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I just thought I'd explain why I continue to hate comic shops. Many of you
have read my strip here in the Collector Times. Several months
ago, a new comic shop opened up in our little town. Well, the two main
guys who run it are doing a pretty decent job and I've only had two "slight"
incidents where I felt they were trying to push stuff on me that I had
already metioned I was not interested in.
Well for the past week, one of them has been out of town and the other has
been working his "other real job" that pays the bills (they both told me
that the store is more of a "hobby"). Anyway the one on vacation normally
has his wife work during the day until 4:00 pm when he finally comes in,
since she's with him on vacation, they asked her mother (who runs an
"embroidery" shop next door) to run the cash register for them along with
her two grandsons (from another daughter) one is about 10-12 the other about
14-16.
Anyway, I came in the store on Wednesday and by chance picked up issue #8 of
Spyboy (which had just come out). I liked it so I wanted to get issue #7
which I knew had come out around late April. Because it wasn't in the
back-issue bins under "S" the lady said she would call and ask the other
owner where he kept the book, well a phone call later, she said that he said
he would have to find it himself because it would be too hard for him to
explain in what box last month's comics were in. She said he would find it,
put my name on it, and I could pick it up tomorrow. Great!
Well, I went in today about half an hour ago. The lady said the book was by
the register and one of her grandson's showed it to me. I said "do you have
a pen?" so I could write a check for it. Anyway, as the kid takes it to the
register, he and his older brother open up the latest issue of that damn
spawn of satan book...you got it..WIZARD MAGAZINE. I say to them, "Uh,
excuse me, but I seriously doubt that issue has gone up from cover price."
The older one, without taking his eye of the book, responds with, "Oh, you
never know." I then say, "If you're a betting man, I'll wager the cost of
the book that the book has not gone up (sucker bet)."
He tells me, "You don't know that." I say OK and let him continue. Two
seconds later he says, "Shit! It's not listed in here." BINGO!!!! I say
to myself....Of course not since the issue of Wizard you are looking at
probably came out at the same time the book did, Sherlock!
Anyway, not to look foolish, the kid says to me, "Well, I know I saw a copy
of the book up there on the wall for $10!" I say, "Really? This particular
issue? Or was it Issue #1 and maybe one of those Dynamic Forces covers?"
Anyway, I pay for the book and leave.
The point I'm really trying to make is that these folks had ALL LAST MONTH
as well as ALL DAY to have changed the price of the book. Nothing makes me
madder than picking up a book, taking it to the register, then have the
person there start checking Wizard to see if they can screw me out of
another couple of dollars. This is an asinine way of doing business! Do
grocery stores double-check at the register if the mangos are no longer 2
for a buck as listed? Arrrrgh!
As of right now, I know that I will never buy any back issue from this store
since NONE of them have prices marked on the cover! Sure the fancy covered
ones on the wall have prices and the ones under the glass have prices, but
nothing in the back-issue bins are marked (and most of them are new comics
not listed in the Wizard top ten anyway.
Thank you for taking the time to sit there and listen to me on my soapbox.
Gonzo
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