Let's make this a line to discuss comics shops - yes , those gateways of our hobby ( eh ????????? ) , good , bad , or indifferent .
Remember older ones .
Speculate on possible ideas for them .
Wonder how they keep in business , anyway !!!!!!!!!
I won't say anything here , in this header , that might be accused of putting ideas in peoples' heads.........
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...In Berkeley , here , on Sat. , I was pleasantly suprised to see a new ! ( So to speak . ) comic shop up - in the spot of a previous one , granted .
Looking to see what was in the spot of the old Comic Relief , I saw a new store , Fantastic omics , having grand opening on FBCD !!!!!
...That's " Fantastic Comics " , with the logo " F "-word like a Golden Age title I've seen , not the FF .
I've read various things which are on the Web about how the Former Comic Relief went down , after the obvious disasterous occurence of its founder dying a couple of years back . I won't take any sides myself .
I don't if one faction or another connected with the old CR is behind FC , I know I did make a joke about them having been " retconned " , which they agreed/laughed with , I said " Earth 1 'd " too...
...How about comic shops that sell things different than what you might associate with a comics shop as well ?
Only blocks away from where I now sit posting this , there is " Caffeinated Comics "...a combination comics shop and coffee shop .
Back when I first started collecting comics, I soon learned that there were two types of comic shops; one in for the money, one in for the love.
The ones in for the money (whether they made a profit or not....more often not) seemed to follow a pattern; only the most recent or last 3 issues displayed, poor display set-up (if there was a upright display wall, they hung OVER; many were in those gawds-awful metal spinning racks that squeeked--if you were lucky!-- or didn't turn at all); management didn't care about back issues....or for that matter, personal hygene...or worse, they stared at you from behind the counter, waiting for you to either leave or buy something. There have been a few like this in my area, or I should say that I know of, that did not last very long. The less said of those......."businesses", the better.
Then there are the ones in for the LOVE; the comics are displayed nicely & orderly, on easy to reach & view shelves (usually at table-level or just a few inches below); back-issues are bagged, tagged & organized the staff is knowledgeable of their stock & the latest news--and quite friendly, or at least decent human beings!---and they don't just sell comics; some actually sell toys/action figures, some deal in 2nd-hand action figures, CCGs, RPGs statues, memorabilia, t-shirts & videos. The one I can offer for example are Jim Hanley's Universe, Midtown Comics, Forbidden Planet & St. Mark's Comics in New York City, and Bailey's Comics in Lindenhurst NY. Bailey's is my FLCS & I've been going to is shop for many a moon.
Hanley's Universe, Midtown Comics & Forbidden Planet are slightly more famous due to special events (like the dark Tower comics launch), and St. Marks' Comics is a small "hole-in-the-wall" kind of shop, but they are friendly & have amazing things in stock.
Huh. I would have described comics stores from back in the day exactly the same way, just with the labels reversed!
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." -Groucho Marx
Check out the Secret Headquarters (my store) website! Comics and Games for Everyone!
I used to listen to WOXY.com; It was the future of rock-n-roll! RIP WOXY
...Hah !!!!!!!!! Good'un , Dagw !!!!!!!!!
What about movie representations of comics shops - or comics-SELLING shops ?
In the AMWERICAN SPLENDOR movie , Joyce Brabner , before meeting her penpal Harvey Pekar , is shown in Deleware?? in the early-80s comics shop she is a partner in .
In this recent buddy-cop movie with Bruce Willis directed by Kevin Smith , we see some action at one point in what I suppose is a " sports-memoribilia shop that also sells comics "...
...Okay, I'm reviving this old thread of mie rather than my " Remaining Fanzines..." one...
The San Francisco Chronicle/SF Gate ran a business-section article about comics shops in San Francisco yesterday. Just the portrait of how the DM works out in one particular area could be of interest for how it's working out in general...
It is by Shwanika Narayan. I am only going to strecth my limited equipment/skills trying to put it up once ~ if the link doesn't stick, I've given you sufficient information.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/author/shwanika-narayan/