The Fantasy Shop - South County — Local services in Concord

Treated very rudely initially by the employee but the other employees were so nice to me that it made up for it. I was visiting from out of town and saw this shop as we walked by and decided to go in and check it out. They had a nice little setup in there and since it was Friday night, they had a Magic game going on. I walk up to the worker sitting down and putting some stock away and ask an employee named Josh “Hey is there a magic game going on?” And instead of making conversation with me about it, as every comic book employee should with their customers, he just coldly tells me to ask him for help if I need it. Alright not a big deal, he didn’t feel like talking. So after my girlfriend and I browse around for a few minutes I decide to ask him for some suggestions on what I could read over the weekend. It was very clear from the start that he was having a bad day, it was also clear that not only did he not want to be there at work but he also had no interest in helping me. I started by asking him to suggest to me a good original story I could read. He replies by saying “Well you’re not really telling me what you want, so I don’t know what to tell you.” First off, he should already have some suggestions in mind. If I was some grandpa coming in wanting to get a graphic novel for my grandson and I had no idea what to say then as a comic book store employee he should already have some suggestions off the top of his head. He pointed out some novels and barely said anything about them and then I tell him “Well like Alan Moore, I really liked Watchmen. I like Frank Miller. I’ve read a lot of Batman. What’s a good one like that?” Again he says how I am not telling him much and he doesn’t know what to suggests to me. Even though I just told him what authors and comics I have enjoyed before, he was still unable to assist me. So now at this point his customer service is just inexcusable. He should know what to suggests to me, he should have been way nicer to me, way more talkative, asking me a lot more questions on what I liked. Instead he continued to make me feel unwelcomed and like he didn’t even want to talk to me. I almost felt embarrassed getting help from him because he made me feel stupid. Finally, the store manager Scott got up from the Magic game he was playing and helped me out. It seemed like he heard I was struggling with He was very nice and went through several suggestions with me and asked me questions until he found a graphic novel that I liked. If it was not for Scott then that store would have lost a sale and I would have left angry and without making a purchase. I ended up really enjoying the graphic novel he suggested. But on top of all that I went up to the counter to pay for it and Josh helped me check out. He had a chance to redeem himself right there and be polite and friendly to me and I would have forgiven him for his poor service and brushed it off. So I started talking about other comics I’ve read to him as he is ringing me out and instead of making conversation with me he simply tells me how much it is and takes my credit card. Beyond unfriendly. I ended up calling the store a couple days later to complain and Chad answered the phone and received my feedback very well. Overall it was a great store and a cool shop, it just sucks that one employee having a bad day can ruin your experience there. I would go again for their great selection but I hope I don’t get Josh to...

My best friend passed away in March of this year. She was really into Dungeons and Dragons, comic books, and similar things. In college, she took me to my first comic book store. Despite my living on the fringe of these worlds, I thoroughly enjoyed going to the comic book store with her. Back then, I had a crush on She Hulk and that kept me busy while she explored the shelves in her fantasy sanctuaries.

She always wanted me to play D&D with her - I was scared for some reason. She told me I'd be great and have a lot of fun. At some point, I'll play in her honor. Naturally, when I saw the store sign, I was curious. I thought, "Courtney would love this, I'm sure. I should go take a peak." My job transferred me to South County a few months ago and I've been looking your way every day since then. Today was the day.

I walked in and was greeted by a friendly employee and a welcoming LGBTQ section. The vibe was calm and familiar. Despite never being there before, the shop was easy to navigate. I perused almost every shelf. Sensing the employee would have loved to assist me, I wanted to engage in conversation. However, I held back, after a few comics almost moved me to tears, which would have been both joyful and messy. Plus, if I spoke, I risked saying, "My best friend brought me here today. She's dead. Say, 'Hi, Ghost of Courtney.'"

I found several delightful magnets - hero fandoms for the work freezer and D&D for me and my late besties mom and brother. I also found an incredibly exciting book on world building, something I'd never thought too much about before today. This store obviously has a lot to offer, a lot of different people. I'm endlessly grateful for the inclusive, inviting, and magical experience of visiting your store. Looking forward to...

I have fond childhood memories of climbing the steps to The Fantasy Shop stairs back when they were located off Kirkwood road. I've frequented them for decades at multiple locations.

Imagine my surprise when I brought my 7 year-old son there today after a long hiatus. The first thing you see on the door is the "Real heroes wear masks" sign (I guess implying we are villains since we weren't?).

The second thing you see after opening the door is the "Wonderfully Queer" display straight in front of you, at child eye level. A little further in is the BLM display. I came to look at games with my son, not to attend a political rally. The message is pretty clear: If you are looking for a family-friendly shop, and if you're a conservative, Christian, or have moved on from Covid, this shop isn't for you.

Dad to say, the Shop just lost a shot at making a...