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More than just a hobby : Randy Sauve’s Fantasy Realm
FRANCIS RACINE francis.racine@eap.on.ca
CORNWALL | Even at an early age, Randy Sauve knew he loved comic books. “I re- member reading them, when I was around 10 or 11,” he recalled, in his 227 Pitt Street store, Fantasy Realm . “Along with the kids in the neighbourhood, we’d all trade com- ic books. I mean, we’d read them then we’d want to get our hands on another one.” “One day, I decided I didn’t want to trade them any- more,” he said. “I wanted to keep them, to collect them But then, something happened that transformed the outlook the young man had on the illustrated stories. “One day, I decided I didn’t want to trade them anymore,” he said. “I wanted to keep them, to collect them. Therefore, I’d go into thrift shops or convenience stores where they had second hand comics for around 10 cents.” His collection eventually grew a n d , at the tender age of
Randy Sauve, owner of Fantasy Realm, poses proudly in his Pitt Street store.
Street), he let me put some of them in his store.
They sold really well. Even at that time, I was calling it Fantasy Realm.” Fast-forward to today, and the comic book expert is now at the helm of a staple store in Cornwall. Tucked away between two other stores, Fantasy Realm has now been opened for 30 years. Even through the many changes brought to Pitt Street, Sauve’s business has always been thriv- ing. “When I set up shop, I was only 23,” he explained. “Pitt Street was a mall of some sorts, meaning the road
Sauve knows exactly what trends are taking the world by storm. Therefore, the business- man decided, early on, to take full advan- tage of the bidding website eBay. “About 20 to 25% of my sales are made via the Internet,” he explained. “It’s very dif- ferent from how it was long ago. When we used to go to conventions, we used to emp- ty the store and pack all the merchandise in a van. We’d unload it all at a hotel and try to make enough money to pay back the booth we rented at the event. Nowadays, I’m not worried of making enough money to pay for the booth. I hand out my business cards and, although some people might not buy my things at the convention, they’ll buy products on my eBay store.” Cornwall and Area Pop Expo (CAPE) What started as an idea almost three years ago is "nally coming to life. “We’re very excited to bring this event to Cornwall,” said Sauve. “We have been to dozens of similar events in Ottawa, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Boston and Montreal and we think there is more than enough support in Eastern Ontario to make our event a suc- cess.” CAPE promises to have similar draws as ComicCon, a convention and trade show that showcases the genres of science "ction and fantasy. Celebrity guests, such as actors and artists, are big draws along with exhibi- tors showcasing anything related to pop culture, comic books, video games, anime and more. The event will take place on April 18, 2015, at the Benson Centre.
14, the young man started his own lit- tle company. “I’d sell them to my friends from my bedroom,” Sauve said, chuck- ling. “Then, when I was working for Carl’s Smokeshop ( l o c a t e d on Pitt
was closed o!. It suited me very well because my target clientele would come here either on foot or on skate- board. They were teenagers.” As if to make things even bet- ter, as his clien- tele adapted, so did Pitt Street. “I still serve the people I used to when I "rst opened,” he outlined, smil- ing. “It’s great, because now Pitt Street is once again a street and the clients that used to come here on skate- boards now drive.” Adapting to changes As a fan as well as a retailer,
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