Went from weekly pull list to digital only and I still miss the smell of the shop

Back in 2019 I had a pull list at this little shop in Akron, 12 titles a month, and I'd go every Wednesday after school let out. The whole ritual of flipping through the new arrivals, chatting with the owner about whatever crossover event was happening, grabbing a bag and board... it was half the hobby for me. Then I moved for work and the nearest shop was 45 minutes away, so I switched to digital around 2021. It's cheaper, I'll admit that, saved maybe $30 a month after sales. But now I just read on my tablet in bed and there's no anticipation. No Wednesday drive. No accidentally finding a back issue I didn't know I needed. I don't know, has anyone else made the switch and then felt like they lost a piece of the fandom? Or am I just being nostalgic about something that's actually better now?

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simonp401mo ago

Lost a piece of the fandom" hit me hard because that's exactly what it is. You don't just miss the comics, you miss the whole... ecosystem of it. The owner knowing your name and setting aside that weird Spider-Man variant just because you mentioned it once. That's not nostalgia, that's a real thing you lost. Digital is fine for reading but it's like eating a microwave dinner instead of going to your favorite diner. Sure, it's faster and cheaper, but you don't get the smell of the grill or the guy at the counter joking with you. I still buy a physical issue every few months just to get that hit, even if it's a random trade from a dollar bin. The Wednesday ritual is the part I think people don't get until it's gone. It's not just picking up books, it's the whole... trip. The drive, the talk, the surprise. My tablet never surprises me. It just tells me what I already downloaded. I don't think you're being nostalgic at all. I think you're grieving a routine that was built into your week like a heartbeat. And that's a real thing to miss, even if everyone keeps saying digital is the future.