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Vintage and key issue comic shops
Vintage comics are older books, roughly the Golden Age (late 1930s to mid-1950s), the Silver Age (mid-1950s to about 1970) and the Bronze Age (1970s to mid-1980s). Key issues are the books collectors chase: first appearances, origin stories, first issues and famous covers.
Buying older books at a shop
Shops that deal in older books usually keep them on a wall, in a glass case, or slabbed: graded and sealed in a hard plastic case by a service like CGC or CBCS. A raw (ungraded) book lets you see and handle the comic itself. A slabbed book comes with a third-party grade.
Price depends on the book, its condition and current demand. Recent sales of the same book in the same grade are the most useful guide, so look them up before you spend real money.
Condition is everything with older books. Small things, like a loose staple, a chipped edge or a missing coupon, change what a book is worth.
Map of shops with vintage and key comics
Top shops with vintage and key comics, in customers' words
Shops whose customers mention vintage comics or key issues in a review, ranked by Google rating × number of reviews. Under each one is what a customer said. Call ahead, since what a shop offers can change.
I received phenomenal help at the comics counter helping me find some key issues for my collection.
I'm kinda gonna try to reboot my comic funtimes, and when I can, hit Midtown Comics GC & TS, Silver Age, Royal Collectibles Comics (ugh.
For anyone visiting Pike Place Market with even a passing interest in comics or collectibles, Golden Age Collectables is a stop I’d happily recommend!
Thank you so much for the VIP treatment and I hope to see you there next time when I'm picking my 2nd round of my CGC'd out Masterpieces.
Awesome silver age and golden age choices.
You’ll want to buy some things and possibly cash in some investments to acquire some beautiful golden age books!
Graded comics by CGC and others, statue figures, and POP’s!
They have sorted bulk and great slabs and singles.
You need to see it yourself Some nice graded comics and back issues of classics.
I was able to find some key issues ice been looking for years trying to find!
The offerings of new and vintage comics, graphic novels, and even just books is surprisingly vast.
Wide selection of back issue and modern comics, but the "silver age" and "bronze age" sections had very few books from those eras in them.
Vintage & keys by state
286 comic shops in 42 states and DC sell vintage comics and key issues. States with 3 or more have their own page; the rest are listed below.
- Alabama6
- Arizona11
- Arkansas3
- California27
- Colorado3
- Connecticut7
- District of Columbia1
- Florida21
- Georgia7
- Hawaii1
- Illinois12
- Indiana8
- Kansas4
- Kentucky3
- Louisiana2
- Maine2
- Maryland4
- Massachusetts10
- Michigan7
- Minnesota3
- Mississippi2
- Missouri2
- Montana1
- Nebraska3
- Nevada7
- New Hampshire1
- New Jersey12
- New Mexico4
- New York24
- North Carolina16
- North Dakota1
- Ohio12
- Oklahoma4
- Oregon3
- Pennsylvania12
- Rhode Island1
- South Carolina6
- Tennessee8
- Texas14
- Virginia4
- Washington4
- Wisconsin2
- Wyoming1
In states with one or two shops
District of Columbia
No older back issues, money books, key issues.
Hawaii
Check this local shop Choice Comics if you're on Oahu, Hawaii which, is also housed in a space that also has a sports and cgc card shop as well.
Louisiana
This particular one has a ton of awesome graded comics and more!
Fantastic value on unique, hard to find silver and bronze age comics.
Maine
Usually has lots of commemorative slab, one of every coin of the things if you like those.
Cleaner than any I used to go to, very organized, and with a huge inventory of old comics, ranging from the golden and silver ages through the present.
Mississippi
Fantastic comic book store with a huge selection of modern and vintage comics as well as statues, action figures, and original art.
They have sorted bulk and great slabs and singles.
Missouri
Personally i dont collect vintage comics but they have a wall of them for sale.
From amazing slabs, raw books, art and more they offer friendly faces, extensive knowledge of the hobby and a super experience for the entire family.
Montana
This store is awesome and has vintage comics that you won't find anywhere in Montana.
New Hampshire
As a comics guy, I saw a bunch of cool slabs and wall books that were reasonably priced.
North Dakota
I brought in a few comics to get CGC graded a couple months ago.
Rhode Island
They had a great selection of all the newest comics, back issues, and a wall with a bunch of great key issues/first appearances.
Wisconsin
Marvel and DC fans will find plenty to live of the new and old, including a good selection of comics from the gold and silver age.
The owner was friendly and patient and I was able to grab a lot of silver age DC that was missing from my collection.
Wyoming
Will definitely bring more books here than sending to cgc or other out of state clean and press companies.
Questions
- What makes a comic a key issue?
- Usually a first: a character's first appearance, an origin story, a first issue, or a famous creator's first work on a title. Famous covers and books with small print runs can be keys too.
- Is a slabbed comic better than a raw one?
- Not better, just different. A slab gives a third-party grade and protects the book, but you can't read it without breaking the case. Raw books usually cost less and you can read them. For expensive books, many buyers prefer a slab.
- Which state has the most shops with vintage and key comics?
- California has the most, with 27 shops. In all, 286 comic shops in 42 states and DC sell vintage comics and key issues in this directory.
- How do you decide which shops are listed here?
- A shop is listed only when a customer's review mentions vintage comics or key issues there or the shop's own website does. The line from the review, or a note about the website, is shown with each shop. Shops change what they offer, so call ahead before a long drive.