
As the owners of Brainstorm Comics and Gaming, Eva and John have always enjoyed the direct interaction with the comic and gaming community of Frederick. It allows us to get a great gauge of where our hobbies stand within the area, but also gives us the opportunity to grow not just in the sense of the store, but in our connections with our friends within them.
The last two years, but especially the last several months, have proven to be a difficult time for individuals and businesses with both needing to make the necessary adjustments to their lives and budgets in the new economic landscape we are experiencing.
With that in mind, Brainstorm Comics and Gaming has some announcements, all of which is our adjusting to the new reality of the economy and rapidly rising prices. Let me assure you before we get into those changes, however, that we aren’t going anywhere. Brainstorm Comics and Gaming has been a Frederick staple for 40 years and we intend to be Frederick’s favorite hobby store for another 40. These changes are to ensure we make that a reality. With your help, we know it will be.
One of the biggest changes will be adjusting the hours at our downtown Frederick location. While we will remain open on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, that store will be closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. That was a very difficult decision as we didn’t want to affect our employee’s hours and also because of our roots in downtown Frederick.
The Frederick location’s new hours will be:
Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 11 am to 7 pm
Thursday Closed
Friday 4 pm to 8 pm
Saturday Noon to 8 pm
Sunday Noon to 5 pm
Those are our busiest days and allows us to be more efficient in the quality service and product we deliver to the comic and gaming communities of Frederick. If you can only shop on Mondays, Tuesdays of Thursdays, no worries. Our Walkersville location will remain open on those days. It is only a ten minute trip from our downtown store and offers an even greater selection of items.
Our next change is we will be extending our subscriber discounts to everyone, regardless of whether you are a subscriber or not. So gamers, you will be receiving 10% off board games, roleplaying games, card games and miniatures. Games Workshop products will remain at their current 10% below MSRP pricing.Comic fans, you will be receiving 20% off comic books (new and back issues) and graphic novels.
We know that the rising prices continue to tighten budgets in every household. Hopefully these discounts will help.
The next one is a request on our part. If you have a subscription and are able to do so, we ask that you pick up your books at least every other week. Under normal circumstances, we have a generous waiting period for subscribers to pick up books (upwards of 2 months), but in these extraordinary times, we cannot afford that luxury.
If comics cannot fit into your budget currently, we ask that you cut back the number of books you are on to what you can afford. Every book that remains in a subscription box ties up capital that can be used on other products to help the store. As fellow comic enthusiasts, we understand you don’t want to miss the next great story or character. Unsold inventory always hurts a store, but under the current circumstances its impact is far greater. This will help us keep our budget.
The next way you can help Brainstorm Comics and Gaming is by letting your friends and family know about the awesome products that we carry. Every purchase helps. We know you already do much to promote the store’s community and we appreciate every referral you make on our behalf.
We have dedicated a lot of resources to our eBay store. So, even if you no longer live in the area, check out the rotating stock we have there. Much like the store’s physical locations, even if you can’t make a purchase, let your friends and family know that they can shop Brainstorm from the comfort of their own homes. If there are specific types of products you’d like us to start posting on eBay, let us know. We have a massive amount of inventory to draw from for your wants and needs.
These decisions were not made lightly and were quite difficult. We know you’ll understand with everything going on.
With your help, we know we will only be stronger after this economic storm has passed.
Lastly, even if you can’t make any purchases at this time, please continue to stop by and talk to us about our hobbies. We love hearing from all of you and don’t want to lose that connection.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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