Earliest comic shops? 0

[Phantalien]

In the Washington D.C. area there is Barbarian Books is one of the early ones. Even though I am not as old, I hear that it opened up in the early 70's or late 60's.

[Captain_Pike]

I think the comic shop was called Comics Unlimited located on Keewatin Avenue. I went there a few times in the early 80s.

I remember going to Memory Lane in around 1975 but by then the store was transitioning out of comics altogether and focusing on vintage movie posters.

But my fondest memory is going to Bakka located on Queen St in 1975 where they had for sale a AF 15 for $75.00 too bad all I had on me was 75 cents.

I should have asked to look at the book just to see what shape it was in but didn't.

[csaag]

On 6/30/2012 at 10:27 AM, Larryw7 said:

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).

Glad I went looking thru the previous pages  - only 8 years late for a reply.  That place was my LCS which I just referenced in the thread about Remembering 1st Comic Shop.  It was by Solly playground on Bustleton. I still remember the sign they had by the cash register about his death.  I never knew their last names;  when I started collecting I went there every week for a few years.  They never said that much to me.  One day one of them stopped in late at a Burger King I was working at and brought back some soggy fries to complain when he recognized me.  So I made him a fresh batch which made him quite happy.  I don't know why I still remember that.  Probably all of the book I submitted to CGC came from there.   One, X-Men 94, had slight color touch.  I wonder now if they 'enhanced' that one.  They certainly had a large back issue collection.  I never knew about that accident.

Edited July 31, 2020 by csaag
add info

[kav]

I managed to score this early Conan proto type comic 'book' from one of the earliest comic shops circa 200 BC

[Snootch]

On 6/29/2012 at 11:55 AM, Hepcat said:

 

That would have been Comics Unlimited. They also carried gum cards and were responsible for my diversification from just comic collecting to collecting cards as well in 1980. It's where I bought my "Funny Valentine", "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" and "Man from U.N.C.L.E." card sets. By the late eighties Comics Unlimited would move to a bigger store on the southwest corner of Eglinton Ave. and Bathurst St. and rename itself Comics Unlimited/Sports Connection. When the son Daniel took over in the early nineties, he dropped the comics. By the late nineties Sports Connection moved north to a smaller location in Vaughan where it struggled along for a few more years before closing down about ten years ago.

I remember Comics Unlimited on Keewatin as I used to stop there almost everyday on my way home from school.

The owners were Ray and Donna and they were wonderful people.

Lost touch with them in the late eighties .. always wondered what happened to them though.

[Ken Aldred]

On 7/31/2020 at 11:42 PM, kav said:

I managed to score this early Conan proto type comic 'book' from one of the earliest comic shops circa 200 BC

Nothing worse as a collector than seeing a badly cracked slab.

Edited August 18, 2020 by Ken Aldred

[Larryw7]

On 7/31/2020 at 6:23 PM, csaag said:

Glad I went looking thru the previous pages  - only 8 years late for a reply.  That place was my LCS which I just referenced in the thread about Remembering 1st Comic Shop.  It was by Solly playground on Bustleton. I still remember the sign they had by the cash register about his death.  I never knew their last names;  when I started collecting I went there every week for a few years.  They never said that much to me.  One day one of them stopped in late at a Burger King I was working at and brought back some soggy fries to complain when he recognized me.  So I made him a fresh batch which made him quite happy.  I don't know why I still remember that.  Probably all of the book I submitted to CGC came from there.   One, X-Men 94, had slight color touch.  I wonder now if they 'enhanced' that one.  They certainly had a large back issue collection.  I never knew about that accident.

I'm just seeing this post. Great memories. Do you remember which of the guys complained about the fries?

I used to also go to Fat Jack's right off of Sansom, and they had a good selection at reasonable prices. They eventually moved onto Samson Street itself. Last time I was there a few years ago the back issues were lacking and the store just wasn't the same.

There was also a place next door to Fat Jack's in the eighties called Record Rendezvous. The place was a real dive, but they sold comics too. I got copies of the later GA Flash books, some early ASM, and quite a few albums. Fun times!

[Comicshows]

On 7/31/2020 at 6:23 PM, csaag said:

Glad I went looking thru the previous pages  - only 8 years late for a reply.  That place was my LCS which I just referenced in the thread about Remembering 1st Comic Shop.  It was by Solly playground on Bustleton. I still remember the sign they had by the cash register about his death.  I never knew their last names;  when I started collecting I went there every week for a few years.  They never said that much to me.  One day one of them stopped in late at a Burger King I was working at and brought back some soggy fries to complain when he recognized me.  So I made him a fresh batch which made him quite happy.  I don't know why I still remember that.  Probably all of the book I submitted to CGC came from there.   One, X-Men 94, had slight color touch.  I wonder now if they 'enhanced' that one.  They certainly had a large back issue collection.  I never knew about that accident.

They started out in center city Philadelphia before moving to the NE. Early to mid 70’s. They had advertised in the Overstreet price guide too. Can check guides from the 70’s for the location. Been so long ago (plus my dad drove me there) that I don’t remember exactly where it was. Fun shopping for a kid. 

[csaag]

13 hours ago, Larryw7 said:

I'm just seeing this post. Great memories. Do you remember which of the guys complained about the fries?

I used to also go to Fat Jack's right off of Sansom, and they had a good selection at reasonable prices. They eventually moved onto Samson Street itself. Last time I was there a few years ago the back issues were lacking and the store just wasn't the same.

There was also a place next door to Fat Jack's in the eighties called Record Rendezvous. The place was a real dive, but they sold comics too. I got copies of the later GA Flash books, some early ASM, and quite a few albums. Fun times!

I believe it was the one who passed away

[Robot Man]

Well, somebody has to represent the west coast. Before there were comic shops, there were used book stores. Comics were often found there and I had a regular route I traveled on my bike. I early on, learned about "networking". I had good relationships with several stores and they would put aside their new finds until I could get there usually on Saturday.

The first stores I would consider "comic stores" were actually bookstores who catered to comic collectors. There were 3 in Hollywood, CA. Was too young to drive so my dad would drop me off with a few bucks as well as paper route, lawn mowing and pop bottle money.

I usually hit Cherokee Books first. It was a high end rare book store. The owner, let his son Burt Blum run the comic dept once it was known that money could be made off them. You had to go to the back of the store and go up a winding staircase to get up. Along the walls were comics in cleaner's bags thumb tacked to the walls. Bought my first EC there. MAD #9 for $2. You would then proceed down a long hall with boxes on the shelves. In them, were SA stuff priced at 25 cents each. I usually hit the other boxes. These were pre-code horror, crime, jungle type books and other odd ball stuff. Priced at 50 cents to a buck.

Once, I had carefully picked out all I could afford, I would enter the "inner sanctum". This is where Burt, usually stoned on weed, held court and where the real good stuff was. Rarely, could I afford that stuff but did pick up some ECs for $3-5. each. It was there where one day when it was slow, he pulled out an Action #1 and handed it to me. Price? $300. might as well been a million dollars but my 12 year old mind was blown.

Collectors all over LA and San Diego made the pilgrimage to see Burt and his amazing books.

Photo #1  Cherokee Books

Photo #2 "The Inner Sanctum" Noted LA GA collector, Rick Durell on left and Burt on the right.

Edited August 20, 2020 by Robot Man

[Robot Man]

Next stop was about a block or two away. Bond Street Books. Run by a real cool guy named Steve Edrington. Small, hole in the wall, no frills but had a great selection at great prices. Steve was a great guy and really catered to a youngster like myself who loved GA comics. Not nearly the stock but he had a ton of books in the back room if you asked. In these days, SA was current so you can only imagine what these stores got that walked into their shops!

Steve knew how bad I wanted a More Fun #52. So one day when I came in, he pulled a copy out from under the counter. Now where was a kid like me going to get $50? Steve was kind enough to let me pay it off in payment over a summer.

Shop is long gone but I heard from someone that Steve is still living. Would love to say thanks!

[Robot Man]

The big fish in the pond though, was Collector's Books just a few door down from Cherokee. These were the big guys. Store was in an old bank building on the corner with a large walk in safe. Run by Leonard Brown and Malcolm Willits. This store really catered to the high end guys and had multiple copies of ALL the keys. Rarely was I allowed access to them and was usually shown the door like board member TriColorBrian. I remember drooling over a Batman #6 in the front window for seemed like forever.

I rarely had much money left after hitting Cherokee and Bond Street so I obviously wasn't their "clientelle".

The mid '60's was a wonderful time to be a comic collector in LA!

Photo #1 Leonard Brown looking over some new walk in books...

Photo #2 Malcolm Willits checking the vault for Batman stock for some well heeled client.

Photo #3 Fred White looking at a table of GA DC and Timely books. No bags, no boards, just laying there to thumb through...

[waaaghboss]

On 6/28/2012 at 10:14 AM, MatterEaterLad said:

Golden Age Collectibles has been in Seattle since 1971.

 

 

Is that the one at pike place?  Would strongly recommend anyone visiting Seattle looking for a good old comic shop to not waste time going there. 

[Ken Aldred]

4 minutes ago, waaaghboss said:

Is that the one at pike place?  Would strongly recommend anyone visiting Seattle looking for a good old comic shop to not waste time going there. 

I found it disappointing.

[MatterEaterLad]

19 minutes ago, waaaghboss said:

Is that the one at pike place?  Would strongly recommend anyone visiting Seattle looking for a good old comic shop to not waste time going there. 

Definitely not what it used to be. Now it's just a cool place for memorabilia, but comics, not so much.

When I was in high school I used to go there and press my face to the glass staring at the Tec 27, AF 15, Superman 1, etc. 

I bought a JIM 83 for $80.

 

[Ken Aldred]

43 minutes ago, MatterEaterLad said:

Definitely not what it used to be. Now it's just a cool place for memorabilia, but comics, not so much.

When I was in high school I used to go there and press my face to the glass staring at the Tec 27, AF 15, Superman 1, etc. 

I bought a JIM 83 for $80.

 

I was there in early 2005.

They didn’t seem to have a great back issue selection by then.

Edited August 20, 2020 by Ken Aldred

[James J Johnson]

3 hours ago, Robot Man said:

The big fish in the pond though, was Collector's Books just a few door down from Cherokee. These were the big guys. Store was in an old bank building on the corner with a large walk in safe. Run by Leonard Brown and Malcolm Willits. This store really catered to the high end guys and had multiple copies of ALL the keys. Rarely was I allowed access to them and was usually shown the door like board member TriColorBrian. I remember drooling over a Batman #6 in the front window for seemed like forever.

I rarely had much money left after hitting Cherokee and Bond Street so I obviously wasn't their "clientelle".

The mid '60's was a wonderful time to be a comic collector in LA!

Photo #1 Leonard Brown looking over some new walk in books...

Photo #2 Malcolm Willits checking the vault for Batman stock for some well heeled client.

Photo #3 Fred White looking at a table of GA DC and Timely books. No bags, no boards, just laying there to thumb through...

 

[Larryw7]

15 hours ago, csaag said:

I believe it was the one who passed away

I figured.

[waaaghboss]

4 hours ago, Ken Aldred said:

I was there in early 2005.

They didn’t seem to have a great back issue selection by then.

Yah, I was there about a year ago.  Was in Seattle for work, figured with a name like GA collect it would have...you know...some nice GA comics.  

 

DIdnt realize it was at pikes place or I wouldnt have bothered (following GPS).  Girl at the counter was rude, didn't seem to be any decent selection, and the few prices I could see were Mile High(tm).   It seems it morphed into a tourist trap selling mostly funco pop , which is fine, but they really need to change the name.  And get better customer service.

[wombat]

@Robot Man Awesome stuff. Thanks for sharing!!