Chuck's Critiques by Charles LePage
Free Comic Book Day 2010
My son and I journeyed to Gainesville Florida to check out the two shops participating in Free Comic Book Day 2010, and we were not disappointed. Each store was very different in the way they treated the special occassion, but we left both convinced we had a much better time than we did during FCBD 2009.
The first store we visited was All Star Sports Cards And Comics. The general vibe was somewhere between sedate and bored. They had a table outside with the free comics, and the gentlemen running the table did not look interested in the least. They allowed each person to pick out up to five new free comics, but they also had a table with older FCBD comics, mostly from 2008, and they let us take all we wanted of those comics. Seemed like an excellent idea to me, as I imagine a backstock of free comics doesn't do them much good. Inside, they had sales on back issue comics and trades. What impressed me most was that they put every new comic in a bag and board. Yes, that means you can't browse the contents of the comics, but it also means they are in very good condition when you purchase them. I give the store and overall experience 3.5 out of 5 Chucks.
http://www.gainesvillecomics.com/
Next up was the Florida Book Store Volume II. They deal mainly in college textbooks, but also have a nice selection of new and newish comics and trades. A friendly young lady was set up behind two small book shelves and greeted us, knowing what we were there for by the Marvel t-shirt I was wearing. They allowed us to get one of each free comic, and as I had not written down which free books I picked up at All Star, I had to go by my aging memory so as to not duplicate my picks. They have an impressive collection of comics from the last year or so, trade paperbacks, and magazines. I even found a section of old Previews magazines that I will have to go back for at some point. I give the store and overall experience 4 out of 5 Chucks.
http://www.flbookstore.com/
What was your Free Comic Book Day 2010 like? Let us know below!
