Golden Age Collectables

Seattle’s Pike Place Market itself is more or less a cabinet of curiosities, but it is also home to what has been described as the world’s oldest comic book shop.

Established in 1961, Golden Age Collectables was a dime-a-dozen comic book shop when, in 1971, its owners sold it to then-19-year-old Rod Dyke, their “best comic book buyer.” Managing it with his mother, he would soon see that it was going to grow into a great business, with the arrivals of the Comic Book Price Guide, which established comic books as valuable collectibles, and, a few years later, the geeky culture surrounding the Star Wars franchise.

Today, the shop is a treasure trove of niche, nerdy novelties and nostalgic knick-knacks where the past meets the present, with shelf after shelf of comic books and graphic novels of all sorts, be it Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, or Shonen Jump, a jaunty space filled with a fine selection of Star Wars figures, Funko Pops, film posters and memorabilia. It also has a vast inventory of party games, a variety of Fluxx, Cards Against Humanity, and pop culture-themed tarots.

Golden Age Collectables claims to be a dish best served hot, and does not have an online store despite its huge following. It’s certainly best to experience it in person, and maybe pick up a graded vintage Batman or the latest issue of Uncanny X-Men.