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Starsnostars posted:On the previous page someone mentioned that a comic shop/game shop/brewery combination had opened. Now you often see the first two together but brewery seems like an unusual addition. Does anyone else know of any strange comic shop + something combinations? Three of our local comic shops in Orlando have things like this. Two (A Comic Shop and Acme Superstore) have large event spaces where they host concerts, comedy shows, art classes, book clubs and other meetings, children's parties, and even a nerd wedding or two. Of these, A Comic Shop has a permanent bar where you can order sodas, snacks, beers, and custom grilled cheese sandwiches. They call it the Geek Easy, since it's a "secret" room in the back, like a speakeasy. Our newest comic shop, Gods and Monsters, is gigantic. Square footage-wise, it's one of the largest comic shops in the nation, and a lot of production value went into making it look cool -- Arkham Asylum facades, etc. They also have a bar where you can get snacks, drinks (including beer), and even noodle dishes -- probably ramen and stuff, since ramen is super-trendy here among foodies and otaku types alike. They also have a large seating area with restaurant-style booths, away from the merchandise, but probably also well-suited for hosting events.
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Apr 10, 2016 19:29
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Rhyno posted:I've heard that G&M is hemorrhaging money pretty badly and that a lot of stuff is prices way over SRP. I do want to get down there and check it out though. Everything is marked up, yes. But it doesn't help that they opened in one of the worst malls in Orlando, on the edge of our very touristy part of town (International Drive, gateway to the theme parks), but the less-traveled edge that tourists and locals alike avoid. The mall has a few big anchor stores like a Bass Pro Shops and a Western wear store that attract rednecks, but the rest has been made over into a weird real-life Etsy/craft fair with small booths hosting local artists and craftspeople hawking small-batch, homemade goods. And there is also the saddest Fuddruckers ever, and that used to be my favorite burger joint. If you ever find yourself in Orlando, let me know, and I'll take you to lunch somewhere awesome and show you all the good comic shops. Big Bad Voodoo Lou fucked around with this message at 19:50 on Apr 10, 2016 |
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Apr 10, 2016 19:46
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Achernar posted:Is Sci-Fi City still around? That's the store I went to when I lived in rural N. Fla. Had to drive two hours to get there so I only went 2-3 times a year. It is, although it has probably moved once or twice since your day. I actually work within walking distance of it now, but I never go. It must be great for gaming, but their selection of TPBs, back issues, and action figures is lousy, and that's how I rate a good comic shop. Plus, we're completely spoiled for great comic shops here, including several in my immediate area.
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Apr 12, 2016 13:58
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Punk-rear end book jockeys! (And I say this as a professional librarian, but not a public one.)
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Apr 29, 2016 04:38
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The one shop I went to had a limit of four. I picked up Love and Rockets (the one I wanted the most), Civil War II by Bendis, Captain America by Spencer, and ROM.
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May 8, 2016 20:32
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This is why I haven't sold anything on eBay since 2009-ish. I've heard far too many horror stories about buyers ripping off honest sellers. who end up being out their items and their money. I've had no problems selling on Amazon Marketplace and in SA-Mart, but I don't think I'll ever sell on eBay again.
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Jun 12, 2016 05:13
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If your item is worth under $10, there's no point to using Amazon Marketplace at all. I've sold a few TPBs, hardcovers, and even prestige format books that were out of print and selling for surprisingly higher prices in the Marketplace. Then I just list my copy, undercut the lowest-priced one already there, and it usually sells. But for used DVDs, CDs, and most books, it's worthless due to the fees. I have tons of new, sealed stand-up comedy CDs that the very few places in town that offer store credit for trade-ins don't want, and I'd just lose money for extra hassle trying to list them on Amazon Marketplace. And if something is heavy and it costs more than the allotted $3.99 to ship, you're out even more money. But shipping costs are higher everywhere. I FINALLY sold my MP-01 Masterpiece Optimus Prime (the Hasbro 20th Anniversary version) to someone on another message board, and shipping was $15, which ate into my profit, which was already less than I hoped for.
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Jun 12, 2016 16:26
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twistedmentat posted:I cannot imagine there are many comic stores like they were when I was a kid around. You know, the cluttered stores with long boxes everywhere, the new comics racks where the only part of the store that had any organization; statues, figures, cards, and back issues everywhere. Run by some guy that comparing them to Comic Book Guy would actually be disservice to the Simpsons character. That's A&M Comics and Books in Miami, the store I grew up going to in the '80s and '90s. http://www.miaminewtimes.com/arts/aandm-comics-one-of-the-oldest-comic-book-stores-in-america-6485644 http://miami.racked.com/2014/9/15/7576919/am-comics-comic-book-store-miami http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/09/08/is-this-the-worst-looking-comics-store-in-america/
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Nov 12, 2016 23:35
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Rhyno posted:We have one ultra nerdy dude Donatello Rhyno posted:one guy in his 40s who is really great with children Leonardo Rhyno posted:the rear end in a top hat (me) Raphael Rhyno posted:one dude who is getting close to being canned because he's just too loving weird. Um... Genghis Frog?
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Nov 26, 2016 23:10
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We have a local used bookstore that opens up its warehouse one Saturday a month, with seemingly-endless longboxes of completely unsorted back issues for a dollar each (and somewhat more prized books at higher prices, kept apart). While the disorder really bothers me (I am a librarian), I've found some real treasures thumbing through those boxes. The guy buys people's collections for pennies on the dollar and pulls out anything with Harley Quinn or Deadpool or anything truly valuable, but I pieced together a complete run of Ostrander's Suicide Squad and all the tie-ins and crossovers for a buck apiece, just from being patient and methodical. I've also found lots of the great Arthur Adams comics I used to own as a kid that were sold off in several collection purges over the years, and even got him to sign some of them at a convention last summer. Also got Flash #182, Geoff Johns' great Captain Cold origin story, for a buck, which was a nice needle in a haystack. He doesn't have much from before the '80s, but it's amazing just how much he has from the '80s up to the present. And it's cool and good to see parents with their kids going through the comics, as well as couples hanging out together.
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Dec 16, 2016 06:06
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The mall housing one of the country's largest comic shops, right here in Orlando, is closing in two weeks. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/consumer/os-artegon-marketplace-closing-20170112-story.html The shop, Gods & Monsters, only opened in 2014. They invested a LOT of money in making the place look awesome, bringing in theme park people for design and construction, and it took them a really long time to finally get the place open. They even have a BAR, a video arcade, an art gallery, and of course a whole huge gaming area. http://www.godmonsters.com/ I feel terrible for them, but the mall has always been doomed. It's on the edge of Orlando's touristy area, but just out of the way enough that it never got the kinds of customers needed to keep it afloat. Locals avoid that part of town whenever possible, and tourists (typically Brazilian tourists in that area) probably didn't provide any repeat business to the shop. There is a nice movie theater, a few anchor stores like Bass Pro Shops, and one of the only remaining Fuddruckers (although it has really gone downhill in recent years). But the mall was almost always empty, and they tried rebranding it a few years ago with small booths and kiosks for local artists and craftspeople -- kind of like a real-world version of Etsy. Needless to say, that didn't work either. The location killed it, and so did the demise of big indoor shopping malls in general. We're lucky to have a lot of incredible comic shops in this town: the Coliseum of Comics chain, Acme Superstore, A Comic Shop. I live and/or work near a few of those, but I just don't buy stuff often enough to become a regular at any of them, so I usually just hit them up for sales, or the rare times something I really want comes out. And even with all the friendly competition, if Gods & Monsters opened almost anywhere else, it could have been a local phenomenon. Big Bad Voodoo Lou fucked around with this message at 03:57 on Jan 13, 2017 |
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Jan 13, 2017 03:36
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Rhyno posted:So clearly the word is out. We're getting on average one call per day from people wanting to sell their comics. Today we got a couple hundred Silver age books, with some pretty excellent highlights. drat, that's the first appearance of Guy Gardner in the bottom left, GL #59! I'm surprised you haven't called dibs on that one.
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Jul 18, 2017 05:35
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Rhyno posted:I didn't really agree with the direction the store was taking since we rebranded and i was clashing with one of the owners too frequently. I was initially let go, then asked to come back so I did a few days and realized I no longer wanted to work there. So it really worked out for the best, I'm actually enjoying comics again for the first time in years. It's so good to just be a fan again. Do you mind if I ask the direction you disagreed with? I'm pretty lucky to be surrounded by nice comic shops, and I just wish I collected more stuff to throw more business their way. But a lot of them constantly host gaming events, stock more Funko Pops and tchotchkes than actual comics, and have downsized back issues, TPBs, and action figures -- the three things I usually care about in a comic shop.
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Mar 13, 2018 04:50
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Fair enough! I wish you the best on all your upcoming interviews and hope you land on your feet ASAP.
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Mar 13, 2018 14:09
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