Elitist comic vendors

Heytherejeffro wrote:Honestly, some people must go to some stores run by some utter shit-bags. We treat the women that come in to the store with equal (if not better) attention than male customers.

Yeah, I hear horror stories from these places and I'm like "I'm a billion times better than that. Why aren't I a fucking comic-book millionaire?"

Demonweasel wrote:I've also heard stories from folks that when they come into a shop for the first time and the clerk is busy with a customer that's an obvious regular seeing them being all buddy-buddy makes them feel like "Oh, he's friendly to that guy but he won't give me the time of day" and that just adds to the "clubhouse" feeling. If I'm having a conversation with someone, regular or not, I make a point of greeting other folks when they come in, even if it means interrupting the conversation I'm in. I'm not perfect, so this happens maybe 90-95% of the time, but still it's important.

It's amazing how so much baggage goes into every single interaction we have with people we just meet or places that we just walk into. I can think of no other industry where it's more charged and potentially rewarding or damaging than in comic shops.

that's true. He'll cut me off mid-sentence to say hi to someone who's walked in the door. Even if they do turn right around and go "What happened to Dingleberrys?"

What's funny is that it makes me feel like I need to say hi too.

I think this is an interesting issue. The last place I lived had quite a few comic book stores, and over the years I ended up categorizing them based on how close to the Android's Dungeon they were. Here in South Bend there is only one store, and it falls into the awesome category.

It seems like a lot of the people in here aren't exactly talking about the same things. I think there is a difference between a customer, and someone wanting to sell their crap to the store.

If someone comes into a shop with a legitimate interest in comics, even if it is just buying a gift for someone, then talking down to them is idiotic. Yes, people who don't know about the books might ask dumb questions, but explaining things to them in a polite way will get you their money, and possibly get them interested in comics. Trying to shove Fables and Sandman down the throats of female customers because they are 'girl comics', for example, is an insulting and outdated mode of thinking.

If someone comes into the store with a box of Spawn #1 and thinks they are going to get thousands for it then I don't think there is the need to treat them so delicately, unless they are a parent selling their dead kid's collection or something.

I have encountered 4 or 5 Comic Book Guys over the years, and I stopped shopping at their stores. If I ask you which GI Joe book currently running is canon I don't need attitude along with my answer.