Anyone Comics — Local services in New York

I don’t know if the staff person in today was having a bad day or something, but they unfortunately made me feel very uncomfortable and unwelcomed to the store.

It was my first time visiting, and I was surprised to see no one in front welcoming guests; instead the only staff person was in the back chilling (which is fine with me, just found it a little odd no one budged when a new guest entered)

When I asked the staff person to repeat herself due to wearing a mask, they looked annoyed which made me feel even more awkward.

I grabbed a comic from the $1 bin but when it got rang up, it was $4, and was given no explanation as to why. And lastly, when I put out my hand for my change while saying “Thank you” the staff person dropped it onto the counter instead and immediately went back to their phone without saying “thank you for your purchase” or “have a good day”.

The whole experience just felt...

I greatly enjoyed my visit to Anyone Comics. I have wanted to learn how to play MTG so I popped in to have a chat. The staff was impressively inviting and friendly. They gave me 2 Welcome Booster packs and invited me to their weekly Saturday tournament.

I showed up on Saturday to see a diverse group of welcoming folx who were happy to sit down with me and teach me the game. Between tournament rounds, one of them would play a game with me and teach me how turns worked, tips on how to manage a deck, and coach me on how cards can complement each other. I ended up staying there for 6 hours hanging out and learning from them.

Their patrons speak volumes to the kind of community Anyone Comics creates, nurtures, and grows. I will certainly be back again to hang with these great folx and browse their collection of art, comics, graphic...

I went there by car last Saturday evening and found free street parking down the block. The shopkeeper, I think his name is Dmitri, was friendly and saw that I was looking at back issues. He recommended a monthly event at the store, every Monday evening, when people can bring in books and trade with one another. He was very nice. I also observed him chatting with other customers and making recommendations. I saw some kids coming up from the basement after playing, I think, Magic. It seemed like a really friendly place, very kid-friendly, LGBQTA friendly. I wish there had been a bigger back issue selection, but there were plenty of modern stuff to choose from. The wall books seemed priced right. Overall, it was a nice place.

Update, 8/2/2020 - they had a comic swap! How cool is that? Super fun...