Graded Books

As promised, each day we will be updating brainstormcomics.com and our Facebook page with ways we plan on making Free Comic Book Day even more special for those who love our amazing hobby.

Today, we introduce the Brainstorm raffle! The prizes will be as follows:

Grand prize: $75 gift card to Brainstorm Comics

2nd prize: $50 gift card to Brainstorm Comics

3rd prize: $25 gift card to Brainstorm Comics

The cost of entry? Well, they don’t call it Free Comic Book Day for nothing–that’s right, zilch, zero, nada, nothing.

You get free comics and a chance to win even MORE free stuff!

Check back tomorrow for another FCBD update. On Thursday we will unveil our new t-shirt which should be available May 2nd as well. You won’t want to miss the new look created by Keith Lopez.

And Friday, we will reveal the sales you can’t afford to miss!

New Year’s is always a day for reflection. Here at Brainstorm Comics, it is especially a time for that tradition, not just because of the blank slate the first day of the year represents, but because it is the anniversary of when Mike and John purchased the store.

January 1st 2017 represents our two-year anniversary of the owning the Frederick comic landmark, bringing many thoughts and remembrances of Mike and John’s time with you, the loyal customers. Much has changed over the last two years and we like to hope it is for the better.

The first major change was switching rooms for the comics and gaming, a shift which made many people nervous in the beginning. Once the dust settled, however, both gamers and comic fans appreciated the change as an improvement for both sections. And we appreciate that each of you gave us an opportunity to show that this change was not made in haste, that we had a plan.

The second major change was our logo–the animated Mike and John–provided by Tony and Keith Lopez. Hopefully you guys and gals enjoy the caricatures as much as Mike and John do.

The third major change was the influx of graded books. We have an ever-growing collection of key appearances and important happenings being displayed in the store. Come 2017, you’ll see more added there. Keep your eyes glued to the website and Facebook to see some jaw-dropping books.

Next, we started bagging and boarding every comic two weeks after they hit the shelves. This was met with skepticism at first by a few customers, but more and more, customers are telling us they like the fact that it protects the quality of the books. It is labor intensive, but we feel like the books and customers we love are worth it. We don’t want you to purchase damaged books and the change has helped ensure we don’t.

The next major change in the store was the opening of the back issue room. Thousands upon thousands of back issues (and, like the graded books, growing all the time) are now available in our side room. We do apologize it took us so long to get the room opened, but we wanted it to be organized and well-stocked.

The last major change was in-store gaming as we added Board Game Nights and Magic tournaments to our offerings. Board game nights are changing a little beginning in January. It will still be every other Thursday, but we will be running it from 7 pm to 9 pm. We will close the doors at 8 pm so Mike and John have an opportunity to meet our gamers and have some fun. It is something both of us are very excited about. Magic continues to grow as people learn that we offer a laid-back and easy going environment that isn’t ultra-competitive. We thank our Magic guys for showing new players the ropes and not putting winning in bloodbaths above the growth and enjoyment of the game.

We want you to know that each of these changes are made with you in mind. More updates to the store are coming, ones I won’t spoil here, but I promise you that they will be ones that the majority will approve of. Every day, as we walk around the store, we think about how to improve the experience. Help us out–whenever you stop in, let us know what else you want to see Brainstorm Comics do or carry.

This brings us to our favorite question we are asked–“What is your favorite part of owning a hobby store?”

A lot of people would give answers like, “I’m my own boss” or “I get to read books all day or play the games I love.” While we definitely enjoy those aspects of the business, what really makes it worthwhile and rewarding is you, the customer and friend. As informative as we try to be for you, we learn just as much from you guys and gals. For every recommendation we have made, we have had one given to us.

Much like last year, our sales continue to grow and more people continue to find us. We don’t pat ourselves on the back for that; we know it is you helping Frederick find or rediscover its original hobby store.

And we thank you for that. We can never truly show our full appreciation. As an attempt, though, we are running another thank you and anniversary sale through Monday January 2nd. It’s a small token of our appreciation.

New Comics, Back Issues (non-slabbed), grahpic novels – 20% off
Board Games – 10% off
Magic packs – $3.50
Magic singles – 10% off

Again, we can never thank you enough for what you do for us each and every day or the countless discussions you provide us with on a daily basis.

We could go on and on, but we will leave it there for now.

Have a great, safe and happy New Year. We know we will have one with the support you guys and gals provide. 🙂

We hope all of you have a safe and happy holiday season.