Rude Comic Shop Experiences

[CAHokie]

 

Someday Spider-Woman will get her own movie and Hado will be rich.

 

Ok, well maybe not.

[Jaws1965]

Haha, you guys are mean! I'd be proud of a Spider-Woman collection like that!

[Gatchaman]

There is one seller, who I have known for a while and adore, after asking for copies of Yang, asked me, disdainfully, why I would collect such a book? In all of the years I have been collecting and selling I have learned not to question why people collect what issues they collect. People purchase comics for all sorts of reasons and just because they collect certain books I don't or don't like doesn't mean their quest is any less or lower in status than what I collect or why I purchase. Making happy repeat customers is helping them obtain what they are looking for.

 

There was this comic store in town, which no longer exists, that could care less what other people thought about him. It seemed like since he had some customers already that gaining new ones didn't matter. He had a sale that was sent out in an email blast about a 50% off cover sale on a large collection he just acquired. I went out of my way on a day that I normally wouldn't have to attend such a sale and when I was looking at books and signs on boxes I noticed something didn't add up, si I asked the register monkey to elaborate on the sale. He stated that the sale was 50% price guide value. I told him what they email said and he could care less. I then told him that this could cause a lot of problems to advertise one thing and actuality be something else and cause people to be irritated, but that didn't phase him also. No concern at it at all. No apology either. It was a mistake. Take it or leave it.

 

I think most people don't understand that it's not the little mistakes or inconsistencies that upset people and lose customers. It's their attitudes towards the problems.

 

I also play Magic: The gathering. I would have got out of it when I sold my store, but my teenage son likes playing. One store that we know of is a whole standard of problems. I went in around 15 minutes before closing and wanted to buy a card (around $10) out of their showcase. I told them and pointed to it. Then owners were so distracted with trying to get out of the shop that they left me standing there until the kicked me out so they can close. Another time was when my son and I were there to play at one of the owner's invitations and my son wanted to trade some cards for one of theirs. We were there for at least 3 hours and we made it know to them when we got there. We mentioned it another few times until it was time to leave. Then the owners were arguing back in forth about who handles the trading. One of them finally did it.

 

This is the same store that has a certain register monkey that on one occasion, where I asked what was in a certain sealed deck, told me he didn't know. 10" away from where the deck was was a laptop computer. He could have looked it up. I had one of my kids go to car to get my Kindle and I looked it up. Another time a friend of mine and I entered their one customer store and another customer, who came right in right behind us brought some cards to sell. We all three stood at the counter while the register monkey kept himself busy cleaning before he decided to come attend to us. He told the gentleman, who had cards to sell, that the owners weren't there and he doesn't have the authority to purchase cards. The gentleman then left. OH, come on!!! He could have called the owners or even said when they would return and if could come back then, but no. I have the owner on speed dial and told him what happened. He was furious and said that the register monkey does have authority to purchase cards. To my amazement the register monkey still works there.

 

The owners of that store are a husband and wife team. Their sales are so bad that they husband has to have a full time job and they wonder why.

[Hado]

 

Someday Spider-Woman will get her own movie and Hado will be rich break even.

 

Ok, well maybe not.

fixed that for you.

 

[General Zod]

Definitely not the best customer experience. What I learned from working behind the scenes of a bank is that greeting every customer at the door and asking what they are there to do actually decreases the chance of a robbery by 90 some percent. Thing is though for this to be effective, you have to speak to every customer. I forget why.

 

It's a completely psychological thing.

 

During a period when my interest in comics had declined a bit and I'd cut back on my spending, I had the misfortune of being faced down by an angrily-snorting store manager and slapped on the back of the head as I walked away. Extortion, I believe it's called? Should've had the police look into that one.

 

I've happily been a non-customer for 11 years now.

 

I feel like there's a lot of story left out in this one.

 

 

[Gatchaman]

[miraclemet]

 

The owners of that store are a husband and wife team. Their sales are so bad that they husband has to have a full time job and they wonder why.

 

unless the register guy is the owner's son, I'd mention the -poor service to the owner.

[southerncross]

reading the story about magic the gathering game. cleaning out my garage last week end I found 6 un open packs of cards that I won about 8 years ago. so went down to comic shop where they have rented space across from them in the arcade to play the magic card game. I asked the manager of the store was he interested in buying them, after thinking it over for 30 seconds he declines. So I crossed over to the area where players were seated and offered the packs. One kid said he was interested but only had $15 on him. I had not given a price I wanted to the kid or the manager and sold the 6 packs for $15

 

The manager could have offered me $10 for the 6 packs or even $5 and I would have taken it. This is from a shop that does not buy cards/books

 

If you walked in with a low grade x-men 1\ a nm new mutants 98 they would not even look at it as they don't buy, except off their Diamond account.

 

As for the packs I would have sold them for $1 for the 6 or just throw them in the bin.

The game was fun to play but I had played from the start and had sold my cards. That was many years ago to a shop that had great customer service and they also bought cards off customers. and paid cash on the spot. Except when I sold my folder of Mtgc he had to go to the bank in the wall as I had the power 9 (thumbs u

[Gatchaman]

When I was in business I would ask myself if I want it to be like a liquor store or a bar. At a liquor store people walk in, buy, and leave, but in a bar people still get alcohol, but stay for the ambiance. I had a business partner, once, and all he cared about was people coming and buying from us while I tended to make relationships with my customers. They preferred to deal with me and would not patronize our store unless I was there.

 

To many of today's hobby shops have become like the liquor stores and less like the bar. It is as they want you to come spend money or they want nothing to do with you on a personal level. I created a place for people to come and hang out and then the money started rolling in. Somewhere inside collectors they like to feel like they belong and are a part of your store. I used to trade magic cards to some of my young players for snacks. Of course they would be cheaper cards and many times I didn't need them, but I did it as a service to them. They remember that. That store could have taken the time to find out what you were looking for in trade or sale of your packs, but didn't value it. Sometimes a small gesture has a large impact. He could have created a large customer for doing that. Since it didn't put money in his pocket he dismissed it.

 

Even though I no longer own my store I still have people asking it I will put up another one. I have been selling comics and cards since the mid 80' s and I still have people all over town who remember me for where I had sold. It wierds my kids out people walk up to me in public and greet me from doing business so long ago. That's why I never understood why owners wouldn't care if people thought they were jerks instead of being praised for being such a good shop owner.

 

I just thought about this and will ad as it is such a good gesture. In Lacey, WA, there is a big comic and game store called, Olympic Cards and Comics. The owner, Gabi, is so sweet. She bought the store in the early 90's and has grown it to a huge storage building. Her customers love her. She gives back to the customers so much over. A few months ago she threw her customers a free BBQ and gave a way a lot of free gifts. Hundreds of people showed up. I live like 30 miles from the place and my family and I went. She could have 100 people in her store and she still stops to say hello to you.

 

Check out her pictures.

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gabis-Olympic-Cards-Comics/100681268142

 

[Ken Aldred]

During a period when my interest in comics had declined a bit and I'd cut back on my spending, I had the misfortune of being faced down by an angrily-snorting store manager and slapped on the back of the head as I walked away. Extortion, I believe it's called? Should've had the police look into that one.

 

I've happily been a non-customer for 11 years now.

 

Wait, what? You have to give some details here. How old were you, what was the situation and why on earth would you let someone lay their hands on you and not report it?

 

+1. Also, I would say that is assault, not extortion (unless he was trying to take money from you).

 

Using aggressive, intimidating behaviour to coerce money or, in this case, extra business, out of the target. More an extortion dynamic.

[Gatchaman]

[eightclaps]

This is the opposite of the "is it tacky to consult your price guide at a dealers booth" thread but do you think it's rude for a comic book store to consult eBay or whatever for every single back issue?

 

This isn't close to being the rudest experience, but I went to a nearby store on my lunch break and asked if they had a run of some back issues. Since they stock all of their old issues in the back of the store, I couldn't search for them myself. First problem was the workers acted completely annoyed that I was even asking for these books since they had to walk to the back to get them. Second problem was after 10 minutes they brought out a stack of 30 books...but they didn't bring them to me. Instead, one of the workers sat at a computer while I waited another 15 minutes for him to slowly price check every single book. Seriously?

 

It would have been one thing if they were friendly, gave good customer service, and asked if I needed help finding anything else. Instead I awkwardly waited around the store and had to keep checking in with them to see if I could finally take a look at the books.

 

Honestly, none of the books were worth anything. I just wanted to find a run from when I was a kid. They ended up offering the books for a little over cover for of the books. I decided not to get any of them, annoyed that they wasted most of my lunch break to nickel and dime me. It was pretty sad walking away thinking it would have been better if I just spent my lunch break on my phone checking out comic books on eBay than visiting and supporting an actual LCS.

[That Ron Dude]

Most of my experiences are my being rude to the comic book dealers and I won't relate them here. There would be too many spoons in the narrative to make the stories understandable.

 

Once though, a guy behind the cash (who looked just like the guy on the Friedman's T-shirt, third column, second row) saw me with my checklist. He asked if he could see it. Soon, he wished to negotiate with me for a copy of Tip Top. I found this to be rather forward and certainly not according to Hoyle.

 

I brought the book in. He wanted to work out a deal where he would offer me a low price and they pay it off with trade from the store. He did not own the store (though I have no reason to believe he was stealing-- at worst he was pushing his privilege a little).

 

I asked him for the guide price price. He seemed shocked and dismayed. We argued a bit but it was obvious no exchange was going to occur.

 

We were acquaintances because of the comic store. We were not friends-- we never went to a movie together, talked over donuts and coffee or celebrated one another's birthdays. He eventually left the store. I see him now and then at conventions where he sells the parts of his accumulation that no longer interests him.

[Chris_Skeleton]

Not a comic shop, but there was an arcade in the next town over that had advertised some comics on craigslist. So I stopped there with my nephew and a buddy of mine to check them out, They had about four or five long boxes underneath a couple pinball machines so I went to the counter and asked how much the comics were and the guy tells me, "it depends on how many you get." So we start digging through the boxes and pull out about 10 comics each I guess, so 30 total. We take them up to the guy and he starts dividing them into stacks based on cover price. Without telling us what he is doing, he takes about five minutes and then gives us a price of 50% off cover for each issue. So we get some ridiculous high total and tell him we will take some out. Went back up with like 10 comics total and he still rang us ap at 50% off cover. So he really didn't cut us a deal. It's an arcade store in a run down part of town that specializes in games, and selling overpriced video games. So rather than cut some deals, they hang on to the comics. And they are still just sitting there. Surprised they are still in business. It's one of those pay per hour deals. My nephew was looking at one of the machines and the guy rudely came over and was like "you gotta pay to play that."

 

Oddly enough they advertised on craigslist comics 2 for $1 about a year beforehand and so I stopped in to check them out. Didn't find anything, but nephew got two comics and gave them to the same guy from our most recent visit. He looks at them and tells him it'll be $4. I asked about the 2 for $1 and he said he didn't know anything about it. So I contacted through the ad, and the guy told me that not all his "employees" know all the deals. Well, great business you got running there.