WM seeks NCBS
What do you look for in a comic book store?
For the longest time, I had only two options, and my decision was largely based on geography. But I soon came to realize that my weekly comic stop shop was not only convenient – it’s a good store.
I’ve moved within the past few weeks, and I’ve undertaken a quest to choose my new comic shop. Up until a few months ago, there was a comic book store literally right across the street from where I now live. But now, sadly, all shops in my new home city are a decent drive away. So geography will not play a role.
I’ve come up with a few criteria to help me decide, but I post this publicly looking for thoughts from the readers and fellow LODers.
1. New releases kept separate.
I want to know what came out this week, and I want to know it quickly and effortlessly. I don’t want to have to look through shelves and shelves of the most recent issues and figure out which ones I don’t have. The little “New this week!” signs are nice, but I’ve found that they can easily be passed over when part of a multi-colored wall of comics.
2. Diversity of ordering.
I’ve gotten to the point as a comics buyer where I’m just about tapping out my available budget, but every once in a while I like to try something new. I like when a comics store doesn’t just carry Marvel, DC and Image. I know it’s not feasible to order everything out there, but when I get to know the ordering habits of a store, I can start to assess their tastes. And then when there’s some tiny indie book sitting on the shelf, I might be willing to take a chance. I guess my point is, when I’m hungry for something new, I want to try something unique – not just whatever X-Men or Wildcats miniseries is out now.
Last week, the store I tried had Rocketo on the shelf. This was a plus.
3. A staff of humans.
I’m aware enough of my place in the comic-reading subculture to know that we comic book readers are sometimes justifiably lumped into a larger subset of society known as the hygenically challenged. Fair enough. I don’t expect my comic book store staff to be all J. Crew and whatnot. But I also don’t want to get physically ill when I get close enough to pay.
That same store last week had a handfull of dirty, smelly, hairy men who ignored me as I tried to purchase my comics so that they could argue about who just stunk up the bathroom – which was right next to the register – and left the door open afterwards.
Customer service is another thing. I don’t like being hassled at a comic shop. If someone asks me if they can help me find anything, that’s polite and that’s about as much help as I want. But I also don’t want to be made to feel like I’m inconveniencing the four freaks on the clock when I – the only customer – want to give them $20 for the comics in my hand.
4. ?
A few other things I would consider:
-Discount offered for subscribers?
-Watch to see how the staff interacts with the other customers. One shop I visited, the staff showed contempt for pretty much everyone who entered.
-Check to see if there is a “staff recommednation” shelf. This will tell you whether they like to push quality or quanity (ie. does it feature the new issue of Dork or Civil War?)
I’m lucky, as I have only had to shop at two CBS’s my entire life and they’ve both been excellent. Good luck!
mine has great, great staff and decent range – i.e. Mouseguard – but they mix all the new issues up without so much as a small sign. However, they do print off sheets with all the new issues for customers to take as they meander the isles. They also offer a discount. But it is a pretty good drive away.
What’s really strange is the same guy owns another store about four miles away. And it’s pretty much the same, but all the clerks and customers over there are freaks, so I refuse to go.
I think a nice staff would be the most important aspect for me. I like to be able to talk to them about something and have them respond instead of showing indifference. I like to be able to ask “What would you recommend?” and have them actually still have a passion for good, well-written comics, which I’m sure must not be the case with a lot of people that’ve been making their living selling comics for as long as this shop’s owner has.
I normally look through the entire isue of Previews and pre-order anything I think the store owner wouldn’t normally order, so wide variety isn’t that important to me. Of course, they give out Previews for free there, and I don’t think I’d be willing to fork over $5 for it.
Here’s how I’d rank importance:
1. Nice staff.
2. Nicely arranged store.
3. Wide selection of trades and back issues.
4. Wide selection of new stuff.
That new comics mixed in with old thing is really annoying. I also enjoy a listing of what came out that week, so you know if they sold out of something or if it just didn’t come out that week.
Previews for free? Wow, that is nice. Diamond is supposed to mail me a copy, but they miss every other one and it always arrives late. Thanks pals!
Also, I think the worst clerk experience I’ve had was actually at Barnes and Noble. Two clerks were talking about comic books, and one was pretty well dominating the conversation. I tried to give my two cents, and the guy glared at me and stormed off. Then I had a nice chat with the non-d-bag clerk.