Want to get a good idea of what we’re all about and “meet us” without even coming down? Well check out the recent story that was done on us for FIOS TV!
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Part 2:
Grasshopper’s is often the “go to” store when reporters need information on stories about the world of comic books. In fact, we were the subject of the cover story in a 2011 Sunday Newsday’s LI Life section. The entire article ran four pages. You can check out the online version here, complete with a photo gallery (on the left) of one of our Discussion Group Meetings.
Brian Royster checks out an old Avengers story during one of our Discussion Group Meetings. Click on the pic at left to read the entire Newsday article.
History of the Store
Grasshopper’s opened in the Fall of 1992, on the week that Superman “died”. While other stores of the early nineties promoted speculation and collectibility, we’ve always been about one thing: reading great comics. We promoted great comics then and we continue to highlight the best new comics today.
A lot has changed since 199, and since that time we’ve introduced quite a few changes to the Long Island comic book world. We were the first store with Computerized Subscription Services. As the internet emerged we were the first store to introduce a Free Weekly New Releases Email for our customers, and continue to produce and constantly improve the best weekly email newsletter on Long Island. And of course, we’ve established the best trade paperback selection available, with 8,000 titles in stock, and a massive, well organized back issue selection with over 35,000 books on display and over 160,000 books in stock.
Over the years we’ve changed the layout countless times to always be providing the best possible family friendly environment with an ever broader selection of great comics and graphic novels.
All this has led us to win many awards and distinctions, including being voted “Long Island’s Favorite Comic Shop” by the readers of the Long Island Voice. We also were chosen as Capital City Comics’ “Master Retailer of the Year”, and we were nominated for the Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award for best comic shop worldwide. And if that wasn’t enough, Grasshopper’s owner has also received an Eisner Nomination and been featured in Newsday as a “Young Entrepreneur of the Year”, wrote a highly regarded column read by comic retailers worldwide, and has served as Vice Chair on the Board of Directors for the Game Manufacturer’s Association. The staff of Grasshopper’s has often been asked to speak to retailers in educational seminars at the GAMA Trade Show, as well as presentations to members of both the Nassau and Suffolk Library Councils, and numerous elementary schools.
One of the things we’re most proud of is our Annual Holiday Fund Raising Raffle which is the single biggest single store event on Long Island bringing in artists, writers, and hundreds of fans each year to raise money for the John Theissen Children’s Foundation (JTCF.ORG) to help sick and terminally ill children here on Long Island. To date we have raised over $175,000.00 and we continue to make this a bigger event each year!
Now as we approach 30 years serving Nassau County, Queens, and Long Island we are continuing to improve and offer an even bigger comic selection with new books by independent publishers, an even wider back issue selection, and CGC graded key issues. Come check us out and see why our store community continues to grow and thrive.