Weekend Finds: A to Z Comics and Wal-Mart

A to Z Comics in Blue Springs, Missouri has been one of my all time favorite places to get comics since at least 1995.

This weekend, I decided to get back out and start not only picking up some extra comic titles, but also was on the lookout for some new Magic the Gathering cards for my decks, as well as a few Pokemon cards.

I'm never at a loss to find something that I want to buy.

If you're ever in the area, you really need to stop in at this comic shop. Kansas City has a lot of great locations, but I really love the low key atmosphere of this particular shop.

I picked up a few Voltron comics I'd been missing, and on a lark, picked up an old Filmation Ghostbusters issue.

I even managed to find some alternative Lego-like brands that had an Ultron and Deadpool minifigure, as well as finally locating this hard to find Lego polybag from Lord of the Rings with Frodo.

I've started collecting green and black cards again, some because I started playing, and some because I now know personally a fair few of the artists that do the art for these cards.

After a bit of time spent there, I went to Wal-Mart to see how things were fairing with post Force Friday sales, and predictably, sales are very strong as nostalgia and new young fanboys and girls are being created, in the wake of the sure to be juggernaut release of Episode 7.

I've actually stopped collecting Pop Vinyls for the time being, I may regret that as this Sandtrooper and Dewback were pretty freaking nice.

I still collect the Pixar Cars line, and it's probably one of the few ones aside from Lego that still give me that "thrill of the chase" feel when I do finally find one that is missing from my collection, or find some new releases that I'd not seen before. I actually don't go looking online anymore to see what else is coming out, just to make the collecting that much more enjoyable.

Even though there was a respectable mix of cars here, nothing I didn't already have that I was particularly collecting. The Ice Racers and some of the Planes characters just don't appeal to me either.

And to think, Cars 3 is coming out in the next few years...

 But as I was leaving, I looked in the clearance aisle, and found this set, which normally retailed for $25 I believe, and got it for $11. By sheer luck and circumstance, I managed to complete my Guardians of the Galaxy Lego sets with the purchase of this one.

One great find, as I think these sets are now discontinued. LOVE that Nova Corp starship.

It's kind of a funny thing, because when I was younger, my parents got me a lot of cool things, but I never understood the fun of being a true collector, budgeting my spending, and finding hard to find items, or being able to check out various places, until I was well into my late teens. Now, it's sort of bypassed being a passion into the realm of being an obsession. But one that still has to know it's boundaries.