Knew we had a thread for this type of thing. So here I am on my holidays in the Netherlands and managed to blag a visit to a comic shop while we were in Amsterdam - I mean I want for 2 but that was over optimistic and to be fair we were in Amsterdam so its not like there is a gazillion other super fun things to do.
So anyway if you are ever in the city check out Comics Import Amsterdam - or CIA Comics for short. Its just by The Anne Frank Museum... which it could be suggested is a more significent thing to visit but I've been there before, so... ANYWAY. CIA comics I popped in and spent a glorious 45 minutes in the most incredible comic shop I think I've ever been to. The place is a mess, but I just spent the time chatting to the wonderful owner Charles who is simply lovely and a delight to talk to. The fella has over 2 MILLION (!!!!) comics in his shop (with a door with loads of sketches on, I recognised the one by Will Simpson which was my opening conversation piece and that seems to get him really talking). He has another million in his own personal collection.
He's a font of knowledge and seems to know everyone and everything. We chatted for the whole 45 minutes I was in there and frankly I'd have spent the day there chatting quite happily.
Now to be fair its next to impossible to look through most of the stuff unless you have like 2 days BUT even the stuff I was glancing at as we chatted unearthed some AMAZING deals. I got a hardcover collection of Gilbert Hernandez - which is really hard to get these days for 20 Euros - cos it had a bit of damage on it! I checked he was sure and he said it was fine. So I picked up a couple of other bits cos I felt I should he was giving me such a good deal on the book and he gave me a massive discount on those as well. At which point I stopped looking as I felt guilty.
Such a great shop, if you are in Amsterdam really check it out. If you like Marvel and DC take plenty of money as you will find some AMAZING stuff. He did tell me if I brought the kids next time he'd take them in trade... I'm going to discuss it with missus YNWA... I mean we have two so that makes one spare right... right...
...oh and two gorgeous dogs roam the comics and and so lovely and like a fuss. They sit on the comic boxes as you flick through and lick your face if you let them. Charles offers to make them stop but I love dogs so I just played with them!
So anyway if you are ever in the city check out Comics Import Amsterdam - or CIA Comics for short. Its just by The Anne Frank Museum... which it could be suggested is a more significent thing to visit but I've been there before, so... ANYWAY. CIA comics I popped in and spent a glorious 45 minutes in the most incredible comic shop I think I've ever been to. The place is a mess, but I just spent the time chatting to the wonderful owner Charles who is simply lovely and a delight to talk to. The fella has over 2 MILLION (!!!!) comics in his shop (with a door with loads of sketches on, I recognised the one by Will Simpson which was my opening conversation piece and that seems to get him really talking). He has another million in his own personal collection.
He's a font of knowledge and seems to know everyone and everything. We chatted for the whole 45 minutes I was in there and frankly I'd have spent the day there chatting quite happily.
Now to be fair its next to impossible to look through most of the stuff unless you have like 2 days BUT even the stuff I was glancing at as we chatted unearthed some AMAZING deals. I got a hardcover collection of Gilbert Hernandez - which is really hard to get these days for 20 Euros - cos it had a bit of damage on it! I checked he was sure and he said it was fine. So I picked up a couple of other bits cos I felt I should he was giving me such a good deal on the book and he gave me a massive discount on those as well. At which point I stopped looking as I felt guilty.
Such a great shop, if you are in Amsterdam really check it out. If you like Marvel and DC take plenty of money as you will find some AMAZING stuff. He did tell me if I brought the kids next time he'd take them in trade... I'm going to discuss it with missus YNWA... I mean we have two so that makes one spare right... right...
...oh and two gorgeous dogs roam the comics and and so lovely and like a fuss. They sit on the comic boxes as you flick through and lick your face if you let them. Charles offers to make them stop but I love dogs so I just played with them!