I couldn't find my old thread about "another Wasted Comic Book Store", but here we is, again...

I went to a store in Longmont, today. Awesome location-- in "downtown" Longmont, with old two-story retail buildings that were built in the 40's or 50's. Really had a cool, old-timey feel to the whole area. Ample parking day and night.

But that was the only thing it had going for it. I went to this place about two months ago and had a good experience, but this time it sucked.

They had every back issue in the store for a buck. Good deal, so I took about 20 minutes to find some stuff. I went in and two teenaged kids were running the store. One guy was running the vaccum and always made sure to vaccum right where I was. I kept moving out of his way, figuring I'd give him a few minutes to fuck around, then I'd go back... but the asshole didn't get it and kept following me.

The other guy kept asking me "can I help you find anything". First time I said "nothing particular...just gimme some time and I'll find a good load". Every five minutes he walked by and asked me the SAME fucking question. When I'm in the middle of thumbing through longboxes. Then he'd walk by with a broom and SWEEP the CARPET!? Then he'd adjust it so it wasn't crooked. What the hell....I asked him: "Dude, are the guys from corporate dropping by today or something?" He didn't get it. Then he called someplace to ask for a job. That lasted about 40 seconds....when he got off the phone he said to his buddy "wow, she sounds HOT"

Then they decided to order Chinese food. So they plopped over on the store's couch and ate their lunch. I waited until they were about halfway into their meal and said "hey, I think I'm ready to get out of here".

I go up to the counter and there's a box of about 50 old-timey comis laying on the store counter. I thumbed through a few and asked "are these your guys' Heavy Duty back issues". He said "NO! Those are my personal collection... I was boarding and bagging them!". Then WHAT THE FUCK are they doing in the shop, on the counter, at the front of the store, next to the cash register, douchebag?!

The whole time, they were blasting FAMILY GUY on the store's TV. And laughing to it. And speaking lines as they happened. FUCK!

I left there with about 20 comics and since they're going of business in August, I probably will not go back.

Maybe I'm just getitng older, but comic shops really have become Nerd Ghettos.

Dude, come to Dublin. The two shops I go to - one is owned by a comic book creator, and the other is just a cool place to hang out.

Those kids running the store sound like idiots. And it reminds me, I haven't been to my local shop to rumage through the 25 cent bin B)

Wanna know how coll my shop is?

http://forums.millarworld.tv/index.php?showtopic=60698

Thats where I spent my evening

Nothing new from my end lately. Just the whole bags/boards thing I ranted about in that other post.

Went to two in Florida. One was the typical "Crammed full in a narrow retail space" comic shop. With the long haired dude running the counter. The other was the "half comic shop/half D&D game store." Though the latter had a much better atmosphere, and the guy running it looked like the comic book guy on the Simpsons, neither had their back issues arranged in a way I could understand

I'm just getting to be an old curmudgeon, I guess. Used to be, whenever I'd have a day off, I'd think "drop by a comic store and get some crap!" Hit a comic store, then a used CD shop and I'd be good for an entire afternoon. When I was in Cleveland two years ago, I set aside a morning to hit some comic shops south of the city. Now I can't seem to stand these places. Stick to eBay and the occassional flea market, I guess.

It's not just you honestly. I do 90% of my comic buying online now. I'm just sick of the pain it is to find back issues and how unfriendly the people at the stores are now.

Going off of memory, but here's what I picked up:

Spider-Woman (1978) #8
Two stories. Weird cover story where SW meets "The Man Who Can't Die" a cursed Colonial American...who still wears the pony tail and bow. Second story is "The Suit" about a dead hitman's loud pin-striped suit.

-Spider-Woman (1978) #29
SW poses as a criminal to ferret out the Enforcer's scheme. Spider-Man guest stars.

Power Man & Iron Fist #73
ROM guest stars!

Fantastic Four #519
This had the "Avengers: Dissambled" logo on it...but had absolutely NOTHING to do with that story!

Batman/Judge Dredd: Die Laughing #1 &2
Late 90's crossover, so it might not suck as bad.

Batman/Grendel II: Devil's Dance
Mid 90's crossover, so it probably DOES suck

Marvel Two-in-one #25
The Thing & Iron Fist! Didn't start picking these up until about two years ago, and they're always a blast.

Avengers 380
Needed the "Giant-Man Double Feature" version to round out my Avengers run. Lame story about Wundagore and X-men villain Exodus

Captain Marvel (1968 -Marvel) #35
Just cuz' it was the oldest Cap book they had.

Marvel Team-up (2004) #5, 6 &7
Different from the old MTU formula. More of a free-form story with characters popping in and out.

World's Finest #155 & 173
Both are in BTS condition, but for a buck it's hard to pass up old Silver Age Bat/Supes cheese. 155 features "Nightman" taking over for Batman

DC Comics Presents #97
Last issue, and it's billed as an "untold PRE-CRISIS Tale". Supposedly wraps up the Phantom Zone villains.

Strange Tales #149
SHIELD vs AIM.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual 1998
With Moon Boy & Devil Dinosaur!! How could I NOT pick that up?!

Uncanny X-men #186
Only X-men book in their bin that I didn't have. The goofy double-sized "lifedeath" issue, where Storm and Forge get it on.

Captain America #319
Let the bodies hit the floor...this is the issue where Scourge cleans house. Also Diamondback (I really liked her...) begins to flirt with Cap

Hawkman (2001) #35
The Hawks fight a lame manticore monster. Hawkgirl sluts it up in a slinky dress.

Plus one or two more that I'm forgetting. If any of these sound fun, lemme' know and I'll probably do a "Tales of the Bargain Bin" feature on 'em.

The first store I went to in Florida had Jack Kirby issues of Mister Miracle. If I had a job, I would've picked them up

For a BUCK, though?!! But honestly, I think Kirby's Mr. Miracle stuff is overrated.

Naw, they were around $20-$50.

And honestly, I like the Mister Miracle stuff. But I like Kirby's style in general. Him and Ditko were flipping awesome. I often wonder what the books would have been like if done in serial form like today's books

Hey! Another update, with a different Shitty Comic Store.

The place where I have a hold slot had a "four hour 75% off back issue sale" today. I never so much as browse at back issues at the guy's place, as his prices are insane (surprise, suprise..he's a Mile High affilliate). Anyways, I dropped by today, thinking I could maybe pick up last month's "Robin" for cheap.

I find Robin #150. Price: 12.00!! What in the holy fart rambling FUCK?!

Well, that must be a variant or something... maybe I should pick up last month's "X-men", I'm running low on X-junk. "Astonishing X-men #20:..price: 12.00. Niiiice..I see a pattern here.

I find an old Iron Man from about 1981 with a "4.00" sticker. But at the counter he has a box of heavy hitter stuff. I find two Things That Made it Worth Coming in: Amazing Spider-Man #60 and #74, with the 75% off they run me 5 and 4 bucks each. I'm okay with that..and figure it's not so bad.

BUT.. here's the part that made me REALLY bite down and cause my tongue to bleed. Since it's a holiday, a wandering "former comic book fan" in his 40's makes it in. He takes a look at the heay hitter box and decides to buy Green Lantern:Rebirth with its cover price of 45.00. Even at "75% off", that's skull fucking someone.

He asks the clerk/owner a few questions while pulling out more overpriced comics. I hang around, pretending to "browse" so I can hear some of this. The 40's guy receives some bullshit answers...then believes them like they were cosmic fact. Stuff like "The Overstreet Guide is just an average of national retailers...we deal in supply and demand". He keeps buying MORE recent and amazingly overpriced comics!

Fuck...I shoulda' sold the 40's bozo the last 10 comics I bought for 98 bucks..would've saved him $761.

Fucking Highway robbery man. I hate that

Man, Robin #150 would still be on the stands for cover price at all of my shops. Hell my favorite place goes about six issues deep for keeping stuff out of the backissue boxes and even then it gets marked up .50 cents at the most. I bet they went $20 for the first issue of Moon Knight already.