This is a list of places that have affordable back issue selections, primarily dollar bins or priced-to-move comics. It’s mostly comic books shops, but the occasional antique store or discount warehouse pops up. The listings are alphabetized by state, then by city, then by store name, all in the US save for a few Canadian entries.
I’ll be updating this list whenever I get new information. I sparked this index over on Facebook, but the list grew with the help of the Copra Press Club, when members started adding their local hubs. Most of the descriptions are mine (marked MF) otherwise it was a CPC addition or the submitted information was minimal.
It should go without saying that this list is for a very specific type of comics commitment. There are tons of other amazing stores that specialize in new comics & trades, alternative & small press, toys & statues, all that and more. The stores listed below have the space and the stock to accommodate a bin diver’s impulse.
This megalist was made in the spirit of sharing interests, pooling efforts, and spreading the word on small businesses. It’s a valuable resource that I hope your inner bin diver finds useful.
And if you ever need a good starting point for some back issue recommendations, look no further than right here.
CALIFORNIA
House of Secrets · Burbank, Los Angeles · Has a small back room.
Spero’s Heroes · Chatsworth, Los Angeles · Has an entire back room dedicated to it.
Pulp Fiction Comics · Culver City, Los Angeles · Has a great island of $1 books.
Collectors Paradise · Pasadena, Los Angeles · Has about a dozen boxes or so dedicated to it.
Now Or Never Comics · San Diego · $2 bins in the shop, ten books for only $15.
Southern California Comics · San Diego · Has a literal ton of dollar bins that take up a large section of the shop.
COLORADO
Grand Slam Greeley Sports Cards, Comics, and Games · Greeley · Incredible selection of 80s/90s alternative Comics. Two stores owned by brothers, one brother loved alternative comics and the other loved super heroes. This is the alt comics location.
Grand Slam Gaming Cards Comics · Loveland · Two stores owned by brothers, one brother loved alternative comics and the other loved super heroes. This is the super hero location.
CONNECTICUT
Cave Comics · Newtown · Dollar books.
FLORIDA
Tate’s Comics · Lauderhill · They don’t have anything like dollar bins, but they have a pretty robust back issue section. I included them here because 1) you can come across affordable rarities and bin miscellany, and 2) because I wanted some FLA representation. An impressive emporium that I always enjoy visiting. -MF
Fallout Comics · Tallahassee · Large $1 [$2?] box section.
GEORGIA
Book Nook · Decatur · There are other stores in this chain, but seemingly each has their own way to price back issues. This location [3073 N Druid Hills Rd] is preferred because they have $0.99 cent bins refreshed weekly with a decent selection of Annuals, Prestige Formats, squarebounds, and a big section of discount trades and hardcovers. If you don’t mind digging and have the patience, you’re sure to strike gold or often find something you didn’t expect.
Dr. No’s Comics & Games · Marietta · [Details pending.]
Infinite Realities · Tucker · Relatively new store but they’re constantly putting out cheap stuff. They have quarter bins with reader quality books and also dollar bins with overstock single issues. Most of the stuff tends to be 80s/90s, with the occasional beat up Bronze age book. They often do buy one get one free on the quarter bin books.
ILLINOIS
Atlas Comics · Chicago · [Details pending.]
Comics4Less · Chicago · [Details pending.]
Graham Crackers · Chicago · Their Lakeview location (as well as their other locations) has a huge dollar back issue basement. Might be 75 cents, actually, but it’s still pretty massive. -MF
Acme Comics · Peoria · Generally reliable 50 cent bins around there; seems to be refreshed semi regularly.
The Great Escape · Bowling Green & Louisville · Lot of 80s, 90s, and 00s, scattered newer stuff in 50 cent bins, refreshed pretty regularly. Other three are in Nashville, TN, see below.
LOUISIANA
Le Coffre Au Tresor · New Orleans, French Quarter · You wouldn’t know it from their online profile, but this is a hole-in-the-wall vintage store with tons of dollar comics from all eras. They also have select back issues & sets reasonably priced. If you ask nicely, they’ll let you dig through the dozen longboxes not on display. As of 2020, though, I’ve heard that their prices have skyrocketed all across the board. Fair warning. -MF
MARYLAND
Third Eye Buys & Bargains · Annapolis · The outlet sidekick store to the already well-stocked and booming Third Eye Comics. This spot is down the block from the main store, too, so it should be super easy to find.
Beyond Comics · Frederick · Good variety, cheap sets a plus.
MASSACHUSETTS
Rubber Chicken · Bellingham · [Details Pending.]
Comics N’More · Easthampton · Fantastic store, healthy bins.
His & Hers Comics · Greenfield · Quarter bins filled with all sorts of 80s and 90s stuff.
Harrison’s Comics · Salem · [Details Pending.]
The Outer Limits · Waltham · [Details Pending.]
That’s Entertainment · Worcester · [Details Pending.]
New England Comics · [Five locations. Details Pending.]
MICHIGAN
Liberty Comics · Roseville · Dollar books, good selection of standard back issues.
MINNESOTA
Nerdin Out · Inver Grove Heights · Has a bunch of dollar bins and you can fill up a paper bag with dollar books for $10 (and the bags fit about 20).
Midway Used & Rare Books · St. Paul · Big bins of comics and magazines in the basement for $1-$2.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Stairway to Heaven Comics · Newington · “Dollar Dungeon” with a wide selection of $1 issues; skews toward more recent post-2000 books, but also can dig some older indie books; everything bagged and boarded.
Jetpack Comics · Rochester · “Sale Room” with $2 Marvel/DC books and $1 indies; a huge range of books where you can sometimes pull gems like Kirby Kamandis, early Yummy Furs, etc.
Chris’s Comics · Seabrook · 50¢ bins with regular turnover and a huge selection that you can spend full days digging in.
NEW JERSEY
Main Street Comics · Milltown · Quarter bins, dollar books.
East Side Mags · Montclaire · [Details pending.]
JC Comics · North Plainfield · 50 cent bins.
Zapp Comics · Wayne & Manalapan · [Details pending.]
NEW YORK
Parlor City Cards & Collectibles · Binghamton · A modest and mostly organized back issue section within a trading card / old school video game store. Most of the comics I came across were a dollar, but they’re mixed in with reasonably priced back issues (unless they’re not priced, in which case they’ll have to look it up.) Mostly Marvel/DC + an “indie” section. -MF
Koch’s Warehouse · Brooklyn · A wonderful maze. Easy to get lost in — good for us maniacs. You have to call ahead and make an appointment during the week, but they’re open on weekends. Although they have several sections of dollar comics, make sure you go deeper into the warehouse to gain access to a larger and quasi-organized back issue section. That’s where you’ll also find rare magazines, foreign editions, fanzines, complete sets, and tons of awesome randomness. Never hesitate to ask the owner Joe to help you find something specific. Whatever you find will be reasonably priced. -MF
Pinocchio Collectibles · Brooklyn · Meager dollar bins but the place is a time capsule. Super old school hoarder spot run by a Russian couple. Not the best back issue prices, but it’s where all trading cards go to die. Post-Covid, tho? Might be worth calling before visiting. -MF
Comic Book Station · Greenpoint, Brooklyn · The back issue prices and the general stock suggests this store’s a vendor who opened a storefront. Solid dollar bins (and $2 bins) plus sets, magazines, and loads of CGC action. Same vibe as Midtown Astoria (see below), both opened around the same time. A very unfortunately-timed trend. -MF
CNY Comic Archive · Clark Mills · Great shop with a nice range of stuff. Their stock is perpetually 50% off, and it’s all pretty cheap to begin with. Very select hours, usually every other Saturday from 9AM-3PM, so make sure you call first. Worth the drive. I wrote more about my experience in detail here. -MF
Heroes Your Mom Threw Out · Elmira · This place is a hole in the wall in the middle of nowhere. Charming and packed to the brim.. Don’t bother bringing a list, as it’s pretty disorganized, and the prices are a mystery up until the check out. (The labels that say “Quarter Bins” are merely suggestions.) Cool spot but I won’t lie: my OCD went into overdrive the couple of times I’ve dropped by this chaos vortex. -MF
Geneva Antique Co-op · Geneva · Great spot for all sorts of things. Basement’s full of dollar comics that easily get priced down the more you get. Main floor has older back issues for good prices, too. -MF
Fat Cat Comics · Johnson City · About a dozen or so dollar bins plus a nice variety of comic related magazines & treasuries. Also stocked with new comics, toys, video games, and more. -MF
Book Off · Manhattan · Short box bins, mostly 90s-new. TPBs/Music/toys/DVDs, too. -MF
October Country · New Paltz · Dollar books, constant half-off sales.
Midtown Comics · Astoria, Queens · This Midtown storefront took its cue from its own annual warehouse sales: discounted trades and a basement full of dollar comics and marked down back issues. Bins aren’t bad if you’re willing to put in the work, but fair warning: it’s largely post-aughts material. -MF
Sound Go Round · Vestal · Toys, vinyl, video games, movies, CDs, graphic novels, and back issues. They have a perpetual “Buy 2, get the 3rd Free” deal and their prices are decent to begin with, so you can usually walk away with comics for $1 to $1.50. Good stuff. -MF
NORTH CAROLINA
Books Do Furnish A Room · Durham · Random bins for fairly cheap — same with their books and music stock. -MF
Mtn. View Antiques · Gastonia · Just west of Charlotte -amazing $1 bin selection that’s restocked weekly.
Time Tunnel Comics & Toys · Hickory · Solid bins full of randomness, ripe w/90s.
Nice Price Books · Raleigh · Good, random selection of dollar comics (maybe 75¢?) with tons of discounted collections, OGNs, and magazines. Mainstream & indie stuff & manga. -MF
Reader’s Corner · Raleigh · Same as the “Furnish” store; see above. -MF
Fanboy Comics · Wilmington · Tons of dollar comics running below the regular back issue bins, mostly 90s to new-ish stock. A handful of extra dollar bins side-by-side discounted trades. Plus many sets, new comics, and collections. -MF
Memory Lane Comics Part II · Wilmington · This shop has about a dozen dollar bins and tons of reasonably priced back issues, plus lots of sets, magazines, and vintage toys. Across the street from the main, original store, which is also well-stocked with new comics, trades, and tons of merchandise. -MF
OREGON
Bingo Used Books · Portland · Good, varied selection. -MF
Cosmic Monkey Comics · Portland · Great selection of back issues and discounted ($5) trades that range from common to some great surprises. They have frequent 50% off sales and one of the best selections in Portland.
Excalibur Comics · Portland · This shop has been open for 35+ years and has some true gems that have been sitting there for a very long time. Prices do range, but can be good to fill in gaps you have been struggling with elsewhere. Note: They bag all issues, but do not use boards.
Frankenstein’s Comicbook Swap · Portland · Frank’s Comic Swap happens about every 4 months, usually at the Eagle’s Lodge in SE Portland.
Tasteecat Comics [ex-Cloud 9 Comics] · Portland · Decent dollar bins with occasional store wide sales on top.
PENNSYLVANIA
Eides · Pittsburgh · First floor is mostly dollar bins, basement is (generally cheap) back issues and so on. Very close to downtown, definitely worth a look. [Fully endorsed. -MF]
New Dimension Comics · Homestead · There are several locations scattered throughout PA, but this location has since moved to a smaller shop. While it still has a dozen boxes or so, it’s not as good as when it had 250,000 $1 comics (and sales as low as 25¢).
Captain Blue Hen · Lancaster · Not to be confused with another regular comic store of the same name. This is one’s a church basement with peculiar hours and a good selection of deeply stank comics. -MF
TENNESSEE
Towne Square Records and Comics · Gallatin · NE of Nashville, but worth the drive. Store is (literally) split in half between vinyl and comics. Huge selection of very reasonably priced, organized back issues of every kind from all eras, cheap trades, and tons of dollar bins. Only sticking point is the dollar bins are on the floor. Also, just my one experience, but the owner was knocking the prices down unprompted for anyone buying a decent amount of stuff.
901 Comics · Memphis · Back room full of semi alphabetized 50 cent comics. A few 70s titles but mostly 80s-00s, all in varying conditions.
The Great Escape · Nashville [5 locations] · Can confirm, three locations, one is in West Nashville, one in Madison, north of downtown, and the other, newest one is a pretty decent drive southeast in Murfreesboro with a somewhat smaller selection. Lots of 80s, 90s, and 00s, and scattered newer stuff in 50 cent bins, refreshed pretty regularly. Other two are in Kentucky, see above. [Recently went there and was impressed by the sheer magnitude of organized stuff. Not just comics but magazines, newspapers, loose/packaged toys, CDs/tapes/vinyl… it didn’t stop. New comics, trades, and back issues, too. As for the cheaper bins of 80s-Modern Age, “$0.49” stickers will adorn the back covers, which I totally don’t mind. Highly recommended. –MF]
McKay’s · Nashville and Chattanooga · Used media chain around the southeast, I forget they have quarter bins with a pretty wide selection on the top floor (Nashville location, anyway). [This is another huge store in Nashville that has tons of… just everything. As far as the bins go, they’re a quarter, but the price stickers are way larger and slapped on the cover of the comic. You’ll have better luck with the “back issues” proper; good stuff for roughly under 2 bucks. –MF]
VIRGINIA
McKay Used Books · Manassas · Not to be confused with McKay’s (above), and where you can find 50 cent comics.
Cerebral Vortex · Richmond · A modern gem. Tucked within the Regency Mall, this is the store I dreamed of as a kid. Vast selection, unbeatable prices, super friendly atmosphere. An incredible experience all around. Comes with the highest possible recommendation. I’m not alone in this assessment. -MF
Velocity Comics · Richmond · This is a huge, awesome, well-stocked store with just about everything you can want. The word on the street is that they “added around ten long boxes of dollar books.” In any case, well worth the visit. Recommended. -MF
WASHINGTON
Destiny City Comics · Tacoma · Zine section with old COPRA issues, large overstock, back issues section, quarter, and dime bins.
WISCONSIN
Claremont Comics· Eau Claire · Twice a year runs a month long dollar book blitz on the majority of back issues.
Powers Comics · Green Bay · [Details Pending.]
Lost World of Wonders · Milwaukee · [Details Pending.]
House of Heroes · Oshkosh · [Details Pending.]
Vortex Comics · West Allis · [Details Pending.]
CANADA
Strange Adventures · Nova Scotia · This awesome shop has several store shops and locations. -MF
Hagaland Comic Book Warehouse · Kitchener, Ontario · [Details pending.]
Heroes · London, Ontario · [Details Pending.]
The Beguiling · Toronto, Ontario · New location settled, excellent store top to bottom. Varied back issue section for great prices. -MF
Comic Book Addiction · Whitby, Ontario · [Details Pending.]
