[miraclemet]

I'd like to start putting together a resouce of places with good $1 or $.50 bins so that when people are traveling, or passing thru someplace they know the best places to stop in...

Format:

City, State
Store Name
Address
$1 Bin Description (# of boxes, variety, scale/focus, turnover)


This way everyone can have one stop shopping for their search for $1 bins to paw thru...
Dont bother posting bad shops, this is all about the good shops...

[Frank Castle]

You could try this thread. It has pages worth of LCBS from around the world. What they have to offer, good, bad, etc.

http://www.thecomicforums.com/forum2//inde...p;hl=experience

[spid]

City, State Louisville, KY
Store Name The Great Escape
Address (Can't find it now)
$1 Bin Description (# of boxes, variety, scale/focus, turnover) Lots of newer stuff in four or five long boxes at the front of the store. The selection is mostly filled with recent comic from the last couple of years. I pulled almost the entire run of The Exterminators. The last time I was in they also had some lower grade older titles in the bin. They also have four or five bins in the back of the store of .25-.50 comics. The material is mostly full of 90s comics. They also have a good selection of used trades.

[torchsong]

I used to love The Great Escape when I would hit Louisville. Smaller store but still a lot of fun. Lots of quirky stuff IIRC...my friend got me the Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura) solo album from there as a gift one time.

Here's mine:

All About Books and Comics, Phoenix AZ, Central Ave.
http://www.all-about-comics.com/

These guys have a ****load of comics and back issues. Not just what's on the shelves. If you can't find it there, chances are they can still find it for you.

The coolest thing? They often BUNDLE WHOLE RUNS together and sell them on the cheap (depending on what you want). Example: Micronauts, original series - 1-59 - $25. Books are in good to VF condition on the whole, but they are bundled and shrink wrapped, so don't whine about the odd crease. These are PERFECT for those interested in getting into Binding runs...

I live closer to stores like Atomic (who also have nice selections of back issues) but if I'm really looking for something in particular back issue wise, these are the people I hit up. It helps that they're really nice and will talk honestly and earnestly with you about stuff.

This post has been edited by torchsong: 31 October 2008 - 05:01 PM

[jkarguth]

City, State: St. Joseph, MO

Store Name: Cosmic Collectables

Address:1803 Garfield Ave St Joseph, MO 64503-3228

$1 Bin Description:(# of boxes, variety, scale/focus, turnover) I am unsure on the number of boxes, it is a vast amount. His store deals in two things: toys and back issues. Every back issue is a dollar. The variety is staggering, I have found everything from Marvel and DC to Indies. His focus is on toys, which often is to the benefit of the comic buyer. Any trades dispersed in boxes are usually priced a bit higher, but I have known him to be very relaxed on that. The turnover is sporadic, but the chances of going through the entire inventory is unlikely. Highly recommended.

[miraclemet]

You could try this thread. It has pages worth of LCBS from around the world. What they have to offer, good, bad, etc.

http://www.thecomicforums.com/forum2//inde...p;hl=experience

That thread is what made me want to do this one.. .but just focused on $1 bins which some stores have lots of, others none at all...
Im not so interested in store staff, friendliness, etc... just down and dirty dollar bin goodness....

[David D.]

Mr. Met:

I think this is a fantastic idea. I tell you, back when I was doing theatre tours and hitting shops all over the country, I would have LOVED a thread like this. There is a real lack of $1 bins in New York City, so I don't have anything to contribute, but I look forward to the results.

[Mister Blisterfists]

Zanesville, Ohio
The Bargain Box
Inside the Colony Square Mall

TONS of dollar boxes. seriously, a hundred or more (I'm not even kidding). A lot of 90s stuff, but I really dont think he knows what he's got. There is definitely some gold to be mined here, I go up every couple of months, and I never leave disappointed.

I've spent hours in this store and haven't gone through everything. But then, that's the fun, and it makes the return visits worthwhile.

This post has been edited by Mister Blisterfists: 31 October 2008 - 05:57 PM

[Chris Murrin]

Van Nuys, CA
Comics N Fun
6411 Sepulveda Blvd # 1G
Van Nuys, CA 91411
(818) 779-7643

Beneath their dozens of long boxes of back issues lie another dozen or so $1 boxes. Comics range in condition from vf+ to poor. Selection runs the gamut from bronze age to modern, including indie and small press books, particularly from the 80's. Lots of hidden gems, no organization whatsoever. They sit on the floor, so lengthy searching is uncomfortable, though worthwhile.

The back issues they sit beneath are usually overpriced, but they are a great resource for that hard-to-find back issue to fill in a hole. I usually visit there when I'm looking for something obscure, and spend about an hour picking through the $1 bins each time.

[AzizBawany]

Great idea. In vegas I can never find a place with good .50 and $1.00 bins. Any help for any state will be greatly appreciated.

[miraclemet]

City, State: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Store Name: Vault of midnight

Address 219 S Main St, Ann Arbor, MI‎ - (734) 998-1413‎

$1 Bin Descriptions:

Now Vault is a bit odd.. go down to the basement (very nice by basement standards) and you will see about 20 long boxes along the wall that you would think are $1 bins. But no. They are not. They contain back issues (more than 6 months old but almost everything is within the last 10-15 years) and older issues, and random runs, but they change COVER PRICE for 95% of the comics in those boxes. There are a few random comics that have different prices on the back of their board. But if there is no price, they just charge cover. So yes if you pull out that $.35 reader copy of Fantastic 4, its $.35

Under the tables of back issues you will find 4 long boxes that are $.50 bin comics. Mostly newers stuff that they had bulk issues of (so you'll leaf thru 15 issues of Superman/Batman #26, then 10 issues of some Witchblade issues, and so on). Worth taking a spin thru, but at best you may find one or two things worth pulling out.

This post has been edited by Mr. Met: 01 November 2008 - 12:14 PM

[turborip]

City, State: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Store Name: Vault of midnight

Address 219 S Main St, Ann Arbor, MI‎ - (734) 998-1413‎

$1 Bin Descriptions:

Now Vault is a bit odd.. go down to the basement (very nice by basement standards) and you will see about 20 long boxes along the wall that you would think are $1 bins. But no. They are not. They contain back issues (more than 6 months old but almost everything is within the last 10-15 years) and older issues, and random runs, but they change COVER PRICE for 95% of the comics in those boxes. There are a few random comics that have different prices on the back of their board. But if there is no price, they just charge cover. So yes if you pull out that $.35 reader copy of Fantastic 4, its $.35

Under the tables of back issues you will find 4 long boxes that are $.50 bin comics. Mostly newers stuff that they had bulk issues of (so you'll leaf thru 15 issues of Superman/Batman #26, then 10 issues of some Witchblade issues, and so on). Worth taking a spin thru, but at best you may find one or two things worth pulling out.

Wow, no wonder you wanted a thread of this nature. That's not really a $1 bin, just a weird way of storing their back issue bins. Do they also have standard back issue bins upstairs?

Seeing that description reminds me of the LCS here.

[miraclemet]

Wow, no wonder you wanted a thread of this nature. That's not really a $1 bin, just a weird way of storing their back issue bins. Do they also have standard back issue bins upstairs?

Seeing that description reminds me of the LCS here.

Upstairs is just the last 6 months of issues, the current week, and then lots and lots of trades (like 80% of their walls are shelves of trades)

[Mister Blisterfists]

if anybody plans on visiting that store in Zanesville, PM ME beforehand, and I'll help you get the best bang for your buck!

[gabox82]

this is a great idea!
I'll be very interested in seeing any of these in southern california.

[Fnord Serious]

Seattle has a lot of comic shops, but not much in the way of dollar bins.

Arcane Comics in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle has had some 30¢ bins, but last time I was there they had cut back on their back issues and I think the cheap bins may have been cut.

Arcane Comics
5809 15th Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
206-781-4875
10am -8pm Everyday

The Comics Dungeon in the Wallingford neighborhood sometimes has half off bins by the door. They do have a decent selection of older books if you are looking for some Silver Age stuff.

The Comics Dungeon
250 NE 45th Street
Seattle WA 98105
(206) 545-8373

The most reliable place to go for cheap comics is Half Price Books. Condition of the books varies, but most comics are half of cover price. They have a clearance rack with most comics at 25¢. The downside for the clearance books is that they all have price tags on them. The best one to check out in Seattle is the Capitol Hill store.

Half Price Books Capitol Hill
115 Belmont Ave. East
Seattle, WA 98102
206-267-7777

The Fantagraphics Bookstore in Georgetown has a half-off room that mostly has scratch and dent stock from their warehouse. I scored a copy of the oversized hardcover The Frank Book, chock full of Jim Woodring goodness that was in pretty good shape for being half off. I have seen a few odd finds in there from other publishers, like a signed edition of Blankets and a volume of the Shazam Archives.

Fantagraphics Bookstore
1201 South Vale Street (at Airport Way S.)
Seattle, WA 98108
206-658-0110

These are all stores within the Seattle city limits. Bargains may be out there in other areas of the Puget Sound, but I have yet to stumble across them.

[Fnord Serious]

I forgot to mention...

The Dreaming, which has numerous bins of unbagged backissues that sell for cover price. If you go back far enough and only buy books from the 80's and early 90's, it effectively acts as a dollar bin.

The Dreaming
5226 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 525-9394‎

[Earlobe of Agamotto]

Name: Galactic Quest

Location Buford and Lawrenceville, GA (metro Atlanta)

http://www.galacticquest.com/

#1 Bin Description:

They have a couple dollar bins, but the greatest thing about this store is their $.25 bins, which are numerous and tend to contain great stuff. You'll find a ton of 90's crap in there like any other quarter bin, but I've found tons of Valiant comics, Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld, ROM, 70's Dr. Strange, later Defenders issues, and Moon Knight.

If you plan to stop by, let me know, maybe we can meet-up!

[matchkitjohn]

This isn't a store but its a semi-monthly show here in Michigan. There's a vendor from Ohio called Fearless Reader and they always bring some nice $1 current year books (about 6 or 7 boxes). There are some other nice .25 and .50 vendors. Planning on going to the show this month. I think someone has mentioned on the forum before.

City, State - Livonia, MI
Store Name - X-TRAVA-CON COMIC BOOK, TOYS AND NON-SPORTS CARD SHOW
Address - KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HALL
19801 Farmington Rd.
(BETWEEN 7 & 8 MILE RD) in Livonia, MI.

Januaray 20, 2008
March 9, 2008
April 13, 2008
July 13, 2008
August 17, 2008
September 14, 2008
November 16, 2008

Hours: 10am to 4pm

This post has been edited by matchkitjohn: 03 November 2008 - 08:49 PM

[optimusblack2007]

This isn't a store but its a semi-monthly show here in Michigan. There's a vendor from Ohio called Fearless Reader and they always bring some nice $1 current year books (about 6 or 7 boxes). There are some other nice .25 and .50 vendors. Planning on going to the show this month. I think someone has mentioned on the forum before.

City, State - Livonia, MI
Store Name - X-TRAVA-CON COMIC BOOK, TOYS AND NON-SPORTS CARD SHOW
Address - KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HALL
19801 Farmington Rd.
(BETWEEN 7 & 8 MILE RD) in Livonia, MI.

Januaray 20, 2008
March 9, 2008
April 13, 2008
July 13, 2008
August 17, 2008
September 14, 2008
November 16, 2008

Hours: 10am to 4pm

Are you still going to this months show? If so, let me know. I may have to send you some money and a list if you don't mind.