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My first stop in Colorado was at a place called the Outer Limits in Pueblo (1418 E. US Hwy 50). It was Wednesday, new comic book day. I wanted to see what their store was like at peak hours so I went at lunch time (which is the absolute busiest time at Zeus Comics, the store I frequent in my home town of Dallas). It was extremely lonely. I was the only one there. One guy slipped in real quick and grabbed a Civil War comic and then slipped right out. And that was it. Except for me and my curious nature. They did have comics, though. They just weren't very well organized. That Civil War issue that the other guy came in for was just released that day but wasn't on the shelf. He had to ask for it and the lady working the store had to check in the back. She came out with one and he was on his way. I couldn't find half the comics I was looking for on the shelf which made me stop and wonder if they even bother to carry all the regular titles. When I was checking out, I also wanted that Civil War issue. This time, when I asked for one, the lady digs one out of a pile under the counter. It's just odd that these comics had just come in a few hours earlier and are already kinda scattered to the four winds. In addition to having poorly organized new comics, the store had scant few back issues that went any further back than 2004. I asked the shop keeper how long they had been in business and she told me that the Outer Limits had been around for 13 years (2 years in this location). She had apparently started the store after her husband passed away having decided that the one thing that Pueblo really needed was a comic book store. She's not a comic book reader or collector. Just thought it would make a good business. I gave her $10.77 for a few comics. I don't think she's going to be getting rich off of my business. She still offerered me a frequent buyer card. I left her with a PositiveBrand card and headed off into the big city in search of Pueblo's other comic book store. After some very convoluted and confusing crosstown driving, I finally found myself in front of the Today Store (1801 Santa Fe Dr). I was so sure, after experiencing the meager offerings of the Outer Limits, that the Today Store would be Pueblo's shining light for comics. Truth be told, it ws hardly any better at all. New comics were much more organized. And it seemed as if they carried all the usual suspects. But again, the back issues were just not a big part of the store. I asked the lady working this store (the sister of the owner who was apparently out today) about their back issues and she explained that they had been picked through years before and it's just not something that they're trying to keep up with. They've been around for 20 years. The store owner's sister claims to read a few comic books from time to time. But I didn't believe her. I asked her if her brother was a big collector and she said that the store was his collection. Again, this visit was around lunchtime on the same Wednesday but I was the only customer. I guess the big disappointment is not finding any jewels to speak of. Whether it's a silver age issue that's hard to find or just a recent issue that's totally sold out, I always hope to find some kind of great bargain at these small town comic shops. No joy this time. I did pick up a new release that I hadn't seen at the Outer Limits. Of all the towns I've had a chance to search for comics in, Pueblo must be the worst. It's almost like these two stores were government issue comic book stores. Some one decided that Pueblo must have at least 12 drug stores, 4 fabric stores, 3 army surplus stores, and 2 comic book stores. I've never experienced such completely souless stores before. Void of personality. No sign of any enthusiasm for comics. Just boxes and shelves. My closet makes a better comic book store, frankly. If you are planning to make a trip to Pueblo, be sure to take your own comics. So, what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Give us your feedback. |
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