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Silver Snail

Rating: 2.4/5 (41 votes)

Posted by Staff / Reviewed on February 1, 2008

22 Comments

Silver Snail
Silver Snail is one of Toronto's most loved comic book stores. In addition to comics, Silver Snail stocks action figures, manga, models, role playing games, trading cards and DVDs.

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22 Comments

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Z / March 21, 2008 at 08:46 pm
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too bad everyone who works there is a pretentious ass and their customer service in general sucks.
definitely not worth of first place.
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Matt / March 23, 2008 at 02:11 am
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Unfair, Z. I've always had great relationships with the staff at the Snail.
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Krustyburgler2000 / June 17, 2008 at 10:29 pm
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Well, I can't really say anything about the staff. But I will say that, for such a popular and busy shop, they don't give you a free bag and board when you buy a book there (unless it's a back issue). Considering some other, less famous stores, do, I can't think of why they don't. But if you're a collector and you're buying 6 or more books every month, you're gonna go where they treat you best . . . like One Million Comix, where you get a free bag and board. The snail does have a good selection of Action Figures though, and their back issues selection is great.
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Warren / August 16, 2008 at 08:15 am
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Nothing is free dude. They just charge for it elsewhere otherwise they'd go out of business.
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DeeDee / July 3, 2009 at 07:47 pm
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Does this place have RPG games? Can I meet other RPG players (ie D&D) at this store?
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Anon. / August 5, 2009 at 05:28 pm
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In my experience, I find the customer service to be a bit snobby as well. I recently needed to find some back issues of Batman, and received little to no help from the staff at the Snail, but had an awesome experience at another store (Grey Region). I've been to other stores that offer free bags and boards, and it's little perks like that will make me go back to them (and away from the Snail).
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Jonathan / November 9, 2009 at 11:27 am
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If 'I ask' for it, I should be given a bag and a board. Well, with the new laws maybe I should toss them a nickel.
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David Mark / January 7, 2010 at 02:39 pm
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I love Silver Snail....always make it a point to drop in and spend some big bucks.
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Dirk / February 10, 2010 at 11:42 am
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I work in the area and go to Silver Snail every Wednesday for my new comics, but I do it begrudgingly. I go with a work friend and its a fun weekly outing. But it can be a very frustrating consumer experience for a comics fan. First of all, not only do they charge for bags and boards, but they have the worst quality bags/boards I've ever seen. They are so loose that you can basically stuff five comics inside one before it gets snug, and the plastic is milky and opaque. Shitty. Second, for such a busy, high-traffic shop the layout of the new comics sucks really hard, with all the new weekly selections grouped on one shelf. This results in an annoying traffic jam of smelly nerds, everyone forced to stand in front of each other, the view completely blocked and there seems to be a complete lack of etiquette and courtesy among the customers. Dudes basically sit on the floor right in front of the new comics shelf and read x-men books, blocking everyone else from getting their haul. And the staff does nothing about it. In fact, the staff are often blocking your way themselves, rudely stepping in front of customers to fill pull lists for the "VIP" customers. Millions of Comics has a much better system, with all the new comics interspersed among all the titles alphabetically and labeled with a little card saying "New!" This results in fewer traffic jams, but it also means that while shopping for your new stuff you get to look at everything else they have and get exposed to titles you may have missed and overlooked. It actually makes you buy more stuff! Silvers care more about toys than comics, it's not a very pleasant experience. They also selectively ask people to leave their bags behind the counter and then when you walk into the main part of the store and you see everyone else still has their bags with them. It makes you feel like a criminal, not a valued customer. Either hold everyones bags or no ones.
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John Barker / November 2, 2010 at 11:16 am
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What can I say about the Snail? Well, they coast on their name, have the consistently rudest, condescending staff covers it.
I went in looking for a back issue of The Simpsons and, after searching their pull out cabinets, decided to ask the staff for help. I figured maybe they had kids' comics somewhere else, not among the 'real' comics. The staff member then, in a snarky tone, explained that the comics were in the pull out bins in alphabetical order. He walked me over to the S drawer that I had gone through already. He flipped through a few and then, a touch sheepishly, explained that apparently they did not have any Simpsons comics in the drawer. I have not returned since.
If you want overcrowding, snark and high prices, then I recommend the Snail 100% as they deliver!
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Sewer Urchin / November 10, 2010 at 10:21 pm
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Terrible customer service sums it up best. The staff don't seem to care or bother about their customers, as they're too busy talking amongst themselves. Case in point, when entering the store, I noticed a sign asking customers to leave their bags at the desk. When I voluntarily try to do this, the cashier was too busy chit chatting, so I politely interrupted her. What a mistake, as she got upset and told me I have to wait. Let's just say that was only the beginning of the poor service that other reviewers have described.

Anyway, next time I'm just walking in with my knapsack.

On the plus side, they had a fantastic selection of action figures, though a bit pricey. But hey at least everything is under one roof. However, don't bother with the staff for help.

If something is out of reach don't bother asking for help. They won't. Your better off climbing up or knocking things down to get it ;). Then they're more keen to assist.
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jim / November 23, 2010 at 07:24 pm
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i went to silver snail it stink.
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Edgar (Alex) Castillos / December 1, 2010 at 08:28 pm
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The Silver Snail has lost a customer (about 4 years ago)that used to spend 10k a year. I just came across this blog and thought it might be a good idea to tell a little story on how a good customer got pissed off!

But first I must say that during the years that I have been a customer at the Silver Snail I never had a problem with any staff member, always seemed polite and friendly.

I was purchasing an At-At walker Master Replicas $1949 CAD that was just in, and at that time the store owner mentioned to me that Master replicas was making a 32 inch Falcon and that he was getting one in. I replied well lets have a look at it once in and the price tag of course, which was $2600 US I think at that time. (Hard to remember exact $$ figures after years). Any ways the Falcon came in. Price was a little bit high. As a customer who spends a lot of dough, I asked for a little attention, (rebate), few hundred, $300?.

No positive result, so I passed on it. As time went on, and nobody would buy it, I insisted, but no luck. The last time I asked, thats year and a half of that Falcon being dead sitting inventory, I got the following reply:

No we can't give you any discount, you know the owner is pissed off at you, cause he ordered it for you and here you are asking for a discount, and there it is sitting there all this time.

Oh boy if I got pissed. LETS GET THE STORY CLEAR. I NEVER ORDERED IT, OTHERWISE YOU WOULD HAVE CHARGED ME A DEPOSIT, MAKES SENSE?

Anyways, that pushed me to the online ordering, which I was not a fan before. Now I get all my high end statues from the USA, and some cool from OXMOX STUDIOS.

Oh and by the way I got the Falcon when Master was getting Rid of their last inventory due to license expiry with good George Lucas, and payed $1495 US with Ship included. Just had to pay a little of brokerage Fee with DHL ($175) I think it was.

Well anyways you, (the Silver Snail store Owner) might say to me: I could'nt afford $300 rebate for you on the Falcon, well, I would reply with the following question: Can you afford the few thousands $$$ profits a year you just lost from me?

Cheers
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U CAN FIND ME AT ONE MILLION COMIX OR THE BEGUILING NOW!XP replying to a comment from Sewer Urchin / December 6, 2010 at 12:23 am
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Let me guess? Blonde, angry, obnoxious bulldyke with a major attitude problem? Sounds about right, no?

Anyhoo, they've lost me as a customer. I used to buy all my monthly comic books and the odd toys from them but not anymore. Years of going in there and leaving the store disgruntled most of the time, it takes a toll. Terrible, like extremely horrible customer service aside, they do have an organized layout of the store...But hell to the no, I'm not coming back! They can go fornicate themselves with their overpriced toys!XP

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Alex / March 14, 2011 at 08:23 pm
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The employees are a bunch of jackasses.
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eileen / June 13, 2011 at 07:11 pm
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Is there any of these animes avalible here:
Pretty Cure(ANIME)
Sailor Moon(ANIME)
Sonic the Hedgehog(ANIME/COMIC)
Shugo Chara!(ANIME/MANGA)
Cybersix(ANIME/COMIC)
Cadcaptor Sakura(ANIME/MANGA)

Let me know, thanks.
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Brandon replying to a comment from eileen / June 16, 2011 at 04:54 am
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Ellen, try Anime Xtreme.

http://www.animextreme.ca/
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eileen replying to a comment from Brandon / June 16, 2011 at 06:24 pm
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so, there isn't any of those??
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Fantomex replying to a comment from U CAN FIND ME AT ONE MILLION COMIX OR THE BEGUILING NOW!XP / June 23, 2011 at 12:26 am
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@Edgar (Alex) Castillos, Sewer Urchin, John Barker, Alex, Dirk, Anon, Krustyburgler2000, and Z: Aww, poor babies! Maybe you came in with a shitty attitude, and they treated you like shit; this is not Crapters/Big Rich Ho where the staff kiss your ass and are treated like shit by management in order to get high sales on books. This is a store with real human beings, and if you act like an adult and treat them like real human beings, you will get great service. I suggest that you all stick to Crapters/Big Rich Ho and buy your comics there, as well as the other places you mentioned, and leave the Silver Snail alone.
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mark / October 24, 2011 at 05:24 pm
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I've always had no problem with the staff. I mean yeah they talk amongs themselves, but when i go up and interrupt to ask a question they got no problem helping me out.
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Davis / October 29, 2011 at 01:45 pm
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I went there and it's true. Someone pointed out the fact that the selectively choose bags to hold but my wife who is holding two bags is alright. I wasn't even asked politely and on top of that they added a joke or two. Making me wanna turn around and leave. One million comix treated me way nicer and gave me a pretty sweet deals.
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bledNili / January 27, 2012 at 11:33 am
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sell buydesignerpurses-0121 to get new coupon buydesignerpurses-0121 for more
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367 Queen Street West (Get Directions)
416.593.0889
Queen West
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