That comic shop I went to for 20 years just closed its doors

I stopped by my old local shop, Comic Kingdom on 5th, last Saturday to grab the new issue of something I'd been following. The whole place was empty, shelves bare, with a faded 'Thanks for the Memories' sign taped to the door. I stood there for a good minute, just staring. That shop is where I bought my first Spider-Man comic when I was maybe 10 years old, back in '94. The owner, this old guy named Sal, always remembered what I was collecting and would set aside stuff he thought I'd like. I never even got a chance to say goodbye or ask what happened. Has anyone else had a regular spot just vanish on them like that? It feels different than just finding a new store.

3 comments

3 Comments

margaret_williams515d ago

I mean I used to think it was just a store, you could always find another one, but reading about Sal setting stuff aside for you... yeah that changed my mind, that's way deeper than just buying comics.

grayc2715d ago

Sal setting stuff aside for you" yeah that's the thing. My buddy Mike had a shop owner that would pull anything Batman related he thought Mike might like and hold it for him. When the guy retired he gave Mike first pick of his whole personal collection as a thank you.

xena115d ago

Damn that's actually a really cool story. It's wild how those little things like setting aside a Batman comic can build such a strong bond over years. Most people don't get why we get so attached to our local shops but stuff like this is exactly why. That kind of loyalty goes both ways and it's honestly really special.