Specialty store in Athens, Georgia may have to move or close

Flagpole reports a specialty store named Bizarro-Wuxtry in Athens, Georgia will apparently have to either find another store unit other than the building it's currently located in, or close down:

Many shops go through eras. Bizarro-Wuxtry is living all of them all at once. The store is like an in-progress archaeological dig site. Each shelf and each room records a niche moment, adding to the story of the comic book species as a whole. “We try to represent all sides of comics,” explains manager Devlin Thompson, “with the emphasis more on art comics—stuff I can stand behind.” [...]

Unfortunately, Bizarro-Wuxtry now faces that most dreaded of comic book narrative devices: a forced reboot. An undisclosed buyer is purchasing the Shackleford building, which houses Bizarro-Wuxtry, Wuxtry Records, Native America Gallery, Cillies Clothing and Bear Hug Honey Co. While the ground-floor businesses may be left mainly intact, Thompson was told that the new owner hopes to start renovations on the upstairs floors soon.

Even when hard-pressed, Thompson says he cannot divulge further details: “We don’t have a date. We don’t know what’s happening. We’re looking at ideas.” The store will be operating on limited hours for at least the next month: Wednesdays and Saturdays from 12–6 p.m.

The shop recently posted an offer via Instagram to liquidate its inventory to any serious buyers. But, at the same time, Thompson expresses a desire to keep serving his loyal patrons despite the change in building ownership. “They do want us out of here,” he laments. “So we got to figure out how we work with that, but it’s my intent to be doing this one way or another. But how that works out, I don’t know, and it will not be on the second floor of the Shackleford building.”

It's certainly sad, but what I really wish they do for a "reboot" is to change from selling only so many back issues and other "collectibles" to far more trade paperbacks and hardcovers. Why won't most comic retail specialists consider that? The time has come, honestly, for somebody to set a better example in the retail market and establish a specialty store where paperbacks/hardcovers will be the prime emphasis. I wish some store managements would consider. For now, I wish Bizarro-Wuxtry good luck finding another location.