Grand Slam Games & Comics — Local services in City of Olean

As a lifelong comic reader, I’ve had a broad range of experiences with comic stores. This was one of the worst shop experiences I’ve ever had.

To start, my friend and I received 0 acknowledgment from the person at the register until I indicated I was ready to check out. The store was dimly lit and had a musty smell. I had to pull short boxes in various states of disrepair off of a shelf in the back that was set in behind what I can only describe as a big wooden cart full of paper recycling.

The organization of the boxes wasn’t terrible, and I found a few issues I had been looking for. Each issue was marked with a price tag that said $2.25 or $5.25 (and had the shop’s name on them). These prices were a little high compared to what I’d seen other issues in this run priced at, but were tolerable enough to avoid shopping online. Once I got the clerk’s attention and went to check out, I noticed the clerk checking the books in a price guide, and my purchase (which should have been around $15 according to posted sticker price) wound up running closer to $35. I was so stunned by this that I didn’t even really register what had happened until my card was already run. I think if I’d understood this unusual process, I’d have avoided the shop outright.

As it is, let my purchase be your forwarding to...

Small operation. They like to do subscriptions rather than order a lot of extra stock (though they have some, especially the most popular books). I understand this as I have run a small shop in the past and over ordering will kill you cash flow-wise. They appear to be well stocked on MTG and other gaming merchandise. Trevor who is usually working the counter when I go in is pleasant and fairly knowledgeable and will admit if he isn't 100% certain on something rather than feed you a line of BS like people in many shops. They have a lot of back issues but, it is best to ask for assistance as they organization and labelling isn't perfect and Trevor can usually pull the right box out for you quickly. They have done an excellent job in pulling my subscription books (I think they missed one book in about 6 months). They have dice, comic supplies, etc as well at decent prices. They also carry posters and have a lot of vinyl LPs too if that is your thing. Very few complaints. Liz has been very helpful with my monthly orders and the other owner Jay is a decent guy and though not overly chatty he isn't standoffish either. All and all not a bad place and the only...

The owner and his employees are always very helpful and knowledgeable about most of the games in there shop. There is a wide selection of Magic The Gathering card as well as a lot of board games. There is also a wide selection of table top RPG books such as D&D and Pathfinder and many more. There is also a good amount of Warhammer and Warhammer 40K. figures as well as paint for them. Lastly there are also a selection of many comics, games, and even some patches, buttons, and vinyls. All in all this is a great shop for anyone looking to start exploring new games or even a great shop for the...