Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 6, 1994 TAG: 9401130007
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
Larry Thomas has operated LT's Cards & Comics at 309 N. Washington Ave. for five years. He said the Superman and Batman comics had been drooping in sales before the caped superheroes ran into foes as powerful as they were.
But sales soared after the drastic storyline surgeries, he said, particularly after Superman's ``death'' went public. The character had seemingly been killed off in a number of earlier stories in his 55-year history, but this was the first time it got national publicity.
Thomas, 31, estimates that about 80 percent of his comics customers are readers. The other 20 percent are investors, deciding what magazines to buy on the basis of what they may be worth in the future.
With sports cards, he said, the mix is about 50-50.
``I was originally a collector, and I was looking for a market,'' he said. ``I had some money that I wanted to invest.''
He decided that sports cards, and later comics, could be good investments. The cards represent 70 percent and the comics 30 percent of his business.
Thomas credits help from friends, family members and customers to his business being able to continue.
``A lot of us lasting five years and not closing has been due to their help,'' he said. ``I came into this without any retail experience, no college education, nothing that would help us.''
The store has two Larrys. Larry ``Chip'' Clevinger, now a Radford University student, has worked for Thomas for more than four years and largely handles the comics sales.
Both Larrys had been turned on to such collectibles by John Freeman, a faculty member at Pulaski County High School.
Thomas used to collect comics, but now they are strictly business. ``For me, it`s too hard to separate what would be my personal stuff,'' he said.
``I sold my original collection from when I was a child in `81,'' he said.
He sees collecting cards and comics as a way for generations to have a common interest.
``We see a lot of people come in, the parent is getting the child started,'' he said. ``Within two or three years, the child stops and the parent continues.''
The store, open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, is likely to join other downtown shops in extending hours during the holiday shopping season. It stocks name-brand sports cards including pre-1975 common ones, and new and old comics including 6,000 to 7,000 back issues.
Thomas has learned on the job about collecting cards and comics. ``It's a new retail market,'' he said.
``We're different from most retail in that we buy from our customers at times,'' Thomas said. ``You have more of a bartering attitude. You have a lot of decisions to make besides price tag. The only thing I could compare it to would be coins. But coins don't deal with kids as much.''
Many kids are savvy about the merchandise, and good at spotting what will be a future collectible. It makes for an interesting customer base, Thomas said, ``especially when they know a lot more than you do.''
by CNB