Interview with Sang Truong, owner
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: I’ve been seriously collecting comics since 1983. My passion for comic books led me to ultimately open a store. One of the most enjoyable parts of the comic business is the comic-related conversations with my customers about movies/TV shows, current and upcoming storylines, great books to read, comic speculations and potential investments.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: I love to talk about anything related to comics. One of the things that sets 5280 Comics apart from other stores is my interests in knowing what my customers like. I enjoy recommending great stories that might be of interest to each of my customers. I take great pride in the conditions of comic books and ensure that my customers receive high-grade books whenever possible in order to get maximum enjoyment out of each book for years to come. At 5280 Comics, we will go out of our way to find books that are tough to find when customers request them. We treat customers exactly how we would like to be treated as a collector and reader of comic books.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: The stress level of running a business can be extremely high. However, when listening to other collectors share their love for the hobby or hearing from customers about how great our reading suggestions were, that really helps alleviate that stress. Comic stores aren’t known for making a lot of money. But how many people can say they love what they do regardless of whether they make money or not?
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: With the popularity of comic-book collecting increasing, the biggest challenge currently is finding collections to fill the backlist.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: Not only do I truly enjoy the comic hobby, I also enjoy the excitement and adrenaline of building a business startup to reach a successful level. One of 5280 Comics’ goals is to expand to other physical locations. And, starting next year, we will begin to explore an online expansion.
Profile
Business: 5280 Comics
Address: 9116 W. Bowles Ave., Unit 16
Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays, noon-6 p.m. weekends
Founded: 2014
Contact: 720-524-3382; www.5280comics.com; @5280comics
Employees: 2
