Piles of bright comic books line the walls as Gary Burton makes his way around his Hamilton store in late July, attempting to pack up his business of over 30 years.
Burton, 62, who has lost most of his vision, is being evicted from his Barton Street East location, but said he’s hopeful he’ll open Burdin’s Comics somewhere else soon.
“I feel like I need to do this for my customers because they’ve been so good to me,” Burton said.
On Tuesday, a few of those customers were in the store packing up comic books, posters, trading cards and paraphernalia. Sean Morrison was among those helping out.
“Most of the people who’ve come in and realized what’s happening are devastated,” Morrison said. “This is a home away from home for me.”
Facing increasing rent, Gary Burton closed Burton’s Comics on Barton Street East on July 31, 2024.
Burton was dealt two blows this year that led to the store closing.
The first is cataracts in both eyes that have caused him partial blindness. It’s hard for him to see clearly, and small fonts are impossible to read, so he’s been getting customers to enter their own totals into the cash register, he said.
He hopes to qualify for surgery soon to restore his vision.
Landlord says she’s trying to force Burton out
The second issue is with his landlord, Burton said.
He’s been renting the Barton Street East location for seven years, paying about $600 a month.
But in March, his landlord started increasing his rent, as she’s allowed to do under Ontario’s commercial tenancy rules.
By August, it was set to rise to $1,500 — more than double the original amount — and Burton knew he couldn’t afford it, he said.
Business has been slow, with customers feeling the pinch of inflation and higher cost of living, Burton said. Comic books aren’t high on their list of essential purchases.
Burton’s landlord, Cassandra Goslin, 61, said in an interview that she’s feeling the same financial pressures and has health issues of her own.
Both the property tax and insurance for the building have increased in the last year, Goslin said. She also expressed concerns about the amount of items Burton’s keeps in the shop.
“I’m trying to get him out,” Goslin said. “That’s my building, my retirement fund.”
There’s also a rat infestation that, she said, can’t be dealt with until Burton leaves. Burton disagrees with that.
But he said he has no choice but to leave, carefully packing each item into a storage unit to be sold in the future.
Burton said he has been a comic book fan his whole life. He began collecting comic books— and “freakin’ loved them” — and began selling them from the end of his east Hamilton driveway to kids on their way home from school.
He opened a shop on Main Street years ago, but in anticipation of disruptions from planned light rail transit construction, decided to relocate to Barton Street East in 2017.
He said he’ll look for a new space for Burdin’s Comics later this year.
“I love the industry,” Burton said. “Nobody leaves upset.”