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COMIC STORES 2023: 'IT'S NEARLY 2024 AND I'M MORE THAN CONCERNED'
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Started by Prince Namor,

545 posts in this topic

VintageComics

VintageComics

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On 11/25/2023 at 9:16 AM, lizards2 said:

good gawd - it looks like I was drawn into a nerd-fight thread, gotta go. :Rocket:

Do they even have comic stores in the sticks where you live?

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lizards2

lizards2

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On 11/25/2023 at 12:28 PM, VintageComics said:

Do they even have comic stores in the sticks where you live?

Nope. Comic stores suck anymore anyway. I don't even try anymore when traveling.

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VintageComics

VintageComics

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On 11/25/2023 at 3:48 PM, lizards2 said:

Nope. Comic stores suck anymore anyway. I don't even try anymore when traveling.

I know you're quite a ways away, but it always struck me as strange how Eugene had such an incredible back issue market for such a long time. 

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lizards2

lizards2

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On 11/25/2023 at 12:58 PM, VintageComics said:

I know you're quite a ways away, but it always struck me as strange how Eugene had such an incredible back issue market for such a long time. 

I am probably predjudiced because I grew up near there, but yes, Eugene had some great dealers and stores.

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VintageComics

VintageComics

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On 11/25/2023 at 5:19 PM, Lightning55 said:

Took long enough, after that long, circuitous route involving publishers, movie failures, and pickles. 

Hey, let me take pride in the fact that nobody was able to overturn the points I made before we sweep it all under the rug. :cry:

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Poekaymon

Poekaymon

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On 11/25/2023 at 7:32 PM, Lightning55 said:

It's a tough business at the best of times.

But things run their course. I haven't used my VCR in a while. 

I wouldn't say it's as bad as the VCR, but yes.  If things haven't run their course, then they are most probably in the final laps.

My first "career" was in retail computer parts and repair.  Started out as a tech at a small computer store, then manager, then I bought the place.  That was early 1990s to around 2006.  Sort of a golden age in home computing.  Somewhere in the 2000s I saw the writing on the wall.  For one thing, with the release of Windows XP in the early 2000s, Windows was just too damn good and easy to use.  A lot of the stuff we charged to fix with Windows 95/98, Windows XP did automatically.  Average users could even install it themselves.  People started wanting to put in video cards and stuff themselves and things became literally plug-and-play.  I also felt Macs would be picking up and they were too proprietary for us to deal with.  The rise of online shopping, including not just parts but whole-PC sellers like Dell, online videos for support for free, more reliable stuff, online reviews of the bad stuff... It all told me that the hey day of the small retail computer store had passed.  To illustrate the point, at the time I owned my store, my town had: 4 or 5 well-established, non-chain computer stores like mine, a couple of Radio Shacks, a Fry's Electronics, an Egghead Software, and a Best Buy.  Today, that same town has... a Best Buy.  I guess what I'm trying to say is, I certainly feel the pain of the LCS (as with small book sellers and many other brick and mortar shops).  C'est la vie.

I often joke with my wife that I'm going to open another computer store and she just rolls her eyes because we both know that it would have to be wholly subsidized by my day job.  I sometimes follow up the joke with "Nevermind, those days are past...  Maybe a comic book store."     

Edited by Poekaymon
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Mmehdy

Mmehdy

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On 11/25/2023 at 3:12 PM, VintageComics said:

Hey, let me take pride in the fact that nobody was able to overturn the points I made before we sweep it all under the rug. :cry:

This one of the greatest theads of the year...yes I know opinions differ....but still big bang for your  reading bucks

My 2cents..everyone is right....there are valid points in all statements...however the future of the comic book shop which is not dead, by any means is still on the decline...as is all retail...it is just consolidation ..I mean Amazon wiped out the a large % of shops, just as costco and wallmart has taken out mom and pop grocery stores here in Calle.

I just wish some billionaire would open the greatest comic book shop ever...and keep it open...forever

Lets take a minute and say what would be the last store to go....the easy answer is the Mile High Largest in the world comic book store....when that closes....well....

As far as sweeping it under the rug....the great arguments have been made and stated........

The real winners here...are WE board members who  have read, with some  commented  and  those who consider the future...as long as there  are true comic book collectors who care...we will be fine ....happy holidays 

 

Edited by Mmehdy
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CAHokie

CAHokie

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On 11/26/2023 at 7:43 PM, squidmo2000 said:

how are these pickles not included? sweet baby jesus....:shy:......oh wait,I'm 4 pages late!.... 

large_d0385b1b-0933-4d5b-9ca9-ab89f0b0903b.webp

Never seen them. What part of the country (or world) do you usually see them?

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VintageComics

VintageComics

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On 11/26/2023 at 8:04 PM, squidmo2000 said:

 

I remember when Steve Vai came on the scene in the early / mid 80's. Me and my friends had just picked up guitar around the same time.

I bought my 1st guitar in 1985 when my baby sister was born. I remember it well, because quite literally I snuck out of the house while my mom was in the hospital giving birth. lol

I think my 1st guitar was a cheap Les Paul knock off (may have been an Epihone?) and a tiny Fender amp. I played that thing day and night. 

Anyway, around that time Vai had started playing for David Lee Roth and he was getting a lot of press, and he started talking about his guitar teacher Joe Satriani and he said something like "Oh, just wait. You're going to hear about this guy and he'll blow you away." - something along those lines. 

Anyway, Satriani came out with this album shortly after and it definitely blew us away. 

Being a comic geek, it was a double shot of awesome because of the Surfer comic book concept. Back then, I didn't think anyone outside of loser comic nerds like myself read comics. It started a lifetime of mingling rock and roll and comics for me. 

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shadroch

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On 11/25/2023 at 4:12 PM, VintageComics said:

Hey, let me take pride in the fact that nobody was able to overturn the points I made before we sweep it all under the rug. :cry:

That's the ticket. Declare victory and move on.

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Chip Cataldo

Chip Cataldo

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On 11/27/2023 at 8:48 AM, VintageComics said:

Being a comic geek, it was a double shot of awesome because of the Surfer comic book concept. Back then, I didn't think anyone outside of loser comic nerds like myself read comics. It started a lifetime of mingling rock and roll and comics for me. 

Fun fact...the Surfer was officially licensed from Marvel for the use, but it had to be renewed multiple times. After failing to reach an agreement on (guess what) financial terms, in 2018 Satriani was forced to change the cover to something different going forward.

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