Forum - View topicAnime Online Store
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Alias
Posts: 33 |
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My new year resolution is to build an Anime Online store, whose goal is not to make a profit, but to break even, after cost of products and hiring people to help work the site. Of course, the items will have to be legit.
Will people support this kind of store? This is kind of like a pet project. Will other retail store get mad at me for building this type of store? |
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Sir_Brass
 Posts: 476 Location: Prescott, AZ |
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If you offer quality selection, good service (in terms of shipping items out after they're ordered), and prices well below MSRP, then of course I'll support you. You'd have what I want, for less than most places, and will ship within a day or two after I order.
However, I research before I buy. I don't have the funds to spend more on anime just because I want to help out an up-and-coming store. My goal is to get legitimate (non-bootleg) anime legitimately for less in excellent condition, without being raped by the shipping charges. Can't offer that, then you won't get my business. Harsh? Yes it is, but that's the way I operate. I pinch pennies because I have to. |
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Godaistudios
Posts: 2075 Location: Albuquerque, NM (the land of entrapment) |
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With the amount of time required to commit to such a project (and keep in mind you probably have to purchase a small business license in your locality and it also means paying taxes and payroll and the like) it's a full time business. Unless you are already quite financially independent (i.e. wealthy) and can buy enough stock to get an extremely low wholesale price, it's unlikely you will be able to beat out the likes of deepdiscountdvd and the like. I don't think other online stores are all that concerned about you trying to compete because it's unlikely you will be able to afford to beat their prices. |
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one3rd
 Posts: 1818 Location: アメリカ |
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Actually, in a perfectly or monopolistically competitive market, as long as you count yourself among the hired employees, the general goal to continue operating is to break even. But I suppose you aren't looking to break even in that sense, since most business don't want to just break even. |
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Alias
Posts: 33 |
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I did a lot of research on this. Pickup a license so I can negotiate with distributors.
I also checked the prices for DVDs at deepdiscountdvd.com and found their prices low, but some titles like from Viz can be cheaper and still make a profit. I found a distributor willing to cut me a deal for legit. Region 1 DVD but the only pit fall is I can get the titles at that prices a month after its street date, and buy at a big volume, of course. So my main focus is anime merchandise. |
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elniro
 Posts: 98 |
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Wow alias thats impressive challenge your taking on. I would support these kind of non profit stores all the way.
All the good anime gets released in USA so i gotta ship it all the way from there to London, and shipping is kinda expensive although not too bad for the savings im making 
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Emerje
 Posts: 7431 Location: Maine |
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Hey, if you can get merchandise sold at cost then I'm in. Action figures, gashapon, and the like, that's my forte, and with distributers like Diamond you can easily set up a merchants account for the lowest cost imports and great exclusives. Emerje |
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ac_dropout
Posts: 88 Location: Newark, NJ |
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Interesting pet project. At least it is not like a real .com project which is to lose money while the business is in operation, creating a sense of value for people.
In other words, you best have a good sense of accounting to figure out your "break even" point accurately. I would watch out for those bulk DVD wholesalers. Usually they might be selling unpopular titles that were returns from the big boxes, ie Best Buy or Costo. So having hundreds of units of cheap crappy anime series and selling them at cost doesn't neccessary mean people will buy it. Also it would mean your money is tied up in few series instead having wide a selection most anime consumers look for in the retailer (or at that's what I look for.) There are only two american companies generally consistent in the anime merchandise market. Great Eastern and ADV Toys. Just rememeber base on SBA statistics...90% of all small business fail within the first 5 years. So if your project is still around in 2010, you're in the clear. Good Luck. |
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Ultra_Immortal
Posts: 3 Location: South Africa |
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If you can deliver Internationally, then yep I will buy all my anime from you. Hell I did not make my self clear enough, My whole Family will buy from you, including all my friends that I convince.
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