In The Hood: July

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Appeal of 'Funny' Books Reaches Teen, Adult, Collectibles Markets

By Stephanie Chandler

Fans of Batman, Superman and the Incredible Hulk don’t have to wait for the next blockbuster movie to catch a glimpse of their favorite superheroes. The whole gang can be found at one of Sacramento’s hottest hangouts.
    A-1 Comics has been keeping comic book fans happy for 17 years. The 4,000-square-foot store in Sacramento, nestled between Carmichael and Fair Oaks, is a collector’s paradise. Neatly organized bins are stuffed with more than 100,000 comic books and colorful displays climb the walls to the ceiling.
    Owner Brian Peets, 48, bought his first comic, “Fantastic Four No. 68,” in 1968. He’s had the collecting bug ever since. He decided to turn his hobby into a full-time business when the frustration with his construction job  came to a head in 1987.
    “We were working on the onramp at Bradshaw and Highway 50 and I had to put in and tear out the same sidewalk three times in one week,” says Peets. “The second time I did it, I gave my two-week notice and the third time, well, I’d had it. It was so wasteful.” 
    Peets opened his first store on Madison Avenue in a tiny space in 1988. When the lease expired three years later, he moved into a bigger space in the same shopping center and continued moving into bigger spaces every three years until opening in the current location. A second store that opened in Roseville in 1997 recently moved to a new 5,600-square-foot building.

Continued...

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