I recently went to an old school comic con. If you’re lucky, you know what I’m talking about – a bunch of dealers crammed into a hall, maybe a couple of artists selling original sketches, but no celebrities or photo ops in sight. Sure, a few people showed up in costume (I think there was an actual costume contest at some point, though I didn’t stay for it), but it was primarily a crowd of comic book lovers looking for deals. I would say about 80% of the space was long boxes and most of what was on offer was golden, silver and bronze age issues with some current releases thrown in (especially ones with variant covers).

Maybe it’s all those years spent doing hands-on research in libraries (pre-Google) or just the fact that I searched through long boxes as a kid, but there’s something to be said for flipping through issues to see if they have what you’re looking for. And there’s always the possibility of finding something new, especially when there are $1 and 50¢ boxes or trades are on for only $2 or $3 a pop. These old school cons are both a trip down memory lane and a voyage of discovery.

If you’re lucky enough to have these cons in your area, go to them! Even if you’re not a huge comic fan, these dealers often sell collectibles too and many have scifi books, monster magazines and even horror merchandise. Plus, you might get to meet local artists or authors. And trust me, you never know what kind of conversations you’ll be pulled into! But you’re pretty much guaranteed a fun time with fellow geeks and you’re supporting your local geek community.