Does anyone ever read the FAQs? Well, I don’t, but I receive so many questions, and during my travels across the sidewalks and in public transport I learned that people have different opinions about everything. So this is for you, from me. Because you are different. And I welcome that.
Here are the FAQs:
Do you have a newsletter? Yes! Just scroll down to sign up for your weekly fix.
Do you ship international? Yes, worldwide in fact! When you check out in the webshop the country is automatically set to Germany, but you can easily scroll up and down and find your land of dreams.
When do you ship my order? Orders are being shipped once a week, if possible. Usually on Saturdays. But this is a one man operation, with one assistant working part time. Please, allow up to two weeks, before contacting us. Once you order has been shipped you will receive a confirmation email.
Where is my parcel? In the check-out you can choose between regular and tracked shipping. Regular shipping is cheaper, but there is no way to track your order once it has been handed over to DHL! Some parcels just arrive very late, others are being returned, and sometimes the note the courier left on the door got lost. Try and check all your neighbours and your local DHL shop! And also check the address you left. Sometimes customers forget to write their house number, and the parcel get’s returned, because the courier doesn’t have the time, nor is allowed by their employer to use extra time to search for your address. In fact couriers always rotate to avoid them associating with the neighbourhood, because that would lead to small talk, and the big companies don’t want their employees to have a good time, but to work. Anyhow, if you want to be on the safe side consider spending some of your pocket money for tracked shipping, and keep tracking it, because again: sometimes the note the courier left on your door gets lost and your parcel get’s returned.
Can I collect orders? Yes, you can! For your first order you chose shipping, and for each following order you choose “Store Pick-Up” in the check out. After you made your final order send an email to jan@citycomics.eu, and ask for the total for shipping. If it’s heavier then what you paid initially for shipping I will tell you the difference.
Can I pick-up online orders from the store to safe shipping costs? Yes, you can darling! Just choose “Store Pick-Up” in the check-out, instead of shipping, and collect your order once you’re in the area. This way you can also collect several orders, and pick them up at once!
Can you put aside X for me, and I pay later? No, I can not, and let me tell you why: As much as I want to help in each single case, looking at the sheer amount of requests I get, it’s too much logistics and communication involved. Second, and that weights even more: the feelings I get when looking at my wallet and looking at the storage cause a great amount of stress, and my therapist tells me to avoid that, because I am very sensitive. - As a small business (and a Ferengi at heart) I rely on direct cash flow, otherwise I can’t pay bills. But I do offer a solution we both profit from: sign up for the weekly newsletter, and once it’s available order “Store Pick-Up” online, instead of shipping, and collect your order once you’re in the area. This way your purchase waits safe and sound in the storage for you, and I can buy all the good medicine for my many sick children, that also need new clothes.
Where is my PDF? There is many different ways publishers and creators forward their PDFs and I retail many different publishers and creators, which means that the process for me to forward them to you is quite time consuming (unless they are printed out and come directly with the title you ordered, or you can download them directly from the publishers website). PDFs are great for you, but as a retailer it’s not really the fun part of this business. Please, stay patient, your PDF will be forwarded!
Are you interested to buy the comic I made for your store, or take it on consignment? ATPITW focuses on imported English language publications, with the idea to make exciting publications from overseas and outside of Germany available in Berlin, or to order from inside the EU! So, if you’re from Berlin, or Germany you just don’t fit into this category. Instead you might want to try one of the several other local comic stores, or sell your product at one of the comic/zine festivals like Bilderberg Konferenz, Hungry Eyes, Zine Fest, or Comic Invasion. That said, exceptions prove the rule…
Do you have X? You’ll find all the titles available just here in the webshop, and the Search Engine will be of great service, too. If you still can’t find the title please send an email to jan@citycomics.eu including the ISBN or a link.
Do you do workshops and events? When I opened the store it was one of my main goals to get people together, and to become a place not only to browse, but also to meet up. Unfortunately because of the limited space of the store, and the limited time I have due to being a father of two I can only afford to organize the bi-annual Unlimited Dungeon Fest, flea markets, and selected art shows. But the idea to organize workshops, game presentations and in-store events remains. Good things take time, and maybe you are just the person I was waiting for to start something extraordinary together with!
I am looking for people to play D&D or some obscure rpg with. Do you know anybody who might be interested? I will put up a black board in the store, and I am working on an online forum for people to meet other players, find groups and game masters. Until then you can check the Volkssolidarität discord server to connect with dozens of rpg-geeks who speak and play English, and who meet on a regular basis in a public place in Berlin.
Do you buy second hand? That depends. Comics: only English language, indie, small press or self-published. Roleplaying Games: only English language, indie, small press or self-published, but if you have a first edition D&D box you’re welcome to get in touch, and we can arrange sth. Fantasy Music: I am happy to read your email. Just don’t expect a retailer to buy for prices people put up on Discogs. I am not buying your records for myself, but in order to re-sell them to grow the store, in order to create a destination for weirdos like us in a world like the one out there. So you need to decide if you want to support the store, and the person who will be happy to buy it from a fair price from me. In this case: get in touch!