PITTSBURGH! Comic shop recs +++ others needed

[smithdatura]

G'morning everybody,

 

I tried the "Search" function but had no luck finding anything Pittsburgh-related, so I figured I'd make a broad call here in General...

 

I'll be in Pittsburgh for a couple days on business and am hoping to sneak in some pleasure, too. Based on Google I see there are a few comic shops listed but I have no idea what's worthwhile/easily accessible from the downtown core. Any advice would be appreciated - my tastes skew older (Silver/Bronze), but I always like browsing a cool shop, regardless.

 

Also, any other neat stores/good restos anyone can recommend? I plan on grabbing a Primanti Brothers sandwich but I'm wide open to any ideas.

 

Thanks in advance!

[AmazingComics413]

My mother lives in Pittsburgh, definitely try Primanti Bros. I haven't been to any comic shops in PA...

[goldust40]

Eide's is the best for Silver and Bronze, by some distance, and it's right in the center.

[spracknetch23]

I lived in Pittsburgh for 5 years (moved in 2006 so my info may be outdated). Eide's is probably the biggest and best comic shop there. Their entire basement is comics, action figures, statues etc. Their main floor is music, etc. There also used to be a small corner game and comic shop near the Art Institute. There is also Phantom of the Attic in Monroeville and Oakland, which has a lot of modern and current issues.

 

As far as restaurants, I was a poor college kid when I lived there, so I lived on ramen and fast food. But Primantis is good, especially if you like cole slaw and french fries on your sandwiches. Also, Station Square is a cool place to visit. It's an old train station turned shopping / food area. They closed the Hooters though..

[manicnerd]

I lived in Pittsburgh for 5 years (moved in 2006 so my info may be outdated). Eide's is probably the biggest and best comic shop there. Their entire basement is comics, action figures, statues etc. Their main floor is music, etc. There also used to be a small corner game and comic shop near the Art Institute. There is also Phantom of the Attic in Monroeville and Oakland, which has a lot of modern and current issues.

 

As far as restaurants, I was a poor college kid when I lived there, so I lived on ramen and fast food. But Primantis is good, especially if you like cole slaw and french fries on your sandwiches. Also, Station Square is a cool place to visit. It's an old train station turned shopping / food area. They closed the Hooters though..

 

+1 I lived in Pittsburgh from conception-2010 (28 years in total). Eide's is still my favorite comic shop.

[smithdatura]

Thanks to everyone who responded here.

 

Well, I honestly couldn't have planned my trip any better had I wanted - based on your suggestions I hit up Eide's on Tuesday, which just happened to be the first day of their annual 40% off sale. Talk about serendipity!

 

I absolutely loved that store. It pretty much is my perfect comic shop, given it has a GREAT array of gold, silver and bronze back issues in a logically sorted and archived manner, with most of the pricier ($10+) books in Mylars, stuff sorted by Marvel/DC/other, $40+ books in long showcases or on the wall, and the grades, from what I could tell, very fairly assessed with any issues noted on the price tags.

 

I ended up picking up a pretty hefty array of books (as much as I could realistically manage in my carry-on!) and spending a couple of hours in the shop overall. I can't say the staff was especially friendly, but they were professional and helpful. I kind of got the vibe that they don't suffer fools, and given I was an unfamiliar face, they were a bit leery of my presence, especially since I just happened to arrive when their sale started. Regardless, a totally enjoyable experience overall.

 

And yes, I made it to Primanti Brothers for their #2 (with onions, natch) - what an epic sandwich.

[BlowUpTheMoon]

Todd has five stores in Pittsburgh. He's always getting new stuff in.

[Shadow]

I stopped by the same store 3 years ago. (Downtown, correct?)

 

I was also traveling and I ended up spending about $100. Nice selection but I agree with the employee comment. Not rude though, just cold.

[spracknetch23]

I forgot about their sales times, that's really the time to go. I got a nice ASM 101 at the time of a half off sale. I agree about the staff. Still a good store overall. I believe they have an ebay store too, eides_entertainment.

[thehumantorch]

Thanks to everyone who responded here.

 

Well, I honestly couldn't have planned my trip any better had I wanted - based on your suggestions I hit up Eide's on Tuesday, which just happened to be the first day of their annual 40% off sale. Talk about serendipity!

 

I absolutely loved that store. It pretty much is my perfect comic shop, given it has a GREAT array of gold, silver and bronze back issues in a logically sorted and archived manner, with most of the pricier ($10+) books in Mylars, stuff sorted by Marvel/DC/other, $40+ books in long showcases or on the wall, and the grades, from what I could tell, very fairly assessed with any issues noted on the price tags.

 

I ended up picking up a pretty hefty array of books (as much as I could realistically manage in my carry-on!) and spending a couple of hours in the shop overall. I can't say the staff was especially friendly, but they were professional and helpful. I kind of got the vibe that they don't suffer fools, and given I was an unfamiliar face, they were a bit leery of my presence, especially since I just happened to arrive when their sale started. Regardless, a totally enjoyable experience overall.

 

And yes, I made it to Primanti Brothers for their #2 (with onions, natch) - what an epic sandwich.

 

Glad it worked out.