Alchemist's Cove Games & Comics — Local services in Schuylkill Haven

This is mainly a gaming and card store but they do also have a very nice variety of contemporary comic books! There's also a good variety of trade paperbacks and back issues from the last 10 to 15 years. I think it's a really great place as a whole and I highly recommend it, especially for gamers. If you're looking for a traditional comic book shop this may not meet your expectations. But I personally find this place to be a breath of fresh air in regards to comic book shops. First I will point out that they have a very balanced selection of marvel, DC, and third-party/independent titles. Second I will also give them praise for the fact that they do not immediately bag and board comics and mark up their price. If something doesn't fully sell it stays on the rack for a while, like months, and eventually they will bag it and board it and add it to the back issue section. But it is never marked up. In fact, this shop has been doing something even better than that.... They are selling their back issues for 50% off! It is amazing and delightful to see something like that in a comic shop. And the fourth thing that makes me very happy about this particular comic shop is that I could walk into their secondary room and dig through the back issues or browse the shelves of trade paperbacks without being followed or watched by employees (Yes, there are cameras though). It's a comfortable place with friendly people and I don't feel as if I'm going to get in trouble for touching stuff. I think the employees here are really nice and helpful. I also applaud them for constantly having card game activities going on for the community. This area is much more into gaming and cards then it is with comics. So I think it's very smart that this place leans heavily into the gaming community and does not allow itself to turn into a comic museum. Running card games for the community, selling cards and decks, as well as even being in the business of buying cards can be a very difficult thing to do. And I applaud this place for doing it all very well and making it welcoming and inviting for all age groups. I particularly appreciate that it's a family-friendly atmosphere to walk into without adult themed images or language. it can be a very difficult business when a store deals with not only adult gamers and comic collectors, but also children, teens and general parents. This place does it well, and I hope they continue to grow. I love coming here and feeling like I could just browse the old and new comics. All the best...

I went here because I was going just over an hour away to Allentown for my comics and wanted to see if I was wasting gas as this was much closer. I wasn't. They use most of the large floor space so the dude's friends can play collectible card games, as 70% of the floor was just tables. They had new comics and I did not see any back issues. My 9 year old autistic son was looking at a DC comic card game and he asked me about itq. I haven't played card games since the 90s and tried to explain the game to my son but I was unsure if it still had expansion packs being sold. The dude's friend started staring at me with a disgusted face as if I was retarded. I explained it's been a long time for me to play and I was unsure. He kept making the same face making it uncomfortable for my kids and I. The owner thought it was funny. Friend or not, I would have kicked him out, at least for the remainder of the day. I worked retail management and I know the effect how toxic customers that are friends can ruin casual customers from coming in. The only reason for 1 star is that they sold some comics, other than that it's not a comic book store. It's a hangout for his clubhouse to play games and...

Great. I think the owner is the person I've dealt with both times and he's a really good guy. Love that they have 10 month old issues at cover price on the rack stacked behind the new releases. Probably not the place for you if you like vintage comics, but their back issues do go back at least a couple years. Some can be hard to get to, it would be easier if they set up a more dedicated back issue system for flipping through the boxes, like having them on tables instead of underneath. Minor complaint though, overall this is a great comic shop with really...