service), they do have a monthly payment plan, and even give a nice discount if you purchase it in cash. (I don’t have my Diamond Summit notes handy, or else I could give a better idea.)

A generic 15-department cash register will run about $100.

I’ve been spoiled by Barnes & Noble’s POS system. It made reordering so much easier, it allowed me to track expiremental titles to see if they sold or not, it allowed me to track the effectiveness of displays… It made everything easier.

How many stores already have an internet connection? Only one register?

Brian, what improvements would you like to see for your POS system?

]]> by: Brian Hibbs http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2429785 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:47:54 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2429785 My third quarter was up nearly 15% from 2007, a thing that I primarily attribute to POS helping me order better. Chris Arrant: the Marvel cash register program was in the 80s, and it really was a "starter" register of middling quality... you need a little better than bottom of the line for POS, IMO... plus the software, ongoing support, an internet connection in the store, and so on and so forth. I doubt it could be done for under $1800-ish for a store. That's a bit different than a $200-ish cash register. (Marvel also didn't give them away, but rather bought in bulk at wholesale and passed them on at- or near-cost) On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that I recovered my capital outlay for the new POS system within the first 8 months, which is way better than I actually expected... -B My third quarter was up nearly 15% from 2007, a thing that I primarily attribute to POS helping me order better.

Chris Arrant: the Marvel cash register program was in the 80s, and it really was a “starter” register of middling quality… you need a little better than bottom of the line for POS, IMO… plus the software, ongoing support, an internet connection in the store, and so on and so forth. I doubt it could be done for under $1800-ish for a store. That’s a bit different than a $200-ish cash register.

(Marvel also didn’t give them away, but rather bought in bulk at wholesale and passed them on at- or near-cost)

On the other hand, I’m pretty sure that I recovered my capital outlay for the new POS system within the first 8 months, which is way better than I actually expected…

-B

]]> by: Chris Arrant http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2429754 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:40:31 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2429754 Would it be too much to ask for one of the big companies to fund better cash registers for this service similiar to what DC (or was it Marvel?) did in the late 70s? Would it be too much to ask for one of the big companies to fund better cash registers for this service similiar to what DC (or was it Marvel?) did in the late 70s?

]]> by: Colin http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2429724 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:29:31 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2429724 What's #25? What’s #25?

]]> by: Ian Brill http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2429496 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:07:56 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2429496 As a customer of both Meltdown and Comix Experience I have noticed how great a POS system for a store is. It makes things infinitely easy for retailer and customer alike. As a customer of both Meltdown and Comix Experience I have noticed how great a POS system for a store is. It makes things infinitely easy for retailer and customer alike.

]]> by: Ian Brill http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2429494 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:07:45 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/10/06/tom-spurgeon-saves-comics/#comment-2429494 As a customer of both Meltdown and Comix Experience I have noticed how great a POS system for a store it is. It makes things infinitely easy for retailer and customer alike. As a customer of both Meltdown and Comix Experience I have noticed how great a POS system for a store it is. It makes things infinitely easy for retailer and customer alike.

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