First comic store

[Limited66]

Titan Comics, Riverdale GA 1986. Just down the street from one of the original Krispy Kremes and a used bookstore called Fischer Books that also had cubby-hole upon cubby-hole filled with old comics.

[seanfingh]

 

Comic Carnival in the Broad Ripple region of Indianapolis. (RIP ) Dark, dusty and full of bronze and late silver goodies. My big purchase there was $10 for an F/VF Silver Surfer #3.

[Rodey]

 

It wasn't until I was in Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester NY that I discovered EMPIRE COMICS.

 

THAT was my first foray into a comic shop and I never wanted to leave.

My Dad, on the other hand, couldn't get me out fast enough. A 2 hr. + drive back home, he was always in a hurry and was pretty much "get in and get out of there. You've got 10 minutes!"

 

 

Empire Comics is where it all started for me as well!

[blutobc]

Collector's Choice, also in Knoxville on the strip around 1989. Originally went there looking for baseball cards but once I started looking at the comic books my baseball card hobby ended.

 

And you still survived to become a collector?

 

Never enjoyed that particular store and location. Overpriced and not too good a condition.

It disappeared during the late 80s/early 90s bust, didn't it??

 

Where you going for comics now?

 

[Wally's Comics]

[mmastran]

Arthur's in Ottawa back in the late 70's. At the time they also had their own TV show on the local station that talked about comics and stuff. As a 10 year old new to the hobby it was awesome. Not sure how or why they went out of business, but my Mom was glad as I used to drag her there anytime we passed the store.

[jools&jim]

Wolfhead Comics in Lemoyne, PA in '76 or '77. The front of the store was probably a head shop -- I seem to remember lots of weird looking pipes, lava lamps, black light posters, etc., etc. But the back room was all comics and mags: nothing bagged at all, just an oddball assortment of mis-matched cardboard boxes stuffed with mostly Silver Age Marvels and DCs. My first back issue was purchased there: an Amazing Spidey #28 in VG/Fine for three bucks. Seemed like A LOT of $$ at the time!

[UnRested Spectre]

Hiyo!

 

... my first comic store was called... Classic Comics in Livonia, Michigan. I lived in Detroit, Michigan at the time in 1996 and didnt mind the 20 minute drive to it. It was a great place too! They even gave you free poly-bags and full back boards for free with every comic purchase.

 

I miss it... , because its not around anymore! Closed up quite a few years back and now I go to a Carol & John's Comic Book Shop in Cleveland, Ohio.

 

No free poly-bags & full-back boards...

I cannot even get a discount and I spend about $100+ every week on comics!

[moonlite]

1977, The Great Escape, Nashville

 

Still my LCS to this day

 

 

As a 14-year-old in 1981, I bought my ASM #1 from them at their booth at the Atlanta Comics and Fantasy Fair. Until I had it slabbed in 2005, it still was in its bag from that day, along with their sticker on it.

 

 

Hmm, thats about the same era I bought my X-men #94 from a dealer at Dragon Con (perhaps called the ACFF at that time), paid $35 back then and was most of my money, still have it too.

[Silver Surfer]

Think it was called Comicland back then and it probably still has the same name (it moved two units over in the last few years, but on the same block). I was in grade 5 or 6, about the time FF#195 came out and I was hooked from then on. It was a good half hour walk from where I lived so we had to rush over after school to get there so I was nervous as heck because after spending time looking at books I would end up getting home late and my parents were not big on the thought of me spending allowance money on comics.

 

Over the next few years I could remember how expensive Daredevil issues were around #159-#169 and of course #158 seemed totally out of reach. I think #160 was listed for $10-$12 (a small fortune at the time) because I could have bought 30+ comics for that much. The great Avengers stories and art, ah the good old days. We would go see movies downtown and Golden Age Collectables was on the same block as the theatres (and is still there), they use to have the best SA collection in town and would have all the early FF, Avengers and other SA classics in glass cases and on the wall. That really blew my mind because they had such a deep selection of old books at that time. These books were in super condition too.

[Mike Bray]

Books and Buttons in Bowling Green KY. probably around 1979-80 -- had a few boxes of back issues (( bought my 1`st silver age book there for .60 - a fine or so Strange Tales # 161 )) and all the current books for the time -- and you could buy buttons -- custom made buttons there -- man what a combination -- James Miles was the owner and over the years he always treated me well with deals and such , I still remember going there one friday evening and he showed me a large box of basketball cards someone had just traded in -- this was spring of 1988 -- (( at this time basketball cards were just taking off in popularity )) the whole box was 1`st and 2`nd year fleer cards -- knowing that I had a card show in Nashville that Sunday I talked him into $10 for the box --- I ended up making hundreds that show on the Jordans , Barkleys , Ewings and such ....... those were the days

[cloudofwit]

1977, The Great Escape, Nashville

 

Still my LCS to this day

 

 

As a 14-year-old in 1981, I bought my ASM #1 from them at their booth at the Atlanta Comics and Fantasy Fair. Until I had it slabbed in 2005, it still was in its bag from that day, along with their sticker on it.

 

What grade did it get? :think:

 

1.0 (OWW)...the cover is detached and there's a corner piece missing out of the lower right corner of the front cover. The slabbing costs (about $80 if I recall correctly) exceeded the price I paid for the book--$37.50! I was collecting Spider-Man at the time but was not looking for a #1 (didn't think it was realistic), but it was there and I had the money...and I doubt I could re-capture the magic I felt at that moment as a 14-year-old.

[cloudofwit]

1977, The Great Escape, Nashville

 

Still my LCS to this day

 

 

As a 14-year-old in 1981, I bought my ASM #1 from them at their booth at the Atlanta Comics and Fantasy Fair. Until I had it slabbed in 2005, it still was in its bag from that day, along with their sticker on it.

 

 

Hmm, thats about the same era I bought my X-men #94 from a dealer at Dragon Con (perhaps called the ACFF at that time), paid $35 back then and was most of my money, still have it too.

 

:thumbsup:

[Monstro]

Barbarian Books

Wheaton, Maryland

 

1980

 

 

 

[AtlasFan]

My first comic shop visit was to The COMIC COVE in Yonkers, NY -- circa 1978.

 

It was a great little hole in the wall, chock full of goodies. I remember my Dad could not beleive that I spent $30 on a Fantastic Four #2 -- he though that was the craziest thing he ever heard!

 

The store disappeared about 1979/80 and then I started to visit SUPERSNIPE on 3rd Ave in NYC. The guy there made a nasty comment to my mom one day, and she never took me there again. Heh!

Bill

[capt_comics]

Heroes Aren't Hard to Find....in 1979. When it was a little hole in the wall on Central Avenue. Also went to Super Giant in Asheville NC the same year. Can't remember which one I went to first? Think it was Sheltons though.

 

 

[Larryw7]

Comic Investments on Bustleton Avenue in NE Philly. It was 1978-79. I think the first comic I bought there was an 80 page Batman Annual. Great store, it closed in the early nineties(after going through a few different owners).

[AtlasFan]

Interesting that alot of our first visits to comic shops start around 1978. I suspect that the SUPERMAN MOVIE had a lot to do with that! -- people starting comic shops, that is.

Bill

[divad]

1962 . . .

 

[capt_comics]

Well if we're going back to pre comic book store days

 

 

1961

 

the old Charlotte bus station