• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

We still have a Local Comic Store in Dublin, California!

Started by silverweb,

38 posts in this topic

silverweb

silverweb

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I grew up in Pleasanton and still live close by in Livermore. I didn't realize they had new owners. I used to go there in the past, more for buying statues and busts when they had their sales, but I'll have to stop by and check them out. Thanks!

 

I have heard that Fantasy Comics in Livermore has closed their doors without notice. Did you know about that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
supapimp

supapimp

Posted
Posted
Awesome, I am in the Central Valley and will stop by next time I am up that way. :)

 

i miss al's comics shop in stockton, not much for back issues, but it just brings back memories of being a kid. :cloud9:

hey are you from Stockton?! I am and Al's was where I got all my comics! He is still there in the same location on Miracle Mile but he only has new comics now...I still have fond memories of that place...used to get new comics for 10 cents off the cover price back in the mid 80s. (thumbs u Still have a handful of books I bought from him..including a NM Defenders # 10 which I snagged off the wall for $4 back in '85!

 

yep. all my comics form the 80's are from al's comics. i miss al and his son mike, i try to stop in when i'm visiting my folks. i've consigned books there before, back then the going rate was 20% commission. :o there's also grapevine comics in a strip mall about 6 miles north on thorton road.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Sekowskyfan10

Sekowskyfan10

Posted
Posted

The Grapevine Comics on Thornton Rd. in Stockton is much cleaner and nicer than it was a few years ago. I tried to get some short boxes there a while back and they had none -- they concentrated more on gaming. Now the store is clean and neat and welcoming! If anyone passes thru Stockton they should make this a stopover.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SilvrSpidey

SilvrSpidey

Posted
Posted
I grew up in Pleasanton and still live close by in Livermore. I didn't realize they had new owners. I used to go there in the past, more for buying statues and busts when they had their sales, but I'll have to stop by and check them out. Thanks!

 

I have heard that Fantasy Comics in Livermore has closed their doors without notice. Did you know about that?

 

No, I haven't heard that. I haven't been there for a good couple months or so when I bought some Marvel Masterworks they had on sale. That's crazy if it's true! I never really went there regularly, but liked to pop in now and then to see if they had anything interesting. I used to go there a lot growing up when it was Fact Fiction & Fantasy. That really would suck if they are gone for good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
scooter99

scooter99

Posted
Posted
Awesome, I am in the Central Valley and will stop by next time I am up that way. :)

 

i miss al's comics shop in stockton, not much for back issues, but it just brings back memories of being a kid. :cloud9:

hey are you from Stockton?! I am and Al's was where I got all my comics! He is still there in the same location on Miracle Mile but he only has new comics now...I still have fond memories of that place...used to get new comics for 10 cents off the cover price back in the mid 80s. (thumbs u Still have a handful of books I bought from him..including a NM Defenders # 10 which I snagged off the wall for $4 back in '85!

 

Wow, I didn't know so many of the forumites are from the Stockton Area. I remember going to Al's in the late 70's when he had a ton of back issues. I'm sure you guys might remember Pacific Avenue Books had a huge selection back in the day. There was also a small shop just a couple of blocks west of Al's back then too. I bought some really sharp Spidey's issues from 30's thru 60's. The owner also had a beater AF 15 when the pricetag for a NM was $450 or $600. Good memories.

 

I'm going to check out the Comic Ink shop today.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
supapimp

supapimp

Posted
Posted
Awesome, I am in the Central Valley and will stop by next time I am up that way. :)

 

i miss al's comics shop in stockton, not much for back issues, but it just brings back memories of being a kid. :cloud9:

hey are you from Stockton?! I am and Al's was where I got all my comics! He is still there in the same location on Miracle Mile but he only has new comics now...I still have fond memories of that place...used to get new comics for 10 cents off the cover price back in the mid 80s. (thumbs u Still have a handful of books I bought from him..including a NM Defenders # 10 which I snagged off the wall for $4 back in '85!

 

Wow, I didn't know so many of the forumites are from the Stockton Area. I remember going to Al's in the late 70's when he had a ton of back issues. I'm sure you guys might remember Pacific Avenue Books had a huge selection back in the day. There was also a small shop just a couple of blocks west of Al's back then too. I bought some really sharp Spidey's issues from 30's thru 60's. The owner also had a beater AF 15 when the pricetag for a NM was $450 or $600. Good memories.

 

I'm going to check out the Comic Ink shop today.

 

i do remember pacific avenue books, i use to buy my comics off the spinner rack at gemco in the late 70's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
scooter99

scooter99

Posted
Posted

Yes the spinner racks. I remember buying Star Wars and X-men's there.

 

Visited Comic Ink today. Nice shop. They had a few boxes of nice Silverage stuff. Quite a bit of Spidey's. Didn't stay long since my wife and kids were waiting in the car. I met the Owner's Dad who works Sundays. Very nice guy. I'll go back again when I have a little more time to look.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Primetime

Primetime

Posted
Posted
Awesome, I am in the Central Valley and will stop by next time I am up that way. :)

 

i miss al's comics shop in stockton, not much for back issues, but it just brings back memories of being a kid. :cloud9:

hey are you from Stockton?! I am and Al's was where I got all my comics! He is still there in the same location on Miracle Mile but he only has new comics now...I still have fond memories of that place...used to get new comics for 10 cents off the cover price back in the mid 80s. (thumbs u Still have a handful of books I bought from him..including a NM Defenders # 10 which I snagged off the wall for $4 back in '85!

 

yep. all my comics form the 80's are from al's comics. i miss al and his son mike, i try to stop in when i'm visiting my folks. i've consigned books there before, back then the going rate was 20% commission. :o there's also grapevine comics in a strip mall about 6 miles north on thorton road.

nice to meet another person from the 209. I recall Al's mom, Peggy, who used to work the store with Al and Al's dad...Sadly, Peggy passed away in the late 80s I think. They are all pleasant to me as a regular customer. Loved that huge Star Trek poster they had (and still have) on the far right wall. Grapevine Thornton was ok..the Lodi Comics Grapevine had more SA books though---a few stacks in the glass case...Doug ran the Lodi store and his wife ran the Thornton Road store...I recall picking up a low graders such as FF18, JIM 112, Avengers 4 back in the early 90s from the Lodi store...almost pulled the trigger on an X-men 1 in GD+..I remember Doug asking $400 and would have taken $325 (lot of money for a high school senior at that time)---I ended up getting an X-men 1 in VG from A-1 Comics later that year for $700...
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Primetime

Primetime

Posted
Posted
Awesome, I am in the Central Valley and will stop by next time I am up that way. :)

 

i miss al's comics shop in stockton, not much for back issues, but it just brings back memories of being a kid. :cloud9:

hey are you from Stockton?! I am and Al's was where I got all my comics! He is still there in the same location on Miracle Mile but he only has new comics now...I still have fond memories of that place...used to get new comics for 10 cents off the cover price back in the mid 80s. (thumbs u Still have a handful of books I bought from him..including a NM Defenders # 10 which I snagged off the wall for $4 back in '85!

 

Wow, I didn't know so many of the forumites are from the Stockton Area. I remember going to Al's in the late 70's when he had a ton of back issues. I'm sure you guys might remember Pacific Avenue Books had a huge selection back in the day. There was also a small shop just a couple of blocks west of Al's back then too. I bought some really sharp Spidey's issues from 30's thru 60's. The owner also had a beater AF 15 when the pricetag for a NM was $450 or $600. Good memories.

 

I'm going to check out the Comic Ink shop today.

Stockton! Do you all recall a nice SA store on Pacific Ave (across street from Pacific Bowl in the same shopping strip as Chuck's little diner)? It was not there very long (maybe 2 years)..they had a long glass case---Avengers 1, FF Annual 3--a few I recall...
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Primetime

Primetime

Posted
Posted
Awesome, I am in the Central Valley and will stop by next time I am up that way. :)

 

i miss al's comics shop in stockton, not much for back issues, but it just brings back memories of being a kid. :cloud9:

hey are you from Stockton?! I am and Al's was where I got all my comics! He is still there in the same location on Miracle Mile but he only has new comics now...I still have fond memories of that place...used to get new comics for 10 cents off the cover price back in the mid 80s. (thumbs u Still have a handful of books I bought from him..including a NM Defenders # 10 which I snagged off the wall for $4 back in '85!

 

Wow, I didn't know so many of the forumites are from the Stockton Area. I remember going to Al's in the late 70's when he had a ton of back issues. I'm sure you guys might remember Pacific Avenue Books had a huge selection back in the day. There was also a small shop just a couple of blocks west of Al's back then too. I bought some really sharp Spidey's issues from 30's thru 60's. The owner also had a beater AF 15 when the pricetag for a NM was $450 or $600. Good memories.

 

I'm going to check out the Comic Ink shop today.

 

i do remember pacific avenue books, i use to buy my comics off the spinner rack at gemco in the late 70's.

GEMCO! lol Target is there now...do you remember BEST Products!? Cheapest GI Joe's in town @ $2.68 +tax (thumbs u
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Primetime

Primetime

Posted
Posted
Awesome, I am in the Central Valley and will stop by next time I am up that way. :)

 

i miss al's comics shop in stockton, not much for back issues, but it just brings back memories of being a kid. :cloud9:

hey are you from Stockton?! I am and Al's was where I got all my comics! He is still there in the same location on Miracle Mile but he only has new comics now...I still have fond memories of that place...used to get new comics for 10 cents off the cover price back in the mid 80s. (thumbs u Still have a handful of books I bought from him..including a NM Defenders # 10 which I snagged off the wall for $4 back in '85!

 

Wow, I didn't know so many of the forumites are from the Stockton Area. I remember going to Al's in the late 70's when he had a ton of back issues. I'm sure you guys might remember Pacific Avenue Books had a huge selection back in the day. There was also a small shop just a couple of blocks west of Al's back then too. I bought some really sharp Spidey's issues from 30's thru 60's. The owner also had a beater AF 15 when the pricetag for a NM was $450 or $600. Good memories.

 

I'm going to check out the Comic Ink shop today.

there was a comic shop in Maneca back in the 80s too called Collector's Dream (I think?) which was decent...Al's really got me into the 70s Byrne/Cockrum X-men, but I didn't really pick up anything pre-1968 from Al's...most of my pre-68 SA started coming from the Comics and Comix stores I went to in Sac, Berkeley, and SF...the Holiday Inn on Weber Ave (South Stockton) had some small, nice conventions in the early 80s that I used to have my mom bring me too...biggest deal I can recall when I was in junior high--saw my first SA Marvel with the large 12c cover price in the upper left cover---it was a FF 8 in low grade---guy was asking $40---lot of money for a 12 year old---I think I ended up trading 10 SA books (X-men 8,10, Avengers 5, FF 38, etc) for that one FF 8. (thumbs u
Link to comment
Share on other sites
scooter99

scooter99

Posted
Posted
Awesome, I am in the Central Valley and will stop by next time I am up that way. :)

 

i miss al's comics shop in stockton, not much for back issues, but it just brings back memories of being a kid. :cloud9:

hey are you from Stockton?! I am and Al's was where I got all my comics! He is still there in the same location on Miracle Mile but he only has new comics now...I still have fond memories of that place...used to get new comics for 10 cents off the cover price back in the mid 80s. (thumbs u Still have a handful of books I bought from him..including a NM Defenders # 10 which I snagged off the wall for $4 back in '85!

 

Wow, I didn't know so many of the forumites are from the Stockton Area. I remember going to Al's in the late 70's when he had a ton of back issues. I'm sure you guys might remember Pacific Avenue Books had a huge selection back in the day. There was also a small shop just a couple of blocks west of Al's back then too. I bought some really sharp Spidey's issues from 30's thru 60's. The owner also had a beater AF 15 when the pricetag for a NM was $450 or $600. Good memories.

 

I'm going to check out the Comic Ink shop today.

there was a comic shop in Maneca back in the 80s too called Collector's Dream (I think?) which was decent...Al's really got me into the 70s Byrne/Cockrum X-men, but I didn't really pick up anything pre-1968 from Al's...most of my pre-68 SA started coming from the Comics and Comix stores I went to in Sac, Berkeley, and SF...the Holiday Inn on Weber Ave (South Stockton) had some small, nice conventions in the early 80s that I used to have my mom bring me too...biggest deal I can recall when I was in junior high--saw my first SA Marvel with the large 12c cover price in the upper left cover---it was a FF 8 in low grade---guy was asking $40---lot of money for a 12 year old---I think I ended up trading 10 SA books (X-men 8,10, Avengers 5, FF 38, etc) for that one FF 8. (thumbs u

 

If memory serves me right, I think the shop in Manteca was called Comic Dreams. They were originally on Main Street, moved to Yosemite and most recently were out in the strip mall on Louise Avenue. I went to find it a couple of months ago, but found out they closed the shop. There was another shop in Manteca on Yosemite. "Cowboy" was the owner. Great big old dude that use to count his money. Shop was disorganized with comics, baseball cards, coins, etc. I bought a VF- ASM 8 there. He had issues 3 through 30 on the wall.

 

I remember all of the Comics and Comix shops and visited them all. I use to go to the K Street Mall everytime I was in Sacramento.

 

I probably bumped into you at those Stockton conventions. I remember seeing my first Batman 1 in person at one of those shows. Some skinny blonde kid had a copy. I remember asking him where he picked it up at. He had the shipping box with him. BEA was the dealer. I remember seeing their ads in CBG. I'm trying to remember the name of the huge mega dealer that showed up at one of those conventions. He had a huge stock of golden age books. I'm guessing it was right around 1979 or 1980.

 

Did you ever go to Atlantis Fantasyworld in Santa Cruz? I loved that shop when it was in the cold warehouse style building.

 

My only regret was not hoarding keys then.

 

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

 

Nice going down memory lane. (thumbs u

Link to comment
Share on other sites
supapimp

supapimp

Posted
Posted
Stockton! Do you all recall a nice SA store on Pacific Ave (across street from Pacific Bowl in the same shopping strip as Chuck's little diner)? It was not there very long (maybe 2 years)..they had a long glass case---Avengers 1, FF Annual 3--a few I recall...

 

yes. i was a freshman in HS when 'words and past times' opened up with two dudes working there, one was rick reeves and the other comb over portly dude was bill, bill threw the stockton comic book conventions in the masonic temple. :headbang: i remember BEST too, i use to drool over the transformers toys, but was poor growing up. :cry: i sold many HG books to doug at grapevine comics in lodi, he use to drool when i'd bring them in for beer money. doh!:pullhair: i'm talking JL 21, GL 40, FF 12, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cbac

cbac

Posted
Posted

 

I have heard that Fantasy Comics in Livermore has closed their doors without notice. Did you know about that?

 

They did, but a note on the door today says they re-open on 2-12-11, which is superb, Fantasy Books & Games is a really good and well stocked store, would have been a shame to lose it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

Posted
Posted
Awesome, I am in the Central Valley and will stop by next time I am up that way. :)

 

i miss al's comics shop in stockton, not much for back issues, but it just brings back memories of being a kid. :cloud9:

hey are you from Stockton?! I am and Al's was where I got all my comics! He is still there in the same location on Miracle Mile but he only has new comics now...I still have fond memories of that place...used to get new comics for 10 cents off the cover price back in the mid 80s. (thumbs u Still have a handful of books I bought from him..including a NM Defenders # 10 which I snagged off the wall for $4 back in '85!

 

Wow, I didn't know so many of the forumites are from the Stockton Area. I remember going to Al's in the late 70's when he had a ton of back issues. I'm sure you guys might remember Pacific Avenue Books had a huge selection back in the day. There was also a small shop just a couple of blocks west of Al's back then too. I bought some really sharp Spidey's issues from 30's thru 60's. The owner also had a beater AF 15 when the pricetag for a NM was $450 or $600. Good memories.

 

I'm going to check out the Comic Ink shop today.

there was a comic shop in Maneca back in the 80s too called Collector's Dream (I think?) which was decent...Al's really got me into the 70s Byrne/Cockrum X-men, but I didn't really pick up anything pre-1968 from Al's...most of my pre-68 SA started coming from the Comics and Comix stores I went to in Sac, Berkeley, and SF...the Holiday Inn on Weber Ave (South Stockton) had some small, nice conventions in the early 80s that I used to have my mom bring me too...biggest deal I can recall when I was in junior high--saw my first SA Marvel with the large 12c cover price in the upper left cover---it was a FF 8 in low grade---guy was asking $40---lot of money for a 12 year old---I think I ended up trading 10 SA books (X-men 8,10, Avengers 5, FF 38, etc) for that one FF 8. (thumbs u

 

If memory serves me right, I think the shop in Manteca was called Comic Dreams. They were originally on Main Street, moved to Yosemite and most recently were out in the strip mall on Louise Avenue. I went to find it a couple of months ago, but found out they closed the shop. There was another shop in Manteca on Yosemite. "Cowboy" was the owner. Great big old dude that use to count his money. Shop was disorganized with comics, baseball cards, coins, etc. I bought a VF- ASM 8 there. He had issues 3 through 30 on the wall.

 

I remember all of the Comics and Comix shops and visited them all. I use to go to the K Street Mall everytime I was in Sacramento.

 

I probably bumped into you at those Stockton conventions. I remember seeing my first Batman 1 in person at one of those shows. Some skinny blonde kid had a copy. I remember asking him where he picked it up at. He had the shipping box with him. BEA was the dealer. I remember seeing their ads in CBG. I'm trying to remember the name of the huge mega dealer that showed up at one of those conventions. He had a huge stock of golden age books. I'm guessing it was right around 1979 or 1980.

 

Did you ever go to Atlantis Fantasyworld in Santa Cruz? I loved that shop when it was in the cold warehouse style building.

 

My only regret was not hoarding keys then.

 

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

 

Nice going down memory lane. (thumbs u

 

:cloud9:

 

All my olden comic book days....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

Posted
Posted
Awesome, I am in the Central Valley and will stop by next time I am up that way. :)

 

i miss al's comics shop in stockton, not much for back issues, but it just brings back memories of being a kid. :cloud9:

hey are you from Stockton?! I am and Al's was where I got all my comics! He is still there in the same location on Miracle Mile but he only has new comics now...I still have fond memories of that place...used to get new comics for 10 cents off the cover price back in the mid 80s. (thumbs u Still have a handful of books I bought from him..including a NM Defenders # 10 which I snagged off the wall for $4 back in '85!

 

Wow, I didn't know so many of the forumites are from the Stockton Area. I remember going to Al's in the late 70's when he had a ton of back issues. I'm sure you guys might remember Pacific Avenue Books had a huge selection back in the day. There was also a small shop just a couple of blocks west of Al's back then too. I bought some really sharp Spidey's issues from 30's thru 60's. The owner also had a beater AF 15 when the pricetag for a NM was $450 or $600. Good memories.

 

I'm going to check out the Comic Ink shop today.

 

i do remember pacific avenue books, i use to buy my comics off the spinner rack at gemco in the late 70's.

GEMCO! lol Target is there now...do you remember BEST Products!? Cheapest GI Joe's in town @ $2.68 +tax (thumbs u

 

I used to hang out at that Gemco. I remember when they tried to add the gorcery story to it. There used to be a pet store around the corner.

 

My hometown....

 

:luhv:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Primetime

Primetime

Posted
Posted
Awesome, I am in the Central Valley and will stop by next time I am up that way. :)

 

i miss al's comics shop in stockton, not much for back issues, but it just brings back memories of being a kid. :cloud9:

hey are you from Stockton?! I am and Al's was where I got all my comics! He is still there in the same location on Miracle Mile but he only has new comics now...I still have fond memories of that place...used to get new comics for 10 cents off the cover price back in the mid 80s. (thumbs u Still have a handful of books I bought from him..including a NM Defenders # 10 which I snagged off the wall for $4 back in '85!

 

Wow, I didn't know so many of the forumites are from the Stockton Area. I remember going to Al's in the late 70's when he had a ton of back issues. I'm sure you guys might remember Pacific Avenue Books had a huge selection back in the day. There was also a small shop just a couple of blocks west of Al's back then too. I bought some really sharp Spidey's issues from 30's thru 60's. The owner also had a beater AF 15 when the pricetag for a NM was $450 or $600. Good memories.

 

I'm going to check out the Comic Ink shop today.

there was a comic shop in Maneca back in the 80s too called Collector's Dream (I think?) which was decent...Al's really got me into the 70s Byrne/Cockrum X-men, but I didn't really pick up anything pre-1968 from Al's...most of my pre-68 SA started coming from the Comics and Comix stores I went to in Sac, Berkeley, and SF...the Holiday Inn on Weber Ave (South Stockton) had some small, nice conventions in the early 80s that I used to have my mom bring me too...biggest deal I can recall when I was in junior high--saw my first SA Marvel with the large 12c cover price in the upper left cover---it was a FF 8 in low grade---guy was asking $40---lot of money for a 12 year old---I think I ended up trading 10 SA books (X-men 8,10, Avengers 5, FF 38, etc) for that one FF 8. (thumbs u

 

If memory serves me right, I think the shop in Manteca was called Comic Dreams. They were originally on Main Street, moved to Yosemite and most recently were out in the strip mall on Louise Avenue. I went to find it a couple of months ago, but found out they closed the shop. There was another shop in Manteca on Yosemite. "Cowboy" was the owner. Great big old dude that use to count his money. Shop was disorganized with comics, baseball cards, coins, etc. I bought a VF- ASM 8 there. He had issues 3 through 30 on the wall.

 

I remember all of the Comics and Comix shops and visited them all. I use to go to the K Street Mall everytime I was in Sacramento.

 

I probably bumped into you at those Stockton conventions. I remember seeing my first Batman 1 in person at one of those shows. Some skinny blonde kid had a copy. I remember asking him where he picked it up at. He had the shipping box with him. BEA was the dealer. I remember seeing their ads in CBG. I'm trying to remember the name of the huge mega dealer that showed up at one of those conventions. He had a huge stock of golden age books. I'm guessing it was right around 1979 or 1980.

 

Did you ever go to Atlantis Fantasyworld in Santa Cruz? I loved that shop when it was in the cold warehouse style building.

 

My only regret was not hoarding keys then.

 

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

 

Nice going down memory lane. (thumbs u

I don't recall AF in Santa Cruz..never made it down there..I did frequent Comics & Comix in Sac (K St. mall and Birdcage walk), Lombard St (SF), and Berkeley. I used to stop on occasion in Livermore to a corner shop on 1st or Main street?
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Go to topic listing