Worst experience in my comic book collecting history today, I went into a shop let that doesn’t sell comics to make a living and found a Box of comics or 2… These comics are reading material for the people who play the video games or eat and drink coffee while playing war hammer 40000 So these comics aren’t normally for sale however, the lady said I could buy them if I wanted to…so I searched through and found 1st appearance of silk amazing spider man 4 and issue one and issue 3 and 5 1st appearance of iron heart iron man 7 and iron man 9 And 1st appearance of spider Gwen edge of spiderman issue 2 1st printing mint condition all of them, Along with 1st captain Marvel’s 1st full Thor appearances and others and such as edge of spider verse, Amazing spider man issues And many others …all beautiful condition in a box and when I asked about the prices the lady at the till said we check up on eBay to see what they’re worth and then we price accordingly, so I put them all back and walked out, Very upsetting to do that, these must be the very last copies in the wild here in the UK of these issues… gutted
Go back when the lady isn’t there. Maybe you’ll get them for cover if some kid is working the register.
The other theory is that the reason they are there is because they keep looking up the price and no one wants to pay it.
I sent an email to the lady I hope she’s not the manager, explaining that grading changes the value of what she thinks she has. I’m hoping for a reply but if not, not to worry it’s one of those things they can keep the comics and all the best of them…let the gamers ruin them. I put everything back as I refuse to show them what they have they’re not taking advantage of my knowledge about the subject to make money for themselves by being unfair with me. Effectively letting the customers look up the prices so they can reap the rewards they should stick to roll play games
The worst is that most places that practice have no clue how to grade. So even if you give in they give you a terrible price. Never worth it.
Indeed it was Woodbridge, and not Markham. Ive never shopped for comics in Markham. 
Very true! The worst though is Bell Book and Comic in Kettering, OH. Checks every single book my friends and I bring up to the counter. They put a sign up that says “One copy per HOUSEHOLD”…that includes variants. Yes, he got so petty to those he thought were sellers he put up a sign saying if you brought in 3 of your children, only one of them could buy the new Batman let’s say. The other kids couldn’t even buy the B cover because its the same comic. And it gets better. I went to buy a $5 book I was spec’ng on…and he told me I couldn’t purchase it because I had already bought a copy a month ago. Lol. I wish I was making this shit up…and people still flock there! I have pictures of his signs and video of him looking up prices etc.
The owner even went as far as to call me a thief because I was finding book after book that was selling for 10x + what he had on it. Like im supposed to go to the counter and be like “Hey Pete, you have $4.99 on this Kanan 12 but its selling for $50 on Ebay…can you charge me more please sir”??? I finally called him an ■■■■■■■ and got banned lol. He then went on a smear campaign trying to get me kicked out of other stores. All I ever did was buy comics for the prices he had on them…and that makes me a thief lol. One of these days…one of these days
Disgraceful
No worries, I can’t see too many customers who would enjoy being treated that way. I would think only a matter of time before enough go elsewhere and he has to figure out something else to do. How long has he had these policies in place and signs up? Seems like a strange dude.
About 2 years now. He runs all the local Gamic Tournaments etc at his shop so people still flock there. It boiled down to he got pissed that some people knew the market better than he did and was getting great deals. I remember the night that Thor God of Thunder #2 and #6 took off. I was waiting outside for the store to open knowing he had copies of both for $4.99 in the back stock. As soon as he saw me walking in he JUMPED up from where he was sitting and legit RAN to the Thors to pull all the God of Thunders lol. Such a douche lol
Yeah, I avoid Pete and BB&C altogether, I’d rather go without. Since you’re local-ish to me, there’s a new shop out in Miamisburg called Monocle Comics & Coffee . I think it’s a really nice place. Clean, small but decent selection. https://www.monoclecomicsandcoffee.com/
Love the name as I am a fan of coffee.
Comics and coffee…Nice!
Just gotta be careful when reading AND drinking coffee…
Hopefully they have different folks managing the food and the comics. I shudder every time at the LCS, when I see the LCS guy holding a burger, candy bar or even a wet glass, then handle my books for checkout. I am always surprised at the way LCS folks handle customers books.
Nice, thanks for the heads up. I live in Kettering but usually drive to Cincinnati every Wednesday and hit a 4 shop route lol. Ill definitely check this place out!
This all goes back to the question, “Why do so many retailers care what happens to the product once they sell it?” The whole point of being a retailer is to move inventory. You buy at wholesale and then you sell it at a manufacturer cover price initially… if you don’t like making money by selling quantities of products at very low initial prices, then you should go into some other type of business.
I think some retailers are personally offended, and think someone has ‘put one over on them’.
I agree with this assessment.
It’s silly, but I think that is definitely a reason… and a big one.
OK, let me shake the tree a little here. Why shouldn’t bricks and mortar stores do this? Comics are a commodity that rise and fall in value according to demand, so why shouldn’t they be sold as such. I think it is more than reasonable to believe that most posters on here are speculators, so what we are in essence saying is:
“I want to buy your commodity, from the store that you pay for and maintain, at what I know to be a price significantly below market value, so I can sell it for more”
The only value we bring to that process is finding that commodity in the stock and taking it to the counter. I am only saying this because we are being a bit one-sided about it don’t you think?
(Takes seat, puts on helmet/body armour and waits for incoming fire 
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