pandemonium_bks: The State of the Store: A Quick Update

smoagendash (

smoagendash) wrote in

pandemonium_bks,
@ 2007-02-08 23:32:00

The State of the Store: A Quick Update

Well, it’s been 24 hours since my plea went out to save the store, and a lot has happened since. The store has been inundated with well-wishers, whom I must thank again. I appreciate your appreciation!

The current count of t-shirt orders stands at 542. Halfway there! Apparently word has reached BoingBoing, Wired and Enworld. Thanks to everyone who is spreading the word.

The nice man from the IRS visited today. We talked for a short while, and he gave me various forms and papers to fill out. After I showed him what I was attempting with the t-shirt presales, he gave me until the end of the month to come up with the back taxes. If that doesn’t happen, then the IRS will put a lien on the store, which essentially would lead to a cascade of collection efforts by the store’s other creditors. That would be Bad.

Some folks have written in asking if they could simply contribute directly, as they really weren’t t-shirt people. Of course you can! Pandemonium’s PayPal acct is general@pandemoniumbooks.com. If you do this, please include contact info, if case we have to get in touch with you for whatever reason. We are looking into the possibility of ordering other forms of garments beside t-shirts: sweatshirts, long-sleeved shirts and so forth. I’ll keep you posted.

Other friends of the store are fixing to donate goods and services for a Support Pandemonium Raffle. If you have an idea for something you would like to contribute for the Raffle, please email a description to tyler(at)pandemoniumbooks(dot)com, with “Raffle” in the subject line. Items being discussed include a gourmet 5-course meal, crafts of various sorts, even baked goods!

Other ways folks can help out is to buy a gift certificate for any amount they are comfortable with. While this option doesn’t reduce the store’s debt at all (just moving it around as is were), it would still be a big help.

Thanks again, and keep speading the word!

EDIT: changed tyler(at)pandemonium(dot)com to tyler(at)pandemoniumbooks(dot)com

(Post a new comment)

word is spreading!

crazycongirl
2007-02-09 01:55 pm UTC (link)

You might like to know that your message is also spreading on other message boards..boardgame geek, unity board and other yahoo groups. I have seen your message 4 or 5 times now on different forums. Good luck and I'll see you at TotalCon, where I will give you my support. Have a couple of tee's on hand, I have already gotten emails about your store and the hurdles you face since you are listed as an dealer on our website. Hopefully, you will see more support at the con too!

Best Wishes!
Angelia

(Reply to this)

	stormsdotter 2007-02-09 02:32 pm UTC (link)
	Tyler, I tried e-mailing you, and realized that your e-mil is tyler(at)pandemoniumBOOKS(dot)com - you may want to edit this post.. YAY T-SHIRTS!!!! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	smoagendash 2007-02-09 04:51 pm UTC (link)
	uh, whoops! Mental note to self: posting late at night makes tyler do stupid mistakes! Thanks! (Reply to this) (Parent)

books of various sorts?

capybaron
2007-02-09 05:52 pm UTC (link)

How much difference does actually buying books make?
In preparing for the Hugo voting, I normally borrow from the local library (sometimes through interlibrary loan). Recently, I have been picking up what seem to be interesting (if not always likely) candidates

I do not recall what is currently in stock, but my current curiosity list
is as follows:

Lake, Trial of Flowers
Reeve, A Darkling Plain
Robson, Keeping It Real
Rucker, Mathematicians in Love
Williams, The Demon and the City

Connors, The Freedom of Fantastic Things
Delany, About Writing
Finn, Blood & Thunder
Philmus, Visions and Re-Visions
Roberts, The History of Science Fiction

If a book is not in stock, does the store get any significant benefit from special order (as far as the current cash crunch is concerned)?

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: books of various sorts? smoagendash 2007-02-09 07:54 pm UTC (link)
	Oh hey, buying books is always good! If we don't have a particular book in stock, we will be happy to special order it for you. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	Re: books of various sorts? samidha 2007-02-09 09:37 pm UTC (link)
	Is there a difference in profit for you if you special order a book/game for me vs. already having it on your shelves? I'm wondering because I'm definitely going to come in soon for some stuff but the answer to this question might change what I purchase/when I come in. An ignorant question, I'm sure, but I don't know how these things work (obviously). (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	Re: books of various sorts? smoagendash 2007-02-09 09:56 pm UTC (link)
	There is no dirfference in margin between pre-ordered books and books on the shelf. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: Ook?

capybaron
2007-02-12 10:17 pm UTC (link)

I did special order some books, though it does seem that books from the small and/or odd publishers were problematic. Since Boskone soon approaches, I will scamper about the dealers there for the oddballs.

I have mixed feelings about dealing with the large internet merchants, like Amazon.

I have ordered directly from Night Shade Books before, so one way or another, I should be able to get Lake's "Trial of Flowers" and well as Williams's "The Demon and the City" (and "Snake Agent"?).

I am not so sure about Hippocampus Press, but I will see what I can do about Connors's "The Freedom of Fantastic Things".

As for MonkeyBrain Books, I will keep an eye out for Eckert's "Myths for the Modern Age" as well as Finn's "Blood & Thunder"

Likewise for the academic presses...
Roberts, The History of Science Fiction (Palgrave Macmillan)
Philmus, Visions and Re-Visions (Liverpool University Press)
Delany, About Writing (Wesleyan University Press)

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	Re: books of various sorts? samidha 2007-02-09 09:39 pm UTC (link)
	And would it be more helpful for me to figure out the cost of everything I want to get and then buy a gift certificate for around that amount, therefore not taking too much actual stuff off your hands (meaning you'd need to restock)...? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	Re: books of various sorts? smoagendash 2007-02-09 09:58 pm UTC (link)
	That is entirely up to you, but frankly, you are making things more complicated than they need to be. We are happy to get any business you throw our way. It's all good! (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	Re: books of various sorts? samidha 2007-02-09 10:01 pm UTC (link)
	Excellent, I will be in within 24 hours. :D (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Re: books of various sorts? samidha 2007-02-11 10:42 am UTC (link)
	My thought was that this would save you the having to restock stuff, since you have a pretty limited amount of time to come up with a pretty staggering amount of money. shrug (Will be in today, didn't make it in yesterday as we ended up having a lovely heating malfunction and had to spend the day huddled under blankets waiting for the landlord.) (Reply to this) (Parent)

	doctor_toc 2007-02-09 08:18 pm UTC (link)
	Just ordered a couple of shirts, matey. I'll do what I can to spread the word from over here. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	smoagendash 2007-02-09 10:01 pm UTC (link)
	hey, glad to hear from you! You are missed 'round here. I'll have to figure out what the shipping charges to you will be. If there is a large bunch of takers Over There, maybe I'll recruit you to be our UK distributor! (Reply to this) (Parent)

shelf awareness

ellocina
2007-02-09 11:10 pm UTC (link)

Looks like word is also spreading to the bookseller community as well. I'm a library science student and I came to this blog through the daily Shelf Awareness newsletter which gets read by a lot of librarians and book industry people. A bunch of them wrote in about the t-shirts. One Shelf Awareness reader said "one of those dream bookstores: huge selection, comfortable space, and, most importantly, friendly and knowledgeable staff. It would be a shame to see it go."

Honestly, I'm glad I read it because although I live in the Boston area and have walked past the store meaning to pop in, I didn't know about the financial trouble the store was having. I'll have to pop when I'm in Cambridge again next week.

(Reply to this)

	aethan 2007-02-09 11:50 pm UTC (link)
	Hi, Ty. I've ordered a couple of shirts, and I have stuff I'd be happy to donate for an auction to help the store, including baked goods. Maybe a bake sale? - Andy (Reply to this)

yttrai
2007-02-10 04:44 am UTC (link)

So i'll be honest, the only gaming books i own, i've bought from you.

All 3 of them <:] But seriously, i have a question about used books and overhead and profit margin, and i know i could do the math myself based on the numbers you post on the website versus the prices on the book covers, but i'd like to hear the answer from you: I buy TONS of used books from you. In fact of all the fiction i buy, about half is from you and the other half is from amazon, just because i have specific holes to fill. When i'm in your store i look for what i "need" plus everything i'd like to eventually read. I rarely get out of there without spending $50. My question is: does buying my fiction from you help you at all? Or is it basically a service you provide, that is a gateway drug to get us to buy the products that actually keep you afloat? If the profit margin high enough to make a difference? Just wondering. PS Yes, i ordered a tshirt.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

smoagendash
2007-02-11 02:39 am UTC (link)

As Pandemonium can't really afford loss-leaders, everything we sell has an adequate profit margin. Our problem is more that because of our mission to carry a large selection of more obscure stuff, our inventory does not move very quickly. In other words, we require more stock to produce the same amount of sales than Borders or Barnes & Noble, because they only carry the top 20% bestselling titles.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	When is the raffle (Anonymous) 2007-02-10 06:47 pm UTC (link)
	When is the raffle? (Reply to this)

Let it die.
(Anonymous)
2007-02-11 01:39 am UTC (link)

It's sad to hear that Pandemonium might be closing despite all of Tyler's efforts. Sure, online bookstores are almost always cheaper, but I like the allure of personal shopping. This is why I was originally very turned on to this convenient source of gaming books. I met some authors and got some books signed, but I always noted that Pandemonium had very terrible service and management, which has driven me away.

The check-out process never goes smoothly. Something is unlisted. I get double charged. My credit card was scanned wrong. One time an employee yelled at me and forced me to sign my credit card with a fat, black, felt tip permanent marker. The check-out process is always super slow. The employees always carry on pointless conversations with anyone who walks by. Although I realize some people shop for the ambiance, this drives away all the "normal people." I pretend I'm an Elf on Fridays, but I don't show up to work dressed like one.

The move has provided many woes for Pandemonium. This is all because Tyler did not research it enough. The necessity of the handicap ramp and a bathroom should not have come as a surprise to a manager moving his store. He shouldn't need a lecture from the county inspector on the day of inspection. Tyler has also diversified way too much and all at once. In a short span, the store expanded to drinks, miniature painting supplies, rented spaces, and video games. Plenty of people will suggest ideas but bail when it's time to pay up, so its the manager's job to be selective. Renting tables was too expensive- most of the time you could rent a hotel room for cheaper. As a result, the store has been driven into the ground.

The store has gone through several stages of shameless begging. "Pandemonium Bonds" were sold (great investment?), soliciting help with store credit, and many waves of t-shirt sales. Everyone who succumbed to this final plea is prolonging the death of a terrible business model.

Let it die.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Let it die.

smoagendash
2007-02-11 03:09 am UTC (link)

Hey there,

I am very sorry if you encountered bad service at checkout. Please accept my apologies. In regards to having to sign the back of your credit card, I have already have had this dicussion on LJ, so I don't want to repeat it now. I suggest that you call you card provider and ask THEM. I bet you $100 that they will confirm that you do need to sign the damn thing.

In regards to the validity of my business model, I really do not have time to rebut you point for point. I will simply point out:

a) I just got my MBA from BC's Carroll School Mangagement (May '06), and if you can run a business and pursue an full-time MBA at the same time without loss of concentration, well you're just a super-genius.

b) I have a 60 page business plan, exhaustively researched over a 12 month period. Plans never survive contact with the enemy.

c) Many points of your analysis are well-made, but are based on incorrect assumptions, and so are wrong. Not your fault. If you weren't an anonynous poster, I wouldn't mind starting a dialog.

d) I have made several costly errors (none which you have yet mentioned), but I like to think that I have learned from each and have not repeated any of them.

e) I really, really, really did not want to announce the store troubles. I did so, with the greatest reluctance.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: Let it die.

samidha
2007-02-11 05:55 am UTC (link)

I don't think this person should have posted anonymously but some things about your response strike me.

Tyler writes:
Plans never survive contact with the enemy.

I think this may be part of your overall issue, Tyler. I don't think you can win with a me vs. enemy attitude. I'm happy to support the store because I don't want to lose wheelchair accessible gaming space. For me, as someone who isn't a big SF/F reader, that's your draw. But I have in fact found your customer service to be lacking, and frankly, when the response to someone coming into the store is, "We don't have that but we can special order it," well, that person can go to Amazon. When Stephanie was not trained to properly use the wheelchair lift I waited patiently while she told me, "Well, you can try to use it, I don't know how to operate it" and then proceeded to monkey around with it for 15-20 minutes.

There's this general feeling that whoever's working in the store is just your buddy of the moment, and isn't necissarily trained at all. I was especially confused and chagrined when you let go of a lot of your actually knowledgeable staff, particularly Jason Schneiderman, who's knowledgeable enough he could have managed the store while you got this business degree of yours so that you wouldn't have to be compromising both the store and your education at the same time.

I have been defending you in various forums across the Internet, because news of your bad customer service or negative attitude is all over the place. I can't really disagree with these people, because I frankly have found you surly and miserable to deal with on the best of days. And as I've said in my own LJ and to my own friends, frankly I just want to play games. I don't want to have to special order things from your store, because it's not well stocked. I don't want to have to continually ask myself, "What is Tyler thinking today, and how long am I going to be able to use this space?" But I do and I will, and I think that's what you count on.

I've ordered my shirts. I'll special order some stuff. But there are definite problems here, that need to be addressed. Maybe instead of thinking of the world as Tyler vs. the enemy you should consider how Tyler gets in the way of Tyler's goals.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Someone summon me?

jadasc
2007-02-11 11:34 am UTC (link)

particularly Jason, who's knowledgeable enough he could have managed the store while you got this business degree of yours

Just to make this clear: although I appreciate the thought, I don't think that's the case. Pandemonium is a complex creature, with several areas of focus, and my dedication to one of its aspects wouldn't have served it well if I'd been placed in charge of it at the time. Plus, there's a lot of things I simply didn't know.

So: I disagree with this assertion. Ruth was manager then, and she did so ably.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Someone summon me? samidha 2007-02-11 11:56 am UTC (link)
	I stand corrected then. I don't know Ruth in any capacity and didn't mean to insult her in any way. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	teddywolf 2007-02-12 02:24 am UTC (link)
	I do have a question, Tyler. Why was Pandemonium closed in the Garage during the renovations at Central Square? I mean, yes, rent in two places as opposed to rent in one place; but wouldn't the store have provided more income than expenses? This particular aspect of the move confused me. (BTW, I hadn't heard about the MBA being Over And Done - congratulations :) (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

smoagendash
2007-02-12 05:08 am UTC (link)

Pandemonium's three month interregnum was the result of three things that went wrong. One of them was the result of one of those costly mistakes mentioned earlier (you know, the ones that I hopefully have learned from).

The three factors that added together to created the store's down time were: drawn-out lease negotiations, permiting problems, and construction delays. During the lease negotiations, my big mistake was not exerting greater control over my lawyer. Basically I had hired a crackerjack lawyer to review the lease, and she really went to town on it: no clause was left untouched. Note that the overall terms had already been mostly agreed to by the landlord and me. This was just about fine print and so forth. The negotiations dragged out five months! Having hired this hotshot lawyer, I wasn't about to ignore her advice. However, the lease became this big tug-of-war between her and my landord's lawyer, and so the lease wasn't signed till beginning of January 2006.

The second problem was getting the permits. It took the contractors six weeks to get what should have taken two. The major obstacle was the fire marshal; basically he seemed to have been very hostile to the project. The contractors would submit the plans and the fire marshal (after holding them for a week) would say: "Oh, I need to see a copy of the Master Electrician's license before I can even look at the rest of this." The contractors would get a copy made, send it in, and then there would be another unusual requirement, and the permit would be kicked back. So forth and so on, for 4-5 weeks.

As a contrast, when the fire marshal finally gave approval, the building inspector read through the plans, called a meeting of all the parties (me, contractors, architects and landlord), and said: "These are the five problems I have: A, B, C, D and E," and we hammered them all out in under an hour.

Was the fire marshal being deliberately obstructive? I have no solid evidence, only two suggestive facts: 1) my landlord told me that the fire marshal had expressed strong and repeated interest in the space all throughout the lease negoiations, and 2) his wife opened a chocolate store on Mass Ave. only a few months ago. Vendetta against the store or unfortunate coincidence? I will never know for sure. All I know is that he took too. damned. long.

Lastly, there was the construction time. Let me just say that there was a yawning chasm between what was promised and what was delivered, in terms of estimated time of construction. I know full well to add at least 25% to any construction estimate, but this was beyond the pale. I will aknowledge that there were some problems that they had little control over: the delays getting the building permit threw the craftmen's scheduling all out of whack, and zoning issues did force some last minute changes. Even so, there was still a _major_ decrepancy between what was promised by one partner, and what was delivered by the other. Grrrr!

Pandemonium's lease at the Garage expired on Dec. 31, 2006. We were able to extend the lease one extra month, then another, but our landlord was able to find someone to move in as of March 1st. So we had to move out at the end of February. The rest, as they say, is history.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Re: Let it die.
(Anonymous)
2007-02-17 03:20 pm UTC (link)

"The employees always carry on pointless conversations with anyone who walks by. Although I realize some people shop for the ambiance, this drives away all the 'normal people.' I pretend I'm an Elf on Fridays, but I don't show up to work dressed like one."

I never pretend I'm an elf (not even on Halloween - I was a go-go dancer last year) and back when I lived in the area the pointless conversations didn't drive me away at all (yes, some of us enjoy both science fiction and nightclubs :D ).

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	upstart_crow 2007-02-11 06:41 am UTC (link)
	Not from the Boston area, but grew up there partly and hate to see independent stores go under. I've made a little donation and wish you luck! - Jo (Reply to this)

dylanesque29
2007-02-11 02:06 pm UTC (link)

I really don't see the need for this kind of harsh criticism now. For one, I've
been to Pandemonium many, many times and never encountered the type of "check-out problems" that people are describing. Pandemonium's woes are the result of a combination of being a speciality shop, a uniformly shitty economy, and coming to a head during the most miserable weather of the year in this region. And I don't think you can accuse Tyler of "begging" just because he was able to buckle down, swallow his pride, and admit the store's in a dangerous place, instead of suffering in silence and taking a chance on business randomly
picking up.

(Reply to this)

chris_walsh
2007-02-11 04:56 pm UTC (link)

Thank you for letting us know of the direct donation option. I just made a $20.00 donation via PayPal; I don't need more t-shirts at this time, so what I did instead made more sense to me, and still helps you.

As I mentioned in my PayPal note, I'm friends with S.J. Tucker, a.k.a.

s00j, and I know your supporter

shadesong via The LiveJournal. (And yes, The Monarch has been blogging!) I've only been to the Boston area once, but feel a kinship with the place, and I have friends who live there (not to mention a cousin and his future wife, both of whom went to MIT) and I know they're patrons of your store.

So here's support from the Pacific Northwest, from someone who'd never have known of your situation without the 'Net. It's a good invention, the 'Net.

Any more news since Thursday?

(Reply to this)

	kansas_dave 2007-02-12 11:37 am UTC (link)
	It's time for an update. How are the T-shirt sales going? Are you feeling the love? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	smoagendash 2007-02-12 02:57 pm UTC (link)
	There is much love to be felt! I am currently in NYC, spending a day at the ToyFair, but I'll be back tomorrow. I currently don't have access to the pre-order numbers! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Used Books? glitz43 2007-02-13 12:58 am UTC (link)
	Tyler, Sent you an email, but I was wondering if I sent you a list of used books I was looking for, would you be willing to look through what you have and pack them and ship them down to me in Dallas? Just wondering, Glitz43 (Reply to this)

	necrophore 2007-02-13 09:48 pm UTC (link)
	Just stopped by to do what I could ... very grateful for the privilege of being a customer since '89. Hang in there man, we'll help you through this!! (Reply to this)

	Boskone & NESFA? djmahon 2007-02-14 12:18 am UTC (link)
	Will Pandemonium Books still be attending Boskone this weekend? I saw your name on the Hukster's List--does business pick up any during the convention? Also, have you thought of appealing to the NESFA for help getting the word out? I would think that if anyone would be interested, they would. (Reply to this)

spina_di_rosa
2007-02-16 04:41 pm UTC (link)

I found out about your plight from Randy posting a note on Something Positive to his readers about your store. I am not fond of T-shirts and live in Missouri so a trip in to buy books like I would like to do is a wee bit non-cost effective.

However my mate and I have been wanting the "settlers of cattan" game for the longest time. Is there someway we could order this from you, and perhaps an expansion set as well and have it shipped to us, I would love to help out a store that it seems like there are far too few of these days.

Thanks,
A

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	smoagendash 2007-02-20 02:36 pm UTC (link)
	I'd be happy to send it to you! Just email me at tyler(at)pandemoniumbooks(dot)com, with your address and contact info, and I'll get on it right away! (Reply to this) (Parent)

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