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Crush Comics & Cards
Rating Details »
Categories: Comic Books, Hobby Shops [Edit]
2869 Castro Valley Blvd(between Anita Ave & Baker Rd)
Castro Valley, CA 94546
(510) 581-4779
- Hours:
Mon-Tue. 11:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Wed-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
20 reviews for Crush Comics & Cards
I've been going to Crush for about 3 years now, i haven't been consistent as some of the more usual folks but i have gone in once or twice a month to pick up whatever i need or whatever monthly or limited series I'm into at the time.
The place actually grew on me a lot, at first i only went there because it was 5 mins away from my house now i actually look forward to going.
It's a great little shop and very welcoming to beginners and hardcore comic fans a like, It's clean and bright also very well organized.
The staff is pretty knowledgeable and friendly. The only reason i don't give it a 5 is because of the lack of sales. They should do a blowout sale at least every other month even if its just a small table of stuff.
Are you fricken' kidding me?
From the manager of Crush:
Hello Kione-
We saw your review of us on Yelp. We appreciate the time you took to do this but we want you to know that we strive to do a great job here at Crush and were a bit disappointed at three stars. Since there wasn't anything in your review to tell us what you didn't like I thought you might want to let me know. If this was in error and you wish to upgrade our rating that you gave us please know that yelp does allow you to do this. Anyway, let us know if there is anything we can do for you, thanks again,
Mike Cresser, owner
Crush Comics
Mike,
Seriously?
If there was anything to write about, believe me, I would have. A 3 star rating is pretty good, but since you insist that I change it. Here you go.
Please try to recognize, Yelp is an open forum where we are allowed to post our personal opinions and experiences of businesses and events, etc. Some will dig what you have to offer some won't.
Every time I have gone to Crush it was clean and the staff was friendly. It has a wonderful assortment of things and has always had what I was looking for.
I don't live far so I'd say its worth the walk to check it out
I don't know what the other negative reviews are talking about, but this place is absolutely AMAZING. They carry all new and back issues of pretty much all comics you can think of, and their card variety is also quite vast. Parking isn't bad, I park next to the theatre and walk 3 minutes? As a frequent customer, I believe they respect their customers alot. 5 Stars!!!
I've been going here since I could read(or when they opened)
I love this place. I mainly raid there dollar bins and comic assorted packs. They have everything you could think of. I Love 70s-90s comics, so this is the place to go. I tend to hit this place up every two weeks for new reading material.
The downside: the crappy alternative rock they play on the radio. Its all that Alice crap. But that's why god invented headphones.
Recommended!
I've been a customer of Crush Comics since it opened nearly 20 years ago and let me tell you that this is the best comic book store in the East Bay so don't be fooled by the nerds who posted bad reviews previously. What these self-righteous nerds fail to mention is that most of the people who work at places like Comic Relief (in Berkeley) don't even want to acknowledge you when you step foot in their door unless you either A) have tattoos and look homeless yet somehow hip B) smell like shit and look emotionally wounded C) pine for their attention by kissing their asses or D) all of the above. I've been to Comic Relief a bunch of times and felt alienated from the get-go. That's the difference with Crush Comics... they have a friendly staff who actually take an interest when you step foot in the door. The owner Mike has always been nice to his customers and staff. Even if the previous reviews are true, so what if he's grumpy from time to time? You would be too if the new Harry Potter movie just get let out next door at the movie theater and you're suddenly bombarded with 20 screaming kids whose parents aren't willing to buy anything after 15 excruciating minutes. same goes for you dorks that loiter for an hour just to buy $2.99 worth of stuff then have the audacity to write a bad yelp review. thanks for you're enlightening reviews, geniuses... what you fail to fathom is that Crush Comics isn't Barnes N' Noble and/or Border's and your very presence bothers me when i catch sight of you.
Aside from that, Crush has an unparalleled selection of Toys, mini-busts, Mangas, TPB's, and Super Hero comics. Growing up in the area, many comic book stores have come and gone but Crush Comics remains the very best and gets better every year. The staff does a great job keeping the the store clean and up to date while maintaining the old school Comic Store vibe that us hardcore comic fans have grown to love.
Nice comic shop in quiet Castro Valley.
Pros
- New comics every week - good inventory management
- Good back issue selection - plenty of sale items
- Nice employees - however they always seem to be in a rush to close at closing time; they always lose a few dollars from me when they kick me out.
- Many HC & TPB
- Action figures/statues
Cons
- Why is it so cold inside all the time?
- Parking lot next door - officially you should not park there. One space right in front.
Return Visit
- Yes
I went here just to see what the place was like. I had been here once before but that was when I wasn't really serious about comic books. So this place has the usual stuff but in a well balanced way. Their prices aren't rape and they have a lot of back issues which are organized in a responsible manner. One thing that is different about them is that they have a handful of comic book related t-shirts. I thought that was pretty cool. Every comic book store should have t-shirts. I mean come on.
I bought Green Arrow #13 and X-Men (1991) #3. One of the things about all comic book stores is that each shop has what the other doesn't. So it's nice to know that I have another source for back issues.
The workers there looked a little depressed but whatever, they work in a comic book shop. I didn't ask them for any help, but I'm sure they are very knowledgeable about what's in stock considering their well organized store. They seemed to have a lot of everything.
Another cool thing is that they sell sets of story arcs. For example, I saw Darwyn Cooke's DC The New Frontier series plastic wrapped selling for thirty dollars. At first I was just shocked to see that they had it. However, five bucks an issue has me not be so impulsive and do some research online first.
This will probably be the only place I ever go to in Castro Valley. It's a good reason to also. So, yeah, thanks Crush.
I can't help but love Crush. Always friendly and helpful staff. Good selection of comics both old and new. Sometimes feel like they don't get too many back issues in though. But definitely a good selection. I love this local shop.
Crush Comics & Cards is beloved by most of the townies in Castro Valley. It lies next to Chabot Cinema on the boulevard and serves many a kid with no means to get to any other comic shops. I had originally written a review for Crush Comics on 4/25/08 and I sometime shortly after received a letter from the owner. We corresponded through several more messages on yelp and he somehow convinced me of the new and improved condition and service at his establishment.
While I was not thrilled to venture up the hill for the trek I did find the time for two drop in quick visits to reassess the condition of the "new and improved" Crush Comics. I walked in to a very different scene. Crush seems to have either horribly over ordered and badly ordered their merchandise, or they simply poached the remains of dead shops gone belly up, (the latter is far more likely given the condition of their comics now versus a year or two ago).
The back issues are so completely stocked that I could start a collection of recent favorites myself if indeed I was missing any issues. The graphic novels are what is most notable as they are way too overstocked with bunches of duplicate copies of stuff no one wants. In essence they take up half of the store. This place has very little collectible items, with little interest shown to classic comics. The gaming selection is almost non existent but priced at an average rate.
I asked two different staff members about things they had on hand to see what their knowledge was like. Both times, I was surprised to find that neither of the staff members knew the issues I was asking about and that one even informed me that they did not have what I was looking for, (when the entire time it was 7 feet from their face). I asked about ordering an issue the second time when the owner was not there and the clerk seemed flustered at the thought. While I did not get to see the owner yell at anyone these trips, I have heard it in the past, (Maybe he has some new blood pressure meds). I guess what I am saying is my first review stands after again visiting the condition of the shop and its staff. (Here is an edited version of the original posting).
Do not go to Crush Comics & Cards if you can drive or ride Bart to any other Comic shop! The owner is a man who yells at children and the service is horrid. Don't try and ask a comic question here because they will not know what you're asking. Oh and don't even think about ordering something through them, since it will undoubtedly take months to come to the shop, if it ever gets there at all.
I know that there are not a lot of comic shops around in the east bay anymore thanks to the economic depression and all, but seriously if you can help it I really advise you go to Oakland. Maybe even Berkeley, anywhere but here really. There business is not worth supporting. They are everything a Comic shop shouldn't be. I got an email from someone who had read this review and I do stand by it. I firmly believe that no one should ever buy anything from this establishment.
CHAD
Personally, I felt welcomed at Crush. Their entire staff is extremely nice and helpful when it comes to finding a certain comic. Usually it may be the owner or the person working the register who will greet you, that is unless they are busy with another customer, but upon arriving a simple "Hi, how's it going?" will be said, and a "Thank you" is always said by a staff member when you are leaving.
Located right next to Chabot Cinemas, it can be easily overlooked. Parking is a problem as there seem to be none. You'll most likely park in the lot across the street. It's a bit of a hassle, but not a huge problem if you're just picking up some comics.
Crush's signage and store front appears like your typical comic shop. Posters, lit superhero logo lights, and an average store sign.
When I first walked in I first realized the colorful displays. Almost everything is covered in comics, posters, or packaging. It feels bright and inviting. The organization and flooring seems kept up. I didn't spot any dust or food crumbs. No cats either!
This place looks to carry everything related to comics. Posters, action figures, statues, t-shirts, comics, trade paperbacks, manga, comic supplies, and a children's section. I'm not too sure about cards but I think they should carry some.
My main problem with this place is their selection and organization of comics. It was hard to distinguish their sorting methods. While it seems like they use an alphabetical system, I often found things out of continuity. This made be backtrack several times. I only found a recommendation on one comic, while several other comics had a "new release" sign.
Their selection of independent comics is also strange. They put a slew of independent comics on another shelf, yet I also found some in mixed within the mainstream comics. That being said, there aren't a lot of independent comics or fringe comics. There aren't even a lot of mainstream non-superhero comics either. Their focus seems to be superhero comics like X-Men, Captain America, Justice League, etc.
The employees are your typical comic store bunch. A few guys talking about comics and stuff. I was never asked if I needed help or given a store greeting.
____
I ended up not buying anything because they didn't carry it. I would return to this store, but it's not the greatest comic store I've been to. It's certainly the only one in the Castro Valley/Hayward area.
Crush comics is one of the few comic book stores left in my part of town (The next closest one that is actually worth mentioning is in Livermore). The place is very small, but damn is their selection impressive. I mainly go here for my Magic: The Gathering hookup, but I still love my comic books.
The people who work there, are stand up guys. They are all incredibly nice...especially with me, and my inability to figure out what Magic boosters, or theme decks I want to buy.
All in all, this is a great comic store.
Pretty good place to get comics. But it is located in a very inc0onvenient location. There's no parking lots where you can (legally) park nearby. I usually park next to the walmart of whatever that once plaza has.
Anyway, I'm not a hardcore comic book fan, I have only recently gotten into them. The only comics i buy are X-Men and they have an great selection there. Everything is organized and the books are in perfect condition.
My first impression of the owner wasn;t that great (but he is a pretty cool guy). Me and my friend were browsing for a really long time (comic books are expensive, I want to make sure I get what i want! I wasn;t reading the books, just looking at some pages) and hesaid "Can i help you boys?'. i don;t know if he meant it but his tone was kind of like "Either buy something or get out."
But first impressions don't always last, my next few visits he was very nice. Him and his staff had good knowledge on the questions I asked (how many volumes/ issues was a certain series ; recommendations for newcomers, etc).
Anyway, this shop if very clean, bright and organized. If you know what you are looking for- and they have it, you can easily find it on your own. This is the closest comic book store where I live and I wouldn't mind going there again, which I will.
Great service and comic selection
I previously had a three-star review up for this shop, but feel compelled to change it since I recently received an e-mail from the store owner through this site. In his words, he "had a problem" with my review, danced around telling me I'm a liar, and closed a follow-up correspondence with some weird and arrogant passive-aggressive attack based on a misspelling in my e-mail message. Instead of apologizing or even just empathizing with my bad experience, he told me I was welcome to shop at his store if I was to be a better customer.
In business, you win some, and you lose some. You can't please everyone all the time, and it's a shame that because of some foolish pride on the part of the business owner, he's lost my business forever, and for those who take internet reviews from strangers with more than a grain of salt, his image is tainted. All of the previous positive statements made on their behalf is lost, as there's no chance I'll darken their door again. I urge all small business owners who read yelp to use the information as constructive feedback, and not attempt to enter in some sort of pissing contest with your customers.
All of my postings on yelp are 100% accurate, and yes, one star is drastic, but it's the rating of a shop you'll never see me in again.
Nice place to go. I mainly only go here for the baseball cards because I'm a collector. They have some really good cards like the Dennis Eckersley and Darryl Strawberry. Once a year, they have a free comic book day and they give out pretty good comics.
Great collection of back issues & trade paperbacks. Park illegally on the side.
Crush Comics is one of the first comic shops where I was a regular patron for many years during college, and still so today. It's a great home town shop with a great selection of comics, graphic novels, and a wide array of collectables. The shop is very well setup, and is easy to browse for new comics. Back issues are well organized and the trade paperbacks are prominently displayed for easy access browsing. If you like playing card games, this shop isn't for you, they have a small selection of card games. Personally, I prefer it that way. This is more of a traditional comic shop that you'll find in all those Jay and Silent Bob movies. If you're looking for newly released items from action figures to collectable statues, I can almost guarantee you Crush Comics has them. Mike, owner of Crush Comics, is really friendly and is very helpful. Mike is a friendly guy you can strike up a conversation with when it's not terribly busy. His staff is also just as friendly and will ask if you need help if you're unsure what you're looking for.
old school type comic shop. small, no parking, and mostly comic books. now theres the comic shirts, cards, collectables, and all. there is parking next door, but all signs state the spaces arent for crush. they do have a good selection of golden age, but if u are really diggin you may not find the hard to find issue here. but its always a good place to get some info or find some comics in good shape.
