Tate’s
Phone Number: 954-748-0181
Email: emailus@tatescomics.com
Address: 4566 North University Drive, Lauderhill, Florida, 33351
For reasons that elude me now, I found myself looking for something to do outside of Miami once. Am I ever glad that I stumbled upon Tate’s! They promise comics, toys, and more, but really, they deliver so much more. Not to rave excessively but I. Love. This. Place.
The second floor of the store is home to the Bear and Bird Boutique+Gallery, which sells an amazing array of fantastic, unusual art. Yes, that is where I acquired the painting of a squirrel named J.J. Pickles wearing a monocle and underpants. If you have to buy wedding presents, might as well make them memorable.
This store is large (over 6,000 square feet), but not overwhelming (except in terms of sheer awesomeness). They have some display cases for the $$$$ collectibles, but most of the manga, comic books, games, graphic novels, how-to cartooning guides, costumes, Hello Kitty-themed items, anime, snacks, paintings, musical instruments, and head scratchers are easily browsed (and gleefully purchased for prices in the $ to $$ range).
The staff was helpful and courteous. The television monitors near the register are constantly showing cool comics-related movies. The place has a fun, laid-back vibe despite the huge array of stuff to look at and the at times overwhelming array of delicious Japanese candy to try.
In general, I shy away from over-generalizations, but everything in this store was interesting. After my first visit, I left with a painting, but returned many times to browse the comics, admire the art displays, and gaze upon various figurines (and a few swords) encased in glass.
The shop buys and sells new and used comics, collectibles, and figurines, in addition to hosting a range of events hosted in a separate gaming area.
I knew this place was fantastic, but it got even better when I read the origin story. Turns out that Tate’s was founded by a seventeen-year-old Tate Ottati in 1993. Tate and his wife Amanda (what a great name) run the store today. In 2009, Tate’s won the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award. And their lowest rating on Yelp is 3 stars.
As they say on Yelp: “This is the best comic book store ever.”
Can you get a better endorsement than that?
If you find yourself in the vicinity of Florida, Tate’s is a must-see.
Totally agree with every thing said here but there’s is one misogynist dude working there w/ a crappy battery gauge tattoo on his arm that everyone should avoid. Not sure why that guy works there but other than him the store is amazing. Also, much better than Past, Present, Future comics for a million reasons. What do you think of Mac’s Comics in the 305?
Haven’t been to Mac’s Comics – I’ll have to check it out!
Aw, this is my hometown comic book store. Awesome!