Patrons / visitors who have come into my shop, Alternate Reality Comics, in the past two weeks already have heard that I've had my eye on a new location for the store. Well yesterday afternoon, I did the deed and signed my new lease, so starting Wednesday, September 1st 2010, Alternate Reality Comics' new location will be at 4110 S. Maryland Pkwy. #8, right next to Buffalo Exchange (they don't exchange buffaloes, it's just a great busy clothing store!), behind Long John Silver's at the Maryland and Flamingo intersection just about one half mile away from where my store is now, so it's still just a stone's throw from UNLV.
The top photo is an interior shot from old school Alternate Reality Comics and the second photo is an almost empty shot (obviously) of the interior of my new space. Through Tuesday, they're finishing up cleaning the place, but having just gone over there this morning, it's looking pretty spanky! This interior shot doesn't really give those who haven't seen the space in person much of a sense of how much bigger it is than my present location (for just 25 more days!!), but I wanted to put up an early photo of where Alternate Reality Comics is going to be.
Why move? There is a saying that "if it's not broke, don't fix it", well there wasn't anything really broke with where my store is now, but I have been at the same location since 1995 and I really feel that now is a great time to do some different things with the store. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" is another saying / adage and the increase in space that Alternate Reality Comics will have (double!) will allow me to do more things with where I want to take the store and reach out to more people who don't already know how wonderful comics and graphic novels are.
Thanks to everyone who's ever shopped at Alternate Reality Comics at location 1.0 these past sixteen years and I hope to see you all (and hopefully Ich Liebe Comics! readers who haven't yet visited the store) September 1st, 2010 and into the future at location 2.0! I have some ideas about what the added space for Alternate Reality Comics will mean, but I welcome any feedback for what patrons of Alternate Reality Comics and or Ich Liebe Comics! readers would like the new location to encompass.
15 comments:
Congratulations, Ralph! I hope to visit Vegas next week so it will be a "Farewell tour" to the old place.
That's great, Ralph. I will try to swing by next time I am in town
Oh, that's great news, Ralph! I hope it goes smoothly!
I've moved a store once and, while it was daunting, it was a great, great thing to do. What boggles my mind was how efficiently it went. We only moved down the street (roughly a block and a half away) but we only lost one day of business. Closed a little early on a Sunday, worked that night and stayed closed on Monday, and we're open and ready to go (for the most part) on the Tuesday in the new spot. Looking back it was a little crazy, but it went just fine.
Thanks James and Jason (wow, haven't seen you in what feels like a million years!)!
Von, thanks for the words of encouragement and I hope my move goes the way you described the move you did went. And big congrats to you on your new book getting picked up from Diamond Comics!
Thanks for letting me know about the new move when I came in the other day. I would have been lost. Lol.
I feel like now I will spend much too much money on wednesdays now as I love buffalo exchange and alternate reality and having them both next to each other....
Disaster..
NONE THE LESS! Can't wait for the new store! Congrats!
Cool!
Congrats!
More space is awesome. You'll go from best comic book store in Vegas to, well, still the best, but you'll be widening the gap.
Next time I visit Vegas (after September 1st of course, because I'll be there in August) I can't wait to check it out!
Congrats again!
Wow, how exciting, congrats Ralph!
Thanks Evan, Kilmoonie, and Jennifer!
SWEET! And so soon! See, I knew there was more up your sleeve than just moving some stuff around the store. MOVING THE ENTIRE STORE.
Pj, yeah, this all happened really fast, but no time like the present, right!? Since I was out of my long term lease since April (just doing a month to month here since then), I thought now would be the best time to do some different things. And I'll be uber close to the Clark County Library (practically behind my new store!) to pimp up this years Vegas Comicsfest (Saturday, November 6th)!
WOW! Congrats! So happy to for you! Please do keep us updated on the progress. I think the new location will be a great spot for you. Isn't that where Tower Records used to be?
Yes it is Sierra, part of it anyway, the other part is occupied mostly my Buffalo Exchange and a nail salon.
Wow, wOW, WOW!!!
Ralph, I think my eyes doubled in size when I read the title of this post, and then my smile did the same as I continued reading.
It's true, as kilmoonie mentioned, you've been one of the best stores PERIOD (not just in Vegas) for quite some time, but I'm so excited to see how you will spread your comic-lovin' wings in a new place.
My one suggestion/hope for the new space is that you devote at least the same amount of wall space to your collection of original artwork. That is always such a treat to pour over when I get the chance to visit you. I only wish I was a little closer so I could help you shuffle some of those boxes around.
All the best with the move, Ralph!
Ryan on Tour (Current location: Rhode Island)
Elephant Eater Comics
www.ElephantEater.com
Ryan, and to make my new store space even more exciting - it's just a stone's throw from the Clark County Library - where you are one of the special featured guests Saturday, November 6th for the Vegas Valley Comicsfest!!
Don't know if I'll have room for my original art section with all the pogs I'll be carrying (grin)!
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