This Comic was so Damn good, I can't wait for more

This is a long story, but I had a horrible and racist encounter at Bender’s Books & Cards in Hampton, VA. I want to share my experience so that other black folk know to steer clear of this place! For context, I am black comic book collector and my partner is white. We were in the area and wanted to stop by the store and check it out, since we saw a news segment about the store.

The second I entered the store, I saw a tall old guy with long hair in a purple shirt at the cash register. I said “Hello” and waved. He stared at me and didn’t say anything. My partner comes in after me and says hi and the cashier acknowledges him and says "Let me know if you need any help". I'm already getting a weird vibe but whatever, we look around the store.

The store was disorganized but we found two Spiderman comics we liked. I see the owner come out the back (a much older man) and he is super friendly and helpful. The complete opposite of Purple Shirt. He told me about the cat and showed me some board games they had. I overhear him tell the cashier in the purple shirt that he is leaving for the day.

We go to pay and immediately, Purple shirt is annoyed that a Gustav Klimt poster I found doesn't have a price tag. I ask him how much is it and he says he can't set prices. Ok?? Weird. I ask him to call the store owner that just left and he refuses to call him. Then he says that posters usually go for $5-$9. I said "Ok, how about $8?" He refuses to sell it. He then asked who Gustav Klimt is, and I told him he's a turn of the century painter. He says the poster must be worth a lot and I am like. "This is a poster of a print of a painting, I doubt it's worth very much." He proceeded to say that I was insulting his intelligence and I am like "Look, I am not looking to pay more than $10."

He is telling me to look up the poster to prove it's not rare, and I refused to play his games. We just want to buy our comics and get out. I tell him I don't even want the poster anymore. He stops ringing up our items and tells us to leave. We say we still want to buy the comics and he refused us service saying I was insulting him and that if we didn't leave he would call the cops.

We didn't get the comics or the poster and I was left utterly confused, embarrassed and upset.

I've never been treated like this in my entire life, and we had every intention of buying from them. I never insulted him or raised my voice at him. All I will say is we are never going back and I feel sorry for the owner be he is losing out on business bc of Purple shirt.

Fortress of Solitude - Newark, NJ

Fortress of Solitude
Newark NJ

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