REMEMBERING THAT FIRST LCS... 3 3

[DanCooper]

Grand Street Books - You walked in and looked at his list of back issues (he had everything) then he would go downstairs and pick it for you.

 

After them, it was Continental Comics -(Mike Carbo's first place) on Austin St and down the block was Little Nemo's.

 

I always wonder what happened to the Grand Street Books collection once the owner either closed or passed on.

 

They were still selling until the late 1980s. Then, I believe one of the legendary Koch brothers (Joe) bought them out and he sold the inventory through his catalog and Comic Buyers Guide ads

Edited February 9, 2015 by DanCooper

[Robot Man]

I cant remember which one was the first. But I started going to comic book stores in L.A. around 1989 a few years before I started driving:

 

Superhero Universe (later moved locations and became Mega city comics)

1000000 comics (took over the Superhero Universe spot)

Continental comics - probably one of the oldest stores that still exists in L.A. that still primarily does back issues

Outer Limits comics (later became Forbidden Planet)

Golden Apple comics

A Collectors Dream

Comics and Fun

 

Ever go to Geoffrey's in Gardena? Had everything from GA on up. Kinds crazy prices but I always seemed to find a few "mistakes". He passed away about a year ago. I ought to check to see if they are still open. Way back in the day Nick Scotto had a store. Crazy guy and prices but I would go on Saturday when he wasn't there and got some nice stuff real reasonable from an employee. John Verzyl had a shop in Alhambra called Comic Heaven. Lot of pricey old stuff.

[ttfitz]

Zeno's in Chesapeake,Va

 

I dont know how my mom found out about it but when I was around 9 years old we used to go out on Saturdays to run errands, and I'd get to stop by a 7-11 and pick up a comic or two.

 

Memory is fuzzy but I think it was around October of 1978 when we pulled into Zeno's instead. I walked in that door and the ink smell was just,wow. I looked around at the stacks of books and the ones hanging on the wall...

 

The 7-11 had a spinner rack but here I was surrounded

 

I remember asking my mom if she could leave and pick me up later but that didnt fly. Can't recall which book I choose that day only wishing it was a hundred more I'm sure.

 

Within a week in my ignorance of comic values I had made a Christmas list of books like the first 3 issues of Superman and Batman.

 

Being a good mom she went back to Zenos and checked where she was told that the Superman 1 alone would run about 3 grand.

 

We had a good laugh and that actually led to me getting a price guide for Christmas instead but I still wonder if they had access to a Superman 1 or they were just setting my newb self straight.

 

Over 30 years later Zeno's is still there and so am I, waiting to pair 3 grand with a time machine.

 

I've seen Zeno's at conventions, seems to have some good stuff - wish I'd had a place like that in '78. Hope to go to the shop some time.

[ttfitz]

First comic store I went to was Super Giant Books in Asheville, NC ran by D.W. Howard.

 

I had met D.W. at the Asheville flea market a few months prior on a trip with the parents in 1981. He sold me my first new Overstreet (#11 with the LB Cole cover) and gave us directions to his shop which we visited a few weeks later.

 

Things I remember snagging that day was a Green Lantern/Green Arrow # 76 with a dime size hole in the front cover for $5 and some Iron First back issues for $1 a piece.

 

D.W. had a rule that you could not break and that was to not handle the new comics unless bringing them to the register. Not the best sales technique... but as he himself stated in his distinctive voice... "collectors don't like damaged books".

 

Something about Asheville, NC is that in those mountains rested all kinds of comic book collections and D.W. probably touched most of them. He always had sweet wall books on display including GA from every genre and always a bunch of ECs.

 

Tried to get to his shop at least once a month and went to a few of Super Giant Con's that he put on. Met Forry Ackerman, Al Williamson, and Butch Guice at the 1983 one and had a great time.

 

I tried to visit his store more often after that, but the distance and high school became a problem to accomplish this.

 

Last time I saw D.W. was at his shop sometime in '94 or '95 or so... which I believe also doubled as his home upstairs.

 

I wasn't able to go back since I had started my own store around that time and from what I understand, he passed away a few years later.

 

Good memories.

 

 

I've got a copy of Investing in Comics, written by D.W. Howard, on my bookshelf.

[Quicksilver Signs]

This was in Sunday's paper

 

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/books/colossal-collection-291140481.html

 

 

[chewy106]

Anyone remember Collector's Comics of Wantagh on Long Island ?

 

They were awesome when I was a kid. I even remember standing on line to meet John Romita. I still have the copy of ASM 42 he signed.

 

1st post for me, recently rediscovered comic collecting and joined the boards.

 

That was my first shop too, when I lived in NY in Massapequa. Used to buy comics off the spinner rack at the local convenience store and then discovered Collectors Comics had back issues. They had everything but were priced a little high for my early Jr. High years. There was also another one in Amityville maybe (can't remember exactly - maybe it was Linderhurst and is Baileys that I found on Google? I moved in 1996) that I went to also that were priced a bit cheaper on back issues, but not nearly the same selection.

 

When I found my old comics recently and started re-bagging/boarding, I found a bunch still with Collectors Comics price stickers on them...including Bloodshot 1 for $12 (ouch! ). But also found Secret Wars #8 with a $4 sticker on it so it evens out I suppose hehe

[mosconi]

Back in the early 80's there was a small mom & pop comic store called House of Comics in downtown San Diego. First time I was ever captivated by a book on the wall, Spider-Man #1. Don't know what ever happened to them? Any old school collectors from San Diego know of the prime comic shops back then in the 70's?

[krighton]

In the 70s in downtown South Charleston WV was a Drug Store...the comics were on a couple spinner racks. This was all we had as far as a comic store was concerned...i learned later after i met the owners grandson in high school that he kept all his back issues in a room upstairs.

 

I had a price guide so he hired me to help him grade some....stacks of every imaginable comic rose to the ceiling in the room. I got paid in comics though at the time my favorite comic was Classics IIlustrated, too bad it wasn't spidey as he had a few copies of Spider-man #1 in the stack.

Edited February 10, 2015 by krighton

[blazeops]

In the 90s, my first LCS was Comix Central in Elmhurst, NY on Queens Blvd. I was about 14 years old at the time and I befriended both owners Wayne and Johnny. I became a member and had comics pulled for a percentage off. My pull list was larger than my wallet at the time. I eventually helped out at the store and received a bigger discount.

 

There was a sega genesis and we would play alot of Madden and MLB (forgot which game at the time). I was sad to see the store close. I don't speak to the owners anymore. I did meet my good friend at the store though who was the best man at my wedding.

[Senormac]

I cant remember which one was the first. But I started going to comic book stores in L.A. around 1989 a few years before I started driving:

 

Superhero Universe (later moved locations and became Mega city comics)

1000000 comics (took over the Superhero Universe spot)

Continental comics - probably one of the oldest stores that still exists in L.A. that still primarily does back issues

Outer Limits comics (later became Forbidden Planet)

Golden Apple comics

A Collectors Dream

Comics and Fun

 

Ever go to Geoffrey's in Gardena? Had everything from GA on up. Kinds crazy prices but I always seemed to find a few "mistakes". He passed away about a year ago. I ought to check to see if they are still open. Way back in the day Nick Scotto had a store. Crazy guy and prices but I would go on Saturday when he wasn't there and got some nice stuff real reasonable from an employee. John Verzyl had a shop in Alhambra called Comic Heaven. Lot of pricey old stuff.

 

Dude !!! You are a So. Cal guy !! I've been to Geoffrey's a thousand times and Comic Vendor a bunch also. I even worked for Nick for awhile back in the 80's.

 

[Eclipse]

When I grew up I used to go to Steve's Comic Relief in Toms River, Nj and even before that when it was in Lakewood. There was a great store in Monmouth NJ called Comics Plus that I would get my back issues from, im talking mid to late 1980's

[ArmorComics]

The first store for me was Otherworld Comics in Hacienda Heights, CA. I've still got some of the books I bought there. That had comic cards and new comics, though not a lot of back issues. I didn't know a lot about comics then, and bought what looked cool. That's where I bought the Death of Superman issues. Lots of memories there.

 

Although technically, the first store I bought comics from, though not a LCS, was a local Thrifty's down the street. But I changed to Otherworld eventually.

[Robot Man]

I cant remember which one was the first. But I started going to comic book stores in L.A. around 1989 a few years before I started driving:

 

Superhero Universe (later moved locations and became Mega city comics)

1000000 comics (took over the Superhero Universe spot)

Continental comics - probably one of the oldest stores that still exists in L.A. that still primarily does back issues

Outer Limits comics (later became Forbidden Planet)

Golden Apple comics

A Collectors Dream

Comics and Fun

 

Ever go to Geoffrey's in Gardena? Had everything from GA on up. Kinds crazy prices but I always seemed to find a few "mistakes". He passed away about a year ago. I ought to check to see if they are still open. Way back in the day Nick Scotto had a store. Crazy guy and prices but I would go on Saturday when he wasn't there and got some nice stuff real reasonable from an employee. John Verzyl had a shop in Alhambra called Comic Heaven. Lot of pricey old stuff.

 

Dude !!! You are a So. Cal guy !! I've been to Geoffrey's a thousand times and Comic Vendor a bunch also. I even worked for Nick for awhile back in the 80's.

 

 

Wow, you worked for Nick? You probably were the guy I bought from on Saturdays when he wasn't there. His prices were off the hook! Geoffrey passed away about a year ago. I know his kids worked there. I haven't been there for a couple years but maybe will check to see if his shop is still open. He did have some reasonably priced stuff once in a while.

[Jayman]

When I grew up I used to go to Steve's Comic Relief in Toms River, Nj and even before that when it was in Lakewood. There was a great store in Monmouth NJ called Comics Plus that I would get my back issues from, im talking mid to late 1980's

 

Been to all of them over the years. Just recently discovered a new one (to me), Conquest Comics on Rt. 9 in Bayville. My first LCS however was the Passaic Book Store. I've mentioned this magical place in the past on the boards. Now long gone but what fond memories!

[spidrvacc]

When I grew up I used to go to Steve's Comic Relief in Toms River, Nj and even before that when it was in Lakewood. There was a great store in Monmouth NJ called Comics Plus that I would get my back issues from, im talking mid to late 1980's

 

I think Comics Plus is still around, If its the same one I went to on Hwy 35 in Oakhurst Nj.

[Peter G]

Anyone remember Collector's Comics of Wantagh on Long Island ?

 

They were awesome when I was a kid. I even remember standing on line to meet John Romita. I still have the copy of ASM 42 he signed.

 

I remember Collectors Comics in Wantagh

 

They sold OA in the 80s which was unusual. Picked up covers for like $50 a pop at the time.

[Black_Adam]

 

My first was The Comicshop on 4th Ave, Vancouver, in 1979

 

What do I remember most? All the hippies...

 

[Peter G]

That is an awesome pic !!!!!!

 

 

Thanks for sharing that

[toro]

They didn't have comic shops in my day You went to the local Pharmacy or local grocery store and you purchased them off of the spinner rack and you loved it.

 

Finally there was a store that opened that mainly had magazines, newspapers and they also had comics. They were not the nicest when it came to kids and comics, but when they saw how many 12 cent books I would buy each week I became almost like a grandkid to them.

 

Finally found my first comic store around 20 years later. Just went in out of curiosity and saw how much my comics were worth. They had a Conan #1 up there for around $60. I was hooked. It was A&C book world. After 5+ years away from comics I was hooked again and the monkey has been on my back ever since.

[1Cool]

That's funny - my mom wouldn't let me go to the comic shop in my home town (Fairbanks Alaska) since everyone knew it was full of druggies and hippies. I remember the shop was in the basement of a downtown business and it definitely did smell of something funky when I did go in there later on down the road.