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The trick for getting back issues at my LCS that nobody talks about
So I've been collecting X-Men comics for about 4 years now, mostly hunting down the 90s stuff I couldn't afford as a kid. My local shop in Portland keeps their back issues in longboxes sorted by title but not by issue number, so I used to just flip through every single one looking for #304 or whatever. Took me like 45 minutes each time and I'd always miss stuff. Then about 6 months ago I asked the owner if he had a binder with an inventory list somewhere, and he actually did. He just never offered it because most people want to dig. Now I ask for the binder first, write down the box numbers, and I'm in and out in 15 minutes. Has anyone else found that their shop has some hidden system that makes digging way faster?
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nancyj111mo ago
Most people don't ask. They just assume the hard way is the only way.
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jana_jones1mo ago
Hold on, the owner had a binder this whole time and never mentioned it? That's wild to me. I mean I get that some people like the thrill of the dig but 45 minutes is a long time to waste if there's a faster way. My shop in Seattle has a similar setup with longboxes sorted by character but the boxes aren't labeled well at all. I might have to ask next time if they've got some kind of master list hiding in the back, cause that would save me a ton of headache.
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Ha, yeah that tracks with my experience. I've noticed this same thing everywhere from grocery stores to hardware stores. People just don't ask because they assume the employees are too busy or don't know. But the reality is most shops have some kind of system that makes their own job easier, they just never think to share it unless you poke around a bit. Like I once found out my local hardware store keeps a printed map of every aisle and shelf section behind the counter that nobody ever asks for. Your mileage may vary on how helpful the staff wants to be, but it never hurts to just ask nicely.
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