Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, gryphon

Gryphon – the Comic Store of Northern Colorado That Wants to Be A Co-Op

Published Tue, 24 Sep 2019 08:30:17 -0500

Gryphon Games & Comics has been operating in Fort Collins since 2005, and has become quite the community centre. But today's marketplace, for both comics and games, os a different one. So Gryphon is looking for a novel approach to save it. By becoming a co-operative, owned and operated by its own customers.

It is offering its customers – and potential owners – two membership options: the Lion Tier membership, which gives members voting abilities and 5% cash-back on their store purchases, and the Eagle Tier membership, which enables members to have greater decision making abilities, receive shares of the profit and allows the members to be involved in the store's operations and initiatives. This will not only bring the store closer to its community, but ensure it survives for another generation.

The store has also launched a GoFundMe campaign for people to donate toward Gryphon's goal.

Recently, the current owners posted an update to Facebook, saying

As many of you know, the comic book store has been in the process of restructuring into a cooperative over the past year. Some of you are members already, and I'm sure most of you have heard about it, even if only through the grapevine. Basically, the cooperative would mean that anyone who invests in a membership would have an ownership stake in the store, and would be involved in making decisions on special events, inventory, etc. Well, it's coming down to the end of the initiative, and the deadline for transferring the store a co-op has been set for Oct 14th.

The co-op still needs more members and more funds, and if the goal isn't met by that date, the store will be closing permanently come the end of November. I know that, should that happen, it would leave a gaping hole in the comics and gaming community in Northern Colorado, not to mention all of the groups like ours that meet at the store on a regular basis would have to search for a new spot. Please hit me up if you have any questions or would like to know more about joining the co-op.

Currently, they still need $30,000 in memberships. It could be done…

Bleeding Cool tries to mark the passing of comics stores as well as their opening. Existing fanbases are likely to make the former more well known, but please let us know if a comic store is opening or closing in your neighbourhood. Just e-mail richjohnston@bleedingcool.com.

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