Strange things are afoot at the LCS.

[Dr. Love]

There was a place by me in Forest Hills called Little Nemo's. They had a weird setup from what I can remember. Narrow aisles to walk around the store and an old musty basement that they kept boxes of older books in. I remember asking to see the books in the basement and the old timer who owned it handed me a flash light. He said the bulbs were out and to be careful.

 

Little Nemo's - where I got my back issues. Or you could run around the corner and squeeze into Mike Carbonaro's shop on Austin Street. Joe Parente, the owner, loved Winsor McCay - hence the name of the shop. At least that's where I saw my first OA strip art. He had a ton of stuff on the walls and all around the shop. Great guy, very laid back, very personable, very knowledgeable.

 

In Spidey 1, the street Peter Parker walks up after beating up Flash Thompson at school is Ascan Ave in Forest Hills. Little Nemo's is on that block.

 

This from someone on the registry:

 

"One day, I walked into Little Nemo's... a great little comic shop on Austin Street in Forest Hills, Queens, named after Winsor McKay's main character from the classic comic strip Little Nemo in Sumberland. In this claustrophobic storefront, thousands upon thousands of vintage comics, posters, and original art from the Golden Age, Silver Age, and the Bronze Age graced its four walls... walls majestically decorated with the heroes of yesteryear. My eyes would always widen with delight, joy, and awe like a kid in a candy store. I would literally spend hours in that store, having an amazingly difficult time choosing what to buy."

 

I read on a blog post one time that Joe had been a pupil of Norman Rockwell. His son Chris was around my age at the time, cool guy. He got very involved in anime in the 90's, opened a retail store devoted to that right next to Tower Records in Greenwich Village in 1995. Pretty impressive. This from Chris Parente's CAF page:

 

Little Nemo Shop

 

In 1969 Joseph Parente opened the first shop of its kind, one devoted entirely to comics, comic art, pulps, tear sheets and everything else in the collectible world of the comics. During its 27 year run The Little Nemo Shop hosted appearances and signings by all of the best artists of the day. In fact, The Little Nemo Shop became a hang out for many of the artists who lived in the NY area. Howie Chaykin and Walt Simonson played handball on the wall along side our store. My father was there for the first of the Phil Sueling comic conventions and we were at the first San Diego Con. During the 80's and 90's Joe acted as the American liason for the Prato Comic Con in Italy and over the years we travelled there with John Buscema, Will Eisner, and Jim Steranko. Joe and Jim Steranko were old friends by that time as they had published two landmark original art catalogs in the late 70's. They bought sold and traded some spectacular art over the years. One of their catalogs is available here and is quite a trip down memory lane. The art you see in these galleries is from Joe's collection that has spanned well over 45 years of collecting, selling and loving the comics and comic art in all its forms.

[Duffman_Comics]

 

Around two years ago a major comic store in Lakewood, WA closed it's doors. All I ask is what took it so long. The owner was and idjit. I had a couple run ins with him that turned me off to him completely. He owed thousands of dollars to people, especially Diamond. He would send out emails to people on his email list asking them to pick up files and buy certificates to his store that would double in a year so that he could pay his mortgage.

 

One of the oldest comic stores in Tacoma had some old comic books, but wouldn't bag or board them. They sat tacked on a shelf. I was buying UXMN back in 1981 and would frequent his shop. He was so paranoid that he would lock people in his store and make you leave your bags by front door. The he would want to check you and bag before you left.

 

There was a store in Seattle that was run by an overly overweight man that just sat behind a desk. Nothing wrong with that, but I could smell him from the other side of the store and he smelled like urine. Also, you had to dig through boxes on the floor while there were no prices and put up with the smell.

 

 

What a great shopping experience!! I'll be sure to come again!!

 

 

Please, please tell me that the Lakewood store wasn't O'Leary's.

[Revol]

Nothing wrong with the shop per se, but when I pop into my local comic shop at lunchtime on new comic day, the same guy is always there getting his new comics. I guess other regulars are there too, but I never notice those, because they don't smell like they haven't showered in months Seriously, this guy wears a leather coat in summer, stinks, and looks like he hasn't washed his hair in weeks. He buys a ton of books too, so its not like he can't afford shower gel, shampoo or at the very least some deoderant. But smelling so bad I don't know how he can hold down a job to pay for the comics. I pity the clerks that have to actually deal with this guy on a one to one.

[Mark 1]

I once went into a shop by me and they had a TOS 39 I was interested in buying. This was before I joined the forum.

 

I was just getting back into comics and I wasn't sure about buying a raw copy so I asked the guy at the counter if I could see the comic. He tells me it's over $2,000 and I say I understand. He hands me the book and I'm inspecting it. I then ask if I can take a picture of it. He tells me no. No pictures.

 

I asked why. He said "a picture won't tell you anything". I said I'd like to have someone else review the grade. He says again, no.

 

I walked out needless to say and never went back to that location.

 

 

[slym2none]

It really does surprise me how uptight and douchebaggy people can be.

 

 

 

 

-slym

[telerites]

I went out of my way to check out a shop in Cincinnati this afternoon. The place was your old school comic shop with poor lighting and terrible lay out. I swear the manager had his head down on the counter when I came in and had this miserable expression like he was contemplating suicide or something. I didn't see much of interest but I did ask him if he was ok and he said "he was just trying to get motivated". Hope that guy's day got better.

 

 

Isn't that Stuart from The Big Bang Theory?

[joeypost]

There was a place by me in Forest Hills called Little Nemo's. They had a weird setup from what I can remember. Narrow aisles to walk around the store and an old musty basement that they kept boxes of older books in. I remember asking to see the books in the basement and the old timer who owned it handed me a flash light. He said the bulbs were out and to be careful.

 

Little Nemo's - where I got my back issues. Or you could run around the corner and squeeze into Mike Carbonaro's shop on Austin Street. Joe Parente, the owner, loved Winsor McCay - hence the name of the shop. At least that's where I saw my first OA strip art. He had a ton of stuff on the walls and all around the shop. Great guy, very laid back, very personable, very knowledgeable.

 

In Spidey 1, the street Peter Parker walks up after beating up Flash Thompson at school is Ascan Ave in Forest Hills. Little Nemo's is on that block.

 

This from someone on the registry:

 

"One day, I walked into Little Nemo's... a great little comic shop on Austin Street in Forest Hills, Queens, named after Winsor McKay's main character from the classic comic strip Little Nemo in Sumberland. In this claustrophobic storefront, thousands upon thousands of vintage comics, posters, and original art from the Golden Age, Silver Age, and the Bronze Age graced its four walls... walls majestically decorated with the heroes of yesteryear. My eyes would always widen with delight, joy, and awe like a kid in a candy store. I would literally spend hours in that store, having an amazingly difficult time choosing what to buy."

 

I read on a blog post one time that Joe had been a pupil of Norman Rockwell. His son Chris was around my age at the time, cool guy. He got very involved in anime in the 90's, opened a retail store devoted to that right next to Tower Records in Greenwich Village in 1995. Pretty impressive. This from Chris Parente's CAF page:

 

Little Nemo Shop

 

In 1969 Joseph Parente opened the first shop of its kind, one devoted entirely to comics, comic art, pulps, tear sheets and everything else in the collectible world of the comics. During its 27 year run The Little Nemo Shop hosted appearances and signings by all of the best artists of the day. In fact, The Little Nemo Shop became a hang out for many of the artists who lived in the NY area. Howie Chaykin and Walt Simonson played handball on the wall along side our store. My father was there for the first of the Phil Sueling comic conventions and we were at the first San Diego Con. During the 80's and 90's Joe acted as the American liason for the Prato Comic Con in Italy and over the years we travelled there with John Buscema, Will Eisner, and Jim Steranko. Joe and Jim Steranko were old friends by that time as they had published two landmark original art catalogs in the late 70's. They bought sold and traded some spectacular art over the years. One of their catalogs is available here and is quite a trip down memory lane. The art you see in these galleries is from Joe's collection that has spanned well over 45 years of collecting, selling and loving the comics and comic art in all its forms.

 

Carbonaro's shop was down the road from the Midway theater and always stayed open late to take advantage of the crowds leaving the movies late at night. I remember he used to have all the new books laid out on folding table sin the middle of the shop in giant neat stacks.

 

In Spidey 1, the street Peter Parker walks up after beating up Flash Thompson at school is Ascan Ave in Forest Hills. Little Nemo's is on that block.

 

true. Looking back at the movie it was across from the fruit stand by the LIRR overpass.

[kidcolt]

I went in to a shop that got a owner who is a super @ss. He had one of his regular big spending customers there and he asked the customer "whats new". The customer starting telling the owner about the new house he just bought. The store owner cut him off and said "jesus I was just trying to make small talk, I really dont give a care and don't want your life story". I stopped going there even though it has a good selection of comics and statues.

[bababooey]

I went in to a shop that got a owner who is a super @ss. He had one of his regular big spending customers there and he asked the customer "whats new". The customer starting telling the owner about the new house he just bought. The store owner cut him off and said "jesus I was just trying to make small talk, I really dont give a care and don't want your life story". I stopped going there even though it has a good selection of comics and statues.

It's funny because I'd take the opposite view if I was a customer in that store - who wants to wait for help or to get cashed out while some dorky jerk is monopolizing an LCS owner's time? Who hasn't waited for 10 minutes while some chatty shut-in gets his weekly dose of human interaction at the checkout?

[wombat]

I went in to a shop that got a owner who is a super @ss. He had one of his regular big spending customers there and he asked the customer "whats new". The customer starting telling the owner about the new house he just bought. The store owner cut him off and said "jesus I was just trying to make small talk, I really dont give a care and don't want your life story". I stopped going there even though it has a good selection of comics and statues.

It's funny because I'd take the opposite view if I was a customer in that store - who wants to wait for help or to get cashed out while some dorky jerk is monopolizing an LCS owner's time? Who hasn't waited for 10 minutes while some chatty shut-in gets his weekly dose of human interaction at the checkout?

 

The owner could have cut him off without being a d bag.

[CartoonFanboy]

I'm pretty sure I know the mother-in-law grading guy you're talking about since I live in Canton and know he had a Black Friday sale. I got to tell you though, he's messing with you. Like any good falsehood there may be a smidgin of truth to it, but there is no way he was being straight with you, I've heard him say outrageous stuff like that before just for S&G.

[jools&jim]

 

I went to a shop in Canton, Ohio last week and their prices were crazy high...

Why not just walk out the door?

 

Seems to me that shop-owners like this--whose bread-and-butter is the sale of new comics to regular subscribers--are generally not interested in being educated by walk-in customers on the finer points of grading and pricing their vintage backstock.

 

 

[1Cool]

I'm pretty sure I know the mother-in-law grading guy you're talking about since I live in Canton and know he had a Black Friday sale. I got to tell you though, he's messing with you. Like any good falsehood there may be a smidgin of truth to it, but there is no way he was being straight with you, I've heard him say outrageous stuff like that before just for S&G.

 

I'd be thrilled if he was joking around. It was Hazel's Heroes. The shop was well laid out and had a nice selection of wall books but the prices were crazy high on most items. Shop owners can price books however they want but I always like to ask how they set their prices. Most of the good ones have a method but his was the most shocking.

[bababooey]

I went in to a shop that got a owner who is a super @ss. He had one of his regular big spending customers there and he asked the customer "whats new". The customer starting telling the owner about the new house he just bought. The store owner cut him off and said "jesus I was just trying to make small talk, I really dont give a care and don't want your life story". I stopped going there even though it has a good selection of comics and statues.

It's funny because I'd take the opposite view if I was a customer in that store - who wants to wait for help or to get cashed out while some dorky jerk is monopolizing an LCS owner's time? Who hasn't waited for 10 minutes while some chatty shut-in gets his weekly dose of human interaction at the checkout?

 

The owner could have cut him off without being a d bag.

Why would you or anyone care or judge his interaction with someone else?

Maybe it was a sort of thing & they are know each other well enough to BS each other like that.

Maybe just before kidcolt walked in the BSD made an offer on a book, the LCS owner responded with GPA stats & the BSD said "jesus I don't care about all that, I was just making you an offer.."

 

 

 

[wombat]

I went in to a shop that got a owner who is a super @ss. He had one of his regular big spending customers there and he asked the customer "whats new". The customer starting telling the owner about the new house he just bought. The store owner cut him off and said "jesus I was just trying to make small talk, I really dont give a care and don't want your life story". I stopped going there even though it has a good selection of comics and statues.

It's funny because I'd take the opposite view if I was a customer in that store - who wants to wait for help or to get cashed out while some dorky jerk is monopolizing an LCS owner's time? Who hasn't waited for 10 minutes while some chatty shut-in gets his weekly dose of human interaction at the checkout?

 

The owner could have cut him off without being a d bag.

Why would you or anyone care or judge his interaction with someone else?

Maybe it was a sort of thing & they are know each other well enough to BS each other like that.

Maybe just before kidcolt walked in the BSD made an offer on a book, the LCS owner responded with GPA stats & the BSD said "jesus I don't care about all that, I was just making you an offer.."

 

 

 

I'm only going by what was posted. We can speculate on why anyone makes a d bag comment I guess.

 

And you seem to have no issue with judging the "jerk" for taking up someone's time.

[Dark Prime 0]

at a LCS here the owner would let a homeless man come in and sit/sleep in a chair, the guy was nuts but had some intresting war stories or stories in general (apperantly he was rich and could steal anything he wanted from stores like food and such and the stores would send his lawyer/family a bill for what he took)

 

he stoped letting the guy come in though bc people started to complain about the smell

 

to the people about the owner being a dbag, maybe that's how they were to each other........the one LCS owner would rib and banter with people in the shop all the time that he knew, would even at times say he'd take them out back and beat them and such, everyone had a good laugh. it got even better if he brought out his key chain which was a 4-5 inch spike with 2 1 inch spikes that went between your fingers and told you he would use that, it was all jokeing around so no one had a problem

[bababooey]

I went in to a shop that got a owner who is a super @ss. He had one of his regular big spending customers there and he asked the customer "whats new". The customer starting telling the owner about the new house he just bought. The store owner cut him off and said "jesus I was just trying to make small talk, I really dont give a care and don't want your life story". I stopped going there even though it has a good selection of comics and statues.

It's funny because I'd take the opposite view if I was a customer in that store - who wants to wait for help or to get cashed out while some dorky jerk is monopolizing an LCS owner's time? Who hasn't waited for 10 minutes while some chatty shut-in gets his weekly dose of human interaction at the checkout?

 

The owner could have cut him off without being a d bag.

Why would you or anyone care or judge his interaction with someone else?

Maybe it was a sort of thing & they are know each other well enough to BS each other like that.

Maybe just before kidcolt walked in the BSD made an offer on a book, the LCS owner responded with GPA stats & the BSD said "jesus I don't care about all that, I was just making you an offer.."

 

 

 

I'm only going by what was posted. We can speculate on why anyone makes a d bag comment I guess.

 

And you seem to have no issue with judging the "jerk" for taking up someone's time.

Sure when he's wasting MY time & I get delayed because he needs this kind of attention.

 

 

 

[Flatliner1313]

There's this one guy here that likes to buy books at stores, and then as he is paying, tell the store owner how much money he plans to make on Ebay on the books he is purchasing. Also he is a piker, so he likes to hide books, go home and check them on Ebay, and then come back later.

 

One store owner got mad at him for screwing up the filing system by stashing stuff all over, and by doing his annoying touchdown dance when he was buying something and asked him not to come back.

 

The guy accused the store owner of being an anti-semite. The store owner was asian, and somehow that got thrown in to the mix as well. The argument sprawled across 3 different Facebook pages.

[MPS]

One store owner got mad at him for screwing up the filing system by stashing stuff all over, and by doing his annoying touchdown dance when he was buying something and asked him not to come back.

 

I hope this touchdown dance did not include spiking the comics as part of the purchaser's celebration.

[MPS]

Little Nemo's sounds like it was an incredible little spot on Austin Street. Now Austin Street looks like an outdoor strip mall with generic chain stores.

 

 

There was a place by me in Forest Hills called Little Nemo's. They had a weird setup from what I can remember. Narrow aisles to walk around the store and an old musty basement that they kept boxes of older books in. I remember asking to see the books in the basement and the old timer who owned it handed me a flash light. He said the bulbs were out and to be careful.

 

Little Nemo's - where I got my back issues. Or you could run around the corner and squeeze into Mike Carbonaro's shop on Austin Street. Joe Parente, the owner, loved Winsor McCay - hence the name of the shop. At least that's where I saw my first OA strip art. He had a ton of stuff on the walls and all around the shop. Great guy, very laid back, very personable, very knowledgeable.

 

In Spidey 1, the street Peter Parker walks up after beating up Flash Thompson at school is Ascan Ave in Forest Hills. Little Nemo's is on that block.

 

This from someone on the registry:

 

"One day, I walked into Little Nemo's... a great little comic shop on Austin Street in Forest Hills, Queens, named after Winsor McKay's main character from the classic comic strip Little Nemo in Sumberland. In this claustrophobic storefront, thousands upon thousands of vintage comics, posters, and original art from the Golden Age, Silver Age, and the Bronze Age graced its four walls... walls majestically decorated with the heroes of yesteryear. My eyes would always widen with delight, joy, and awe like a kid in a candy store. I would literally spend hours in that store, having an amazingly difficult time choosing what to buy."

 

I read on a blog post one time that Joe had been a pupil of Norman Rockwell. His son Chris was around my age at the time, cool guy. He got very involved in anime in the 90's, opened a retail store devoted to that right next to Tower Records in Greenwich Village in 1995. Pretty impressive. This from Chris Parente's CAF page:

 

Little Nemo Shop

 

In 1969 Joseph Parente opened the first shop of its kind, one devoted entirely to comics, comic art, pulps, tear sheets and everything else in the collectible world of the comics. During its 27 year run The Little Nemo Shop hosted appearances and signings by all of the best artists of the day. In fact, The Little Nemo Shop became a hang out for many of the artists who lived in the NY area. Howie Chaykin and Walt Simonson played handball on the wall along side our store. My father was there for the first of the Phil Sueling comic conventions and we were at the first San Diego Con. During the 80's and 90's Joe acted as the American liason for the Prato Comic Con in Italy and over the years we travelled there with John Buscema, Will Eisner, and Jim Steranko. Joe and Jim Steranko were old friends by that time as they had published two landmark original art catalogs in the late 70's. They bought sold and traded some spectacular art over the years. One of their catalogs is available here and is quite a trip down memory lane. The art you see in these galleries is from Joe's collection that has spanned well over 45 years of collecting, selling and loving the comics and comic art in all its forms.