The week our local shop's new owner almost killed the vibe

This was about three months ago, and it started when the old owner, Mike, sold the place. The new guy came in and immediately cleared out all the back-issue bins to make room for more Funko Pops and statues. He also raised the price of new comics by a dollar. For a solid week, the regulars just stood around looking lost, not talking to each other. It felt like a library, not our hangout. What's the biggest change you've seen at your shop that messed with the community feel?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_tara25d ago

Casey asked the real question. Did the vibe ever come back? Sounds like it didn't, and that's the part that always gets me. A shop is more than just a place to buy stuff, you know? It's like a living room for nerds. When some new owner strips out the long boxes and fills the walls with sealed plastic crap, they're basically telling the regulars they don't matter anymore. Did Mike ever hear about what the new guy did? I wonder if he'd even recognize the place if he walked in there now.

caseyflores3mo ago

Oh man, that's brutal. Nothing kills a comic shop faster than replacing the actual comics with plastic junk. It's like he wanted to turn your spot into a weird museum where no one talks. Raising prices on top of that is just adding insult to injury. That quiet week must have felt like a funeral for the old place. Did the vibe ever come back, or is it still just a Funko Pop warehouse now?

stone.simon3mo ago

Yeah, it never really came back, Casey. The owner basically turned it into a storage unit for his own collection. I tried going in for a new issue last month and felt like a ghost. All those long boxes gone, just rows of silent plastic faces staring back. I guess my joke is that I'm now the old guy telling stories about the real comic shop that used to be there. It's a real shame.