Newbury Comics: Boston's Favorite Record Store & So Much More

Newbury Comics: Boston's Favorite Record Store & So Much More

Newbury Comics has been a Boston institution since the flagship store opened in 1978 on -you guessed it - Newbury Street. It was started by two MIT students with just $2,000, a healthy comic book collection, and a dream.

Despite the grim fate of many chain record and book stores, Newbury has managed to grow and thrive over the past 40 years.

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According to CEO and co-founder, Mike Dreese, it is the brand's devotion to all things pop-culture that has allowed it to succeed. Whatever is new, hot, weird and quirky, you are sure to find at Newbury.

“We keep morphing,” Dreese said in a 2012 interview with Publishers Weekly. “It’s always morph or die.”

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Despite its name, Newbury Comics very quickly shifted its focus from comics to records. By 1980, 90% of their sales were music.

As times and trends changed, Newbury changed with them, shifting from records and cassette tapes to CDs and DVDs - and recently, back to a healthy collection of vinyl again! They are currently featuring an exclusive line of color vinyl records.

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There are close to 30 store locations across New England - and three in New York. Each is packed with all manner of music, movie, sports, and television memorabilia. 

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As of 2012, t-shirts, shoes and jewelry accounted for nearly a quarter of all sales, but customers can also find funky socks, hilarious magnets, posters, punk rock garb, and a massive array of collectibles including Funko Pops and Pusheen the Cat merch.

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If you haven't visited Newbury Comics recently, swing by one of the many New England locations for some new music and an authentic Newbury smiley face t-shirt!

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