Comics shop outgrows its home

LACEY — Gabrielle Shephard, a self-described "nerd," is preparing to double the size of Olympic Cards & Comics, a business Shephard has run since she was 18.

Since then, Shephard, 32, has turned a money-losing enterprise into one that is expected to occupy a new, 7,000-square-foot building in January.

Once the $1 million project is complete, Olympic Cards will move a short distance from its current home at 4129 Pacific Ave. to 4230 Pacific Ave., Shephard said.

"It took me 15 years, but now we're there," she said about the growth of the business.

In the six years that Olympic Cards has been at its current location, Shephard has tried to foster a sense of community by giving her customers a place to sit and read or play games on the second floor.

"People sitting all day and reading is a win for me," she said. "It's like Cheers without the alcohol."

One million items

Olympic Cards & Comics sells comics, collectibles, board games, role-playing games, sports cards and action figures.

Shephard estimates she has more than 600 titles of comics and a total inventory of more than 1 million items.

The result is that her two-story, 3,600-square-foot business has simply run out of room, she said.

While the new building will have more space for a bulging inventory, it also will be a one-story structure so that wheelchair- bound customers can better access the store, she said.

A new cafe also is planned, Shephard said.

Competition

Friendly competitors and customers of Olympic Cards are not surprised that Shephard continues to succeed.

Patrick Mapp, co-owner of downtown Olympia's Danger Room Comics, was Shephard's first employee after she bought the business at 18.

Mapp watched as Shephard worked diligently to save a business carrying too much debt.

"She's a dynamo," Mapp said. "I've never met a more dedicated businesswoman. She runs her business with her heart, and that is the key to her success."

Longtime customer Gary Washington of Yelm, who visits the store two to three times a week, first learned about Olympic Cards in 2003 when he was stationed in Iraq with the Marine Corps.

One day, as Washington prepared to return to the states, he called the store by satellite phone to inquire about a game known as Warhammer. Since returning to Yelm, he has become a regular customer, saying he loves the store and atmosphere.

"It really is about customer service," Washington said. "She takes a little more pride in the smiles on people's faces."

Rolf Boone covers business for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5403 or at rboone@theolympian.com.