It’s about to get a little more difficult to go comic book hunting in Saratoga Springs. The Spa City is losing its only dedicated comic book shop—and one of only a few throughout the Capital Region—the Comic Depot, which currently sits on the first floor of the Algonquin Building at 514 Broadway. The local comics and collectibles business, which also sold games, trading cards and regularly held tournaments and other gaming events, spent its final day in business on Wednesday, October 2, with a storewide sale.
“It’s been a madhouse for the past week,” says Comic Depot’s Manager Chris Kaminski, who noted that there’d been a surge in business since the shop announced its closing on social media last week. The store’s sale continued through the day, with 30 percent off all wall books and back issues (over $5.99) and 20 percent off all gaming equipment and Magic the Gathering products. “It’s been a heck of a ride,” says Kaminski. “We’re very grateful to be a part of this community and have the friendships that we made from being in this business.”
Founded in Greenfield in 2003, Comic Depot spent two years at the Wilton Mall before moving to its final location on Broadway in November 2013. The store was slated to close late last year, but that was delayed when the shop changed owners in an 11th-hour deal with Jeff Watkins of Cloud City Comics in Syracuse. However, rising rents on Broadway and increased competition from online markets such as Amazon proved too much for the local small business. “It was great for us to have those extra months, coming in and running the shop a little bit longer than intended,” says Kaminski, who’s worked at the store for seven years. “It never seemed like work because it was something we loved.”
Though it won’t be opening another storefront elsewhere, the shop will continue to update Comic Depot’s Facebook page for former customers still interested in connecting over comic books and trading cards.
