Rich - you gave it your best shot in a town that should have worked if
anywhere was going to work. All that disposable income floating about!
We know exactly how you feel. We shut our shop after two years of trading
when it became an expensive storehouse for our internet stock, living in a
city (Sydney) we had come to dislike and with the desire to live a
country/seaside lifestyle.
The decision was made just like yours. After 12 months where the shop trade
wasn't even paying the rent, when our internet and direct sales were
supporting the shop we made the same decision. Even your comment about the
$20 CASABLANCA is soemthing we can relate to directly!
When you opened the Vegas store, you know all the good wishes you received
from many of us fellow dealers and all of us that had had bricks and mortar
stores really hoped it would work. We'd all like to think that there was
enough business out there to support real stores... and there is, perhaps
for a few gallery type outfits like Sam, Tony's or Adrian's. But it seems
that the days of the regular movie memorabilia store (and in your case,
great comics materials too) really are gone.
Sad news indeed, but keep looking on the upside, and all the best of luck
for the poker tournaments.... and enjoy the sleep-ins!
We will have a large Scotch tonight in your name.
Phil & Mila
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Halegua Comic Art" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2005 8:11 AM
Subject: [MOPO] NEWS: Closing the Doors at Graffix Gallery
Sad News folks..
Due to a lack of participation in my gallery by the populace of Las
Vegas.. I will be closing the doors to the gallery before the end of
the year and moving into a warehouse location.
I am way more surprised than you are folks.. I have been here for 17
months, and in all that time I only got the rent paid one time by store
income.
Not a full page article in Las Vegas Weekly nor a 1/2 pager in Las
Vegas City Life brought in one tire kicker.
The Weekly article being picked up by one of the morning news shows
had not brought a living person's shadow across my window
Being a co-sponsor at the Cine-Vegas film festival didn't bring a
breathing person in the door and even doing a large exhibit at the
First Friday Art Walk right in front of the main entrance of the Arts
Factory and personally speaking with more than 200 people and handing
out 700 catalogs failed to bring anyone's shoe dirt into the store.
Not to mention local advertising and the over 4000 business cards and
brochures I gave out or mailed out
In all the time out here, the only thing that brought anyone in was
the yellow pages which only brought in tourists, though they did
spend money the few times they came here, it was never enough for me
to but dinner from the profits
So it is and so it shall be.. I'm just tired of dumping my own money
into trying to bring culture to Las Vegas in my own little corner at
a personal expense that exceeds the incomes of 95% of the American
population. I shiver when I think of all the stuff I could have
bought with the money that has been wasted here and I shiver again
when I think of everything I sold to keep this place afloat. Let it
sink.. I'm finished!
Is there an upside??
Well I won't be trapped 6 days a week in this dump
I'll be able to sleep late everyday
I'll be able to go to LA without wondering if I missed a lonely soul
wanting to buy Casablanca for $20
and I'll be able to play poker tournaments again, and with the huge
payouts now.. I think I have a better chance of becoming rich in the
World Series of Poker than I do throwing $3500 a month into a
craphole hoping it will sprout into gold.
Ah yes.. Independence again and damn if I wont be able to start
collecting again.. something which has been on 999% hold for 17 months
Unfortunately I wont be able to disengage myself from it as fast as I
wish as I do still need to move what has to be about 2000-3000 boxes
but at least I have something to look forward to, which is more than
I can say about selling posters to Vegans
so if you happen to be in the area sometime soon, and like drinking..
Stop on by.. you can bet I'm going to have an open bottle handy
thanks for reading
Rich================================
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