Comic Shop Spotlight: Gardner's Used Books

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Gardner's Used Books in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

OWNER: Richard Gardner

MANAGER: Sean Wells

NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: 1 plus an outlet store  

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 20

YEAR OPENED: 1991

STORE SIZE (square feet): 20,000

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Favorite Recent Comic Book? Marvel’s X-Men

How was your Halloween ComicFest event?  It was good.  Not a huge event for us, but the dress up and costumes customers wore were a lot of fun.

What has been your best promotion or event?  Our themed ladies nights have really been a hit for us.

What recent changes have you made in the store?  We added an outlet store behind the main building that is almost the same square footage as our main store.  It is open on weekends and allows us to move through more inventory.

What steps have you taken to expand your customer base or to reach out to individuals unfamiliar with your store or comics in general?  We do quite a few promotions, use social media more and more, and the word of mouth is really helpful too as the store is sort of an attraction unto itself.

What are your plans for the near future?  We are giving some thought to adding some in-store gaming events.

How did you choose your store name? It’s all in the name.

What superpower would you most like to have?  Mind reading.

Angela Stone poses with some of Marvel's heavy hitters Click to see larger image.	The entrance to the comics and other collectables section of the store. Click to see larger image.	Big signs make sure customers can navigate this huge store without a problem. Click to see larger image.
The neighboring café is a good spot to read your latest purchases Click to see larger image.	Lots of CD's to peruse Click to see larger image.	Part of the comic offerings can be found just off of Sesame Street Click to see larger image.
Gardner's is always buying collections and has a vast selection of back issues Click to see larger image.	Used books means used trade paperbacks too. Click to see larger image.	This large street sign also advertises their newly opened annex discount store Click to see larger image.
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