Long Street Comics

Long Street Comics is a comic book and card shop at 408 N Long St in London, Kentucky, open since 2012. It carries comics alongside Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering and sports cards, with a strong lean toward graded slabs, and it buys collections as readily as it sells. The shop is currently being remodeled and is open by appointment only, so anyone planning a visit needs to arrange a time first.

What's on the shelves

Comics are the foundation. Raw back issues are sold bagged, boarded and shipped in a protective Gemini mailer, and the shop also stocks graded comics. Recent arrivals have included Marvel and DC titles from the Bronze, Copper and Modern ages, many of them flagged as key issues for a character's first appearance, with raw copies priced from about $5 to $30.

The card side covers Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering and sports cards, from singles and sealed product to graded slabs. Slabs from CGC, CBCS, PSA, BGS and SGC are sold, and the graded inventory runs from vintage to modern. A CGC 9 card from the 1994 Magic: The Gathering Legends set and an SGC 5.0 Al Kaline baseball card from 1955 have both been in the case, along with graded Pokémon cards. Raw sports cards and unopened packs are part of the mix too.

Selling and trading

Buying is as central to the shop as selling. Long Street Comics takes single key issues, full runs and whole collections. It also buys Magic singles (including Reserved List cards and Commander staples), sealed product, vintage Pokémon such as Base Set and first editions, graded sports cards in PSA, BGS and SGC holders, and other collectibles like action figures, statues and original comic art.

Comic collection appraisals are free with no obligation. Offers are based on current market data, condition, key issue status and demand, and lower-grade reading copies are welcome, especially key issues and hard-to-find back issues. Most collections get same-day offers.

Payment is cash or store credit, and trade credit is always an option that often brings more value than cash. Photos or a description are enough to start, and large lots can be assessed remotely from photos. Magic cards can also be priced by printing, condition and finish before sending a list in, with an email confirmation of the quote. Damaged cards are not bought through that process and have to be brought in.

Store policies

All sales are final. Returns and exchanges are not accepted for a change of mind, grading results or market price changes. The exception is the shop's own error: an item that arrives damaged, not as described or missing can be reported within 72 hours of delivery with photos, and the shop covers a prepaid return label and issues a full refund or replacement.

Orders ship from the store in the United States and to a list of countries abroad. Free Economy shipping applies to orders of $50 or more. Raw comics shipped in a Gemini mailer cost $11.95 on orders under $50 and ship free above that. USPS Priority Mail is available for faster delivery, with single graded slabs typically in the $15 tier.

Hours and getting there

The store is at 408 N Long St, London, KY 40741. While the remodel continues, visits are by appointment only, arranged by phone or email, and the same goes for bringing in a collection to sell.

History

The shop was established in 2012. The remodel now underway has changed how visitors are handled, but the buying and selling operation continues in the meantime.

The local scene

London has several game and comic stores close together. Mad Ox Games & Comics is about 0.1 miles away, and London Cards & Comics and Main Street Games & Comics are each about a mile off. The Magic Academy and TrollAndToad Games & Comics sit about 1.3 miles away. Long Street Comics is the one in this group whose emphasis is graded slabs and collection buying.