Broadway Comics & Cards to close after 30 years in business

Who’s your favorite superhero? And can they save Broadway Comics & Cards?

The comic book store plans to close its doors for good on Jan. 10, a month before its 30-year anniversary, according to a Facebook post. Rent at 1508 Broadway has risen twice in the last year, owner Wilson Lew wrote, and sales haven’t kept up. He’ll continue selling similar products on the internet without a brick-and-mortar location.

Lew hinted at an impending closure in a July interview with Sacramento News & Review, noting he had lost some customers to cheaper internet options and no longer had an interest in staying open late for tournaments. He supplemented the store’s revenue by trading stocks in the mornings, and said Broadway Comics & Cards would have closed long ago were it not for the additional income.

Another Sacramento comic book store, Metropolis Comix on West Stockton Boulevard, closed earlier this week after planning to shut down at the end of the month. In a video posted to Facebook on Dec. 6, Metropolis owner Christopher Leary said the recent death of his mother caused him to lose his passion for the business.

“Every really good story has a final chapter, and right now I’m starting to write that final chapter,” Leary said.

Back-issue comics will sell at half price until Broadway Comics & Cards sells out, while graphic novels will be 40 percent off and all other merchandise will be 20 percent off.

This story was originally published December 20, 2017 at 8:23 AM with the headline "Broadway Comics & Cards to close after 30 years in business."