In Toronto’s arts and student centered Annex neighbourhood there’s a wealth of places for comics fans to get their fix. Between The Beguiling, The Labyrinth, second hand bookstore BMV‘s strong comics selection and Yesterday’s Heroes there’s plenty of selection to be had. This number will drop by one in the third week of July when Yesterday’s Heroes closes its doors.
YH may not be as well known as Toronto stores Beguiling or Silver Snail, but it has its place. With 30 years in business, the Bathurst street store is currently the longest running continuing comics retailer in Toronto, maintaining a focus on mainstream comics, figurines and sports memorabilia.
Details on why it’s closing aren’t available at the time of this writing (a tentative interview with the owner was setup, but was postponed). I’d rather not speculate too much on the causes for its closing prior to a follow-up, but I think it’s safe to assume the changing means of consumer consumption (Amazon, piracy) hurt its bottom line. An inventory clearance sale is underway, with trades and hardcovers going for 50% of the Canadian cover price.
While this is not a celebratory moment, it is worthwhile to congratulate YH on its longevity. Few businesses of any kind manage to serve their community for 30 years and in the sympathy extended to YH it’s important to acknowledge that.
