Fan Boy

On 1/7/2019 at 6:05 AM, Black_Adam said:

 

 

 

I see in the picture is the Marvel Comics original wall rack in the background. Wonder whatever happened to it? 

The employees of Comicshop will have a event taking place on Sunday January 13th, to have “The Last Supper” in saying farewell to our beloved store. Lot of subscribers will be going there for a fun evening. They had posted an announcement on FB.

58 minutes ago, aardvark88 said:

North Burnaby has no comic store left after Taz Comics moved to Vancouver side of E. Hastings St. /Boundary Rd.

I would also stick my neck in saying New Westminster have no comic store after Steve’s Comics went bust, and Talkin’ Illustrations went closed. Ahh... Terry was a great guy.  My friend and I had been talking about running our comic book store for years, that has been my dream for long time. I knew what it take to open and run business tight to survive through the first year.

The Uptown community in New Westminster would be a good spot, I think. I also think North Burnaby/Lougheed Mall region would be a good area where Skytrain major hub is located, plus SFU university is nearby - lots of young students around.

speaking about comic book stores make me wanna go out to visit one. I have visited at least about all around here already. Hmm... there is one in Delta that I haven’t seen before. 

17 minutes ago, aardvark88 said:

 

I am still hoping the 2 last Comicshop employees are able to find another retail space along W. 4th Ave or West Broadway else where are their 200 subscribers all going to move to? 8th Dimension Comics or downtown to Golden Age? I would recommend they try to open up a shop in North Surrey which is the nexus of a newer skytrain line being extended to Guildford mall side. Lots of young families in Surrey and the Tri-Cities area.

Was told by one of employees that he is looking at a location somewhere near East Vancouver/ Burnaby in region of Victoria Street by Broadway Street. Something nearby around there, I think. It’s not officially yet decided with their future plans for a new reopening. 

The one concern with me is the question posed at.  Will they keep the old classic yellow color on walls and wall racks like the originals were? As some local subscribers may already knew by now, the Comicshop spinner racks that had stood for many many years ... were sold away to two buyers. That were part of the store history, and I am sure there are few other materials may had been took by the bailiff ... e.i. The original window sign “Comicshop” on black background? The old glass/wood counter? 

My congratulations to the three employees for what they did their best to preserve the Comicshop theme to the very end. But, I fear in what the next new store will be like? I do like the old classic theme. Like my second home. 

The irony of all, I actually HATE yellow color, but the Comicshop is the expemtion aside! For the nerd’s sake in me to get my daily comic book frenzy. 

And, yes ... real estate prices is super insane expensive in Vancouver! All and every detached houses are above $$ 1.0 to 3.0 millions average. Even condos in buildings are now above $300 - $500k, some penthouse condos nearing $1 million. 

24 minutes ago, FineCollector said:

Did he retire, or was he losing money?  Looks residential, but real estate in Vancouver is horrendous no matter where you are, isnt it?

Well, long short story to that ... there were many factors contributing to its closing. One big factor is with the former owner’s wife (her husband/owner had passed few years ago), seemly decided to not want continue running the business. That part is unclear to my knowledge. The former owner and his wife lives in Chicago for some number of years after his retirement. Another factor looks to do with the financial situation with ordering new materials, involved with the wife whom had run the business. Oddly enough the monthly rent on the shop is paid daily alright. That ordering new materials situation has been going on for the past 4 or more months since.  Again, unclear in what really went on in there. 

The bailiff come to the shop Friday morning as it opens for business. He issued the order to employees to stop running business and took everything out of the shop. 

So, to me officially I am a old nerd without an anchor store in where do I go to revive my comic book moments when I need to buy something. First time in my life where I’m not a customer in my local comic book store, there is no other old school store like this one! 

Brought some new comic book boxes to replace the old boxes I had for years. And had brought Mylites 2 and full backs to upgrade with my books. This year will see at least all of my collection updated and upgraded to better standards. Probably will take me all summer to process through. 

With the Christmas holidays coming up. I got lot of free time for 10 days. I’m thinking to finish up bagging the new books and file them in boxes. Then I can visit my collection to clean up and record some books in my notebook. 

Good time to do now before I go do my booth in February. Maybe a couple photos to show some of my favourite books.

I went to the Comicland store for about over a year then I discovered the Comicshop thru their TV commercial when it appeared on one of the Saturday morning cartoon shows. I jotted the address and had my dad drove me there. It was on 2085 4th Ave. It was one of my greatest comic geek moments. That was in 1978. 

Can’t say how my dad rolled up his eyes and wished I hadn’t seen the commercial. 

I had brought some colour short comic boxes, the green colour. What I had in my mind is to create special short boxes for each major DC character. I brought few sticker decals, you know the iconic superhero symbols on their uniforms? That are what I am going do on front of short boxes. I am going to try do the Green Lantern short box. Then get other colour short boxes to do other character logos. 

Next year, it seems that I might be moving out again? I had detected early signs that the house I am living in, might be demolished... that I am not sure. My landlord won’t answer my question. Whatever it be true or not, I am going to start pack up my stuff now to be ready. 

I guess my comic book room project is on hold, but I can continue my short box project to clean up my collection better. Packing up my other stuff will free up space anyway. 

There were two stores on Columbia street in New Westminster? They must had went down early before 1980s. I remembered went to one store near Columbia street uphill from the old Canada Post building (where the NW police dept currently occupies) on 6th. I forget what the store name was, but the owner had lots of decent Bronze Age-1980s comics in bins. Sadly this store went out of business a short time later ... after I had visited it. 

The store on Dunbar and 16th Ave ... yes, I remember that one. My dad took me there few times where I brought a few SA comics from there.