An historic place to me!

[Scatter]

The 7-11 that I used to ride my bike to to get comics and Marvel Slurpee cups shut down a while back, and reopened as a Hostess outlet store. Now it's an abandoned building. Sigh...

Used to ride my bike to the local 7-11 too. Great times, great Slurpees, great commemorative cups. As recently as 5 years ago I was bemoaning the fact that there were literally NO 7-11s in my area. There are now around 6 or 7 within 5 or so miles of me. I hate Florida just a TEENY bit less now.

[Illoman]

We had a Stop-n-Go that was closer to my house. I still have this big easel advertisement with a Coca Cola Santa on each side! I simply asked the worker if I could have it and she said yes!
I bought my comics, and later my 3.2 beer from there.

[Gillfan]

When I was growing up in NJ the best place to buy comics was the local train station. They had the largest comic and magazine section I had ever seen. It was too far to walk or go on my bike when i was very young so I had to beg my Dad to take me. He would give in about once every two weeks. Writing about it I can still remember the smell; it was a heady mix of candy, tobacco, and fresh ink. The shop is still there in the train station but it is a shadow of its former self.

[neonnoodle]

Great stuff!  Yes, those are the little things, those places and memories from childhood that we associate with the goodness of monsterdom...they take on a special importance. 

I still remember odd little bookstores and newsstands, and that general store way up in the California mountains (right above a place called Gull Lake) that had the first FM and the first Eerie I ever knew.

[charp13]

Illoman- Your photo inspired me to spend hours looking for "my store" last night. When I would stay with my grandmother who lived an hour or so away, we would go to a store called Savarino's and I would get comics, Wacky Packages, paper dolls, and monster mags.. My grandma would buy a stack of movie magazines and we would spend a couple hours on Sunday afternoon listening to records (she loved Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck) and reading our respective magazines......ahhhhhhh 
What great times! I think she's the reason that I am a super-cool grandma (if I do say so myself) teehee!  So I looked all over the internet, til my eyes watered, and I found out that my special store is now Savarino's restaurant...which is ok, I guess   
Your photo really does say a thousand words, Illoman. Thanks so much for bringing back some more sweet monster memories.

[Moonshadow]

Wow, Illoman has brought up so many memories here. For me it was all about finding comics, back in those days before comic book stores. That meant going to a lot of different places -book store, grocery stores, liquor stores, small markets. On Saturdays I would hop on my bike and make the circuit - William Brothers grocery store, Book Nook, the meat market (the name escapes me), Broadway Liquors, and then the one that always creeped me out, R&K Liquors. The guys behind the counter were always scowling and they'd yell at you if you took too much time looking at the books. 'Too much time' was probably a minute and a half.

By the time I was 11, we had a 7-11 and a Taco Bell, side by side, only about 5 blocks from our house. It felt like we'd hit the big time. 

[Illoman]

Before the comic book shops opened the only places close to my house were Dooley's Pharmacy, 7-11, Stop-N-Go, Kwikie Mart, and downtown was Wilkie's Bookstore, and Bonnett's Bookstore. I remember only going to Bonnett's a few times. They had the Marvel Slurpee cups and assorted toys, pulps, comics, and an "adult" section that actually got raided one time when I was there!! *That* was a hoot! I would save up my lawn mowing money and try to flesh out my Captain America collection by buying from them. I remember my dad trying to dicker with the guy on price "since he's buying so many of them". LOL!

My folks were so cool about me and my brothers' interests while we were growing up. The local shopping mall had an antique show now and then. My folks went through my Conan comic collection when I was at school, wrote down the numbers I had, then went to the antique show and bought about seven or eight back issues I needed! They wrapped them up and gave them to me for Christmas that year. I've never forgotten that...

[Unknown Primate]

Illoman- Your photo inspired me to spend hours looking for "my store" last night.

Me too!  I grew up in Muncie, Indiana.  There's a site called "Lost Muncie" with lots of old photos, but alas, no Bob's Store... 

I love hearing these stories - thanks, Mike, for starting this.

I was 11-12 years old and would search the numerous (unfortunately) junkyards and alleys to find pop bottles (or "soda" as some might say).  I'd cash them in at Ross' Hardware & Supermarket, just a couple of blocks from Bob's Store.  Less than two bucks would get me an FM (50 cents), a Creepy or Eerie (35 cents), an Eerie Publications gore mag like Horror Tales or Tales of Voodoo (35 cents), and a bottle of Coca-Cola and a Zero candy bar!  I would read and re-read these mags off and on, all month long - till the next bunch arrived at my favorite store, evidently owned by "Bob"!

[charp13]

Well Mike- You've started something!    We're all looking for our stores- Yay!!
UP- My store was in Hillsdale, MI. and I bought the same comics/mags. you bought.....BUT WAIT.....I LOVED Zeros!! They were insanely delicious! I probably couldn't stand the sweetness of one today, but I might go and try to find one.    They were my candy of choice, those and lemon drops (that were sooo scrapey they hurt your tongue!) Please don't tell me you also bought paper dolls, or I'll suspect that we were seperated at birth!!

[Unknown Primate]

I did not buy paper dolls  ...  much.

When I wanted to live dangerously, I would drop SweetTarts into my coke and let them nearly dissolve before I'd drink it.  Yeah, I know - wild man.

[Moonshadow]

How about mixing two or three different flavors of Slurpee? We called those 'suicides'!

[Unknown Primate]

Wild woman!

[Illoman]

I'm glad folks are responding to this thread, because I *too* love reading all these stories. And my candy bar of choice back then was Zero as well!!! My mom must've bought me a thousand of those over the years. That's hilarious!! I think we're all separated at birth! I'm just glad we all found each other here!!!

[Moonshadow]

I'm glad folks are responding to this thread, because I *too* love reading all these stories. And my candy bar of choice back then was Zero as well!!! My mom must've bought me a thousand of those over the years. That's hilarious!! I think we're all separated at birth! I'm just glad we all found each other here!!!

I have never heard of this Zero bar! I'm wondering if it never made its way out west. SO -what was in it??? I'm dying to know!

My favorite candy bar was probably Baby Ruth, although I did like Three Musketeers and Powerhouse too!

[Illoman]

I have never heard of this Zero bar! I'm wondering if it never made its way out west. SO -what was in it??? I'm dying to know!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZERO_bar