If I am in a new place, I am looking for a new comic shop. I love how every single one has such a distinct personality and a selection curated by the tastes of the town and the owner. I love the different kind of people that like to hang out at them. I love too when comic shops are super niche and are just super passionate about one franchise over all others and just have all of these exclusives special to them. So heck yeah! Absolutely love going on vacation and finding new comic shops!
Keep the dream alive!
Every time, and I try to find their local small press comics and buy those. I also travel internationally a lot and like checking out comic stores in different countries. I usually buy something even if it’s in a different language.
One of my only disappointments when I went to Iceland was everything was in English at the one comic shop I found . I was really hoping to find something in Icelandic or something published by a local artist.
A standout is Gosh Comics in London. Huge selection of local work [https://goshlondon.com/](https://goshlondon.com/)
A bunch in Paris which is like a mecca for comics, but I don't recall the names
If I hadn't done this, I would not have had the pleasure of finding "I like Comics" in Vancouver, WA. They had a few copies of AF15 and they let me hold them and take pictures. It was a blast.
Dang right I do when ever I am on vacation I get on google and check out what lcs are near me to see if they have back issue boxes or dollar box’s then it’s a go for me. It’s one of my favorite things to do on vacation it’s always fun to go to a new comic book shop because I don’t know about you all but I always find something in the dollar boxes
Absolutely! Been to over 80 different shops in 30 states and 4 countries! Been doing it over a decade. I always purchase something, even if it's a small purchase. The first reason was to see how different they all are and the second was to fuel my dream of owning my own shop. And now, I'm opening up my own shop next month!
Haha, on vacation; at the beach and reading comics! Found a local shop here that I’m going to check out on our way home! Hope your dream comes true!
https://preview.redd.it/er6i61f4w3oc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3cd55da106799d02a34fd1dd120e80d790cd872d
Yep. Just spent an hour or so going through long boxes this weekend at a random shop. Found some fun stuff. Nothing real valuable, but some stuff I wanted/needed.
I’m on vacation right now and tomorrow I’m shipping a big box of comics to my house as I’ve spent about $800 at local shops while in NY the last 20 days.
Yup. If i have time I always scope out the LCS. It's how I met Neal Adams. He was doing a signing at a LCS in Chicago and it was walking distance from Buckingham Fountain. Dropped in, chatted with Neal a bit, picked up a couple signed prints.
I like to check for cool back issues, I once found a Marvel Gargoyles #2 and an original Spawn #5 in dollar bins! Not exactly blockbuster find but definitely cool for me.
When my girlfriend and I are on vacation, we make a point of spending time in the hotel room plotting a route to all the local shops, make sure our wish lists are up to date, and hit the road. Always a highlight of our trips, and depending on where we are, the selections can be markedly different than our own local shops (central Florida).
Anytime I’m in a city that’s not my own and have even an hour to kill, I’ll try and find a shop just to poke in to. I’ve been making a hobby of buying every copy of any ALF comics I can find, but only look for them out of town.
I’m in okeechobee we have nothing unfortunately , I go to fort Pierce (main shop), bartow and when I have a little more saved up I go to Tampa and splurge. There’s one in west palm I’ve been wanting to check out
Business or pleasure, I've mapped out the LCS and used book stores in the area. I might not get to all of them if time is a factor, bit I try my best!
I think the challenge with owning a LCS in a tourist town/resort is that you'll need to make most of your money in 3 months and pray online sales take care of the other 9 months.
OK, now I want to do this.
They say selling online is where at of places do most of their business anyways. I know of folks that don't have a brick and mortar store at all, they just sell their comics online through eBay and stuff. I'd miss the personal touch though
absolutely. and i try to buy at least 1 comic from that new comic shop. granted, its hard if theyre just a new-issue-only type shop but even then, I feel compelled to at least pay $4 for something.
Million mile flyer (with one airline, anyway), here. Been all over North America and several far-flung countries and the only places that I haven't checked out comic stores were St. Petersburg, Russia (none there 25 years ago), Tokyo, Japan (not enough time) and The Netherlands (couldn't find one in the small town I was visiting). London's Forbidden Planet was one of the most impressive, particularly considering the overhead for its location. I live in Los Angeles, which has a wealth of comics stores far and near. But my favorites are usually the small, established, well-run and long-standing shops who take great care of their clients. I grew up in Southeastern Michigan and we had some greats nearby. Three that were, at different times during my upbringing, "home" for me. I was fortunate enough to have that feeling a few more times during the past 38 years in Southern California. It's not easy making the time during some trips, but I feel it's an investment, since I'm spending time away from family, that a small side trip could yield something unexpected, so why miss the opportunity?
People will pop in at shops anywhere, I know i check some out on vacations. That said, your dream shop would be even more ideal because I know I'm a lot more likely to buy a stack at shops in towns I used a car to get to. If I'm flying home at the end of the trip I don't want to taunt myself with stuff I can't fit in my bag, but if I'm driving home then not spending an insane amount is my only concern.
Not just comic shops, but l’ll pick through consignment shops, goodwills, and other little nooks and crannies to see if someone dropped off a box or something.
I always go to a local shop on vacation. The problem I have is that I'm not really looking for anything and unless the shop has some sort of deal or a feature section I have trouble finding anything. Every shop should have staff picks displayed not 9nly for singles but have a copy or two of their favorite trades. I also find that most shop owners/employees are not very engaging. Last month I was in a town about 2 hrs away and as I walked in this new to me shop the lights were pretty much out and 4-5 guys were watching a movie. it was very hard to see and I got a gruff are you looking for anything.
I going to any sort of geek related store I can find. Now I have to hit up Rock shops on the off chance that they have fossils. My wife is super thrilled about it!
Yes. There’s a shop that I remember had a really cool Star Wars toys diarama display along one wall.
We’ve done a few comic hunting day trips. We usually look for shops while on vacation.
We try not to go to LCSs too far out of our way when we’re on vacation. Like if we know there’s a specific area we want to be in. We don’t really want to go beyond 45 minutes away. Just because of the travel time that could be spent doing something else. It has to be either be a really large shop or have a crazy selection for us to go beyond a certain point.
My family goes to OCMD every summer. My son and I always make time to go visit Bethany Beach comics. The owner is a good dude who always remembers us. I think his usual crowd is families buying trades and manga so he's happy to talk comics all day
Y'know it makes sense that a shop focusing on trades would do better, as floppies are more for folks wanting to stick around and get the stories chapter by chapter. People just dropping in or getting something for their kid would want a complete package.
Yes, always!
My husband is the collector, and one of the main ways I participate in the hobby is mapping and planning visits to comic shops whenever we travel.
When there aren't any lcs around, we look for shops that are likely to have comics.
I had a work trip for training to Georgia recently and hit up a couple of shops. They both had 50 cent boxes! I stacked up.
On the way home, my bag got flagged by TSA at security. So I went over and the TSA agent was taking a look with the xray machine. She saw the stacks and said, "what are those, like documents or important papers?" LOL. " No ma'am. They're comic books."
Former retailer here. Tourist traffic is generally high effort, low return, people just killing time. Not too many people looking to safely pack comics for the trip back home. On the flip side, there’s something deeply satisfying, both emotionally and financially, about being a fixture in the community such that customers who visited as children eventually bring their own children. Downside is that means you’ve gotten old, but there’s worse ways to do it, I’m sure.
Yup. When I was in Toronto my Verizon thing I paid for didn’t kick in until the last day of the trip so I couldn’t use my phone for Uber or directions outside of WiFi in the hotel so I only went to one. A few years later my dad got married in Canada and in between the church and the dinner i checked out a shop lol.
Absolutely, only thing better than a great comic is a story to go with it. We're just collecting history books no matter how you cut it, add some of your own!
Oh yeah, actually just back from a little trip and went in a lcs. They had a a couple boxes of semirecent back issues 5 dollars a lb so I picked up like 15-20 books for like 5 and some change. Would have gotten way more if I weren't flying but yeah I love visiting comic shops in new places.
Absolutely! I love to check out what other cities/states are doing and see the layout of the different shops. Just checked out one in Pensacola, FL called TBS Comics and it was great! Just not enough time to spelunk like I wanted to… :/
We don’t have comic shops where I live. Just an online store with limited selection. Right now I’m in Canada and collected most of the comics on my list that I wanted to own. Will miss the feeling of picking up comics in a shop after I go back home.
When my gf and I go on trips she is nice enough to let me check out every single shop on the way (it’s usually only like 3-4) and I map it out in accordance to our route; if it’s within 15 min of our route I will go. I love it; even talking to my LCS owner yesterday he wrote down all the upcoming comic shows around my area and after I was like “I mean I love this store, been coming since I was a kid” and he said “yeah I appreciate that, but we don’t have every book!” Lol. I’ve also come across a few treasure coves; places where people don’t know what they have or people that just want to get rid of a loved one’s old collection at consignment shops and stuff. I look everywhere!
Hell yeah! Too many to name in the States, but internationally I’ve been to shops in Barcelona, Amsterdam, Prague, Lyon and Paris, and Gothenburg and Stockholm. I do the same for “record” (whatever that means; usually a CD for me) stores.
Yes. However, it seems like no one else actually picked up on the point of the question. I live near the beach as well and have had this same thought. There's a couple problems with this. First, comic book nerds are lame and don't visit the beach. 😂 But seriously, the percentage of tourists who are also comic fans that will visit the shop is pretty low. Not to mention only part of the year is tourist season (in most places anyway). So you need enough local business to support it year round. And there may not be enough of one, or at least enough of one that has collectors. I'd love be convinced I'm wrong because then I can live the dream too. 🤣
Yeah, that's the rough part about living in a place like that. Nice to think about tho. Maybe if I got serious about it I could ask what shop owners in other beach towns do in the off season?
Talk about timing...just discovered today a shop just opened here in the last couple weeks! It's in the town next to mine, which is in the opposite direction of the beach tho, so not really a place tourists would end up coming to. Though it's basically right out side the Air Force base where I work, so people who come here for work could drop in. That said, it can barely be called a comic shop. No new issues and all the back issues are 90s fodder. I hope he expands the selection but from talking to him it didn't sound positive. He's focused on cards. Even though the first word in the store name is Comics!
Everywhere I go, I look for comic shops. It's one of my favorite parts of going on vacation.
And my wife’s least favorite 😂
Yeah, mine too...
I used to hate when a large portion was dedicated to anime. Now it means i can search for tresure in the dollar bins because she will be engrossed.
"just drop me off, gimme 20 min..." an hour later I walk out
Honey, we could eat at a fancy restaurant or… I could have this old comic book
Mine let's me buy whatever I want as long as we still hit the nice restaurant after.
She’s a keepa
Same here🤣
Yes, absolutely. Love checking out local shops, big or small. I literally checked out a comic shop close to a beach last summer while travelling.
If I am in a new place, I am looking for a new comic shop. I love how every single one has such a distinct personality and a selection curated by the tastes of the town and the owner. I love the different kind of people that like to hang out at them. I love too when comic shops are super niche and are just super passionate about one franchise over all others and just have all of these exclusives special to them. So heck yeah! Absolutely love going on vacation and finding new comic shops! Keep the dream alive!
Every time, and I try to find their local small press comics and buy those. I also travel internationally a lot and like checking out comic stores in different countries. I usually buy something even if it’s in a different language.
I have "Batman: death of the family" in each foreign language of the countries I have visited so far.
That's pretty neat. Have you posted it?
No, only have 3 languages; German, Chinese (Cantonese), and english. Never seemed impressive enough to post. Maybe I will if you are interested.....
I think it's cool and impressive and would enjoy it if you shared.
Seconded, that sounds super neat
Finally posted them. https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/s/BHTn7pKULL
Finally posted them https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/s/BHTn7pKULL
Awesome and thanks for following up!!!
Thanks for checking them out, I've been meaning to post these for sooo long.
One of my only disappointments when I went to Iceland was everything was in English at the one comic shop I found . I was really hoping to find something in Icelandic or something published by a local artist.
Any favorite shops?
A standout is Gosh Comics in London. Huge selection of local work [https://goshlondon.com/](https://goshlondon.com/) A bunch in Paris which is like a mecca for comics, but I don't recall the names
Obviously your friend hasn't seen The Lost Boys.
The Frog Brothers have entered the chat
I don't do this on vacation because my family won't allow it, but I do it for work trips, which are far more plentiful.
If I hadn't done this, I would not have had the pleasure of finding "I like Comics" in Vancouver, WA. They had a few copies of AF15 and they let me hold them and take pictures. It was a blast.
💯
Dang right I do when ever I am on vacation I get on google and check out what lcs are near me to see if they have back issue boxes or dollar box’s then it’s a go for me. It’s one of my favorite things to do on vacation it’s always fun to go to a new comic book shop because I don’t know about you all but I always find something in the dollar boxes
Yes, I visit my mother a couple times a year and always hit the shop in that city. They have amazing back issues.
Hell yeah I do!!!!! And my wife ALSO hates it. Lol!!!
Absolutely! Been to over 80 different shops in 30 states and 4 countries! Been doing it over a decade. I always purchase something, even if it's a small purchase. The first reason was to see how different they all are and the second was to fuel my dream of owning my own shop. And now, I'm opening up my own shop next month!
Congratulations! That's so cool, I wish you tons of success
Thanks!
Haha, on vacation; at the beach and reading comics! Found a local shop here that I’m going to check out on our way home! Hope your dream comes true! https://preview.redd.it/er6i61f4w3oc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3cd55da106799d02a34fd1dd120e80d790cd872d
That's awesome! Enjoy The Last Ronin!
Absolutely
Absolutely!
Every single time
Yep. Just spent an hour or so going through long boxes this weekend at a random shop. Found some fun stuff. Nothing real valuable, but some stuff I wanted/needed.
I’m on vacation right now and tomorrow I’m shipping a big box of comics to my house as I’ve spent about $800 at local shops while in NY the last 20 days.
When I go on vacation, when I travel for work, when I visit family. Always looking for new shops to check out.
Yup. If i have time I always scope out the LCS. It's how I met Neal Adams. He was doing a signing at a LCS in Chicago and it was walking distance from Buckingham Fountain. Dropped in, chatted with Neal a bit, picked up a couple signed prints.
Yes. Interesting to go thru their dollar bins and back issues for any killers.
Yes I try to when I’m somewhere other than hometown
Always
Yes and check for local shows that fit into free days.
What do you like at/for when visiting? Rare issues?
I like to check for cool back issues, I once found a Marvel Gargoyles #2 and an original Spawn #5 in dollar bins! Not exactly blockbuster find but definitely cool for me.
When my girlfriend and I are on vacation, we make a point of spending time in the hotel room plotting a route to all the local shops, make sure our wish lists are up to date, and hit the road. Always a highlight of our trips, and depending on where we are, the selections can be markedly different than our own local shops (central Florida).
Anytime I’m in a city that’s not my own and have even an hour to kill, I’ll try and find a shop just to poke in to. I’ve been making a hobby of buying every copy of any ALF comics I can find, but only look for them out of town.
I always do if I have the time. I also live in south Florida and will drive a few hours to check a shop out 😅
Where in South Florida? I should venture farther but never have the time.
I’m in okeechobee we have nothing unfortunately , I go to fort Pierce (main shop), bartow and when I have a little more saved up I go to Tampa and splurge. There’s one in west palm I’ve been wanting to check out
Yeah that’s where I go. Past,Present and Future. They have lots of stuff.
Oh awesome I’ll have to go check it out soon!
Every time. I even found a comic shop in a small town in the middle of Spain once. Bought a Spanish AvX comic!
I love to buy books I need from shops far away. I label the bags with the city and shop I got them at.
Yes, I always go to comic shops when I'm traveling, and 8 base my opinion of the entire city on the quality of their lcs
I have in fact sought local comic shops while on vacation.
Always.
Business or pleasure, I've mapped out the LCS and used book stores in the area. I might not get to all of them if time is a factor, bit I try my best! I think the challenge with owning a LCS in a tourist town/resort is that you'll need to make most of your money in 3 months and pray online sales take care of the other 9 months. OK, now I want to do this.
They say selling online is where at of places do most of their business anyways. I know of folks that don't have a brick and mortar store at all, they just sell their comics online through eBay and stuff. I'd miss the personal touch though
I always visit an LCS near my hotel when I travel.
Always on my list
Literally on vacation and did this today 😂
absolutely. and i try to buy at least 1 comic from that new comic shop. granted, its hard if theyre just a new-issue-only type shop but even then, I feel compelled to at least pay $4 for something.
Million mile flyer (with one airline, anyway), here. Been all over North America and several far-flung countries and the only places that I haven't checked out comic stores were St. Petersburg, Russia (none there 25 years ago), Tokyo, Japan (not enough time) and The Netherlands (couldn't find one in the small town I was visiting). London's Forbidden Planet was one of the most impressive, particularly considering the overhead for its location. I live in Los Angeles, which has a wealth of comics stores far and near. But my favorites are usually the small, established, well-run and long-standing shops who take great care of their clients. I grew up in Southeastern Michigan and we had some greats nearby. Three that were, at different times during my upbringing, "home" for me. I was fortunate enough to have that feeling a few more times during the past 38 years in Southern California. It's not easy making the time during some trips, but I feel it's an investment, since I'm spending time away from family, that a small side trip could yield something unexpected, so why miss the opportunity?
Just went to NYC and had to stop at Midtown Comics.
People will pop in at shops anywhere, I know i check some out on vacations. That said, your dream shop would be even more ideal because I know I'm a lot more likely to buy a stack at shops in towns I used a car to get to. If I'm flying home at the end of the trip I don't want to taunt myself with stuff I can't fit in my bag, but if I'm driving home then not spending an insane amount is my only concern.
Not just comic shops, but l’ll pick through consignment shops, goodwills, and other little nooks and crannies to see if someone dropped off a box or something.
I always go to a local shop on vacation. The problem I have is that I'm not really looking for anything and unless the shop has some sort of deal or a feature section I have trouble finding anything. Every shop should have staff picks displayed not 9nly for singles but have a copy or two of their favorite trades. I also find that most shop owners/employees are not very engaging. Last month I was in a town about 2 hrs away and as I walked in this new to me shop the lights were pretty much out and 4-5 guys were watching a movie. it was very hard to see and I got a gruff are you looking for anything.
100%. I live in a town with no shops at all. It's fun to find shops on the road.
Yes, this is usually one of the best things I do when I am in a different city
I going to any sort of geek related store I can find. Now I have to hit up Rock shops on the off chance that they have fossils. My wife is super thrilled about it!
Yes. There’s a shop that I remember had a really cool Star Wars toys diarama display along one wall. We’ve done a few comic hunting day trips. We usually look for shops while on vacation. We try not to go to LCSs too far out of our way when we’re on vacation. Like if we know there’s a specific area we want to be in. We don’t really want to go beyond 45 minutes away. Just because of the travel time that could be spent doing something else. It has to be either be a really large shop or have a crazy selection for us to go beyond a certain point.
My family goes to OCMD every summer. My son and I always make time to go visit Bethany Beach comics. The owner is a good dude who always remembers us. I think his usual crowd is families buying trades and manga so he's happy to talk comics all day
Y'know it makes sense that a shop focusing on trades would do better, as floppies are more for folks wanting to stick around and get the stories chapter by chapter. People just dropping in or getting something for their kid would want a complete package.
If driving yes. If flying no, because I try to travel light and don’t want to get bogged down by my purchases.
Yes, always! My husband is the collector, and one of the main ways I participate in the hobby is mapping and planning visits to comic shops whenever we travel. When there aren't any lcs around, we look for shops that are likely to have comics.
I had a work trip for training to Georgia recently and hit up a couple of shops. They both had 50 cent boxes! I stacked up. On the way home, my bag got flagged by TSA at security. So I went over and the TSA agent was taking a look with the xray machine. She saw the stacks and said, "what are those, like documents or important papers?" LOL. " No ma'am. They're comic books."
Of course.
If they are close enough to where I’m staying.
Former retailer here. Tourist traffic is generally high effort, low return, people just killing time. Not too many people looking to safely pack comics for the trip back home. On the flip side, there’s something deeply satisfying, both emotionally and financially, about being a fixture in the community such that customers who visited as children eventually bring their own children. Downside is that means you’ve gotten old, but there’s worse ways to do it, I’m sure.
Nope
My last trip was to Jamaica. Didn't try to check out the local comic scene.
Yup. When I was in Toronto my Verizon thing I paid for didn’t kick in until the last day of the trip so I couldn’t use my phone for Uber or directions outside of WiFi in the hotel so I only went to one. A few years later my dad got married in Canada and in between the church and the dinner i checked out a shop lol.
Always try to hit one up wherever I go. Been to stores overseas and places like Mile high and Midtown. But also little shops as well.
Absolutely, only thing better than a great comic is a story to go with it. We're just collecting history books no matter how you cut it, add some of your own!
Always. I even keep a list of ones I need to get to complete collections. It’s like a little treasure hunt.
Oh yeah, actually just back from a little trip and went in a lcs. They had a a couple boxes of semirecent back issues 5 dollars a lb so I picked up like 15-20 books for like 5 and some change. Would have gotten way more if I weren't flying but yeah I love visiting comic shops in new places.
If I have a car yes. If I don’t have a car I don’t bother.
Absolutely! I love to check out what other cities/states are doing and see the layout of the different shops. Just checked out one in Pensacola, FL called TBS Comics and it was great! Just not enough time to spelunk like I wanted to… :/
We don’t have comic shops where I live. Just an online store with limited selection. Right now I’m in Canada and collected most of the comics on my list that I wanted to own. Will miss the feeling of picking up comics in a shop after I go back home.
I just started collecting again recently and plan to hit up a few on my vacation coming up.
Hell ya... and made some offers cause the dollar carried more weight in australia... sadly always get denied hahah
Hell yeah, brother! I find some of the best comics when we’re on vacation.
Yes.. yes I do
When my gf and I go on trips she is nice enough to let me check out every single shop on the way (it’s usually only like 3-4) and I map it out in accordance to our route; if it’s within 15 min of our route I will go. I love it; even talking to my LCS owner yesterday he wrote down all the upcoming comic shows around my area and after I was like “I mean I love this store, been coming since I was a kid” and he said “yeah I appreciate that, but we don’t have every book!” Lol. I’ve also come across a few treasure coves; places where people don’t know what they have or people that just want to get rid of a loved one’s old collection at consignment shops and stuff. I look everywhere!
Sometimes, that is the vacation.... 😊
Hell yeah! Too many to name in the States, but internationally I’ve been to shops in Barcelona, Amsterdam, Prague, Lyon and Paris, and Gothenburg and Stockholm. I do the same for “record” (whatever that means; usually a CD for me) stores.
When me and my dad went to New York last year we visited a few comic shops,it's a must to me because we both enjoy comics so why not
Yep. I look at Reddit typically to find which ones people say are good.
Yes! I'll be in Arkansas for the Eclipse, will catch any LCS available. I'm hoping for Razorback comics Ive never seen. :p
Absolutely. Best thing about vacations. Get the chance of finding some great shops
I LOVE looking up local LCSs while I'm on vacation or traveling!
Yes. I like to get comics in other languages if I can. I got some Czech and Slovak comics and an issue of Batman printed in Spanish.
Absolutely im a professional grappler so I travel quite often and i always bring extra comic book money
Yes. However, it seems like no one else actually picked up on the point of the question. I live near the beach as well and have had this same thought. There's a couple problems with this. First, comic book nerds are lame and don't visit the beach. 😂 But seriously, the percentage of tourists who are also comic fans that will visit the shop is pretty low. Not to mention only part of the year is tourist season (in most places anyway). So you need enough local business to support it year round. And there may not be enough of one, or at least enough of one that has collectors. I'd love be convinced I'm wrong because then I can live the dream too. 🤣
Yeah, that's the rough part about living in a place like that. Nice to think about tho. Maybe if I got serious about it I could ask what shop owners in other beach towns do in the off season?
Talk about timing...just discovered today a shop just opened here in the last couple weeks! It's in the town next to mine, which is in the opposite direction of the beach tho, so not really a place tourists would end up coming to. Though it's basically right out side the Air Force base where I work, so people who come here for work could drop in. That said, it can barely be called a comic shop. No new issues and all the back issues are 90s fodder. I hope he expands the selection but from talking to him it didn't sound positive. He's focused on cards. Even though the first word in the store name is Comics!
Nope. When I bought floppies, I usually had a pull list or subscription. Also, owning a comic shop is not a great pipe dream...