Bill & Walt’s Hobby Shop

I wasn’t crazy about this store either. It was dark, cramped, and things were displayed haphazardly. The old comics were stuck in the boxes too tight. Though they did have some Hellraiser comics I wanted that were in the same condition and cheaper that Eide’s, they didn’t take credit cards! WTF? They have a bit of gaming stuff also if you’re into that. With Eide’s around, I wouldn’t recommend going.

Note: CASH ONLY! For now, anyway.
The Bill & Walts Downtown store of yesteryear was certainly superior to this incarnation. Granted they apparently haven’t been open long and have some definite bugs that need to be smoked out if they want to rival Eide’s, New Dimension Comics, or Phantom of the Attic.
The old B&W store never topped Eide’s Entertainment in terms of comics, but they at least had a respectable, if not vast inventory, not to mention model rockets, trains, and related items on the ground floor (comics and games were in the basement). This latest version of the long-​running shop is merely two unkempt, poorly lit rooms featuring nothing but comics and gaming merchandise. Their comics selection is limited to new releases and older issues that go back no further in time than the 1980’s. Also, the back issues I did see were packed way too tightly into the dirty, worn longboxes, had no backing boards in them, were in dusty, moldy polybags, and were low-​grade condition-​wise. None of the issues I saw were high-​demand or premium either. Nor were they graded.
New comics and recent back issues were stacked in baskets that lined the walls, meaning you had to awkardly lift them out one-​by-​one to see which issues were underneath the ones you didn’t want.
One plus about the new B&W is that they run specials on recent back issues that can get you 50 comics for $ 30 in a bagged set. New Dimension does this, and I wish Eide’s and Phantom’s would follow suit. Unfortunately, you can’t open the bags to see all the issues that are in the sets, and there’s nothing telling you what all you’re getting (ND will list what’s in each set on the pricetag).
I’m hoping B&W improves since we could always use another comics shop in Pittsburgh, particularly Downtown, but based on my experience, I have a feeling they aren’t long for this city. When the gentleman minding the store was too busy phoning a friend to answer a question I had, it left me with little desire to return.
P. S. Kay found a bushel of Hellraiser comics that she wanted to purchase at a bargain of a price, but being that B&W only accepts cash, she had to put them down and buy them elsewhere (Eide’s!). Way to lose out on some commerce, guys.