Help Me Support My Local Comic Shop?

[sarthaz]

I thought of you too late to post - Free Comic Book Day was this past Saturday. You could have cost them some of the money they wouldn't take from you.

Jan

Ha! I actually planned to go, but it was my daughter's birthday, so I had other plans during the morning. We called on our way to dinner, and they said they were out of free comic books, so we never went by. Hope it works out next year ... if they can stay in business wither their model of NOT selling comic books to people who want to buy them.

[Jan]

I thought of you too late to post - Free Comic Book Day was this past Saturday. You could have cost them some of the money they wouldn't take from you.

Jan

[sarthaz]

Since I know you're all dying for an update ... there is no update! Neither shop has called me to sell me a comic book in exchange for my money. How do these places stay in business?!?

[sarthaz]

That sucks. But just for fun, you should keep an eye out and see if they'll have anything you want for Free Comic Book Day next month. If they wouldn't let you spend your money, maybe they'll let you cost them money! (I'm a brat...)

Jan

LOL! Sounds like a plan. I'm not sure I've encountered any businesses so reluctant to take my money before this.

[Jan]

That sucks. But just for fun, you should keep an eye out and see if they'll have anything you want for Free Comic Book Day next month. If they wouldn't let you spend your money, maybe they'll let you cost them money! (I'm a brat...)

Jan

[sarthaz]

How long ago did you give them the info? I know that the usual order date is at least a few weeks before the title comes out. At least for the individual issues.

Jan

5-6 weeks for one of them, maybe 3 weeks for the other.

Don't worry -- I don't genuinely expect to hear from these shops. I just thought it was amusing.

[Jan]

How long ago did you give them the info? I know that the usual order date is at least a few weeks before the title comes out. At least for the individual issues.

Jan

[sarthaz]

Just a postscript to this whole story. Ultimately, I ended up giving both comic shops my info to sell me Twilight Zone TPB Vol. 3 when it comes out. This was more of a curiosity than an expectation. Anyway, the trade's been out for like a week now ... and ... ?

[Ubik]

So, I go in yesterday, and they have it! Holy crap -- they have it! And here's the hilarious part. There's a label with my name on it ... taped to the front cover with super-cheap, residue-leaving, paper-tearing bulk scotch tape. 4 pieces. Not "Magic Tape" or "Gift Wrap Tape" -- industrial-grade junk tape. So a battle begins between the hipster girl at the counter and this clear duct tape. Lots of pulling and grunting as the cover bends and warps and tears until finally, mercifully, she liberates the TPB from its straight-jacket of tape and expects me to now pay for it. I decided not to make a big deal out of it and just bought it and left, but it was shocking to observe. I wish I had been recording it. This is a business that caters to a mint-in-box, certified grading crowd, and here she is mangling the crap out of my book before my eyes.

Great maker! This makes me thankful for the amazing LCS I have on my doorstep. I would have either refused to buy that or would have asked for discount for the defacing, at least 30% off the cover price. Jeez. Some people.

Find a good reliable mail order and use them! Fairing that just get your TPBs from Amazon, it

[Jan]

Wow! Guess I've been spectacularly lucky.

At least you tried.

Jan

[sarthaz]

Epilogue on this adventure:

Shop #1: Special ordered TZ#2 over 6 weeks ago. Never heard back, so I drove to the store the other day ... and they had 5 copies! I didn't say anything -- just grabbed it and started to check out.

THEM: Oh, you like Twilight Zone?
ME: Yes. I actually special ordered this from you, but no one ever called me to let me know it was here.
THEM: Oh yeah -- we forget all the time.
ME: Could you put me on the list to get a call when TZ#3 comes out?
THEM: Sure. Just give us your name, address, phone number, next of kin, first grade teach--
ME: Whoa ... can't you just reuse my info from last time?
THEM: No, we lose that info all the time. Better to just get all your info for each order.
ME: Oooookay .... I'll just check back later ...


Shop #2: Special ordered Ten Grand #2. It was supposed to arrive last Monday. Went in on Tuesday and ... (imagine stoner voice here) "Oh yeah ... I forgot to order that, dude. Come back next week?"

So, I go in yesterday, and they have it! Holy crap -- they have it! And here's the hilarious part. There's a label with my name on it ... taped to the front cover with super-cheap, residue-leaving, paper-tearing bulk scotch tape. 4 pieces. Not "Magic Tape" or "Gift Wrap Tape" -- industrial-grade junk tape. So a battle begins between the hipster girl at the counter and this clear duct tape. Lots of pulling and grunting as the cover bends and warps and tears until finally, mercifully, she liberates the TPB from its straight-jacket of tape and expects me to now pay for it. I decided not to make a big deal out of it and just bought it and left, but it was shocking to observe. I wish I had been recording it. This is a business that caters to a mint-in-box, certified grading crowd, and here she is mangling the crap out of my book before my eyes.


Anyway, this is my epilogue, because I won't set foot in either store again.

[Ubik]

Thanks, Jan!

Meanwhile, my travels today took me in the neighborhood of the other local comic shop, so I thought I'd stop by and see what's what. I was not surprised to find that they did not carry the trades I was looking for -- I'm used to that. What did surprise me, though, was the total lack of interest in helping me order them.

First, I asked if I could have them order Ten Grand TPB Vol 2. I did not get the impression that this was an impossible task, but certainly an inconvenient one. Lots of typing and staring at one computer, then more typing and staring at another, some sighs and harrumphs and finally a binder comes out where they write my name, number, and what it is I would like to buy. From them. With money. So, I wrote it down -- we'll see what happens.

Then ... I blew their minds. I told them I like the new Twilight Zone and would like to purchase the Vol. 3 trade when it comes out. Would they please add it to their standard order so it shows up on release day or would they special order it for me so I can pick it up a few days after it comes out. From the looks on their faces, you'd think I just asked for the formula to cold fusion ... in Sanskrit. After a few minutes of disjointed exposition that never even approached an explanation for why this was a problem, I realized this was an impossible ask and was never going to happen. So I thanked them and left.

What a strange experience ...

If it's not Marvel or DC, it MAY CAUSE IMMENSE CONFUSION. Sounds like a very old school comic store that simply haven't changed with the times. I'm guessing indie comics are also a strange no mans land they don't understand, despite cartoonists like Chris Ware and Dan Clowes getting coverage in the mainstream media and equal treatment to serious literature.

Take your custom elsewhere!

[JasonDavis]

I'll second Jan's recommendation of Mile High Comics; I've used them a few times for things I missed at my local shoppe for one reason or another.

I'd also recommend MyComicShop.com in North Texas. Though not as swift as Mile High, they're very meticulous and since they sold off their eight brick-and-mortar stores a few years ago, they've focused exclusively on their online business and it shows in the service.

[In the interest of full disclosure, I briefly worked for Lone Star Comics, the predecessor to MyComicShop.com, in the late 1990s, but I was a customer for a decade prior, and continue to buy from them half a continent away.]

[Jan]

Wow, how bizarre! Guess my comic shop has the latest software 'cause he can tell me if I've bought something even if I've forgotten- as sometimes happens when it comes to the trades since I've already read the pamphlets.

Better luck with the other one.

Jan

[sarthaz]

Thanks, Jan!

Meanwhile, my travels today took me in the neighborhood of the other local comic shop, so I thought I'd stop by and see what's what. I was not surprised to find that they did not carry the trades I was looking for -- I'm used to that. What did surprise me, though, was the total lack of interest in helping me order them.

First, I asked if I could have them order Ten Grand TPB Vol 2. I did not get the impression that this was an impossible task, but certainly an inconvenient one. Lots of typing and staring at one computer, then more typing and staring at another, some sighs and harrumphs and finally a binder comes out where they write my name, number, and what it is I would like to buy. From them. With money. So, I wrote it down -- we'll see what happens.

Then ... I blew their minds. I told them I like the new Twilight Zone and would like to purchase the Vol. 3 trade when it comes out. Would they please add it to their standard order so it shows up on release day or would they special order it for me so I can pick it up a few days after it comes out. From the looks on their faces, you'd think I just asked for the formula to cold fusion ... in Sanskrit. After a few minutes of disjointed exposition that never even approached an explanation for why this was a problem, I realized this was an impossible ask and was never going to happen. So I thanked them and left.

What a strange experience ...