sell,
      learning
      the
      ropes.
      They
      didn’t
      rent
     
     
      permanent
      space
      at
      Towers
      since
      the
      wall
      owners
     
     
      wanted
      them
      to
      sign
      a
      very
      long
      lease.
      Later,
     
     
      though,
      they
      were
      offeredbusiness
      space
      by
      the
     
     
      Confederation
      Court
      Mall,
      which
      needed
      stores
      to
     
     
      fill
      its
      space
      following
      recent
      renovations.
      The
     
     
      partners
      were
      guaranteed
      a
      space,
      but
      since
      it
      was
     
     
      under
      construction
      they
      spent
      much
      of
      the
      summer
     
     
      months
      working
      out
      of
      a
      stand
      in
      a
      corner
      of
      the
     
     
      mall.
      This
      had
      advantages,
      though.
      This
      location
     
     
      gave
      them
      good
      exposure
      and
      was
      cheaper
      to
      rent
     
     
      than
      actual
      storespace.
      As
      the
      tourists
      rolled
      in,
     
     
      business
      bounced,
      and
      they
      increased
      their
     
     
      inventory
      greatly.
      Eventually,
      they
      moved
     
     
      downstairs
      into
      their
      very
      own
      storespace,
      where
     
    
   
   
    
     
      they
      have
      continued
      to
      expant
      their
      inventory
      and
      _
     
    
   
   
    
     
      pick
      up
      customers.
     
     
      now,
      healthy.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "The
      Comic
      Hunter"
      is,
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Its
      more
      or
      less
      a
      success
      story,
      so
      far
      anyway,
     
     
      and
      one
      might
      wonder
      what
      the
      secret
      of
      the
     
     
      success
      in
      this
      case
      is.
      Jeff
      laughs
      about
      it
      when
     
     
      I
      ask.
      There
      are
      a
      lot
      of
      things
      that
      contributed
      to
     
     
      it,
      he
      thinks.
      Experience
      helped
      a
      bit,
      as
      Jeff
      was
     
     
      once
      a
      sort
      of
      junior
      parner
      in
      an
      earlier
      business.
     
     
      Although
      it
      failed,
      this
      experience
      gave
      him
      some
     
     
      knowledge
      of
      business
      pracites.
      They
      were
      lucky
     
     
      enough
      to
      find
      a
      good
      location,
      and
      to
      obtain
      a
     
     
      healthy
      loan
      for
      their
      business.
      They
      were
      starting
     
     
      up
      at
      a
      time
      when
      the
      Confederation
      Court
      Mall
     
     
      needed
      businesses.
      They
      were
      lucky
      enough
      to
     
     
      build
      up
      their
      inventory
      by
      buying
      up
      the
      stock
      of
     
     
      the
      defunct
      Darkside
      Comics,
      and
      finding
      other
     
     
      collectors
      items
      here
      and
      there,
      and
      buyers
      and
     
     
      investors
      willing
      to
      purchase
      them.
      So,
      |
      asked
     
     
      him,
      their
      success
      might
      then
      be
      based
      on
      timing
     
     
      and
      lulck
      as
      opposed
      to
      fiscal
      master-minding?
      He
     
     
      laughs
      and
      says
      "that’s
      a
      pretty
      good
      interpretation.
     
     
      We'll
      become
      fiscal
      masterminds
      later."
     
    
   
   
    
     
      However,
      he
      assures
      me
      that
      he
      and
      Mike
      "...aren’t
     
     
      stupid!".
      There
      are
      important
      methods
      and
      ideas
     
     
      that
      have
      helped
      them
      get
      their
      business
      going.
      He
     
     
      said
      that
      they
      were
      really
      confident,
      and
      very
     
     
      certain
      of
      what
      shape
      their
      business
      would
      take,
      so
     
     
      he
      seems
      to
      think
      vision
      is
      important.
      They've
     
     
      been
      committed
      to
      the
      project,
      sinking
      their
      cash
     
     
      and
      all
      their
      time
      into
      the
      idea,
      working
      sixt
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      hour
      weeks.
      "I
      just
      work
      all
      the
      time,"
      he
      says.
     
     
      "It's
      crazy!"
      The
      work,
      though,
      seems
      to
      pay
      off,
     
     
      and
      that’s
      something
      he
      emphasizes.
      "I’m
      not
      a
     
     
      brainy
      person,"
      He
      assures
      me.
      "I’m
      convinced
      that
     
     
      you
      get
      a
      lot
      through
      hard
      work,
      but
      it
      has
      to
      be
     
     
      efficient
      work.
      It
      has
      to
      have
      a
      purpose."
      Another
     
     
      thing
      he
      stresses
      is
      to
      know
      what
      you
      sell,
      as
     
     
      knows
      comics.
      That’s
      so
      important.
      "Knowledge,"
     
     
      he
      says,
      "is
      what
      you're
      selling."
      Also,
      he
      stresses
     
     
      that
      if
      you
      can’t
      handle
      everything
      involved
      in
     
     
      running
      the
      business,
      find
      someone
      who
      can.
      For
     
     
      instance,
      as
      they
      have
      difficulty
      keeping
      track
      of.
     
     
      their
      books,
      they've
      since
      hired
      an
      accountant.
     
     
      "You
      ahve
      to
      be
      ready
      for
      growth,"
      he
      believes.
     
     
      Finally,
      everyting
      taken
      into
      account,
      a
      little
      luck
     
     
      is
      always
      helpful.
      "We've
      had
      the
      right
      things
     
     
      happen
      at
      the
      right
      times,”
      he
      says.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      for
      what
      his
      future
      plans
      are,
      Jeffs
      sort
      of
      cagey
     
     
      about
      that.
      For
      one
      thing,
      he
      plans
      to
      return
      to
     
     
      school
      and
      finish
      his
      education,
      perhaps
      as
      a
     
     
      part-time
      student
      during
      the
      slow
      winter
      months
      of
     
     
      business.
      The
      store
      is
      currently
      his
      main
      concern,
     
     
      but
      not
      his
      only
      one.
      While
      he
      plans
      on
     
     
      continuing
      school,
      though
      he
      also
      plans
      to
      continue
     
     
      exploring
      the
      business
      world.
      He
      considers
      this
     
     
      store
      a
      project,
      an
      experience
      from
      which
      to
      learn.
     
     
      For
      now
      he’s
      devoting
      all
      lhis
      energies
      to
      making
     
     
      this
      the
      highest
      quality
      store
      he
      can
      develop.
      If
     
     
      and
      when
      -
      it’s
      a
      complete
      success,
      he
      may
      start
     
     
      parcelling
      some
      of
      his
      duties
      out
      to
      employees,
      and
     
     
      go
      on
      to
      a
      new
      project,perhaps
      making
      use
      of
     
     
      profit
      and
      experience
      from
      this
      project
      to
      start
      a
     
     
      new
      project
      of
      some
      sort.
      What
      sort
      of
      project,
      he
     
     
      has
      in
      mind
      he
      didn’t
      say,
      so
      I
      simply
      interpreted
     
     
      this
      as
      plans
      for
      a
      future
      venture.
      "Yeah,
      ’venture’,”
     
     
      he
      says.
      "That’s
      a
      good
      vague
      term.
      Don’t
      let
      them
     
     
      (the
      competition)
      know
      anything!"
      While
      the
     
     
      future
      is
      still
      in
      the
      top
      secret
      planning
      stages,
     
     
      though,
      for
      now
      Jeff's
      plans
      are
      clear,
      as
      he
      and
      his
     
     
      partner
      Mike
      direct
      all
      their
      efforts
      to
      making
      the
     
     
      "Comic
      Hunter"
      the
      best
      bookstore
      they
      can
      run.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      October
      4,
      1990
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Page
      11