KMan Life Announcement

[K Man]

In an effort to spiral out of control and get my mid-life crisis over with, I've decided to move on purchasing a business here in town.

The story goes like this.

Long ago, before there was a wireless web, eBay or even high-speed dial up I used to work for an antique store here in Denver by the name of Cobblestone. I worked there with BluSpecs for about four years before finally moving onto the corporate world and trying to climb my way up there.

I've made it pretty far, but always felt a little empty and I've always had the bug for an entrepenurial venture. I've even attended meetings with entrepeneurs, read books, attended classes in the school of business...all because I simply want to work for myself and make a shit ton of money.

well, about four weeks ago, I'm driving past my old hood and I notice a for sale sign out in front of the antique business. Out of curiousity, I call the owner and it turns out she's selling the commercial property and the business. We meet, discuss financials, look at history and potential for improvement etc. I give a call to a few buddies interested in helping and things have progressed to the point of signing on loan documents within the next two weeks.

So there you have it. Instead of starting something up, I'm taking over an established business and trying to make it grow.

She has no internet site, cannot devote time to eBay, has had thieving/embezzling employees, declining health problems...needless to say there is room for improvement and that's what I'm immediately working on so that I can assume control of a business that is healthy and ready to grow. I've been working over there, getting sales up, cleaning the store and organizing the internet side of things.

It is a fun business and some stories definitely come out of it. Just yesterday we bought the estate of a Jewish Lawyer who was hurried out of Germany in 1939 and returned later as one of the lead counsels in the Nuremburg Trials. I've seen everything from 18th century French bedroom sets to the $5 dorm room couch fly out of there. It's a far cry from the corporate world, but much more exciting for me.

So, hopefully this goes far to explain my absence lately. Between this, getting married in two months, starting school AND now buying a house near the business, I'm just about tapped out. All I need to do is have a kid and I'm way ahead of the mid-life crisis.

I don't plan to disappear, but the business will only do as well as my effort into it. I am making the shop wireless this week and I plan to have a laptop there so I can do eBay, so I should be able to keep updating. I can almost guarantee its going to be slower (probably about the pace it is now of 2 times a week or so) but once the wedding is done, the shop is more on auto-pilot, and I'm out of school for the winter I should be able to post more regularly.

Just wanted to keep you all updated! I'll put up some pics of the store and new house as soon as I can*.

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* - Of course, Japic reminded me this morning that I've still got GenCon pics I owe you people and I'll personally never forget I still owe Shakes a movie review from like three years ago.

[TheUdjat]

Congratulations! I wondered what all this talk of buying a business was about. Awesome. I wish I could pitch in personally, though it's kind of difficult from a couple timezones away. If you need help with anything here on KMan's or something like that, though, you let me know!

I'm jealous. I've had similar dreams, but never had to zeal to pursue them. Well, not those dreams. I picked the even-less-likely-to-succeed path of the professional writer (hopefully we can still team up on that in the future--once things calm down, of course. What can I say? I am selfish and hopeful).

We will understand your absence, and I will keep Erebus smashing away at everything in his path. (I am, by the way, flattered that the one game you're playing on here is my game. Hoorays!)

Still need to buy my damn ticket. Argh. I'm such a slacker...

[TheZebraShakes™]

Wow, that sounds great. I like the sound of that business, mainly cause I like antiques and history and I'm always too scared to go into those types of stores 'cause I know that I'll probably end up breaking something by accident.

When you get the site up, be sure to post the link. And hot pics are always cool. I think we still owe you a picture of our massive D&D collection so we can see whose is bigger.

[Wicksy]

Whoah man! Thats great! Does this mean you'll be a proper cockney type spiv now? ;D

[Deekin]

Awesomeness!

Link to the website when it goes up.

[PiranJade]

Wow! Congrats!
You even got my very calm Watcherspirit excited over here. He came into my room and exclaimed: "Did you read what KMan did?"
My first thought was "Am I dead?", but I was quickly pointed to the Community board.

Again: Congratulations! I cannot wait to see the pics and the website.

[spiral]

Great news, well done KMan, and best of luck! =)

Oh! And if you want a new name so people know there's been some changes - how about "Needful Things" ?

mwoohaha!

[Japic]

Yah, KMan's been busy busy busy here lately, but in a good way... I think. The good news is that the business is already established, so there probably won't be any name changes. Some folks drop in every week, others once a month or only when they need something. We visited the shop for about an hour on Saturday and they had lots of business, so things are certainly in full swing. Atleast it's a fairly healthy business.

I've offered part time help if they need it, though we'll have to see where that goes or if it is needed. Truthfully I suspect that KMan's brain will be exploding in about three weeks time. Right now I'd not want to buy a business, OR go to school, OR buy a house much less all three at once. Dammit... that means I have to help him move... again. <sigh>

[K Man]

Needful Things is close Spiral, you should try and read 'A Dirty Job' by Christopher Moore...that's a little closer.

[K Man]

I'm still working on getting some pics for you people, we've got the store very cleaned up and have done very well setting up little scenes all around the shop. We've got one last big project in the back of the store which entails closing off an employee break area and eBay workroom...but all is going very well. I've also got my first off-site estate sale coming up, so I'm excited about that.

So yeah, I'm still assed out busy, but having a fun time. I'll try to get some pics up by the end of next week. I'll see if I can manage some of the new house too.

/end update of update

[K Man]

{Ha! You guys thought I would never get pics up. }

Here is my shop. It's about 6,000 sq. ft, complete with dock in the back for large pickups and drop offs. This picture was taken shortly after closing. Usually the parking lot to the left and in front of the store is PACKED with furniture to attract attention.



From the front it's deceptively small, but it runs very deep (which is what most customers say as soon as they enter). To put it into game terms, the layout of the store is like this;

Map;

 ________
|        |
|        |
|        |
|        |
|        |
|        |
|        |
|______  |
|    | | |
|    | | |
|    |_| |
|        |
|        |
|        |
|________|

Don't ask me if there are any hidden doors on this map.

The area in the middle is a workroom with tools and old hardware for fixing handles and what not while the room directly West of that is our 'Modernistic room' --where we keep more modern, art deco and retro type stuff. The area in the back is the larger, warehouse where our dock is and rows of lesser (read cheaper) furniture is housed.

Anyways, these pics where taken after closing and in a hurried fashion, so I apologize if they don't seem that cool. Basically the store is always packed with goodies from all over and we try our best to make little scenes with all the furniture and keep it looking nice but at the end of the day, we bring it all in and it looks rather packed full of stuff.

Anyways, on with the pics.


A scene in the front of the store.











Stuff everywhere...always moving it too.

The last pic above is all Civil War era (1860's) stuff; marble gaming table, organ, secretary etc...very cool.





Our little modern room as we call it.





The workroom. You wouldn't believe the old hardware I have just laying around.











The tiny square of light in the center of this picture is the front door, just to give you an idea of how long the store is.



The rear area. We essentially stack furniture into ailes, about five or them, and let people risk walking through there.

And the lengthwise view of the outside, pardon all the vehicles...


As you can see, it's quite the challenge. We still haven't closed with the bank yet--you may have heard about some troubles America is having financing, well anything at the moment, but we're still chugging along. I'll keep you posted when it's officially mine, like on paper not just in promise.

Oh, and just because I can't resist...I've got a shipload of stuff here folks.


HA! ;D

[VemuKhaham]

Wow, great stuff! Hope that everything is going the way you want it to be, especially with all that financial crisis and such.

I kind of was wondering if you have a name for the shop? Like, Kman's, or something more creative.

By the way, I think you could be having a marvelous D&D session there! I'd take one of those ship models on the civil war marble gaming table, put a few mini's on it, place another ship besides it with mini's, darken the civil war room a bit, and have a good old sea battle in a really atmospheric place.

But besides the joking, I really think it's quite an impressive thing you have set up!

[K Man]

Oh yeah...it already has a name, one we won't be changing. The name is Cobblestone Antiques.

[PiranJade]

Thank you very much for sharing these pictures!
That's an amazing store you have there!

(and the secret door is on the sixth picture behind the flower painting)

[Japic]

Oct 8, 2008 16:20:54 GMT -5 PiranJade said:

Thank you very much for sharing these pictures!
That's an amazing store you have there!

(and the secret door is on the sixth picture behind the flower painting)

Well there goes THAT secret.

The shop is kind of fun to bum around in, always something new to see. I visit every few weeks and it's always evolving into something different than the visit before. For instance the modern room didn't have those tables set up on my second to last visit. And there's a ton of small things coming and going. Very interesting stuff.

We'll have to have Udjat visit the shop when he comes out in October; then he can verify all that we say is true.

[Badasterysk]

Great pics, Kman! It certainly looks like you have your hands full (and you still have the time for lengthy posts in GFYD and Shackled City- unprecedented!). I really dig the name of the store, too.

[TheUdjat]

Great F-ing Lord you have a ton of stuff there. The store looks great, K! I even saw an asian tea set I want.

[TheZebraShakes™]

Wow, nice pictures. I love places like that. I used to catalogue and help appraise antiques and old stuff. It's awesome. Good luck and remember, if I ever ask you if I can come in and walk around, don't let me. I'm clumsy.

I think I still owe you some pictures. I just got a camera, so there you go.

[Wizard]

Wow. I have been out of the loop. Congratulations!