Vancouver - RX Comics going out of business sale 0

[Flatliner1313]

Today is the saddest day in Vancouver Comic History. Aaron has announced he is closing RX Comics. Which is just slightly better than when David Bowie died. It's a tragedy of incalculable measure. It's no secret RX has been my store of choice in the city, and not just because of its convenient location. Aaron was cool. He kept it *spoon* 100. He refused to be anything other than a pure comic book store, and didn't pollute his shelves with Yugi-oh cards or sports stuff. If you wanted some weird hardcore French pornographic graphic novel that was only distributed in the Palace of Versailles gift shop, this was the guy you asked about it. If you were short on cash and wanted to offer to stick your *spoon* in to a rotating fan blade in exchange for the newest Issue of Batman, he was the only guy that would entertain that offer. RX comics always had this element of Danger to it, like all the old Vancouver greats. You risked getting mugged by the junkies on Main. You risked being trapped like a Chilean miner under falling long boxes. They played grunge and metal music to scare away the hipsters and the posers eating poached eggs and Paisley next door.

 

RX comics was basically the Pantera concert of comic stores.

 

Anyway, starting on Saturday Jan.7 they are beginning their going out of business sale. Here are the details straight from their FB page.

 

 

CLOSING OUT SALE!!!

EVERYTHING MUST GO!!!

Starting tomorrow, January 7th, EVERYTHING in the store will be 50% OFF!!!

This includes all the comics on the new rack as well as all Books, Action Figures, etc...

Help us lighten our load and get some great deals while you're at it.

(excludes subscription boxes, or anything set aside prior to the start of the sale)

[Flatliner1313]

And if for some reason some of you vancouver collectors aren't familiar with the place...

 

2418 Main Street (just North of Broadway), Vancouver, BC, V5T 3E2

Phone: 604.454.5099

Hours: Monday 11-5, Tuesday 11-6, Wednesday-Saturday 11-7, Sunday and Holidays 12-6.

[Fan Boy]

Wow... thanks for the heads up. I was surprised that RX Comics would be gone soon. I was thinking of visiting to see what it is like. Guess I should go today to browse with a friend.

[aardvark88]

Rx has a decent selection of Archies, Dennis Menace digests near the front door long box for about 50c each.

[Fan Boy]

Rx has a decent selection of Archies, Dennis Menace digests near the front door long box for about 50c each.

 

my friend took all 4 boxes of them for lot less than the half dollar coin per.

Good deal!

 

I found a small batch of low grade late 1940s Classics, some SA/BA/CA books. Had to do a little digging in the dang narrow paths! My butt get more attention with other butts rubbing like dogs!

[aardvark88]

Crowded, hot, narrow aisles but all types of graphic novels (Saga), some floppy comics, lots of art books (Wally Wood), some anime type toys being sold Sat. Just bought Mike Zeck Artist Edition IDW Marvel Comic Stories. Rx also has Sunday Press and Dark Horse oversized comic newspaper art books.

 

Surprised Flatliner did not buy the 2 Yoshi Amano Japanese import painted art books at 1/2 price although they were buried in assorted boxes. No other Vancouver, BC area comic shop stocks such strange French oversized art books either.

[Fan Boy]

The question is ... what is RX comics' endgame when the sale ends? Not the store closed, but the overstock in there.

 

I was amazed how so many boxes stacked up inside the store. I had only seen less than 1/3 and the rest are buried deep under tables, and what about the stockroom in behind with even more stacks of boxes? I wonder what is buried else?

 

If I get a second chance to revisit again ... next week or no?

[Black_Adam]

 

Too bad, never had a chance to check RX out. What did them in, the gentrification along the Kingsway and Main Street corridors kicking their rent into the stratosphere? Or buying more inventory than there was a realistic demand for?

[aardvark88]

Rx seemed to order carefully based on the fact that they had over 100 subscribers for such a small brick n mortar storefront. I never saw Rx order 500 copies of Star Wars (Marvel relaunch) #1 or 300 copies of Miller's Dark Knight #1 to chase the incentive covers like other Vancouver area shops.

 

After 14 years at that location, just breaking even each month due to skyrocketing rents, monthly high property tax (e.g. East Vancouver condo property tax increased 43%, Coquitlam house property tax went up 60% in 1 year), paying for 2 staff daily, and gentrification (snazzy cafe may want to move in March 1, 2017) did Rx in. I am sure we will see the Pop toys, 100 long and short boxes of floppies, trades, graphic novels, and art book liquidated at local comicons this year.

[malvin]

I did not even know about this but thanks to this thread I went to check it out.

 

I almost didn't buy anything but saw a few Grant Morrison Doom Patrol trades so I checked it out.

 

Malvin

[BanditBren]

Is there anything left of interest? I just want to know if it's worth a trip from the burbs.

 

Only been here once. Talked with the owner for a while about the Rebirth launch. Super nice guy. Too bad he had to shut down but sadly as rents go up and sales/margins stay the same we'll see more of this.

[aardvark88]

There is still a wide variety of long box bins, trade paperbacks, graphic novels, Pop toys, illustrated books and art mags to choose from. Walking Dead, Saga, X-23, and DC Rebirth back issues probably picked over by now. Lots to dig through still in the compact Rx store.

[aardvark88]

For those that could not afford 1/2 price, the back issues and toys are now 75% off sticker price. Rx seems to have pulled their hot box and box of 1960s-70s Dell, Gold Key, romance.

New, unbagged comics or newish graphic novels, trade paperbacks, and art books are 1/2 of the USA price. Still lots of boxes to dig through this week.

 

Rx will not be selling at Heritage Hall con end of Jan, 2017.

Edited January 15, 2017 by aardvark88

[Fan Boy]

Whoa... when did Rx start do that discount number? Today or tomorrow?

[aardvark88]

Higher discounts seem to have started Sat. Jan. 14, 2017. Ray was inside buying before I got there Sat. after work. When I left, Ray was still buying. Lots of toys hanging on wall left at 75% off sticker.

 

For those that can't afford $1 comics, the blow out long boxes at the front door may be down to 25c or 12.5c each.

Bags, boards, boxes not on sale.

[Fan Boy]

Went there today at the opening (noon) and I noticed it was bit less cramped of stuff than my last time. I was about to start pulling out some issues out of a long box under the top opened box...then the guy from desk told me that I can't do that. Why not, I asked. Only all OPENED boxes on top of all boxes are 70% off sale (back issues). Not the closed boxes below these boxes. He said is by his boss's orders.

 

There goes my interest gone, and nothing in top boxes get my attention. Knew all the good ones were long long gone. All I can find is a couple of thick manga novels that I like to read, at 50% off.

 

Went home on way and had stopped at train station to inquire about ticket information for the trip to Seattle for ECCC in March. Done, all ready to go.

[lou_fine]

Is there anything left of interest? I just want to know if it's worth a trip from the burbs.

 

 

Only if you are into common Modern books as they don't really carry any valuable collectible books of any kind.

 

I asked the owner about any BA books from the 70's and he said that all of that stuff was long gone years ago.

[lou_fine]

After 14 years at that location, just breaking even each month due to skyrocketing rents, monthly high property tax (e.g. East Vancouver condo property tax increased 43%, Coquitlam house property tax went up 60% in 1 year), paying for 2 staff daily, and gentrification (snazzy cafe may want to move in March 1, 2017) did Rx in. I am sure we will see the Pop toys, 100 long and short boxes of floppies, trades, graphic novels, and art book liquidated at local comicons this year.

 

I believe the property taxes aren't going up by that much in just one year. The numbers you are referring to are the increases in the property tax assessments which is supposedly a reflection on the value of the property. The residential tax itself is only supposed to be going up by 3.9% for this coming year, even though residential property values have gone up in the 30% to 50% in the city on a year over year basis.

 

I spoke to the owner today and he said that he had never seen so many people in his store until this sale. Definitely more than when I normally go in there. When I mentioned if the closure was due to high rents, he hinted that the real reason were the marketing strategies of the greedy publishers which made it really hard for a small store like his to stay in business.

[Flatliner1313]

Half the store is gone now.

[aardvark88]

Wow, guess Rx backed up a rental cube truck Monday, and loaded as many long boxes as he could to stock his eBay shop.

 

Like other comic retailers in the Vancouver area, Rx should not have ordered 1:50, 1:100 variants thinking he was going to get rich in 2016. Just too many waves of variants every Wed. from comics publishers that swamped LCS and they ran out of room warehousing the unsold the last 2 years.