Mad-Mardigan 2007-09-18 21:39:47

Travel about 150-200 miles to visit a store about a web site and travel back the same day?!?!?!
COOL BEANS

rockymike 2007-09-18 22:51:59

You are to Glenside what Kevin Smith is to Red Bank, NJ.

Seriously though, I think that would be a great idea. It would be like a Mecca for NG artists. I was looking for a reason to visit the Philly area anyways and that would be the deal breaker for sure - since, as you said, you wouldn't want people hanging 'round the office too much.

Office rent down here in WV is at least than half what it is there though... I've recently toyed with the idea with opening a production studio, but there's just no guarantees things will work out, and after crunching the number much the way you did, it just seem probable. One of these days though.

Luis 2007-09-18 23:28:00

i think it feels premature. I naturally love the idea of ng growing, but newgrounds doesnt feel mainstream enough to have the bite to keep a store self maintaining moneywise and also making money. I sort of feel like it would be how it was at comic con this year where people would walk by and say 'i dont get it'

i think that building some presence at smaller conventions and film festivals would be better, like applecon or other independent film festivals, and sort of build newgrounds to be this mecca of up and coming artists and merch from these up and coming 'underground' artists.. i think thats the cool thing about newgrounds..

i dont think the mainstream is ready for newgrounds

kidray76 2007-09-18 23:52:28

Well, does the benefits outweigh the costs? Also, is the demand big enough to have an physical location and not just e commerce?

Of course, only you can answer that, but honest opinion, would be taking a potential gain or risk by doing the investment. I recommend maybe doing some surveying around the city to see if it will be welcomed with open arms, as well as, having a survey for the newgrounds community to take. Best to trust your current fan base opinion, to determine future potential fan base.

I don't konw, just my opinion.

Josh-B 2007-09-18 23:55:39

It would be neat, though impractical. Maybe you could call out to NG fans willing to relocate to the area and that want a job to run the NG store.

TheCriminalDuder 2007-09-19 00:25:46

Hey Tom the stores a great idea go with it.
I'd relocate up their! I could be the store/office janitor and do odd jobs do and ya could pay me half of normal price! In exchanged for a NG Janitor Outfite.... and a box or somethin' to sleep in...
...Ya I'm high right now. :P

Infernalz 2007-09-19 00:33:54

well i ca't say its the best idea ever, but not the worst thing I've ever heard... i mean first off you say its in a remote area, with small other shops. hey, those shops have to stay up and running with that small of traffic so you could be able to. but with only 1,269,555 users (from rankings) in the U.S. alone i would guess, that would probably good traffic. maybe stake the place out and see the traffic of it, but no matter what, a mall is a mall, so it still has to get good traffic, advertising may be needed for more. you are right on hiring a new person though, i mean with the limited staff here on NG, we might be lonely with 1 less admin here. with all that in place, being a small store, only being availible to a small amount of users alone, might not be that good... then again, new users are coming every day... being able to connect with the users is good, but can still hinder it for just being there to see an admin :D would need more stuff to sell though, 6 shirts in the store alone might not cover it all... around like $50,000.00 a year (if i did it right :\, $47,700.00 total, with $4,000.00 for like the first year, and remodeling etc.) would call for more merchandise:

a Tom Fulp action figure! :P #1 selling item in the U.S.! XD

ok (OTHER NG USERS STOP HERE. PLEASE, PLEASE :D) maybe, MAYBE, and you didnt hear it from me... paying for better membership (platinum FTW) (DONT KILL ME!) like 1 dollar a month for something extra... what that i wouldn't know as we got like all of it now.... but still would pay for it all. like a penny each is like $12695.55/month. but hey we haven't had to pay all this time, you want to keep it that way im not complaining, i pay for a MMORPG and got this idea from that.

but if you do im going on a vacation out there! still if anything else, Tom Fulp action figure... think about it... kung fu grip :P

now im going to hide in a bunker from the onslaut of people not liking my idea of paying for more membership O.o

MacUser 2007-09-19 01:18:59

Have you seen tom loves jt? xD

Fierras 2007-09-19 01:34:04

It would make sense that if you opened up a store, it would not only have to sell merchendise there but would also have to take care of the distribution for the sale of your products in other stores in other areas as well. Even if that store didn't sell enough it would still function as a controlpost. But just that one store sounds like a potential loss of revenue. What you also need to take in consideration is the location. Is this the indicated area for this kind of store?

wolfinator-x 2007-09-19 05:59:37

If I visit Glenside I'll buy more than 16 things in the store!!

And I don't think money is much of a problem, I'm sure alot of people will make flash movies and give the money to this project instead of keeping it. I mean, I would. I just can't seem to get awards or my flashes front-paged.

A few interesting ideas:

SALES:

-Dave's DVD's
-Plush Toys (I'm not necessairly talking SwearBears)
-Videogames (Alien Hominid, Castle Crashers, etc)
-NG Nintendo DS Skins?
-BB Guns
-Shirts
-Stickers
-Wooden Swords, like the ones OrbitalDebris does.
-NG Actionfigures!
-Anything cool you can think of.

ANNUALS:

-"Meet Tom and get his Autograph"
-A bit of an E3-style convention; people getting dressed as characters and visiting to play some yet-to-be relesed games, watching Unpublished movies, etc.
-"Your Momma's so..." contest.

PROMOTIONS:

-Buy (X) items more than (Y) dollars and get a free prank taser (not a real taser, just one of those toys that zap people)
-Bring an NG-Based videogame and get promo extras (Like in VG conventions)
-Once every three months or so, design a shirt and the best shirt design will be reproducted and sold a few times.

Of course, if you need money, almost all of these ideas will be impossible, so first wait a little while with just sales and put all the store money on the side until you are able to make one of your favorite ideas I typed down, and you'll get more money, and over the years, you'll have enough money to pay newgrounds' copyright until Jesus visits us once again.

Dekuboy 2007-09-19 06:49:47

Please, please open a store. I think that that is an absolutely awesome idea. And if you do, I am going to get in a car and go there. (I live in Pittsburgh... so it won't take too long) However, make sure that you sell more merchandise than what you have in the store right now. Alien Hominid action figures and maybe some posters would work well. (I have always wanted a NG poster) Oh... and if you do get a store... there is one thing that you CANNOT forget- A Behemoth plush doll!

Spite 2007-09-19 11:57:36

Wow, an NG store would definitely be awesome if you were able to get one running and it able to support it self. It would shine hope on aspiring artists who could possibly make some merch for it; hell it even kind of inspires me to create my own series :)

I'd like to see new NG merch. A couple of new shirts, stickers, patches, hats; put a line of fan created stuff, maybe hold a couple contests. Ha, I could imagine a SBC plush, I would definitely buy one of those.

Its definitely better than a dollar store, I work at one and I hate it. 7 bucks an hour for stocking novelty items for hours on end. What I'm sayin is a staff shouldn't be a problem, for 8-9 bucks an hour working for a kick ass website, that sounds like a dream job (well for summer/high school job).
You could probably save a few bucks by marking it down to 7, just sayin.

But, Obviously plan it out first. Put some money aside, let it build up, apply for a loan, yada yada yada all that jazz they teach you in business class. Don't impluse anything.

I'm for it, just make sure everything's covered and planned out.

flashnine 2007-09-19 13:17:09

Hey Tom,

I'll work at the store for free. as long as there are snacks and I can sleep in the basement....

I am serious.
-Pete

Paradox 2007-09-19 13:31:27

Whoa, the idea of a Newgrounds store totally came out of nowhere, in my opinion that's getting pretty big... but on the other hand, it's a cool idea, if it managed to sell all of the merchandise well.

Man, sometimes I wish I lived in some of the cooler areas of the world. :(

Armour 2007-09-19 13:51:55

TOO MANY rules on NG jesus this a web for TEENAGERS not for school !

camobch0 2007-09-19 15:28:04

A store would be awesome but you'd probably make alot more in sales if you move it to a bigger city.

Wonchop 2007-09-19 16:37:25

Does sound kinda interesting, especially if other NG artists are able to get their merch sold there too. Kinda like a Hot Topic but with much less goth.

DannyJay 2007-09-19 16:43:26

yeah. hey tom. I thought i would make a post *a lil of this topic* if its ok.

What are you gonna do about all the other websites stealing Newground's stuff?

SuperShad 2007-09-19 16:49:53

That Is SO FUCKING COOL!

DCorp 2007-09-19 17:21:48

You should open a store in Canada if you want a bit more business, I suggest Toronto, ON