COLLECTORS PARADISE
Iron Age Comics
Words: Karl Puschmann
Photography: Blink Ltd
David Cryer was in a New York state of mind when he opened the unusual yet incredibly funky warehouse-style comic shop Iron Age Comics last June.
It feels contradictory to call a massive 5000-square-foot warehouse a hidden gem, but that's exactly what New York's legendary shop, Joseph Koch Comic Warehouse, was. For three decades, it stood in the historic Brooklyn Naval Yard, where warships were built and repaired for 160 years before the area was converted into an industrial hub.
The comic shop was as famed for its vast collection as it was for its wildly loose organisation. It was a place where comic collectors could while away hours, days, even weeks, hunting through the bins, digging for paper treasure.
One such treasure hunter was local comic collector David Cryer, who was blown away by the scale and the vibe of the shop when he visited.
"It was a massive warehouse that was slightly run down, but it was a really cool space," he recalls. "You could go there and just hang around. I loved it."
While he did find comic book gold, it was the inspiration he took from the place that would prove to be the real treasure. When it came time to relocate Iron Age Comics, the shop he co-owns with business partner Duane, from its previous home in Parnell, he decided he wanted to bring that cool New York vibe to Auckland.
"We'd been looking for a while to find a place that suited. When this popped up, it was 'boom! There we go,"" he smiles. "It's a 245 square metre warehouse, so it's a good size, and the configuration really suited what we wanted to do. I could see how it would work."
With the huge roller door open, flooding the place with sunlight and cool air, breezing through the rows and rows of comic book bins is a joy. Specialising in back issues, there's a healthy chance that a collection's missing issue or a collector's holy grail is nestled away in there, waiting to be discovered.
But go up the stairs, and you'll find even more treasure to hunt through. There's all manner of pop culture collectibles and memorabilia to dig through, including toys, action figures, vinyl records, posters, original comic book art and trading cards like Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon and various sports like basketball.
The shop is a real pop culture haven.
"There's room here for us to display a lot of stuff because I've been collecting for 50 years, and Duane's not far off that," he says. "It's a hundred years of collecting between us."
As well as selling, David also buys collections, offering cash or trade, and says they now have people coming in regularly.
"I love the old stuff, so I get a bit of a buzz out of getting those," he laughs. "I enjoy it because it indulges my collector side."
He says he used to find it difficult to put some of the more desirable comic books that came his way out onto the shop floor, but with age, it's something that's become easier.
"I'm over 60, so if I'm ever going to sell, now's the time," he jokes. "I've actually sold a lot of my better stuff. I thought I would have trouble selling them, but it's been quite nice selling them all to people who really wanted them."
For David, fostering the sense of community he felt in that New York shop is what it's all about. They have plans to set up a small coffee outlet in the space, with a seated area where people can chill, read and discuss the comics they're reading. They already have a family-friendly zone set up with a large collection of cheap comic books featuring beloved characters like The Simpsons, Archie, and David's personal favourites, Tintin and Asterix.
The community reaction to this unusual, yet very funky, comic shop has been hugely rewarding, David says, with plenty of regulars coming in, a steady number of locals dropping by, and a growing reputation as a real destination shop.
"The great thing about good comic shops is that they really encourage a sense of community. They're not trying to rush you out the door; they want to have those discussions with you and invite you to feel part of that community. That's really important to us."
"That's what we like about our space here," he continues. "People come in, and they feel relaxed. They want to stay and browse and look around." Then he smiles and says, "It's really good."
Iron Age Comics
1 Virginia Ave East
Instagram: @ironagecomicsnz
Phone: 021 398 234
