Galaxy Comics celebrates 40 years, Free Comic Book Day
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Galaxy Comics owner Dean Ball holds up the 150th edition of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" in April 2024 at Galaxy Comics. Ball opened the store in April 1986. He said his love for comics began around age 4, when he was allowed to watch only the intro to the television series "Adventures of Superman" (1952-1958) before going to bed.
Galaxy Comics, a comic book shop at 1720 Fifth St. in Wenatchee, celebrated its 40th anniversary in mid-April.
Owner Dean Ball opened the 350-square-foot store in 1986 and continues to operate in the Western Hills Shopping Center.
Through intuition and predictability, Ball said he has kept his business afloat by knowing what to order and in what quantity.
"I save comics for people and they can either pay ahead of time or pay when they pick them up. And that way it's kind of predictable how many that I need to order of something to meet the demand," Ball said.
From surviving the COVID-19 pandemic by offering curbside pick-up to overcoming hurdles like building water leakage, Ball said he receives consistent community support from his most loyal customers.
"Customers have helped me out with things. I had a couple of floods in my store over the years, and one came through the ceiling over there. And you can kind of see the results of that. And my customers helped to take my comics, damaged comics, to my house and that sort of thing," Ball said.
Ball said he drew inspiration to open the business from visits to Golden Age Collectibles in Seattle's Pike Place Market, considered the world's oldest comic book shop.
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Galaxy Comics owner Dean Ball holds up the fifth edition of "Spider-Boy" in April 2024 outside Galaxy Comics.
"I would go visit and I would think about, well, 'Will I be able to actually sell comics instead of just acquiring them?,'" Ball said.
He gradually shifted from a more than 10-year career in radio as a producer, announcer, and news director to running the shop full time.
Ball's interest in superheroes began in childhood, when he caught glimpses of the 1950s television program "Adventures of Superman" but could not watch full episodes because they aired past his bedtime.
Forty years later, Ball said he has no plans to retire.
"Yeah, I'm not really planning to," he said. "I figure as long as my health is relatively good and I enjoy what I'm doing, and also the income from the store."
When the shop opened, a typical comic sold for about 75 cents. Now, the average price starts at $4.99.
Ball said the store continues to draw customers of all ages.
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"Justice League Godzilla vs. Kong #6" is displayed for sale with other comics in April 2024 at Galaxy Comics.
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Free Comic Book Day poster by Galaxy Comics.
"I have an older group that's probably in their 50s and 60s and some of them are the same ones who were customers back then, and they're still with me," he said. "And then, there's a younger group nowadays in their 20s and 30s who come in."
The store will participate in Free Comic Book Day on Saturday, May 2, as part of its anniversary celebration. The annual event features major publishers printing special-edition comic books that are distributed free to thousands of participating stores worldwide.
"And sometimes I've had over 100 people come into my little store that day, not all at the same time, but during the afternoon," he said.
Visitors who shop between noon and 4 p.m. will receive a selection of free comic books from 20 editions. Each visitor will also receive a Harley Quinn plastic figure. No purchase is necessary while supplies last.
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