Just hit this store up as I live in the area, and was delightfully surprised at how friendly the owner and his staff were to me; a first time customer. They really are neatly setup and have a very clean and tidy store. Kirk the store owner was very helpful and I would definitely encourage others to give this place a visit. They do comics, collectibles from what I could see around the store, and if something was needed Kirk was quick to mention that he could order it for me. I am an avid 40K Warhammer Player/Age of Sigmar player and was very happy to see this place had alot of what I wanted for miniatures right on the shelf. All things said a great little gem in the west end of Toronto. Really love these places. Keep up the great work Kirk and staff :), Sincerely, Dobs aka Marc read more

Terrible Experience. I called them last week to tell them I had some comics to sell to which the employee informed me Kirk would be in on Tuesday and I should email him what I had. I took a video of me going through the comics, and waited until Tuesday. I called in advance to make sure he was in, he asked what I had and I told him that information was emailed to him, to which he informed me he hasn't looked at that. Ok, sure undeterred I walk down there with a bag of comics and find no comic shop at the address. I call him and he tells me its 3 blocks west, alright cool no problem. When I get in there and start taking the comics out he asks what I have, and I said the best things I have in here are Spiderman 2099 #1 & 2, to which the comic book guy attitude starts up. I said that's ok if you don't want them, but it's still the best thing in this bunch i have here. He offered me nothing. I did check the price of some of them online, and as a musician who uses the internet for gear- I'm used to seeing those prices and realizing thats not what you'll always get, but I knew some of the stuff did have some value. Here's what would've been great- If he had looked at the email I sent, as instructed by the employee. And if you know what kind of comics you will take, maybe share those guidelines. And update your google address. Or dont, honestly you're better off going to another business anyway. The experience reeeked of "yeah well, this is my place and I dont have to do anything to make your experience good" MESSAGE RECEIVED PAL read more

West End Comics - And here's his cordial response via email, wildly missing the point. - Comic Books Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

An excellent store with an eclectic collection of comics old and new, games, and toys. Knowledgable and friendly staff, always up to recommend great new stuff or to remember what you're into and set it aside for you. I've purchased everything from 1950s EC original comics to graphic novels by artists and publishers that were new to me here, and have always had a smooth and fun purchasing experience. Not to mention the many times I've come in just to browse and wander around. A great store, now a staple in Toronto. read more

I live at the north end of Toronto and rarely visit the Queen West and Roncesvalles area - but when I do visit, I always make a point of visiting West End Comics, which I have done intermittently since at least 2016. I have even brought friends there, who liked the store. I almost always find something good. I am both an avid reader as well as a book collector. Last week I saw an excellent package of the five Dark Horse "Kull" comic compilations for sale at the excellent price of $74.99. After tax I paid $84.79, rung in by the owner, Kirk. I don't usually keep my receipts, but later that night I thought about the price I had paid as i scrutinized the receipt. Books - both new and used - have a special tax at 5%, NOT 13%. I realized that for the first time I had been charged the full 13% HST as opposed to the book tax of 5%, so I went back two days later to address the issue. This means that I was overcharged charged $6.00. The owner, Kirk, was not there, but I spoke with Zane, an employee at the store, regarding this issue. He wasn't sure about the tax issue, but he did say that he would mention the issue with Kirk. I told Zane that I only visit when I am staying at a friend's place in Parkdale, and that the odd time I do visit Parkdale, it is only to visit West End Comics, as there are no other stores that interest me in the west end. I said that I would be returning the next day, and that if I was properly and legally refunded the $6.00, I would put it toward further purchases. I even asked Zane to put a few things aside. I specifically stated that I wasn't trying to cause trouble, but was only speaking up for what's legal. The next day I did return, and waited for Zane to finish business with some other customers. Zane then acknowledged me, and I asked if he had discussed the situation with Kirk. Zane replied that he had, and that Kirk refused to budge on the issue - my $6.00 would not be returned. Zane also stated that 1) I had come all the way from up north, spending transit fare, to fight for $6.00? (I did say the day before that I was staying at a friend's place, not far from the store - and even if i HAD made the trip to the store to dispute the extra charge, what I do with my own time and money is my business. The issue on hand is the illegal charging of incorrect tax on books for ALL customers, not the process I take to dispute it); 2) if I didn't like their policy, I DID NOT HAVE TO SHOP THERE; 3) Kirk keeps everything at the same tax bracket because it's too much work to track different tax levels for different items, which represents criminal laziness. Zane quoted Kirk "One customer in 5000 notices and I have to change things?" I replied that after my visit the previous day, I had visited 6 different new and used bookstores and made purchases. At every store I was charged 5% book tax, NOT 13%. I also discusssed with the other store owners about the tax on books in abstract, and was confirmed in every case that the tax on books is 5%. Zane again told me that I did not have to shop there, as if I had done something wrong and in defense of his lazy/ignorant employer, Kirk. Yes, Zane said that he was only the messenger and had no power to change anything, BUT his remarks and attitude and lack of sympathy certainly made me feel that he and his employer, Kirk, care nothing for the customers who go out of their way to visit and purchase items, so that Kirk and Zane can eat and pay rent every day. So much for supporting small businesses. Zane's last comment was "you purchased the books at a major discount anyway!" So...what? So I deserve to be penalized $6.00 BECAUSE you marked the books down? Is THAT how you justify your way of recouping losses? If I had purchased all five volumes at their sticker price of $25.00 each, at 13%, that equals $141.25 The same five books properly charged at 5% tax is $131.25 SO YOU, THE SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORTER, WILL BE CHARGED $10 EXTRA, and being ignorant of tax perhaps even write a glowing review for West End Comics. I said "well, i'm sorry, but I'm not coming back here again", and made my exit. I returned seconds later to get their business card and the owner's name so I could bring this issue to him personally, but after thinking about it for a day I felt I could best injure this business by leaving this review. Thus ends my last visit to West End Comics. SHOP ANYWHERE ELSE AND YOU WILL GET MORE FOR LESS read more

West End Comics - DO NOT SHOP HERE books are taxed at 5%, not 13% - Comic Books Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I left a google review, but let me be more specific. I come into the shop before they move to a bigger space. I bring a selection of comics (Cgc and loose). First thing the guy said (I'll call him Billie Joel wannabe) is "these are yours?" What a warm welcome, accusing right off the bat, top shelf. So long story short I tell him a $ figure, he declines and offers me a couple hundred. Fast forward to now, a bigger store front, and me bringing more valuable comics than I did the first time. The offer? $100. To be fair I'm moving soon and wasn't exactly in a place to argue much...but apparently the old saying "desperate times call for desperate measures" now means "desperate times call for unbelievable pricks". Avoid this sesspool if you have any sense of ethics. read more

I suspect the shop deserves it's overall good rating, as the selection looks good and the staff were honestly very friendly and helpful! However, my experience in trying to sell a comic book collection was disappointing. At the owner's request, I left three boxes of comics in order for him to determine what he would be willing to pay for them. A few weeks later (it took awhile as it was over the Christmas holidays, after all) we were unable to reach an agreement (I had previously received a quote for nearly double). The owner felt like he should be compensated for his time spent reviewing the collection! I picked up the boxes soon after and only through an excess of caution did I examine them. There were nearly 50 missing, mostly older X-Men. Following up, they were eventually found, but four (with a retail value of a few $100, I'm sure) were never recovered. I picked up the balance and called it a day, there didn't appear to be any recourse and the owner didn't offer. It was an overall unhappy experience. read more

Key Features: many, many, unique toys and delightful nerd things. So, you may not know that West End Comics exists, and that would be understandable, because the sign above the door reads "Chiropractor." There are a few action figures in the window and that may catch you attention. It caught mine, anyway. Walking in, I saw a bunch of boxes of comics on the ground, but not many. As far as comic book stores go, this is less focused on comic books, and more on other toys. Like robots. Many robots. So many robots. Some robots existed on the walls, others walked around, opened their chest and shot light lasers. And then there were the cuff-links. United Federation of Planet cuff-links, TIE fighter cuff-links, R2D2 (4GB USB key) cuff links. The prices are a little bit high, but the merch is top notch. read more

Glad to have gone here. I spoke with Kirk the owner who was upfront and honest about the nature of the business in relation to the comics I was selling. He told me he could only offer me 30 dollars because of overhead, low demand at his store for my comics etc. Thankfully Kirk had another idea in store and referred me to other stores where I could get more money. He did not have to do that but he did I appreciate it. I would gladly come here again. read more

When I found out a comic book store had opened in my neighbourhood, I immediately put my down my gourmet doughnut and introduced myself to the owner. First impression, Kirk is a super nice guy and a good dude. When I downsized my action figure collection for store credit, Kirk was diligent and meticulous in researching their market value. When it came time for a counter-offer, he was transparent, fair and considerate unlike my dealings with The Silver Snail. Sure, the store sells more collectibles than actual comic books but who cares? Two words: ComiXology and iPad. Boom. More importantly, my New 52 Justice League and super-sized Darkseid action figures look amazing in my office! read more

West End comics is a good comic store. I'm a regular customer and the owner always has "new" stock of "old" comics coming in. I've filled quite a few holes in my comic book collection because of the great selection of back issues. There are other comic stores in the GTA but some of them aren't as well organized or quite frankly, tidy ( some stores are so crowded with wares it makes the buying experience terrible!). Fortunately the owner of West End keeps this place neat, tidy and well organized! I should also add there's a good selection of other comic/geek things (toys, merchandise etc). The geek themed inspired jewelry and other things (like cufflinks!) make this a unique store. Check it out. read more

The owner is VERY rude and condescending to kids. He asks children not to touch anything the second they walk through the door. And the place reeks like cigarettes. So, a child touching something is going to ruin your merchandise, but the fact that everything is cigarette stained isn't a problem? read more

I've been in the store twice, and both times when it came to making my purchase, a higher price than on the price tag was entered into the cash register. Pay close attention when shopping here.... On top of that, merchandise is much more expensive than other places in Toronto. read more

Walked in with a new-to-town coworker who's living nearby and looking for a local shop for his comics to see the owner cussing out a delivery driver with the weekly books, and he then proceeded to lambaste the poor guy, record him on his phone, and be pretty rude to us when we asked if he had something that we could not find (the newest Walking Dead volume). As someone who used to run a store, I get that deliver drivers can be a frustration, but it went beyond that. He was straight-up a prick. There were lots of other points too. Vintage toys whose pricing I'm familiar with were priced nearly double what they should be in better condition than they were, the selection was mostly limited to pile of Marvel reprints that were layered in dust, and the place was a nightmare to navigate. The only thing setting this guy apart from some horrific Big Bang Theory trope is his salty language, and that's just sad. read more

Awesome store and awesome owner. Has a wide variety of stuff; not just comics but fun nerd merch; anything from a piggy bank shaped like godzilla to an R2D2 egg timer. The owner is helpful knowledgeable and friendly. Great at for getting to know what you like and having perfect recommendations. read more