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Comic Shop Review - Ottawa Stores

Started by FlyingDonut,

18 posts in this topic

FlyingDonut

FlyingDonut

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Here's a little review of two comic stores in Ottawa I visited yesterday. Thanks to CGCMint for giving me the names.

 

First, let me say this about Ottawa - it is a VERY pleasant city, clean, nice, full of pleasant people. Had poutine for lunch yesterday and smoked meat for dinner. Still sitting in my stomach. The two stores I visited, Comic Book Shoppe and Silver Snail Comics, are on Bank Street, within four blocks of each other. Rather interesting neighborhood, Bank Street, with several "alternative" stores. Guess that gay marriage thing in Canada has really taken off.

 

Comic Book Shoppe: 237 Bank Street

A fun store. Everything in piles. There were four guys working there, all of whom looked to be in their mid 20s, all of whom looked to be very into comics. Comic Book Shoppe had a 40% advertised sale all over the store, flyers everywhere. I figured "whoo hoo!" 40% off, plus books in Canadian dollars, makes me a happy cruller.

 

Back issues were interesting - they had lots of them, but without much organization, so it was a hunt. There were several good buys to be found, including this:

 

xmen127.jpg

 

for $15 Canadian, before the discount, as well as a bunch of other X-books. Lots of early FFs, some very early Daredevils. NO Golden Age at all, some slabbed books, but nothing major. A Kevin Smith Black Cat 1 9.8/White was tempting at $30 Canadian before any discount, but I passed.

 

So, I have my big pile of books, and I take it up to the counter, and the guy starts ringing me up. He gets about halfway through the pile, and then says "these books are only 20% off" because they had a "G" on them. Nowhere in the store is this mentioned. Grrrrrrrrrr. I say well, then, put them back. He says, well, do you still want them? I say, yes, at the advertised 40% off price.

 

Needless to say, I don't get the 40% off price.

 

This annoys me to no end. I have NO problem with certain books being no discount, or a different discount. What I am annoyed by is a bait-and-switch, which is what they did. The situation was compounded by the guy not understanding the concept of the discount, which made me wait an additional 20 minutes while he figured out the 20% versus 40% discount on certain books. I spent that time reading all of the "preview" books for 2-18, including FF 510, which, I am happy to say, is one of the best FFs I've ever read. Fantastic Four 511, where this storyline will be concluded, is my prediction for the monster book of 2004.

 

Overall, I'd give the Comic Book Shoppe 3.5 donuts out of 5. They were at 4 donuts before the discount thing, but they were nice about it, and I did get to read all of the books, and I did get some MAJOR good deals given the exchange rate. Very pleasant staff, well lit, sort of a fun store to rummage through. Recommended!

 

Silver Snail Comics: 391 Bank Street

 

Two things a comic book store should have. 1) Staff who look up at you when you walk in the door. 2) Comics.

 

Silver Snail fails on both accounts. The Silver Snail experience wasn't unpleasant. It was a nice trip to Toys-R-Us. They had lots of toys and games and hardbacks. Where are the comics? Oh well. Also, very unattentive staff. 1 donut out of 5. Skip it and go to Comic Book Shoppe.

 

Next trip, I will review two more stores. Always looking for comic stores to go to - any other recommendations in the Ottawa area are welcome!

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comicwiz

comicwiz

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Silver Snail fails on both accounts. The Silver Snail experience wasn't unpleasant. It was a nice trip to Toys-R-Us. They had lots of toys and games and hardbacks. Where are the comics? Oh well. Also, very unattentive staff. 1 donut out of 5. Skip it and go to Comic Book Shoppe.

 

Good point FD. I forgot about the comic-snobbery thing! That is one thing that Silver-Snail does particularly well. Interestingly enough, your experience in the Ottawa Snail sound exactly like the experience you would have walking into their Toronto location.

 

I feel I should share this story to properly express how I feel about the Silver Snail. The last time I walked into the Silver Snail was nearly two years ago. No joke. I was in dire need for some Mylite 2's -- my cousin was off school for the holidays, and volunteered to help me rebag and board a few hundred of my comics. Nobody in the city had them. So I decided, as a final option, to try the Silver Snail. I should also mention that I just returned from Paradise Comics store to pick up some books that had returned from CGC. So I walk into the Snail, and I customarily leave my bag behind the counter. I walk to the back, and try to flag down somebody who worked there. Ironically, I must have been invisible that day because no one saw my waving my hands up in the air for assistance. Finally, this short red-headed girl walks towards me and just looks at me -- doesn't ask "how can I help you" -- so I cut right to the chase. Turns out they didn't have any Mylites -- never had 'em, never carried them, whatever. So I walk to the front of the store waiting to get my bag, I noticed an FF 5 Annual on the wall. I asked the person behind the counter if I could look at it, and looked to be a VF-VF+ range. So I ask if I can take it out of the bag to look at the back cover. The girl behind the counter explains that she has to call someone from the back. No problem. Except of course, after 15 minutes, when no one showed up, I asked can I take the book back there myself. I recieved a polite NO. As this happened, the guy finally came, and overheard me asking her the question, and said -- we have strict rules about handing books to customers -- especially high-priced ones. As he told me this, I looked behind me and noticed the girl handing MY bag to some kid. I stopped her, and explained that the bag was mine, and looked straight at the guys face and told him -- how about your policy about handing over someone's bag that contains nearly $3K in comics? In the bag -- a Hulk 181, an ASM 121 and 122, TOD 10, and a bunch of others. Needless to say, I have not walked into the store since.

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Darthdiesel

Darthdiesel

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Gut wrenching tale, Joseph! shocked.gif I bet the kid about to accept your bag knew that he was pulling one over on the red-headed ditz and you probably should have popped him one on principle...ok , maybe not a slug, but definitely an atomic wedgie to teach him about messing with another man's comics...

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14 of spades

14 of spades

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i don't think u can consider SS to be a "comic" store any more...

 

several years back - they had a nice selection of oldies and stuff - but now it's all that licensed memorabilia, toys, and magic stuff on the 2nd floor.

 

been to million-comics (or something like that?) - it's on yonge street.

 

quite a lot of SA stuff there - but you're paying NM guide for Fine comics that have been sitting on the wall since the beginning of time and everything has been sun-bleached.

 

paradise is still the place to go.

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comicwiz

comicwiz

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Gut wrenching tale shocked.gif, Joseph! I bet the kid about to accept your bag knew that he was pulling one over on the red-headed ditz and you probably should have popped him one on principle...ok , maybe not a slug, but definitely an atomic wedgie to teach him about messing with another man's comics...

 

27_laughing.gifthumbsup2.gifsign-funnypost.gif

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CGCMINT

CGCMINT

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Silver Snail is still quite a great place to go for comic books. They have a huge selection you can choose from. I bought a huge stack of NM to NM/MT raw Daredevils and submited them to CGC before the movie came back and all were given, either, a NM, NM+ and NM/MT grade.

 

I've been to Paradise Comics and honestly when I ask them for some high grade books to look at, they just don't have them.

 

Why all the Silver Snail bashing?

 

 

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Ares

Ares

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I've been to Paradise Comics and honestly when I ask them for some high grade books to look at, they just don't have them.

 

 

PARADISE COMICS SUCKS.............

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

just kidding Doug.. Please dont kill me.....PLEASEEEEE Arhgjhjhdfduyfduy.......

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FlyingDonut

FlyingDonut

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Silver Snail is still quite a great place to go for comic books. They have a huge selection you can choose from. I bought a huge stack of NM to NM/MT raw Daredevils and submited them to CGC before the movie came back and all were given, either, a NM, NM+ and NM/MT grade.

 

I've been to Paradise Comics and honestly when I ask them for some high grade books to look at, they just don't have them.

 

Why all the Silver Snail bashing?

 

 

Because the Ottawa store blew and was staffed by unattentive "annoyed" Gen-Xers who didn't know anythign about comics.

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