Free Comic Book Day 2007 - Will the comics last?

May 5, 2005. Free Comic Book Day 2007.

It was quite a day for the little store that could... You see, we were quite surprised by the crowds last year, and the speed at which our free comics were gobbled up. After all, at that time, we had only been open for two months. Who knew that a little article in the West Valley View would bring in so many folks last year. We were determined that this year we would be more prepared, better stocked, and able to meet demand.

The line outside our door before we opened on that Saturday told us that perhaps we were a bit less prepared than we thought once again. People actually began to gather an hour before we opened. Sure, we had ordered at least 2000 more free comics than the year before, but would they last? Again, we made the decision that we would not limit our customers to only one or two comics each. That just doesn't seem fair. If they are willing to get up early on their Saturday to visit our store, then we should make sure the early birds get the (Owly and) Wormy comics. So, each customer was able to take at least one copy of everything on the table. We had more comics and a better selection than last year, surely they would last...

Well, maybe not. For our first 6 hours of business on May 5th, we had at least 100 customers every hour. And they weren't just coming in for the free comics and leaving. The customers were actually hanging around in our store and checking things out. Guess the money that we spent on advertising, having a big name guest like Steve "The Dude" Rude, and getting the 501st Stormtrooper Legion to appear in our store really paid off. Basically, the store was packed all day. I think the first time that we didn't have a single customer in the store didn't happen until about 5:30 PM, and that only lasted five minutes. Man, I'd love to see our little store perform like that everyday!

Perhaps the best thing I can say about Free Comic Book Day 2007 is that we did not have a single disappointed customer. Yes, the crowds were intense at times. Yes, there was a line at the cash register, at the free comic book day table, at Steve Rude's table, or even just waiting to shake hands with a bounty hunter. But, no one left unhappy. Our team was able to focus on customer service and manage the event well. So, hats off to our employees, our volunteers, our customers who act like we pay them (you know who you are), our guests, and all the new customers. And, thank you, Lord, for letting us have just enough free comics to meet the demand!

We'll put a few more articles out here about this event, detailing the specifics of the day. But, I did want to drop a few words and pictures at this time.