Newbury Comics — Local services in Manchester

Several years ago, Newbury Comics was my favorite store in The Shoppes, but they've been on a downwards spiral for quite a while now. It's less of a geek/paraphernalia store now and more of a gen Z-trendster shop, with rude employees to boot.

In terms of product, their figurines and comics are borderline non-existent unless you're looking for an onslaught of Pop! figurines, and their prices reflect online scalper prices. In other words, you might as well just shop on Amazon, where there's significantly more selection and better prices. The best thing they're currently offering is their vinyl selection, which while small, does have a passable selection from the 90s and early 2000s, unlike just about every other record shop I've been to. That said, their prices are SIGNIFICANTLY higher than just ordering online.

If you're still looking for an in-person comic/figurine shop, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere. Comics and Collectibles of East Hartford and A Hero's Legacy of Manchester are both infinitely better and are often happy to order what you're...

Living in Avon, its been a challenge to find a decent local comic store (Richie's in Waterbury, Heroes&Hitters in Rocky Hill, and Eye Opener in Newington are all awesome, but quite far for a weekly commute). I was in Hartford so I figured I'd roll over to Manchester last Wednesday to get new comics. When I got to Newbury Comics I sighed, seeing a lot of apparel and no banquet tables piled with long boxes (the staple of any half-decent comic store). There are literally two magazine racks of comics stowed away in a back corner, and get this, the racks are so tight together, and comics jammed so tightly in that every--single--spine--was bent, no, that's not right. They were absolutely destroyed. I understand the industry is a dying one, but why disrespect it so? I walked out without making a purchase. I buy comics to collect them, if I didn't care about bent spines and wrinkled covers I'd skip paper all together and go digital.

NOT A COMIC BOOK STORE, the owners and employees DO NOT CARE ABOUT COMICS! If you do, do...

You would think a store that have frequent problems with damaged new records would have a more consistent, convenient return policy. I’ve purchased three brand new albums in the past year that I’ve had to return because it was scratched. So for the store’s convenience, buyers should 1) make time to listen to your new album immediately regardless of what you’ve got going on, 2) also unwrap the new album and check it for flaws before you deliver them as gifts, and 3) for goodness sake always take a receipt and save it because this store is apparently using such an outdated point of sale system that it cannot look up your transaction with your card like a million others stores located in malls across the country.

It’s easier to just buy...