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Location
Public Transportation
Flying Colors Store Hours
Returns & Exchanges
Charitable Donations
New Arrivals
Staff Recommendations
Flying Colors Sub Club!
Search Service
We Have Our Limits
On-Line Ordering?
Selling Your Comics?
Pricing Back-Issue Comics
Comic Book Collection Appraisals
Interested in a job at Flying Colors?
Research Library
Mature Reader's Advisory
Mailing Address
Location
Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff
2980 Treat Boulevard at Oak Grove Road (near Trader Joe's)
Concord, California 94518
Phone: 925-825-5410
(For
map & directions, click here)
Public Transportation
We are easy to get to from anywhere in the Bay Area since we are just
two miles from the Pleasant Hill BART station at the foot of Treat Blvd.
We're then a quick trip east on Treat Boulevard via the County Connection
bus route #115.
Flying Colors Store Hours
Monday through Saturday: 11AM - 7PM
New Comics Release Day (usually every Wednesday): 11AM-8PM
Sunday: 12PM - 7PM
Returns & Exchanges
FLYING COLORS is happy to accept returns for store credit when returned
items are in their original packaging and condition and when accompanied
by a valid store receipt.
- New and
back issue comic books can neither be returned nor exchanged. Please
choose your purchases carefully. DVDs and other media returned are exchangeable
for the same item only.
- We do
not accept any returns for cash.
- Deposits
for layaway items are nonrefundable.
Charitable
Donations
FLYING COLORS is happy to help your school or church with a merchandise
donation for fundraising purposes. Simply bring your written request on
the letterhead of the benefiting school or church at least two weeks before
the fund-raiser, so we can confer about an appropriate donation.
New Arrivals
New comics and other cool stuff come into FLYING COLORS COMICS & Other
Cool Stuff every Wednesday. When there is a Monday holiday, new releases
can be delayed until Thursday. FLYING COLORS also receive shipments of
other merchandise almost every other day.
Staff Recommendations
Every week, the staff at FLYING COLORS makes choices for our personal
picks of the week for good reading and cool art. You'll find these staff
picks near the board listing the week's new items. We're also happy to
provide info and reviews of comics we have read and enjoyed. Please Note:
FLYING COLORS' staff members will not recommend any new comics for their
potential future investment value, because we believe the primary value
in comics is entertainment.
Flying Colors Sub Club!
Our goal at FLYING COLORS is to get you just what you want---and the FLYING
COLORS' Sub Club is good way to make that happen. We receive the new Diamond
PREVIEWS' catalogue on the last Wednesday of each month. The cost
is currently $4.50 (for more than 400 pages of information!). The PREVIEWS
order book is also used to enroll new subscribers in the FLYING COLORS'
"Sub Club", our "pull-and-hold" subscription service.
Diamond PREVIEWS is filled with thousands of new items due in the
coming weeks and months. Simply turn in the included order form and complete
the FLYING COLORS' Sub Club form (click
here)---and you'll be on the way to getting the coolest stuff in the
universe from the coolest comic book store on Earth!
Search Service
At FLYING COLORS, we are proud of our excellent selection, but if you
don't find exactly what you're looking for, please ask any of the FLYING
COLORS team for assistance. We will make every effort to acquire particular
back issues or special merchandise requests you're looking for. Just ask
to be added to our special request list, and when the item comes in, we
will call you. This service is only available in the store and not by
phone mail or e-mail.
We
Have Our Limits
FLYING COLORS' staff reserves the right to limit the number of copies
of any item sold to any individual. We do this to make things fair for
everyone and to represent the material for its entertainment value, rather
than investment potential.
- We also
reserve the right to refuse business from individuals or dealers who
try to bypass our house rules.
- Orders
for multiple copies of the same issue may be placed in advance through
the PREVIEWS catalog, although a 50% deposit is required.
- FLYING
COLORS does not cater to speculators!!
On-Line Ordering?
Currently, we do not sell from our web-site. The in-store experience is
part of the FLYING COLORS fun and we would like to take care of our customers
who make a special effort every week to come to our store.
Selling
Your Comics?
FLYING COLORS is always buying quality back issues we need. Since our
space is limited, we can't buy everything offered to us. If you have a
larger collection (more than 500 comics), please make a list and bring
that in first. Always call first (925-825-5410) to be sure the buyer is
available before you bring in your books.
Here are a few guidelines to assist you in selling your comics to us.
- If you
have a small collection of comics (below 500 or so), you can just bring
them in after giving us a call to make sure a buyer is in the store.
When you bring them in, we'll go through your collection and make a
fair offer for the issues we can use.
- For larger
collections of more than 500 comics, we strongly encourage you to make
a list of what you have (an Excel spreadsheet would be a great way to
do this!), put in order by title and issue numbers. Then you can either
bring in the list to the store or e-mail it to us at coolstuff@FlyingColorsComics.com.
After we take a look at the list, we'll contact you if we're interested.
We do NOT accept lists by fax.
- Some comics
are bought to restock our bargain bins ---for these, we'll pay a dime
each or less for them. Comics we know are in some demand we'll pay as
much as 60% of market value.
- We also
buy trade paperback and graphic novel comics and comic strip books,
according to our needs.
- Our prices
paid for comic books are based on the following: market value (as opposed
to strict guide value), condition, rarity and customer requests.
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Joe does
most of the back issue buying, so here are a few tips straight from the
Flying Colors' boss:
- Nearly
all the comic buying deals we make are done in the store. It is rare
for us to go out to look at collections. However, if you are unable
to make it to the store AND your collection consists of older, more
rare comics (pre-1970), we may make special exceptions.
- We don't
do any buying on Sunday (Joe's regular day off).
Please call
ahead to be sure a buyer (usually Joe) is in the store. Call 925-825-5410.
Pricing Back-Issue Comics
The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide and Wizard magazine
are the main comics' price guides on the market. The truth is price guides
will only give you an estimate of an average retail value of comics. Private
collectors can not expect to get full guide prices for selling their books
to any dealer. We use information from various sources to come up with
a fair market value for every back-issue, which also includes what we're
willing to pay for the comics we choose to buy.
At FLYING COLORS, we strive to be fair when we buy comics and we strive
to be fair when we price them, too.
Comic Book Collection Appraisals
We're happy to assist collectors when it comes to covering your comics
on your homeowners' insurance policy.
Here's what you need to do to prepare for our paid appraisal:
- Make a
list of comics you have, either by hand or preferably on a spreadsheet
or database computer program.
- Put them
in order, alphabetical by title and in numerical order by issue number.
- Please
note the condition of each, as close as you can evaluate.
- Please
note the price you paid for each comic.
- Then call
us for an appointment to bring your comics in for a more accurate and
detailed appraisal.
The fee for
this service depends on the needs of your insurance carrier, the value
of your collection, and the time needed to make a thorough appraisal.
We suggest appraisals need only be considered for collections that include
more rare material.
Interested in a job at Flying Colors?
We are always looking for hardworking, energetic, friendly, knowledgeable
comics' fans (and wanna-be fans, too) to fill out our great team here.
If you're interested in working at Flying Colors, here's what you need
to do:
- Bring
in your current resume. We do not have applications here. Instead, we
ask to see your resume of prior work experience (even if it's yard work,
baby-sitting, etc.) Include contact information and references.
- When we
are specifically trying to fill staff positions, we'll go through a
round of interviews based on the resumes we've received. After the face-to-face
interviews, you'll need to take a short math test and a short essay
test.
- It is
a plus if you have some computer experience, particularly on Macs.
- Please
keep in mind that having a flexible schedule is very important since
we depend on staff to be able to work the hours our store is open, during
the week and on weekends.
You know,
maybe the best way to get a job with us is to shop here regularly and
get to know us, so please keep that in mind.
Research Library
Doing a project related to comics? We have assembled a research library
that covers the history of comics and comic strips. Students can use these
books in-store for class projects--- just ask!
Mature Reader's Advisory
Did you know the average age of today's comic book reader is approximately
28 years old?
Given that, many comics are not appropriate for young readers. FLYING
COLORS does have one section specially designated for kids and another
section especially for "Mature Readers Only", but we do realize
some parents may find objectionable material in many other comics.
We strongly
encourage parents to shop with their kids so that together you can make
responsible decisions for what your kids are consuming. FLYING COLORS
does not stock any 'Adults Only' items.
We hope you
find this information helpful, but if you ever have any questions, let
us know. Comments and suggestions are always welcome at:
FLYING COLORS COMICS & Other Cool Stuff
2980 Treat Boulevard
Concord, CA 94518
We can be
reached by e-mail at:
coolstuff@FlyingColorsComics.com.
Or
call us at 925-825-5410 during store
hours.
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FAQs
(Frequently Asked Questions)