{"id":36819,"date":"2021-11-14T12:40:53","date_gmt":"2021-11-14T17:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/?p=36819"},"modified":"2021-11-14T12:40:53","modified_gmt":"2021-11-14T17:40:53","slug":"cosmic-cape-comics-opens-in-saratoga-springs-offering-numerous-collectables","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2021\/11\/cosmic-cape-comics-opens-in-saratoga-springs-offering-numerous-collectables\/","title":{"rendered":"Cosmic Cape Comics Opens In Saratoga Springs Offering Numerous Collectables"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Mike Miller opened Cosmic Cape Comics at 9 Hampstead Place in Saratoga Springs. The store carries a large variety of comic books, board games, trading card games and more.
\u00a92021 Saratoga Photographer.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Christine Graf<\/p>\n

After working in information technology for 23 years, Mike Miller was laid off from a local tech company during the pandemic. <\/span><\/p>\n

His unexpected layoff prompted him to pursue his dream of opening a comic book store. In September, he opened Cosmic Cape Comics at 9 Hampstead Place in Saratoga Springs. The store is located in The Springs, a luxury apartment and commercial complex located off of Weibel Avenue. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cosmic Cape Comics carries a large variety of comic books, role playing and board games, trading card games, and collectibles. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCOVID gave me the opportunity to explore a new career,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve been passionate about comic books for a quite a long time. In the basement of our house in Wilton, I had probably 60,000 comic books.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Miller\u2019s interest in comic books began when he was living and working in Chicago, a city with many comic books stores. He started reading mainstream comic books and attending comic book conventions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started meeting a lot of comic book artists and writers, especially the independent guys trying to break into the industry and publish their own comic books,\u201d he said. \u201cI started realizing how much more there was out there beyond the mainstream comic books. That\u2019s when I started getting into independent comic books. It broadened my horizons in the comic book field.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>He began collecting comic books and purchased back issues featuring his favorite writers and artists. As his collection grew, he decided to start an online business while still working full time. He increased his inventory by purchasing several large collections from other collectors. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI went from 2,000 or 3,000 comic books to 60,000,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

He created an LLC and spent evenings sorting comic books. Because he was working full time, organizing and inventorying such a large collection turned out to be very time consuming.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI bought too many too fast and it was just too overwhelming,\u201d he said. \u201cI had all of the best intentions, but it just became too much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Five years later, after being laid off, he found himself at a crossroads. At\u00a0 <\/span>age 53, he questioned whether he wanted to get another job in information technology.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was getting burned out from working in IT,\u201d he said. \u201cI asked myself, \u2018Do I really want to do this anymore?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s when his wife, Nanette, and stepson, Bob, convinced him that the time was right for him to open his own store. <\/span><\/p>\n

While preparing his business plan, Miller drew on the skills he learned while earning an MBA at UAlbany. He also holds a B.S. and PhD in chemical engineering.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI knew that to be successful you have to have a diverse customer base\u2014not just older comics but newer comics and other things like games, magic cards, RPG (role playing games), and graphic novels,\u201d he said. \u201cI started thinking about what sort of inventory I would need and what it would\u00a0 <\/span>cost each month to keep going. I also started thinking about marketing and sales and all of the other aspects of the business.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of seeking a loan, Miller decided to finance the store by dipping into his savings. He had his store\u2019s soft opening on Sept. 29 and plans to have an official grand opening around Thanksgiving.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started with a minimal amount of modern inventory and my giant backlog of comics. I\u2019ve since then been ordering a lot of new comic books and assembling the broader part of the store. I also purchased a bunch of titles tailored for younger audiences, and some are for young readers. I\u2019ve been able to build inventory to where I now have the diverse product base I was going for from the very beginning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Miller has relied on word of mouth and extensive use of social media to attract customers. He is hopeful his store will fill the void that was left when Comic Depot, Saratoga\u2019s only comic book store, closed two years ago. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve talked to a lot of people who used to go to the Comic Depot, and they went to the Internet when the store closed,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat I\u2019m looking to do is to lure those customers back from Amazon and the others online. Because this is a place where you can feel that comic book. You can talk to me or other customers and ask, \u2018Have you read this? Do you have any recommendations?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Miller especially enjoys giving recommendations to parents who enjoyed reading comic books when they were young and are now interested in introducing the genre to their own children. He believes comic books are an excellent way to encourage kids of all ages to engage their imagination and the creative side of their brains. Miller also wants girls to know that today\u2019s comic books feature an impressive number of female heroes. <\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to his own personal comic book favorites, Miller said he has always been drawn to archers including the Green Arrow. His favorite series, Robyn Hood, is published by independent publisher Zenescope and features a female main character.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cosmic Cape Comics is open Wednesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. They are closed on Monday and Tuesday. For more information, visit cosmiccapescomics.myshopify.com.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Christine Graf After working in information technology for 23 years, Mike Miller was laid off from a local tech company during the pandemic. His unexpected layoff prompted him to pursue his dream of opening a comic book store. In September, he opened Cosmic Cape Comics at 9 Hampstead Place in Saratoga Springs. The store […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":36820,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"\r\nCosmic Cape Comics Opens In Saratoga Springs Offering Numerous Collectables - Saratoga Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/saratogabusinessjournal\/2021\/11\/cosmic-cape-comics-opens-in-saratoga-springs-offering-numerous-collectables\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cosmic Cape Comics Opens In Saratoga Springs Offering Numerous Collectables - Saratoga Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Christine Graf After working in information technology for 23 years, Mike Miller was laid off from a local tech company during the pandemic. 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