Loading…
19
Shoutout to the comic shop owner who banned me from the back issue bins for a month
I was at my local shop, Cosmic Comics over on 3rd street, and I overheard this guy complaining about how fans who "just flip through issues without buying" are ruining the hobby. He was saying to the owner how he saw a kid spend 20 minutes digging through a dollar bin and only pick up two comics. That stuck with me because I used to be that kid. Back when I was 14 I had maybe $5 to my name and I'd spend an hour reading old X-Men runs right there in the store. The owner then told the guy that those "lookers" are future buyers and that he actually bans people who complain about other customers. I never thought of it that way. It made me realize how many of us got into comics by just being allowed to hang out and read without buying anything. Has anyone else ever been called out for taking too long in the bins?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
hugos461mo ago
Blew my mind when I realized those gatekeeping types were probably the same kids who spent hours in the bins back in the day... funny how quick people forget where they came from.
9
phoenix_lewis1mo ago
Saw a thing online about that same argument a while back and it got me thinking. @hugos46 is right, the gatekeepers are just mad they grew up and forgot what it was like to have no money but a lot of time. I read somewhere that comic store owners say the "browsers" are actually the most loyal customers down the line, which makes sense. They build a relationship with the shop just by being there and breathing the air. Its like the owner at Cosmic Comics gets it, he sees the long game.
8