A little background - Big B is a small chain of comic book stores in Ontario, Canada, featuring three shops (Niagara Falls, Barrie and the flagship store - open since 1996 - in Hamilton) that promotes itself through an atypically professional website and slick store atmosphere. Big B's are to a small, old school shop what consignment shops are to thrift stores - you are getting a distilled, high quality, glossier product in a more spruced up, suburban atmosphere but losing some of the joy of the hunt, lower price-point on well-loved items and interactions with quirky, less chain-standard-bound employees. Plus bargaining is a no-no - chain stores do NOT find it cute when you make an offer on the scads of stuff you're holding - they scoff and charge you full price. The haggler in me cries.
Ambiance (NF location)/selection - The store was immaculately clean, well organized, and everything looked brand spankin' new; the kitschy junk was all pristinely ordered in Ikea-esque displays or glass cases. There were bins of trendy stuffies you could imagine a hipster college kid lining her zebra-print-comforter-covered bed with. A giant pyramid of POP figures (art toys for the more pedestrian collectors) dominated the area in front of the long, scuff-and-clutter-free counter (unheard of in an indie store) and shelves full of mid-price art toys (collectible vinyl toys not intended for children - one of the most awesome yet hipster trends to emerge in nerddom and not widely sold in smaller cities; Tokidoki, DOMO, etc) lined the front walls. A long row of perfectly organized, alphabetized shelves boasted an impressively diverse selection of graphic novels/trade paperbacks (tpb) down the center of the rear. They, of course, did not have the one thing I really wanted (the Luna Brothers "Girls" tpbs) but they had about two dozen things I didn't know I wanted until I came in here. There were no real back issues to speak of and, aside from some vintage/retro pieces in the glass case, nary a used item in the store. Again, my deal-loving side cries. I buy comics for the joy of reading them, not the collectability, so getting the occasional deal on a used book with a bent cover or scuffed spine really helps my wallet.
Service - The lone gentleman behind the counter was less "holy crap, working at a comic shop is the best nerd job ever" and more "this is the McD's of comics and I've gotz billz ta pay" in demeanor. You know, that pleasant-in-a-robotic-sort-of-way clerks are at Target or another chain that is reasonably non-soul sucking but neither inspires great personal enjoyment?
Personally, I'm a fan of cramped, little old shops where the wood floors squeak, the type where you never know what random comic you'll find and the owners are crazed, gregarious types who have an intense NEED to read and discuss comics, not just go through the motions. Half the reason I buy comics from stores, as opposed to online (where you can find virtually anything you want cheaper these days on sites like Lonestar than you can buy it in person) is I love talking to employees - what are you reading? What events are going on in the area? How's that graphic novel you've been inking coming along? The other half is the little guy deserves my money - Big B isn't so large that they shouldn't get it, but they're definitely not a "struggling" business anchoring some corner where all that's left is a quicky mart and a place with no sign selling used appliances. In twenty years there will probably be 50 of these places, and rightly so - they are providing a good product in a pleasant atmosphere and a lot of people want a slick, strip mall, cookie cutter experience from their shopping - they want to easily, quickly find exactly what they want, bring it to a junk-free, shiny counter and pay for it without the need for any familiarity with the person they are dealing with. Those people will LOVE this shop and give it five stars. read more
