Warning: The vibe at my local shop in Austin changed a lot in just two years

Henry Stone · 2026-03-23T20:25:05.413546+00:00

It used to be a place where you could just talk comics, but now half the people there are just flipping new #1 issues for profit. I saw a guy buy 10 copies of the same book last week, not even reading them. Has anyone else's shop gotten more about money than the stories?

keithward7mo ago

Did @evayoung's friend find that the one-copy rule helped real readers get books?

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parkerb755mo ago

Clearing the shelf before actual readers could get there" hit close to home. My shop in Dallas has the same problem, it's sad watching people treat comics like crypto instead of stories. That one-copy rule sounds rough but at least it gives regulars a fighting chance.

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evayoung7mo ago

A friend in Portland said his shop had to start a one-copy-per-customer rule for new releases. The owner told him it was the only way to stop resellers from clearing the shelf before actual readers could get there. It seems like a common problem now.

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