Rude Comic Shop Experiences

[kav]

I would love to pull out a huge stack of $100 bills, stare at dude, then walk out.

[dupont2005]

It's been a long time since I've had a rude comic shop experience, but here it goes.

 

The LCS I shopped at when I was a kid was owned by a super cool guy. When he got old and wanted to retire his son took over, his son was a goth who was really into Magic card games. The shop had the windows covered in stickers and flyers blocking out the sun, the place was dimply lit, and a giant folding table dominated the center of the tiny store. The table would usually have three goth dudes sitting at it with backpacks full of Magic cards. They would all act incredibly annoyed if an actual customer walked in. If you asked for something they'd just point to the back issue bins. I went in there for the first time in decades to buy The Last Christmas because I had heard it was written by Brian Posehn. He said he had never heard of it, I said I'd like him to order it if he could. The next month I came in, he still hadn't ordered it, and looked incredibly annoyed that I came back to ask about it again. Last time I went in there for another couple years, by which time the story had been bought out by a friendly couple. Still wasn't a great store like it had been, but they were never rude to any customers as far as I can tell. They just replaced the gaming table that dominated the store with a baby playpen that dominated the store, and filled it with an actual baby that was constantly crying.

[gradejunky]

Yelp filtered your review be sure to leave a google maps review too they dont filter.

https://plus.google.com/101265831267395687949/about?gl=US&hl=en-US

 

One of the reviews is "They are animal lovers." yeah, I guess so if they let them walk all over their books.

Actually I'm surprised no one has brought that up. If they have cats walking on their boxes, are they also spraying the boxes or chewing on things? Animals and comics are a risky combination for me.

 

Cats/animals have no business being in any business, no pun intended-unless the business is an animal related business of course. Otherwise, I don't feel that people should subject others to the type of animals they enjoy having around as that is a put off for some, especially if they are highly allergic to said animals like me; I am deathly allergic to cats. I like them, but will turn into a watermelon without even seeing one if it is around. Anyhow, if I went into a comic store and saw cats I would walk right back out.

 

I have only ever had like one real bad experience in a shop involving a pimple-faced, scrawny dweeb who looked to be in middle school, and would rather sit on his cell phone then do anything else. I scoured the huge $1 comics section for a couple of hours, and went to check out when he pulled a couple signed comics out of the pile and said "dude you can't have these, they're signed-wahhhh!". I asked him why he was sitting at the counter reading comics and texting instead of maybe going through the boxes to pull what "shouldn't" be in there. This was a small store BTW. Oh, and I don't even care for signed books. I just thought I could make a few bucks but whatever.

[gradejunky]

It's been a long time since I've had a rude comic shop experience, but here it goes.

 

The LCS I shopped at when I was a kid was owned by a super cool guy. When he got old and wanted to retire his son took over, his son was a goth who was really into Magic card games. The shop had the windows covered in stickers and flyers blocking out the sun, the place was dimply lit, and a giant folding table dominated the center of the tiny store. The table would usually have three goth dudes sitting at it with backpacks full of Magic cards. They would all act incredibly annoyed if an actual customer walked in. If you asked for something they'd just point to the back issue bins. I went in there for the first time in decades to buy The Last Christmas because I had heard it was written by Brian Posehn. He said he had never heard of it, I said I'd like him to order it if he could. The next month I came in, he still hadn't ordered it, and looked incredibly annoyed that I came back to ask about it again. Last time I went in there for another couple years, by which time the story had been bought out by a friendly couple. Still wasn't a great store like it had been, but they were never rude to any customers as far as I can tell. They just replaced the gaming table that dominated the store with a baby playpen that dominated the store, and filled it with an actual baby that was constantly crying.

 

[MightyBeanComics]

I'm fine with people not asking me if I'm looking for anything. Actually, I don't like it when anyone gets in my bizness like that. A couple of weeks ago a bank "greeter" actually asked me what I was in the bank to do, I told her "BANK STUFF"...is it any of her F-ing business? It's a bank I'm in probably once a day, all the regulars know me, she works there two days and needs to know who I am? Did she think I was improperly using it as a shortcut to get into my office building (which I often do)? If so, mind your own business!

 

But not to say thanks after you buy something or "have a nice day" or "enjoy" or anything like that is just bad business.

 

Also, if you ask whether they have a legitimate comic related item they could at least put on an act like they're searching their brain banks to remember if they have it rather than just do an automatic "no." an automatic no just means they don't want to be bothered.

 

anyway, was it fat jack or slim mike?

 

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.

[kav]

Hooker could never stay in business treating customers like this....

[Not*Sure*]

I used to work for a rude owner.

One day I was working the store alone,a man came in and struck up a conversation. Turns out he had a pretty extensive want list. I scoured the store to find about 60 books around $300. This store had 0 dollar days average morning cash drop was around $30. The man was extremely nice. He asked if we had any old over streets available,I dug them out and sold him another $400 in old overstreets and cbgs.

He started to tell me about his other hobby he would dive ,rock hound and I think metal detect. He had all his "finds" from a recent trip and excitedly brought in a box of fossils to show me.

We spread them out on the counter as this man,who had spent $700 already,was telling me he had other collectibles he wanted to buy. I was in search mode looking for an action figure he wanted.

The owner showed up. As soon as he hit the door he screams "what the %*#~* is this f$&7@ on the counter? Who the he** do you think you are putting this trash on my counter? I expect you to keep @&$; like this bum out of my store. You haven't bagged the books I told you get back to work and tell the homeless guy to get his &&$& of my table."

I looked apologetic at the guy. He was so nice! He shrugged and said "well I guess forget about the toys and action figures thanks so much for all your help."

I was so sorry it was awful.

The man drove away. I had not said a word to the owner. I walked over to the register and ran a journal tape. I slapped it in his hand. He gasped and said "how did you make $700?that is more than the last two weeks combined!what did you sell?"

I said "that homeless bum guy you just threw out. He was going to buy more stuff but he wanted to show me the fossils he got. While he was laying out his "garbage" I was looking for those toys in the back he was looking for. He had a ton more CASH on him. Too bad you through him out of the store like a complete total &$@(!"

So yea if you are a rude jerk you aren't doing your business any favors.

 

[kav]

What an sandwich

[Mark 1]

I had a guy in a LCS tell me I couldn't take a picture of a comic book.

 

Needless to say I left and never went back

 

Was everybody dressed?

Which store was it?

 

 

Everyone was dressed...including me.

 

It was a TOS 39 and I was interested in buying it. Wanted pictures for reference and the tool said sorry no pics.

 

I'd prefer not to name the store. I go to their other locations and everything is cool. Haven't been back to the other one.

 

 

[kav]

I would have snapped several pics and said 'what are you gonna do about it?'

WE'LL CALL THE COPS!!!

Yeah I'm sure they'll rush right over and put out an APB on me. Then I'd start snapping pics of them.

[Not*Sure*]

He was not a very nice person.

I wish could remember the customer's name. I used to. I mentioned it once to a dealer friend at a con and he knew him.

I had a lot of very nice regulars. That did not even want to walk in the store when the owner was there.

If he suspected you were just a normal person he had a little contempt for you browsing through his books. If he thought you had any money to spend to speak of..he was an unbearable pain in the behind. He would trot out all this ridiculous stuff and try to sell them on what a great investment it would be "200 copies of this book would not be enough. X-men are the thing right now and this Xforce book will be the next AF 15 in thirty years! Imagine sending your kid to college on comic books!"

But really the customer was trying to get back issues for his FF collection or something.

 

On the plus side he was such a jerk..that people he out and out tried to con on buys..would sometimes just GIVE me the books.."Oh you like comics and will appreciate them take them I would rather you have them for free than him give me less than $5 a long box.." I got some nice books that way.

 

If I am selling something for money..and I expect people to buy it..I want to make it a pleasant experience so they will come back and buy more books or whatnot..

Not make them feel like a friendless, unwanted person.

 

[kav]

I love to mess with people like this. It's a vice of mine. My goal is that throbbing vein on their neck....

[Not*Sure*]

One of my worst store experiences was a store that was a mish mosh of stacks,piles,mountains,paperbags full of comics..they spilled all over the floor . The shop had a few tables and the books were laid out flat on the tables instead of boxes like a regular store.

 

I was looking for books on my want list. Nothing I was looking for was new at all.

 

A woman came up and starts gibbering at me. "Oh those are all old comics..these ones on the table are new." I said "Okay." and continued to browse the random piles of books. I was finding the books had price label stickers on them. It was pretty bad. Not bagging them is bad..but not bagging them and tacking on a price sticker is stupid. But I collect readers to browse through too so I continued to look. She says "I told you the new comics are on the tables..look Lady Death! Vampirella,Lady Rawhide, Evil Ernie..I have all the hottest new comics right here!" It got to the point where she was bringing over the books and putting them in my face "See look this bad girl trend is the hottest thing going right now everyone really is into these books." I said "Well really I do not collect any "new" books. I collect pre code horror like EC comics,(blank look from woman) I have a fair collection of go go check books (blank again) I have AS from #4,FF from #1 all in all right now I have over 100,000 comic books etc etc..so I really have no need for your hot new books!" She got completely agitated and was like "Hmmph EVERYONE is collecting these they are what is going on in comic right now! You are wasting my time!"

 

A chubby slob guy comes out from the back room "MOM stop it dammit you are ruining my business just stop it!"

 

Which was really kind of sad. I said "No it's okay I didn't mean to inconvenience anyone by not buying new books..I only collect back issues and seeing as your floor is littered with them I figured you would WANT me to take some off your hands. I'll just leave maybe you will get lucky and someone will come in who wants your hot new books."

 

When I ran a store and had a store..I had nice displays,slider boxes,even the quarter books were boxed. Showcases and a wall display a little customer service.. can be really enticing to customers rather than having to bend of piles of comics strewn all over the floor with a screaming harpy in your face.

[Not*Sure*]

I love to mess with people like this. It's a vice of mine. My goal is that throbbing vein on their neck....

 

He had one in his forehead I laughed a little when he got busted this year.. enjoy jail dude!!

[kav]

People trying to tell me what I want to buy and that 'everyone's doing it' doesn't fly real well with me.

[Not*Sure*]

Me either why the heck would I want to be like everyone else..

Besides you like what you like..if someone wants your money they should cater to you not the other way around

[kav]

I bet when she goes to restaurants she doesnt let server pick what she wants to eat....

[Not*Sure*]

I never went back there but I always felt sorry for the loser guy with his mom running "his" store.

 

One thing I do not like is when you are a new customer and they hush..eyeball you..then it is like they go into the cone of silence with the person they were gabbing with and you are on the outside

 

They pretend not to see you and if you try to get help..it's like you are really putting them out.

 

Usually I guess they figure I am in there buying books for my boyfriend or husband etc..

 

They assume I don't know jack about a comic book store..so they just watch me look around like I am some alien creature...ask for a specific issue and they look like a deer in the headlights "Oh no it's a girl and it's talking to me..quick what do I do?"

 

I did always like the guy at Beyond Books(clearwater fl)..he was very nice and never acted like it was odd I was spending my paycheck on comic book stuff..

 

 

 

[Catalog-In]

I haven't ever really had a rude experience, but I am often ignored. IDK if it's because I'm a woman or look like the greenhorn that I am, or just the way the shop runs. But it's often okay with me, because I am a little intimidated by the people who know way more than I do about comic books. :-)

[Crimebuster]

Not a store, but I was at a comic book show today. About an hour before the two day event was ending, I started going through a dollar bin and came across some comics I wanted to read - a long run of The Nam and some issues of Semper Fi. You know, things nobody else on the whole East coast is looking for.

 

Anyway, I ended up with 31 issues. I knew I could find them cheaper eventually - they're 50 cent bin material most of the time - but there was a long run and I did want to read them. So I asked the guy if he would consider cutting me a little deal and selling them to me for $25 instead of $31.

 

Now, I don't mind if dealers say no in this situation. They have their prices, they know what they paid, no big deal. He says no, maybe I buy them anyway. But I figured it was worth a shot. After all, what dealer wants to schlep 31 issues of The Nam back to to his store when they have a guy willing to buy them right there?

 

So here's what the guy's answer was - he stares me down and says, "Hey, I've got two kids at home I'm trying to feed."

 

Really, dude? Really?! You're going to bust out starving kids on account of $6 worth of Nam issues?!

 

 

I said "I'll just pass," put them back, and spent my money at a different table. And he ended up with a plate of air for his kids to eat.