if there was an anime related event bi-monthly would you go?

[rasetsutaisho]

oky so a while back a frined of mine named david joined the marines and before that we always talked about opening up a business...

well a few days ago he called me from the marines to tell me that he got a 500,000 dollar business grant... not a loan, but a grant!

so now me and my friend have been spending the past couple of days flipping out, trying to figure out what kind of business we should make... and we're working on it. but we figured we should get some input from other ppl...

so far we've come up with the ideas that:
1) we want to be considered an "anime store" and we want to be catered twoards ppl who like anime... and we want to be the best at it
2) we want ppl to beable to hang out there (kinda like what anime cafe was supposed to be like. funny story: i met a woman who hung out with the makers of that place and the only reson it couldnt be what they wanted it to be was because their bathroom was to small... laws and regulations... keepin' the otaku down)?
3) and, we're thinking of making it in seatle, maybe tacoma, maybe oregon

we were thinking of hosting an anime club there too... if we could...

another idea that came up recently was to make it in the international district by uwajimaya. there we could talk to and hook up with one of the vendors or restrants... and we could work out a deal so that ppl there at our store could get dicount food while hanging out

yet another idea is to get pixxy, owner of the fruits style swap, to sell cloathing there... and posibly other people who make costumes too

and yet even another idea... (this post has been edited like 4 times now to avoid spamming) is to get cosplay costume makers to sell there 'warez' in our shop... im sure some people would like to be able to by a vash coat or advent children cloud outfit or something...

so thats about it... any and all comments will probably have some sort of usefullnes and will be apriciated...

[guspasho]

The International District is probably the best idea. You may be better off if you cater to the natural audience, Japanese kids, rather than the (probably) smaller otaku market. Or if you did want to reach the otaku, put up shop on the Ave next to UW in Seattle.

Although I would love you if you filled this empty space next to Marinopolis on the Clackamas Promenade down here in Portland

And (what I think is a wonderful) idea to make it a cafe is to put up a coffee cart and a bubble-tea maker, sell pastries, snacks, (Pocky and Ramune!) and provide a few computers for Internet access, a wireless access point, set up some tables and some cozy chairs around them for reading, maybe some game machines, DDR, consoles, and a big-screen TV to play unlicensed anime on.

Take a look at what Backspace in Portland has done if you get a chance to come down to Portland. They don't sell anime or manga but they have a real strong cafe atmosphere, and most everything else I mentioned above (except bubble tea )

PS. How do I get one of those business grants?

[Waffles]

man i say do it it would always be cool to have a good store so yeah have fun mate!

[BlackjackGabbiani]

Doooooo it.

[oishiidesuyo]

that sounds like a wonderful idea. I agree with Guspacho, the space next to sushiland looks kinda empty...maybe a little small for what you're thinking of?

It would be great if you guys sold cosplay-wear. That way, everyone doesn't have to depend on e-bay (like me..).

anyway, if you guys do get a store, i'd definetly go. :3

[rasetsutaisho]

PS. How do I get one of those business grants?

i lucked out, my friend who joined the marines said he wanted to make a business with me and so... he's giving me this money. i really am one of the luckiest people in the world...

[Phylicia]

What I would personally love and think would increase "hang out" potential: Arcade games (yes, arcade machines) such as DDR, etc... the advantage over game systems is that it's higher quality gaming that won't get jacked And yeah bubble teaaa... (plus, among otakus, you'd be attracting arcade gamers and people who love bubble tea [hah if they aren't otaku already :p])

If you had one or two of those things and your business was in the PDX area, I'd totally hang out there. You're gonna have Sanrio/San-X etc stuff, right? Because my friends and I love those prodcuts too

Pixxiy would love to have a space to do her swaps, since doing them during winter will be hard to do without an indoor area.

[rasetsutaisho]

that dancing ddr girl is creepy!!!

um, anyways... i actualy just finished pming her on the sakura con forums...
because were tottaly looking for ppl/vendors who would like to sell clothes in our shop. and i'd tottaly be up for hosting the style swap in my shop if i find a big enough place

***edit... more of an add on really... but whatever***

and yeah we tottaly wont be lacking the ddr and bubble tea... those were some of our founding ideas!

however we're still baffel'd as to where to start so far our ideas are:
1) right across the street from tacoma comunity college (in tacoma washington)
2) somewhere in seatle (in the international district, near uw or some school, or some other place that has people around alot)
3) somewhere in oregon (i know nothing about oregon, so i'd feel kinda odd about packing up and leaving my tacoma (*thats right tacoma is mine*)and i'd have to leave half the ppl in my 'organization'. besides i've only been there once, and that was at the main library for a sakura con meeting)


***edit again***

i just saw this a second ago...

I was wondering, is anyone from Kumoricon coming to the Beaverton Uwajimayas festival this saturday?

is there a uwajimaiya in oregon!?!1 because if there is im going to have to comedown and take a look and seriously consider opening shop somewhere around there

[guspasho]

There is one in Beaverton, just outside of Portland. If you do come to Portland to check it out, though, you've got to let me and whomever else show you some other locations, like the place by my house in Clackamas There are a lot of sweet spots in the Portland itself to potentially open shop too. PM me if you do decide to visit.

[Trumby]

That sounds awesome..I'd definitely be there

And the Uwajimaya is indeed in Beaverton..on Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway, not too far east of 217.

[Kimiski]

Please don't. One is enough.

- Guspasho

[Kimiski]

ALSO, Oh man, keep it in Oregon so I can go. There is no good anime stores in Oregon! All the anime stores are in Washington!!!! Bah!!! Also, for merchandise, try and get something more then just dubbed anime. Rare stuff and original uncut japanese anime with eng/subtitles.

DIE ENGLISH DUBBED NARUTO!!!
And uh.... >.>    <.<  ....Sailor Moon stuff would make you my freakin hero.  :shock:

[rasetsutaisho]

oh my god! the yellow! it scared me! ... for a split second i thought some weird yellow resident evil 4 monster thing was coming out of the screen...

come to think of it there are no yellow monsters in resident evil 4 are there...
i really need to stop playing that game...

funny story:
actualy this one time i was walking down 6th ave in tacoma. and just like in resident evil 4 this truck came down this hill and came at me while i was on the side walk... i actualy reached down to my hip and tried to pull out a gun...
and my first thought was "oh crap im out of ammo!" luckily the guy was just trying to make a u-turn...

[Witchaven]

If your serious about starting a business then you really need to decide what kind of merchandise you plan on carrying. While the idea of a place for Otaku to hang out is a nice idea, let's face it... it won't cover the bills.
As for where it should be located... I would recommend going for an area that doesn't have much competition. While the International District would has a good flow of people who would be familiar with the merchandise you sell... you'd also be close to a lot of competition who already has a much larger customer base. Tacoma however doesn't have as much competition(yet,) but would also be a smaller market, and with less people who know what Anime is.
One last thing you need to seriously consider. What is your policy regarding bootleg items? If your ethical, you will do the right thing and only carry legitimate items. This route takes more work, since you'd have to become familiar with what merchandise is legitimate and what isn't.
Of course, if your greedy and don't care, you'll be like the many other shady dealers out there and carry the bootlegs (I hate bootleggers...) The profit on bootleg items is higher, and you don't have to keep be able to identify what is bootleg or not. If you do this however, you will lose many potential customers and could face legal problems in the future.
If your going to go the ethical route (PLEASE do) then I'd be more then willing to help you out some by supplying you a list of potential sources for merchandise.

[rasetsutaisho]

If your serious about starting a business then you really need to decide what kind of merchandise you plan on carrying. While the idea of a place for Otaku to hang out is a nice idea, let's face it... it won't cover the bills.
As for where it should be located... I would recommend going for an area that doesn't have much competition. While the International District would has a good flow of people who would be familiar with the merchandise you sell... you'd also be close to a lot of competition who already has a much larger customer base. Tacoma however doesn't have as much competition(yet,) but would also be a smaller market, and with less people who know what Anime is.
One last thing you need to seriously consider. What is your policy regarding bootleg items? If your ethical, you will do the right thing and only carry legitimate items. This route takes more work, since you'd have to become familiar with what merchandise is legitimate and what isn't.
Of course, if your greedy and don't care, you'll be like the many other shady dealers out there and carry the bootlegs (I hate bootleggers...) The profit on bootleg items is higher, and you don't have to keep be able to identify what is bootleg or not. If you do this however, you will lose many potential customers and could face legal problems in the future.
If your going to go the ethical route (PLEASE do) then I'd be more then willing to help you out some by supplying you a list of potential sources for merchandise.

whats funny is today we tottaly decided to give up the idea of opening a shop... from our research and talking to a bunch of ppl who've owned shops, and our business advisers we just came to the conclusion that making a shop is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to much crap to bother with (for right now) theres all sorts of bs to go through and hoops to hop threw!

but we not just going to stop. we've decided to make ourselves into an entirely different type of busness... were going to be event based... meaning instead of having a store front were going to use our money to make events like mini-cons, gaming tournaments, tottaly awesome camping trips, parties, con-parties (both underage and 21+), plays, all sorts of things that ppl can come and hang out at...

so i guess the new question is... "if there was an anime related event of some sort that costs around 10$ every other week would you go to it?"

also what i really like about this is it doesnt pin us down to one location we can make events all over washington and oregon, maybe even in canada and california.

[Bow-]

Just a few things to keep in mind:
If you are going to have costumes that you have NOT purchased as stock, but have there on consignment, there are certains ways that you must legally treat other people's wares. For example, if you decide to have a sale, and you say 15% off everything in stock, you not only are then legally obligated to sell that person's item at the discount to the customer, but you must also make up the difference out of your own pocket when you go to pay the vendor.  And if anything got stolen, YOU would have to pay the person for it.
I think it's a great idea to have that kind of stuff, but speak with a lawyer about a consignment contract, or perhaps consider some sort of "rent a rack" program instead of straight consignment. You have to cover your butt, legally
All that said, if you're going to be in the portland area, I am a plush artist, and i would totally bring custom plushies in to help fill up your shelf space
In addition to the anime club idea, I think it would be cool to have some sort of weekly game thing..and you could attract different fans each week. Something like come learn the card game in fruits basket (i think it's called rich man, poor man)- then set up a couple of tables, get the rules, cards, push all the fruits baskets merchandise to the front, and make some cash
They play games in lots of series, just pick one, and totally pimp it to that series' fans.

[rasetsutaisho]

we'll seeing as how in our last post we basicly said were scraping the ideas of retail... that doesnt help too much. however we will be needing vendors at our events and what not... would you be intrested in that?

[Anonymous]

i live in beaverton really close to uwajimaya, so if you made it around there or atleast in portland somewhere I would definanetly come check it out.

[superjaz]

i started working at jo anns fabrics (only prior experience cos-play costume making) about a month ago, and at the fabric cut counter i get to talk cos-play with a customer at least once a day (need help on cos-play Gresham Jo Ann's=superjaz), something like a monthly cos-play sewing circle would be cool the only thing is its hard to find the time to do even a monthly thing seriously at kumoricon its like "let me talk to you before we all scatter to the winds"