Below is my experience at the Crystal Lake location.
I happened to spot the store on my way to a customer visit. So I decided to swing after the meeting while going back to work. It was on a Wednesday and late in the afternoon when I arrived. I was looking for the new comics when the manager said they were not out yet. I am thinking OK it's new release day and your shelves are empty. Keep in mind they are also closed Sunday to Tuesday and over three days of being closed they still do not have new releases on the shelves? The weirdest thing was the manager said "I will expedite them for you". He then moved one comic on the shelf turned towards me and stood there staring at me. An odd blank stare.
So I took a look around hoping to see those new comics soon. I spotted a couple graphic novel that I wanted, but the new issue rack was still empty and the manager starting chatting it up with a kid so I left. He was not interested in putting out new releases, but wanted to talk about superhero movies. I needed to go back to work and could not wait any longer for the "expedited" new releases or for the manager to ring me out on the trades.
So a few weeks later I see they are having a sale on trades for Free Comic Book Day. I wanted to give then another chance and the sale looked good. So maybe now will be a good time to grab those two trade, right? Well NO!
I dove out of my way on the weekend to pick up the books. When I arrived the books were no where to be seen. Then the same weird manager shows up to ask if I needed help. I mentioned the trades and he said both copies are in back they are not for sale because of the sale.
He said they only put out stuff that does not sell on the days they are having a sale. The good stuff they put in back. Can you imaging the work involved in that? So I said OK, well I am interested in the two books and would pay full price for them. I drove out of my way and was hoping to leave with something at this point sale or not. He would not sell them to me unless I come back on Wednesday...Oh and late in the day...maybe even Thursday would be better. My other option to buy them at the Algonquin store.
Now I get it if he was the only person in the store, but he had another employee giving out the free comics (which was 2 per person, most stores I visit allow for 5 or more per person.) Why could he not tell that person to grab those two trades and sell them to me? So I left empty handed. I WILL NEVER GO TO EITHER STORE EVER AGAIN. I have visited many comic shop in my life. I mean all over the country and a couple in Europe. There are only two comic shops that come to mind that were just plain HORRIBLE! This is one of them.
I have a friend in Crystal Lake that used to go to that store and I asked him about it. He said that manager is absent minded and stopped going there awhile ago. I don't blame him apparently the manager would order stuff and they would never arrive. He would then say "Oh sorry I forgot to place the order"
So if you want to pick up new comics on new release day and/or pick up a couple of trades any day of the week, GO TO A DIFFERENT COMIC SHOP.
If you want to get stared at, hear a grown man talk about the MCU to a young kid or visit a place where Expedited means nothing will happen, then visit this place YOU WILL LOVE IT!
I ended up getting those trades at two different stores one in Palatine and the other In Glendale Heights. Check out those two shops, they can actually sell you comics on new release day too, pretty interesting concept! read more