Mad Ox Games & Comics is closing its doors for good July 30th. #ConManKen's record of success (or lack there of) is maintained. The universe can now let out its held breath. All is right in the world of Ken.
Why would anyone want to buy a stocked Games & Comics store for $20k that is abruptly closing? I'd want to know why the abrupt closing before putting my money down.
I'm guessing the above has something to do with the store closing. Both postings were from last night.
Damn, Ken is always the victim. Now Marcus is closing the store he's been faithfully managing right out from under him.
Poo Poo Face - AKA Erik Tenkar reporting from the interwebs...
I love his rant to the people "who lied to me, misled me, backstabbed me or judged me, fuck you ya lying two-faced pieces of shit." But KENNY though...if anyone dares to makes the same claims against Kenny, Marcus is right there defending the hell out of him. Jesus, irony is absolutely lost on this guy.
ReplyDeleteCan we attribute this failure to KonManKen?
ReplyDeleteWow, closing doors in 18 days and willing to let the whole inventory go for 15k? Sounds like things went south hard and fast :(
ReplyDeleteHmmm... Just a guess, but I would bet money on the following: Ken needed money for some reason (he always does), and Marcus loaned him the money with Ken agreeing to pay him back by working it off in the store, doing "celebrity appearances," etc etc. It was assumed (or believed, based on something, which led to the outburst above about back-stabbers) that the store would continue normal operations, except that after Ken started things went upside down. Marcus may have even taken out a loan on the store, if Ken needed/wanted a lot of money. Marcus would probably never admit it, but he could be just the latest in Ken's long line of victims. Anyway, just a guess...
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ReplyDeleteReading Marcus's wall it seems he's trying to claim that he just didn't feel like he was up to running two stores.. his friends don't seem to be quite buying it though as they're pointing he had only just recently opened this location up....
ReplyDeleteWell, he also posted that having some particular medical issues made it far more difficult to keep going back and forth. $20k might be a good deal for the stock and the store, but anyone who buys that store without looking at the balance sheets first is a fool. If the store was doing well he wouldn't be selling it. Granted, the inventory alone is probably worth much more than the asking price.
DeleteTrue but he responded that he could find reliable friends or family to run it for him. When just yesterday on the Tavern he said he was 100% behind Ken running that store for him. "Something" happened yesterday to go from "Ken is running the store and I have his back 100%" to "Store closing buy it now"
DeleteYeah, going by simplest explanation criteria I think that is the most likely scenario:
Delete-Marcus opened the location on the understanding that Ken would manage it
-Ken dropped the ball
-Marcus is stuck managing two stores which due to his health issues he simply cannot do
-Marcus has no choice but to sell/arrange for someone to take over the store from him
So no loans or anything, just foolishly trusting Ken (and probably one or two other shady associates)to work a basic 9-5 commitment.
I agree with your basic thoughts ... except ... I think it goes more like:
Delete- Marcus opened location on the understanding it would be Ken's job to give him steady income & security based on Marcus feeling he owes Ken a life debt.
- Things were "fine" to the point that Marcus was fully defending Ken as a store manager yesterday.
- Some unknown event happened last night. Leading Marcus to the conclusion that Ken cannot run the store without Marcus's assistance and with his health running two store is just not worth it. Thus ... defending Ken in the morning ... closing the store at night.
I note that Marcus and Ken are not "friends" on Facebook... That may or may not be related, but it in interesting none the less. "I thought I could help" certainly sounds like Marcus may have had an eye-opening moment in his relationship with Ken but that's just supposition.
ReplyDeleteMarcus has been known to drop in here, maybe he'll have something to say. If he was taken for a ride by Ken I'll certainly be among those saying, not "I told you so" but instead "sorry he took you for a ride too. At least you are in good company."
Oh they still are. Kenny posted a picture of Marcus's yuge phone...
DeleteHas anyone checked out the Facebook feed of Kenny-Poo? (It seems to be his favorite word now, so I guess he wants it as part of his name now.)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Kenny-Poo's been pimping the hell out of this new store, so if he's also affected by this, his feed will likely be filled with all kinds of info and rants about what happened and who's at fault. Howver, if Kenny-Poo has gone "radio silent" on this, then you pretty much have the answer as that seems to be his M.O. when he's shit the nest.
"...his feed will likely be filled with all kinds of info and rants about what happened and who's at fault..."
DeleteYes, but they'll probably be lies, so the actual information gleaned will be zero.
Or should we just assume the opposite of whatever Kenny Boy says is the truth? It could work!
The value in owning a physical store is twofold:
ReplyDelete1) You can get cheaper product from WOTC distributors.
2) Occasionally people will walk in there with a $$$ collection of cards/comics and you can fleece them.
In the meantime you stick some Schmoe in there and continue buying your product via distributors at a discount. The product is for Ebay, store is stocked with BS asides MTG boosters. Your Schmoe has specific orders to call you immediately when some doofus walks inside with a "collection". Over the phone you determine whether the collection has value and you need to drive in there and get a score or let the Scmoe have a chance to pull one over on you...
20K fee is the going rate for a 'stocked' store but literally that stock has essentially 0 value. For all intents and purposes all of the money in owning a store is literally what I said. If he sells the store he pulls items of actual value, the loose MTG boosters, and anything else that can basically fit into the backseat of your car and drive away. You also continue to buy as much product as possible via owning a B&M store until the new owner discovers what you're doing and goes through the hassle of proving their the new owners and whatnot.
Yeah, I wouldn't buy ANYTHING from Marcus King, based on his willingness to prop up Ken Whitman - and by his willingness to get his own hands dirty, selling resin spacecraft models out from under the Traveller Spinward Kickstarter backers at his store (models obtained from Ken). I think he's just as shady as his buddy, Ken.
ReplyDeleteAs someone with more experience with Marcus than with Ken, you're absolutely right, he's just as shady. Pretty much every aspect of his business is. He's flat out abusive. Him and Ken make a great pair.
DeleteHow do we know Ken had anything to do with this closing? It's idle speculation without anything from Marcus. Vladimir Putin could have been the guy who backstabbed Marcus for all we know.
ReplyDeletefrom the Mad Ox & Games FB feed 30 minutes ago:
DeleteOnce In A Lifetime Opportunity!!
We are selling our Somerset, Kentucky location. It has averaged as much as $25,000 a month in sales, but we have determined it needs a good owner in it to make that kind of money, and the staff we have had there has not done as well.
Buy a stocked Games & Comics store for $19,999.99. The Lease on about 2000 square feet is only $750 a month. Has been in business 20+ years. Comes with fixtures, inventory, obviously lots of customers.
---I’ve had a bad run of managers hired to run this location, and have given up on it. ---
But, it has been a viable, profitable shop for 20 years. First three months will be PAID out of your up front $19,999.99 - and I will add in a year of consulting for free, and a copy of my employee guide and buyers guide - both developed over the 31 years I have been running MY own shops. Your purchase gets you a great location, a strong following, and enough stock to cover the entire cost of the store purchase if you sell through at retail price!!
I see that now. Still, playing Devil's advocate, we don't hear exactly what went wrong with Ken. It could be a general case of incompetence; nothing in his background suggests that he'd be good at this kind of thing.
DeleteOr he could have scammed Marcus. Who knows.
Given all the self-righteous braying Marcus did at Ken's victims (sorry Tenkar - "alleged victims"), I think it would be richly deserved poetic justice if Ken screwed him somehow.
DeleteBut I agree that there's no way to know at this point.