Martin T.
Yelp
I wrote a review about another comic shop in Pasadena and gave it a very high rating, as it was my favorite local comic book store. But, that was before I discovered Collector's Paradise.
This is now my default comic book store, even though I have to drive here and I can actually walk to the other one. It's a model for what a good comic shop should be and the employees and managers are the most helpful, friendly, and cool people you could want.
PROS:
* KID-FRIENDLY: They have two racks of "kids comics" that they've separated out from the rest of the stuff, so if you bring your kids with you (like I do), they'll be entertained looking through age-appropriate stuff while you browse through your choices.
* CLEANLINESS: It's SUPER CLEAN. Those of you who frequent game and comic shops know this can be a problem.
* ORGANIZATION: It's very well-organized, with different racks devoted to different publishers (Marvel, DC, Indepdents, etc.) and also different "themes" (e.g., "Batman," "Justice League," etc.)
* FRIENDLY & HELPFUL STAFF: On my first visit to the store after it changed over from the previous owners, I was a little taken aback by how different it looked (in a good way) and made a short comment to the guy behind the counter. It turns out he's the manager and he mentioned they'd taken it over three years ago. He then offered to give me a tour of the store, and immediately showed me the kid section, which also includes a section of "girl" comics, as he noted I had my 3 year-old daughter with me, and he mentioned he also had a daughter. He then went through the rest of the store layout with me to show me how to find whatever I was looking for. I have never in my 30+ years of reading comics been offered a "tour' of a shop. Totally made me feel very comfortable and like they valued my patronage.
* PULL-LIST: This is common for most good shops these days. For this place, they know how to do it right. When you buy comics there for the first time, they actually ask if you want to set up a list, and it's all computerized so you can manage it yourself from home, and delete and add comics as you want. They'll even set it up for you. You get a 10% discount if you have a pull list, and also free bags and boards if you want them. Another cool thing with the pull list is that they'll add related titles that are part of cross-book story arcs, which you can then choose to buy or not buy when you pick them up. For example, I collect "Justice League", so they threw in a copy of "Aquaman #15" since it's part of the "Thrones of Atlantis" arc that's running across both titles. That way, you don't miss anything that's part of the storyline.
* GRAPHIC NOVEL CLUB: They offer cool program on graphic novels - when you buy one, they add a 20% credit to your account, which you can then use on your next purchase of a graphic novel.
* SILVER AGE COMICS: They've got a pretty good selection of old Silver Age comics in the glass case under the front counter, and the inventory changes all the time. It's fun to look in there to see what's new each time.
* RELATED PRODUCTS: They have tons of cool things like action figures, art books (comic art), original comic art, toys, etc.
* VARIANT COVERS: Most of these are always available for sale if they didn't all get sold-out from the pull-lists, so if you're into this, you can snag some.
* SPECIAL EVENTS: They have events all the time with various writers, artists, etc. Several of them are "friends" of the store, and I've picked up signed issues here for cover price, and also met people in the industry and had them sign my stuff that I bought. These are always class-acts, with snacks and special promotions, etc.
CONS:
* PARKING: This is really the only con I can think of, and it's not *that* bad, but on Wednesdays the lot can get a little full.
Seriously, I really don't have any bad things to say about this place. The guys are so friendly and within two weeks of going, they had learned my name and gotten a sense of the kind of stuff I like so they can recommend new things. They are super cool and don't pressure or make you feel bad if you don't buy things they suggest, but just do it because they're passionate about comics without being over-the-top about it.
Highly recommended for people who maybe got away from collecting comics and are thinking of diving back in. Ask the guys behind the counter for help, and they can definitely recommend some things for you. Also, if you have kids and want to get them exposed to comics, bring them over and the guys will help you pick out some cool comics that your kids will love.