Monday, January 26, 2015

Helping out an old friend

My favorite comic book store, Uncanny! In the King of Prussa Mall, is in a spot of trouble.  There is a big sneaker store call Villa that wants the spot that the comic book store operates out of.  It looks like if the deal goes through Uncanny! will have to move to a yet to be determined location in the mall.  The part of this that stinks even more than being force to move is that the mall did this to them twice last year and they have finally gotten the newest location looking awesome.

The contact info for the big store that is bullying my favorite comic shop is:

Villa
1926 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-279-5688
Email: villa@ruvilla.com

Not taking this laying down and armed with the aforementioned information I sent out the following email.


Dear Villia Management:

I'm writing you today because I heard some distressing news.  It's my understanding that you are thinking of opening a store in the King of Prussia Mall in the location currently occupied by Uncanny.  I urge you to choose a different location in the King of Prussa mall.  Over the last year Uncanny (formally called Comics and More) has had to move twice and as you can imagine this has put a real strain on them as it would any business.  I know it put a major strain on their employees as I was there to help them move, because Uncanny is more than just a store for me.

I have been a dedicated customer of the store for nearly 30 years.  I even worked there for a few years while I was finishing up college and looking for a job in my field.  I have seen every location they have ever had and this current location is by far the best.  They have just finished setting up the back room for gaming and events.  It looks fantastic.  They have incredible art on the walls and front window.  It is clear to see how much time and effort that the employees and customer volunteers have put into the store.  As the operators of a store you know how rare it is to have employees and a customer base that cares that much about a store.

That's because Uncanny is more than a store and employees; it's a place for old friends to meet and new friendships to be formed.  Every Wednesday I come in to pick up my comic books.  Not only do they have the books that I have asked for, but they will set aside things that they know I would be interested in.  It is rare in this day and age to find such customer service.  As much as I love the people that worked there when I was an employee back in the early 2000's this current group are some of the best people I have seen running a comic shop.

I have become a comic book professional in no small part to due to the influence this store has had on my life.  It the first place to ever carry any of my works and it the first place I look to when I want to premier any of my new titles.

This store is also responsible for me meeting one of my best friends in the world.  Over a decade ago I was finishing up one of my last shifts at the comic shop when a young lady came in asking for a comic book recommendation.  Over her next two visits we had such a good time talking we decide to meet up for coffee after I was no longer working at the shop.  From that meeting we formed a lasting friendship that included me being a bridesman in her wedding.  I still see her nearly every week.

This is the kind of place that you could put in jeopardy if decided to have the King of Prussia Mall management make them move once more.  I ask you again to investigate and choose a different location in the mall.  While I have never shopped in your store before, if you choose to pursue Uncanny's current location I assure you I never will and will be vocal about my reasons.  However, if you choose a different location in one of the largest malls in the world, I will most assuredly come and check your store out.  I cannot promise to buy anything, but there is a good chance that I will. As you can imagine from this letter I tend to be a vocal supporter of the places I like.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.

Regards,

T. Perran Mitchell
Creator of The Chronicles of the Tal Nor


If you want to help kindly write, call or email them, just like I did.

Until next time, keep fighting the good fight and keep making things.

T.

4 comments:

  1. Unfortunately they signed a month to month lease. I think the mall is more responsible in screwing them over. They knew that this could eventually happen. Sucks though.

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  2. Agree that the mall put them in this position by making them go month to month. I have never gotten why the mall has always treated the comic shop so poorly. All it does is bring in a guaranteed number of shoppers to the mall in the middle of the week, every week. Since the store moved near the food court I think I have eat there now more than ever. Chipotle should be lobbying for the comic shop to stay as well.

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  3. Thanks for your blog about what is going on. When I was in last week, Rob asked me to fill out a relocation survey and I figured something was up. This store has been a regular fixture in the KoP mall and surrounding area for decades and deserves to be treated as such by the mall. The staff are all wonderful people and truly care about their customers. This store is the only reason I go to the KoP mall. If it leaves, I will go from a weekly KoP mall patron to maybe visiting once or twice a year.

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    1. You're welcome. I completely agree. Uncanny is the kind of story we need more of.

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