Excalibur Comics Cards & Games — Local services in Shreveport

I had just moved to Louisiana from Alaska, and I am a game-loving nerd. I comic book rarely at best, but I am in full support of comic book stores since e-reading and tablets are killing physical comics and games. It took me three trips to finally catch the store when it was open (it was closed 30 minutes early one time) and I was disappointed with what I found.

PROS: Large inventory of comic books, very clean and organized, well spaced despite its very small floor space.

CONS: Minimal hours of operation (6 PM closing? Every day? Not even on the weekend when your demographic is free for a change?) really awkward placement of the store (there's construction going on right now, so traffic is pretty bad), and if you don't read comics the chances of you getting what you're looking for will be slim.

The absolute worst thing was the lack of customer service. I went with my wife in tow when there were no other customers. The owner (identified after the trip) was on his phone. His two employees were stocking comics (all six that were out) were dead silent. I waved when I walked in since the only person I saw first was on the phone, but he was staring hard into the counter. I bumped into one of the employees on accident and he ignored me still. No hello, can I help you, what do you need/looking for, friendly conversation. I spent 10 minutes looking for something to buy (and I was looking for the king of tokyo expansion which was there) but left empty handed. I can get the expansion from Amazon for more then $5 cheaper, but I support comic book stores when I can since I know the struggle. If someone had simply acknowledged my existence, they would have a repeat customer. Screw that.

I checked the rest of the reviews before posting this. All of them say they are happy with the place and the owner is friendly, but all the reviews are over a year or two old. If those are true, this place is slipping and needs to get that southern hospitality back before they alienate all of their customers.

TL;DR: Completely ignored when I went, limited inventory other then comic books. I will...

I have a friend who sent me in with a list. It was simple, but the person I asked about the location of a couple of comics on that list said that it would be on the shelf if it was there. I’m not personally into comics so I’m not quite sure what to look for. There is one person who handles working there very nicely. He’s a very personable man who has been helpful a few times. I have been to the store on and off over the years since before it’s location change. It was always way more fun when the aforementioned helpful staff member was there.

The atmosphere is exactly what you’d expect from a decently well-established comic and hobby shop in a small city. But my biggest complaint is the service from the employee first mentioned. I’d recommend that anyone who wants to visit this establishment see who is working that day. I feel like this place has the potential to stick around, but I can imagine quite a few newcomers would be offput by the indifferent attitude of someone who doesn’t much care to respond to customers. It's not the first time it's happened but it may well be the last.

Some might say it’s a bit of a gripe, but for someone who drifts in and out of hobbies based on the experience I have with them, it doesn’t help that the guy can’t even look for the password for the wi-fi when seemingly all cell connections are pretty bad there. All in all, it lost them the business of my friend, possibly for good. And likely myself, at least as long as the indifferent-acting fellow is the shopkeep most days. I think that it’s reasonable to assume that customer service, is going to come first at a small location, competing with large players as it stands. But, if this level of service is what you can expect, then looking elsewhere for your comic/hobby fix, might be...

If you live in the Shreveport-Bossier area and you love comics books, cards, collectibles or role-playing games, then Excalibur Comics Cards & Games is the place for you. I have collected comics since the early 90s, and I have been a loyal Excalibur patron for the majority of those years. As a Shreveport-Bossier native, I have seen many comic shops come and go over the years, yet, one shop has remained: you guessed it. Excalibur.

It's no surprise, really. No store in town can match their selection of new releases and back issue comics. If you like trade paperbacks or graphic novels, they have thousands. Like collectibles? They have a large and varied assortment of action figures, vinyls, busts, statues, banks and plush toys. Plus, they also have lots of cards and role-playing games...if you like that sort of thing.

The Excalibur staff is exemplary. Not only are they very friendly and approachable, they have a vast knowledge of their products. That's very comforting to a customer (ESPECIALLY a collector). If I can't find it in the store, they will literally go to the shelf and find it for you. If they don't have it, they will order it. For comic collectors, they not only offer the standard pull list service, but they will send you an e-mail when your new comics are available. Plus, you can add new comic titles to your list directly from the Excalibur website. VERY CONVENIENT. The store also produces a weekly video web series published on YouTube that entertains viewers and informs its customers of the latest comic releases.

In conclusion, Excalibur Comics Cards & Games is the premiere destination of discerning geeks residing in the Shreveport-Bossier community.

Or for the sake of...