Juniors Comic & Cards

Thirty-year south Austin comics-and-cards fixture on Slaughter Lane with weekly new books, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic game play, and a '90s-era back stock.

Juniors Comic & Cards has been part of the Austin collecting scene for about thirty years, according to a longtime customer who calls it a time capsule of coolness. The shop sits in an unassuming shopping center on West Slaughter Lane in south Austin, and Google describes it as an unassuming shop offering comic books, cards and collectibles plus game days. That undersold exterior is part of the appeal for people who like finding things.

Back stock is the specialty. Reviewers say items from the nineties, the two-thousands and even earlier turn up on the shelves, while new comics arrive weekly. On the card side, local game play runs for One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic: The Gathering, so the shop works as both a place to buy singles and a place to find an opponent. A visiting couple on a comic-and-collectibles tour from Houston called it one of their favorites in Austin after finding a signed vintage doll they'd been hunting.

Online buyers also vouch for the owner. One customer who purchased cards remotely says the dealer, Henry, is honest and doesn't pull the valuable boxes out before selling the rest, which is the kind of detail serious collectors care about. Not every visit has gone smoothly; a couple of reviewers reported curt service at the counter, so if you're attending an event, introduce yourself and ask questions directly.

Hours are simple: noon to 7PM every day of the week. That makes afternoons and early evenings the best windows for game days. Call 512-282-1302 or check the shop's Facebook page for event announcements before heading over. If you want trading cards in Austin alongside a deep comics selection, this is a classic stop.