Hidden Gems: Meet Larry Sheftel of ATL Comics & Cards

Today we’d like to introduce you to Larry Sheftel.

Hi Larry, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When my kids were first born I would buy them sports cards and comics on their birthdays or whenever I saw something interesting. They soon became interested in the stories and the people/players behind the pages/cards. We started to heavily collect cards first. We would sell them on ebay and Whatnot. We started to get a following but found it difficult to sell cards through Whatnot. We turned our attention to comic books. We have now sold over 30k comics over the past 2 years on whatnot. That success turned out website, ebay store, ebay live into a small business that my kids and I enjoy doing together.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like I mentioned previously, selling sports cards was very difficult. We just couldn’t find our niche. When we did live shows, one of my kids knew everything about the player, but we couldn’t engage the audience enough to make it worth our time and energy. We turned our attention to comic books.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about ATL Comics & Cards?
ATL Comics & Cards started from a genuine love of comics and has grown into something much bigger than we originally imagined. We’re an Atlanta-based online comic book retailer specializing in new releases, exclusive variants, limited-edition covers, pre-orders, and books featuring some of the best artists working in comics today.

One thing that really sets us apart is how selective we are about what we put the ATL Comics & Cards name behind. We’re not trying to have every comic or produce an exclusive just for the sake of producing one. The artwork matters. The artist matters. The book matters. If we’re going to put our name on something, We want it to be something that we would personally be excited to own.

That approach has given us the opportunity to work with some incredibly talented artists and to build relationships throughout the comic industry. Those relationships are probably one of the things we are most proud of. This business has allowed us to meet and work with people whose artwork we admired long before ATL Comics & Cards existed.

But the brand has always been about more than just selling comics. We’ve built a community of people who genuinely enjoy this hobby. Some of our customers read everything that comes out each week, while others may discover us because they see one incredible cover they have to have. Both are equally welcome here.

We also try to make buying comics feel personal. Between our website, social media, live shows, conventions, and events, our customers actually get to know us. There’s a real person behind the business, and we never want to lose that as we grow.

What I’m most proud of is seeing ATL Comics & Cards develop its own identity in a relatively short period of time. We’re still growing, still experimenting, still meeting new artists and finding new ways to do things, but the goal has stayed pretty simple: offer great comics, showcase great artwork, treat people right, and have some fun doing it.

That’s ultimately what “Where Comics Live” means to us. It’s not just a tagline. It’s what we’re trying to build.

What are your plans for the future?
The biggest thing for us is continuing to grow ATL Comics & Cards without losing what made it fun in the first place.

A major focus going forward is expanding our exclusive comic program and working directly with more artists whose work we genuinely love. I want people to eventually see an ATL Comics & Cards exclusive and immediately know that there was a reason we chose that artist and that particular book. Building that reputation and creating covers that people remember is something I’m really excited about.

We also want to continue growing our online presence, our live shows, and our involvement at conventions and events. One of the best parts of this business has been getting out from behind the website and actually meeting the artists, customers, retailers, and other people who make up the comic community.

There are definitely some bigger ideas we’re working toward as well. I don’t want to give everything away just yet, but I think there’s a lot of opportunity for ATL Comics & Cards to become more than simply a place where you buy comics.

The goal isn’t necessarily to become the biggest comic retailer. I’d rather build a brand that people recognize, trust, and are genuinely excited to see what we do next.

We’ve grown a lot faster than I expected, and I still feel like we’re just getting started.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://atlcomicscards.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/atlcomicscards
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/atlcomicscards
• Twitter: https://x.com/atlcomicscards.com
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/atl-comics-and-cards-marietta?osq=ATL+Comics+%26+Cards&dd_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2F