About
About this directory
comicbookstores.net is an independent directory of comic book stores in the United States: shops that sell new weekly comics, back issues, graphic novels and manga.
The directory lists 2,530 shops in 1,627 cities across 50 states and DC. It's built for readers looking for a comic shop nearby, collectors looking for back issues or a buyer for their collection, and parents looking for a good first shop.
How a shop gets listed
A map search for "comic" turns up plenty of places that don't sell comic books: comedy clubs, conventions, bookstores with one spinner rack, gift shops. So every shop is checked before it's listed, using public information:
- Google category. Whether the business is listed on Google as a comic book store.
- Name. Whether the shop's name says comics, manga or graphic novels.
- Customer reviews. Whether its reviews talk about buying comics there: new issues, back issues, pull lists, manga, graphic novels.
- Its own website. Whether the shop's site shows that it sells comics.
A shop that Google lists as a comic book store still needs one of the other signals to back that up. Other kinds of businesses, such as toy stores, bookstores, hobby shops, antique stores and collectibles shops, need stronger proof from their name, reviews and website before they're listed. Shops that don't pass aren't shown.
What's left out
- Big chains and used-media chains that sell some comics alongside many other things.
- Conventions, comic cons and expos. They're events, not shops.
- Antique malls, pawn shops and similar businesses, unless their name, reviews and website clearly show a comic shop.
- Businesses with hundreds of reviews where nobody mentions comics. They're usually some other kind of store.
- Permanently closed shops, as reported on their public business listing.
Every claim shows its proof
Listings say more than "this shop exists." They can say a shop runs pull lists, has back issues, carries manga, hosts signings, does Free Comic Book Day, helps with grading or buys collections. Each claim appears only when a customer review or the shop's own website supports it, and the proof sits next to the claim: a verbatim sentence from a 4 or 5 star review, shown in a speech balloon, or a note that the claim comes from the shop's website.
If a shop offers something but no review mentions it and its website doesn't say so, the listing won't claim it. Some listings say less than you'd find in person. We'd rather leave something out than guess.
Right now, listings show proof of pull lists at 601 shops, back issues at 1,448 shops, manga at 552 shops, vintage and key issues at 286 shops, signings and creator events at 224 shops, Free Comic Book Day at 401 shops, grading and pressing help at 82 shops and indie and small press comics at 209 shops. In all, 235 shops have reviews or a website showing they buy collections.
A listing is not an endorsement. We don't inspect shops, test their prices or vouch for their service.
Where the data comes from
- Public business listings for the name, address, phone number, hours, Google rating and review count.
- Public customer reviews for the review quotes and the proof behind each claim.
- Shops' own websites for the services and buying policies they describe.
Hours and policies change. The "open now" note on a listing is worked out in your browser from the posted hours, so it can be wrong on holidays and release days. Call before a long drive or before bringing a collection to sell.
How shops are ranked
Wherever shops are ranked, including the top-rated comic shops pages, the order comes from each shop's Google rating multiplied by its number of reviews. That favors shops with many good reviews over shops with a handful of perfect ones. Top-rated lists only include shops with at least 10 reviews. Shops can't pay to be listed or ranked.
What you'll find here
- Comic shops by state and city, with a map.
- Shops by specialty: pull lists, back issues, manga, vintage and keys, signings, Free Comic Book Day, grading and indie comics.
- Shops that buy comics, based on reviews or the shop's website.
- Comic shops by the numbers.
- Guides on selling a collection, grading, pull lists, storage and Free Comic Book Day.
Corrections
If something on a listing is wrong, such as hours, an address, a closed shop or a claim you think isn't right, email hello@comicbookstores.net with the shop's name and city, or the page link, and what should change. Shop owners can also ask for a listing to be corrected or removed; see the contact page.
Independence
comicbookstores.net isn't affiliated with the shops listed, or with any publisher, distributor, grading company or event, including Marvel, DC, Image, CGC, CBCS and Free Comic Book Day. Those names are trademarks of their owners and are used here only to describe what shops sell and do. The site doesn't run ads; see the privacy policy for what it does use.