How to Pick a Local Comic Book Store

Comic book stores hold a fascination for people of all ages. It is a rare adult who does not recall enjoying at least a comic book or two as a child. For many adults, an early love of comic books translates into a lifelong enjoyment of them. If you want to rediscover the comic books of your youth or if you are in a new neighborhood and want to know the best place to buy them, knowing how to pick a local comic book store is important.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Yellow Pages
• Small notebook
• Pen or pencil

Pick the Best Local Comic Book Store for You

1. Create a plan. Using the local Yellow Pages or the White Pages online (see Resources below), find the addresses of all the comic book stores in your area. Then, starting with the closest and working your way out, draw up a list of the stores you are interested in visiting.

2. Visit each of the stores on your list.

3. Pay attention to the details. While you are in each store on your list, take the time to carefully browse the racks. What titles do they carry? What genres? Do they keep a lot of copies in stock or just a few? How are the prices of the back issues compared to other stores on your list?

4. Ask questions. Talk to the store manager or the clerk on duty. Ask how often stock is replenished. What is their policy on special orders? Do they have a return policy? How do they decide what comic book lines to carry? Again, compare the answers you receive to the answers you got in other stores.

5. Remember, the little things can make a big difference. Take special note of things such as the friendliness of the staff, the cleanliness of the store and the type of neighborhood in which the store is located. These are also important factors in your decision.

6. Make a decision. After comparing each of the stores you visited, it is up to you to determine the store you will use to shop for your comic books. For example, distance and a good return policy may be more important to you than cleanliness and frequent replenishing of stock. Use your preferences to pick the right comic book store for you.

Tips & Warnings

• You may find it helpful to bring along a small notebook and a pen or pencil when visiting the comic book stores on your list. This way, you can take notes about each store. This will be beneficial later when you compare what you encountered in each store.

Resources

• Use the White Pages online to find local comic book stores