Earliest comic shops? 0

[MrBedrock]

My earliest memory of a 'comic book shop' was "Tanner Miles", late seventies. Memory is a funny thing, but in mine he came across as a "jerk" already steeped in top dollar for his stuff. The store was good for movie posters, but I don't think I bought any comics there.

 

(Back to Tanner Miles. Maybe I was the jerk, constantly trying too hard to work a bargain. )

Tanner used to set up at all the early Houston/Dallas/OKC shows. I bought my very first Timely from him at a Houston Con in '74 or '75, a Marvel Mystery 72 in really nice shape for $25.

[Davenport]

My earliest memory of a 'comic book shop' was "Tanner Miles", late seventies. Memory is a funny thing, but in mine he came across as a "jerk" already steeped in top dollar for his stuff. The store was good for movie posters, but I don't think I bought any comics there.

 

(Back to Tanner Miles. Maybe I was the jerk, constantly trying too hard to work a bargain. )

Tanner used to set up at all the early Houston/Dallas/OKC shows. I bought my very first Timely from him at a Houston Con in '74 or '75, a Marvel Mystery 72 in really nice shape for $25.

Was he a people person?

 

My memory of him is so vague. It may've been that we were just 'fanboy' collectors when Tanner was already into investment level books. Deep pockets welcome, no patience for bargain hunting droolers.

 

[paperheart]

Supersnipe in NYC, went there in 75 or 76 but seemed like the place had already been there forever.

[MrBedrock]

My earliest memory of a 'comic book shop' was "Tanner Miles", late seventies. Memory is a funny thing, but in mine he came across as a "jerk" already steeped in top dollar for his stuff. The store was good for movie posters, but I don't think I bought any comics there.

 

(Back to Tanner Miles. Maybe I was the jerk, constantly trying too hard to work a bargain. )

Tanner used to set up at all the early Houston/Dallas/OKC shows. I bought my very first Timely from him at a Houston Con in '74 or '75, a Marvel Mystery 72 in really nice shape for $25.

Was he a people person?

 

My memory of him is so vague. It may've been that we were just 'fanboy' collectors when Tanner was already into investment level books. Deep pockets welcome, no patience for bargain hunting droolers.

I don't remember much of him. I was twelve years old. He must have been fairly patient as he let me go through his stack of Timelys quite a few times before I made my decision. I doubt $25 was "deep pocket" money, even then. But it was the world to me.

[Moondog]

As far as I know, the earliest comic shop in Chicago was Joe Sarno's and opened in 1971 IIRC.

 

(thumbs u

 

Moondog's was the first store outside Chicago in the suburbs. Mt. Prospect in September 1978.

[jaeldubyoo]

Bob Sidebottom’s Comic Collector Shop in San Jose. I think he started it in the 1960s. I think he used us to sort through his huge stacks of books because we’d pick some out and when we’d go to the counter he’d select which ones we could buy. We often toted comics around in old beer boxes and the bums thought we had beer. And there was Hal Verb at the Berryessa Flea Market in San Jose. Hal had tons of golden age, often taped to his van in plastic bags with condensation galore.

 

I used to go to Sidebottom’s shop when I was attending San Jose State University in the 70s. It was just a few blocks from the university. It was small, cramped, dark and musty inside. As I recalled he sold other things besides comics. I remember he had drug paraphernalia like roach clips, pipes, and cigarette paper. He sold a lot of underground comix. I remember the Mr. Natural sign he would put out on the sidewalk in front of the shop. On the floor were piles and piles of comics randomly mixed. Those he sold for a quarter each or 5 for a dollar. Except when you found something worth more. Then he’d charged you more, quoting a price off the top of his head. That’s where I bought my first back issue, a Tarzan #217.

 

Bob was a cranky man. My feeling was he just didn’t like most people. At best, I think he barely tolerated me. One time I pulled a Unknown Worlds #47 (Williamson story) from the 25¢ piles on the floor. He wanted $2.00. I offered $1.00. He just took the comic from my hands and put it behind the counter.

 

Comics & Comix opened a shop just around the corner (about 1974?). Also, there were a couple of used bookstores on the block that sold back issues. There was a kid that priced the comics for one bookstore. He used to let me have some of the comics for cheaper. I remember he re-priced an Avengers #100 from $1.00 to 50¢ for me. He was a big Neal Adams fan. I think his name was Adam.

 

I remember Hal Verb at the Berryessa Flea Market. He priced everything at mint prices (when Overstreet used Mint instead of NM), even beaters which a lot of his comics were. I don’t think he cared about condition or knew how to grade.

 

[jerome34]

John Kiester's prices were fairly low in the 1940's. The last time I saw him

(1958), he mentioned that due to the difficulty of getting old comics, he had

to price them at $.50. He told me of a customer he had who bought a lot of

his older books. When told that the price had gone up to $.50, the kid said

(in effect) " No problem, I resell them for $2.00."

 

In the '40's, most book stores had a table near the front with comics. Typically,

they would pay 1 cent a comic and sell them for 2 cents. They would, naturally,

pass on a low grade Action 1 but happily take a decent copy of Goofy.

 

Schinder's in the 40's was primarily a place to get new comics. (I was out of

comics from about 1950 - 1983 so have no information about that period.)

 

From what I heard, Midway got a lot of old comics when Tom bought an older

store. When I started back in comics, I got some from Tom. He started of as

a very obnoxious individual and went downhill from that. In about 1987, I went to

Kansas City and visited bookstores selling comics. At one store, when they

learned I was from the Twin Cities, they went into a lengthy rant about the most

obnoxious book dealer they had ever met; it was Tom.

[Davenport]

My earliest memory of a 'comic book shop' was "Tanner Miles", late seventies. Memory is a funny thing, but in mine he came across as a "jerk" already steeped in top dollar for his stuff. The store was good for movie posters, but I don't think I bought any comics there.

 

(Back to Tanner Miles. Maybe I was the jerk, constantly trying too hard to work a bargain. )

Tanner used to set up at all the early Houston/Dallas/OKC shows. I bought my very first Timely from him at a Houston Con in '74 or '75, a Marvel Mystery 72 in really nice shape for $25.

Was he a people person?

 

My memory of him is so vague. It may've been that we were just 'fanboy' collectors when Tanner was already into investment level books. Deep pockets welcome, no patience for bargain hunting droolers.

I don't remember much of him. I was twelve years old. He must have been fairly patient as he let me go through his stack of Timelys quite a few times before I made my decision. I doubt $25 was "deep pocket" money, even then. But it was the world to me.

Man, I bet you were on cloud 9. Excellent taste at 12 yrs old (or any age). I'm guessing Houston was way ahead of the 'fandom' curve. Going to a "con" or spending $25 for a comic was pioneer stuff, or shows a high level of personal maturity, for the times.

 

In my memory Tanner Miles is lumped in with Buddy Saunders, Bob Overstreet, and other "ground floor guys". Saunders opened Lone Star over in Arlington, but that was late seventies too. Mid-seventies seems right at that tipping point, where old comics were still primarily found in used book stores or mail order.

 

Mid-seventies, the fact that your sense-of-wonder hadn't died wasn't something you went around trumpeting. Comics were still something you should "grow out of" (but didn't). Seems so silly now, that level of naivete. But very real.

 

 

[Larryw7]

The earliest comic shop I remember was Comic Investments on Bustleton Avenue in NE Philly(this was the mid to late seventies). Two other guys, Ron Krenski(sp?) and a dude named Don were always there; Don was the official grader for the regular SA/BA store stock, and Ron was Oser's business partner. They always had near complete runs of all of the Marvel SA titles, and often in very nice shape. I got my first early issue of Spider-man here for about eight bucks(#11, I think).

I also saw and purchased my first GA books here, which were graded fairly strictly for the time. However, Oser did sit at his desk with magic markers and "enhance" product, like the spines of BLB's. I really don't think that was considered a big deal at the time, so I'll cut him some slack.

 

Two memories of the place: buying a Batman #5 on layaway in Fair/Good condition(it was forty five bucks, a lot of money for a 13 year old), and meeting a guy there named Joe who had a ton of high grade GA Batman's. He sold me one of his low grade books, Batman 39, for 14 bucks(he wanted me to buy a Batman 67 because it was high grade and he thought it was a "better investment", but I just wanted the earliest issue I could get for the money).

 

In the mid eighties, the store lost its incredible back issue stock in an accident on the way home from a show. Krenski died of a heart attack soon after, and the store was never the same after that. It eventually moved to the Roosevelt Mall on Cottman Avenue, and sold mainly newer books and sports cards. They had one more burst of good business in 1989 when the Batman craze hit, and then closed a couple of years later. I still miss the old place when it was on Bustleton Avenue(it's a medical office now).

[Hepcat]

I remember Hal Verb at the Berryessa Flea Market. He priced everything at mint prices (when Overstreet used Mint instead of NM), even beaters which a lot of his comics were. I don’t think he cared about condition or knew how to grade.

 

A lot of sellers are like that. They don't care to grade. They'd rather price things at the highest figure they've seen.

 

 

 

[Hero Restoration]

When I was a kid, I lived in Milpitas California and there was only one comic store I knew of and this was back in 1977. Too bad I can’t remember the name of the place but as a kid I was more interested in back issue's and he had plenty.

 

Thinking about early comic stores reminded me of an article I read a few months ago.

 

http://www.pointparknewsservice.com/2012/04/23/eides-entertainment-celebrates-40th/

 

Also found their OSPG ad;

 

 

 

I have never been there but it looks like a huge store.

 

If I am ever in their town I will stop buy as they claim to be "The World Greatest Comic Shop".

 

[Ijiwaru Sensei]

When I was a kid growing up in Panama City, Florida, in the 70's, I remember going to a coin/comic shop called Money Haven. At the time, they were the only game in town.

 

For the few boardies familiar with Panama City, it was originally located where Books by the Sea is now.

[Ringfinger]

I gotta think Empire Comics in Rochester NY is pretty old!

[letsgrumble]

Just came across this photograph of Queen Street West in Toronto, taken in Sept. 1981:

 

 

Image shows the Queen West location of the Dragon Lady Comic Shop, which opened in 1979 before moving to College Street in 1996. The store closed last year. From when it opened to about 1984, I frequented the store often, usually on Saturdays, and bought many back issues there. I remember buying a Hulk 181 (for $5 - no value stamp) and overpaying for an Uncanny X-Men #94 ($40). I was loyal to Dragon Lady and would never even think about going to the Silver Snail down the street.

[dgarthwaite-migration]

My dad said a used book store in his town would do 2 for one trades on used comics in the early 50's. He would buy comics and then take two in to trade for a different one after he read them.

 

DG

[makeminemego]

Fantasy Books in Collinsville, Illinois was my first comic store experience around 1982. My mom thought it was an adult book store at first, so she parked the car and went in to scope it out before she let me enter.

 

Lots of wall books, early JIM's, FF's, and other Marvel Silver Age titles. They had a high grade ASM 1 for some time, priced at $800 under the glass counter. I remember a stack of 5-10 copies of Avengers 1 stocked under the glass at $50-75 a piece. And I remember a nice JIM 86 and 89 being on the wall as well. Bought a Captain America 141 there for a buck in about 1984.

 

The company name has changed hands several times since then, and now it is mostly gaming, sadly. The "back issues" are thin, and representative of the last 5 years or so only.

[paqart]

 

Comics & Comix opened a shop just around the corner (about 1974?). Also, there were a couple of used bookstores on the block that sold back issues. There was a kid that priced the comics for one bookstore. He used to let me have some of the comics for cheaper. I remember he re-priced an Avengers #100 from $1.00 to 50¢ for me. He was a big Neal Adams fan. I think his name was Adam.

 

I was just doing some Internet research to find the name of the comic store across from Recycle Books in San Jose when I ran across this post. I think the "Adam" you mention might be me. If so, it is a funny coincidence. If not, a reasonable error on my part. Back in about 1975 I started memorizing the Price Guide every year. This gave me a tiny amount of local notoriety in San Jose comic shops because I could price things without referring to the guide. Because of this (among other things) I would answer questions at local conventions, like when Rick Calou of San Francisco's Comic Detectives challenged all comers to stump me on the price for any comic (no one won the challenge). Another thing that happened is that Scott (I think that is his name) at Recycle Books asked me to price comics for them. I priced what they had and appraised collections for purchase as well. A little later, Roger Grant-Ribal at Comics & Fantasies hired me. The time period I was doing the pricing at Recycle was more like 1976-1978 than 1974, and I was 10-13 years old at that time. I was a big Neal Adams fan back then, but my name is Andy, not Adam. However, I don't know of any other "kids" who did what I did for Recycle Books, and I knew every store in town.

 

For what it's worth, I briefly worked as a comic book artist from 1991-1994 before getting into the video game and film FX business.

 

Best regards,

 

AP

www.paqart.com

[JohnFranklin]

Denver....circa 1969\1970......not offically a comic shop but my brother and I got a fair number back issues from "Book Barter Bob(s)".

[alecholland]

I visited my first comic shop in Columbia, Mo., in 1975. Rock Bottom, I believe, is still in business. At age 11 I couldn't believe that they kept three months worth of issues on hand so I would never miss another one. And then a year or two later I found the box with the Marvel Triple Actions. Soon after I found the Avengers box and the obsession began.

Also, another shop that is still in business as far as I know that has been open probably 40 years in Clint's Comics in Kansas City.

 

I lived in Columbia at that same time. I used to go to Rock Bottom also. I think Gary was the owner's name. I bought my first back issue there. It was silver age Sub-Mariner #1. I think I paid $10 for it. That was probably around 75 or 76. I would have been 10 years old.

[kav]

First Comic Book Shop:

http://laughingsquid.com/gary-arlington-1938-2014-owner-of-the-first-comic-book-store-in-the-united-states/