Gecko Books & Comics

Waited for Geckos Books and Comics to open at 10 am. When that time came, the store never opened. Although, I could see someone inside he never acknowledged me until I knocked on the door. He eventually came to the entrance and yelled something through the gap in the double door. I called him back in to clarify what he said and that’s when he said something like «We’re not opening on time! Got inventory to do.»
Then he walked away.
What a jerk. No class. He obviously needs to learn that customers come first and inventory can be set aside for a bit to tend to a customer. He ultimately lost my business and those I know. I’ve heard mixed reviews and now know why.

HOLY FUNKO.
This place has stacks on stacks on stacks of Funkos.
If you’re a Funko collector, stop by here! Prices are reasonable and selection is the largest I’ve seen on the island.

I’ve been checking Gecko out since the 80s. You know what, the locations may have changed but it’s still the same.
I give credit that the latest and greatest stuff is there. Oh definitely there, and if at all possible for a price. I’ve talked to the owner on several occasions to get try to build a something up, anything. Alas, to no avail.
And, I really don’t like how I am kept an eye on every single time like I am going to steal something. Granted, I may look like a thug sometimes. Don’t judge me, man.
He’s very particular about how the comics are handled. I understand that and commend him for the effort but there’s a hard edge that’s discomforting for those who lack the knowledge for comic care. It’s not like there’s a course offered or required for everyone to take. Fortunately, I am not one of them.
Although things may seem disorientingly disorganized the staff do seem to know where everything is, most of the time.
What makes the store unique, for me, is the numerous figures available, recent and past, hardly seen anywhere else on the island. Many, I believe, are priced over current market price. Market price can have a different definition from person to person, just so you know. Anyways, these figures are great to look at. Love the craftsmanship that has gone into them now. Before they use to be hand painted. Today it’s just part of the production line… paint ‘em and ship ‘em out quick.
There’s not an extensive back issue but understandable. Back issue sales have been lagging for almost 20 years now and have not come back since. Love looking at the Silver Age comics, key Broze Age comics posted high to the ceiling. I always compare them to what I have, how many I have and condition they are in. Then, start adding them up.
Conveniently located in Kaimuki makes the choices hard to decide where to eat after browsing through the store.

Rude employee or owner. Not sure. Big mistake as we can drop some coin. No mahalo for you

Gecko books is a quiet, friendly neighborhood comic book store in Kaimuki. It is located next to Coffee Talk, and is easy to spot thanks to the comic book posters and memorabilia adorning the windows. There is plenty of street parking around the area.
The great thing about Gecko is that there is something for everybody. My husband, who is hardcore into different American Comics, board games, and trades can find everything he wants here. Me, on the other hand, I am more into manga– and there is an entire wall for that as well. The manga section does not seem to be updated as often, but oh well, their focus seems to be more American comics anyways.
If you’re a bookworm, as well as a comic fan, there is an entire section towards the back that is used paperbacks– scifi and fantasy novels, fiction, you name it.
The owner is incredibly knowledgable, and will help you if you are looking for something in particular.
I’m happy to support Gecko Books, they are a great local business!

Store opens at 10am on Saturday mornings. We show up at 10am. The door is locked. There are 2 other people waiting. Over the next 15 minutes, several sets of people show up, then leave disappointed. At 10:15 Ted, the owner shows up. He ignores us all waiting. Not a word. He opens the door, closes and locks it behind him. He goes in the store and stays in there for another 10 minutes or more. At this point we left. I don’t want to give this guy my business. He’s clearly disinterested in his customers.
People, please don’t let people like this get away with this kind of awful service. Online retailers and even Comic Maniacs are extremely accessible.

This is my favorite type of store: toys, comics, games, and enough of each to keep you busy. I just can’t get over the lack of organization and general unfriendliness of the staff. I want so much to like this place, but every time I come, even when I purchase things, I don’t feel like I matter as a customer. Prices are somewhat high, but acceptable for Hawaii.
The store is located just off Waialae in Kaimuki. Just off the square, there’s so many restaurants and other shopping opportunities in the area. The store easy to get to by bus. For those driving, there is cheap/​free street parking but not much. You’re better off going to Kaimuki’s unfortunate paid parking lot.
The store is small and filled to the gills with fun things. They have a great selection of new and back issue comics, plenty of board games and accessories, and tons of toys and books. The store is mostly clean.
If you need something right now and they have it, it’s a good option. But I have to recommend other stores in Honolulu for your geeky shopping needs.

Thank you Victoria M. for check in here. I would have never known this place exist. At first, I thought this place would be small. Boy, I was wrong.
They have tons of comic books, superhero figurines, games, and t shirts and costumes. It’s comic heaven.
They also have collectible comics if you look up to the ceiling.
They’re located across from Via Gelato. You can park across the municipal parking ran by Pro Park or street parking.

Man came in here today and was expecting a regular comic store. Once I entered the store, I was already amazed of how much stuff they had inside! I literally had to walk inside the place at least 3 times because there are a lot of cool things in there. There are a lot of things that caught my from toys to comics and funko pops to import models they have a variety of things. Even though I left this awesome place with nothing I am definitely coming back with some cash to pick some stuffs up!

People sometimes ask me… how did you get into the animation industry? … With the combination of Toys and Joys across the street and Gecko books, it seemed to be a nurturing battle ground for arts and comics… sometimes I tell them, I was lucky and had a comic book shop right next to my bus stop. I wouldn’t know half as much as I do about comics if it wasn’t for Gecko Books. When it was located by the bus stop, I would browse and buy comics until my bus arrived. If I missed it… I guess I’ d look at more comics.

Great parking with an awesome selection. I was specifically looking for the Pop! Marvel bobble heads. Even though I could not find Deadpool the woman running the store found my second choice in the back… Rocket Racoon. Good selection of everything comic and then some. Parking is also good.

This place is amazing. It’s a little dungeon dark inside, but it does play with with the theme of the outside.
I’ve experienced Ted having a bad moment. If you get over the snide remarks, he’s actually pretty helpful.
I usually find what I need here: comics, books, or board games.

As a pop culture fan with family and friends of other pop culture fans, it’s quite dangerous that I live so close to this shop!
Like other comics shops in town, Gecko doesn’t just sell comics, but collectibles, as well. I recently got sucked into the Funko Pop vinyl figure obsession, and also bought a few as Christmas presents. I’ve found that the figures here are about $ 2 less than those sold in the mall.
Happy to support a longtime local business, on top of that! Goodness knows there aren’t many comic shops, or even bookstores in general, left.
Ted, the owner, is knowledgable, and through my interactions with him so far, a pleasant guy. I have not experienced his «bad side» that others seem to have seen; perhaps I haven’t caught him on a bad day yet, or perhaps he deals back out what others project?

First… I would give this place 5 stars if the owner wasn’t so rude… And kind of aggressive. I went on an Oahu comic book store tour to find the place if like to starts subscriptions since I moved.
This place has EVERYTHING you can think of old an new. But the owner’s attitude made me take my subscriptions elsewhere. I’ll only visit for fill-​ins on my old collections.

Gecko Books & Comics has proven itself to be the best comic book and collectible shop over the past 25 years. While many shops have went out of business, Ted has kept his doors open for loyal customers and new enthusiasts alike.
So why is it that Toys n Joys just down the road would go out of business when video games are arguably more accessible across generations than comic books? Well, perhaps the secret lies in the personal touch Ted provided with each visit. He is all-​knowing when it comes to comics, movies, and beyond. Curious about a series? Just ask.
Geckos consistently puts their new comics on shelves the day they are released. The comics are properly bagged to keep the issues separate from one another so the pages don’t get caught and bend. If you purchase a limited edition variant cover, you’ll get the issue in a comic with a back board to further reinforce its protection.
The collectibles are plentiful in Geckos. You can find figurines from American Horror Story, Kill Bill, and other popular series.
Start a pull to make sure your copy of your favorite ongoing or new series are reserved. Even if you can’t make it on Wednesday, you’ll still be able to stay updated with your pull list.

Unilocal 365 CHALLENGE 2014−(310÷365) «The Comic Shop, Not The Lizard»
Anyone remember Parker’s Comic Book shop on Lehua Ave. in Pearl City back in the day???
I think that’s the first comic shop I remember visiting during «Da Hanabata Days». Nowadays, there are not many comic book shops around, but the few that come to mind are Jelly’s (another shop I used to frequent when they were located on Piikoi) and Gecko Books & Comics.
I used to frequent Gecko’s WAAAAY back in 1990 B. Y (Before Unilocal) when they were located on Waialae while attending the Culinary Program at KCC, and all this time, I thought that they had closed down. After having a make out session with a Macadamia Nut Affogato nearby at Via Gelato, I see the sign, and I was surprised to see that they still existed?!
Comics, action figures, and collectibles fill this store everyhere you turn and it is just like I remember. Not much of a comic book collector now, but I still have my stash, and I even sold some of my collection to these guys… wonder if they still have any of them??? The guy behind the counter was very cool and knowledgeable, and he even let us take our time even though he was closing soon. No purchases this time, but it definitely brought the nostalgia back from the good ‘ol days! ALOHA!!!
Shaka Meter: \uuu/​\uuu/​\uuu/​\uuu/​4

I have been going to this shop for a few years now seeing how they not only have the best selection of comic books on the island, but also the most knowledgeable staff I have come across in a while.
I ended up getting my fiancé hooked on comic books and the second she wanted to discover new story lines and arcs, Gecko’s was the first place I took her. She immediately fell in love with the shop, which is very easy to do. The shop itself is quite small, however there are books, statues, and various memorabilia stacked up to the roof and hidden in every nook and cranny. Every time I go, I find a new spot that has hidden gems tucked into it.
As I read these comments about Ted being a cranky old a**hole, I can’t help but shake my head. Ted takes his comics very seriously and rightly so. They are his livelihood! And he can’t make money off of bent or damaged comics. How many shop owners are okay out there with people coming into their shops and wrecking their merchandise? I can tell you, exactly zero.
Now granted there has been an interaction or two with him where he seemed to be in a bad mood. But again who hasn’t had a bad day during their work week? Let the man finish his cigarette if he is outside smoking and he will take care of you. Rush him to finish it? You get a cranky Ted. Bottom line is that Ted is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful if you genuinely are interested in something or need help finding something.
Ted and his daughter were nice enough to let me incorporate them in an engagement treasure hunt. While they were slightly puzzled in the beginning of why I wanted to leave the 75^th Anniversary Batman collection after having had paid for laying around their shop for three more days, they were more than happy to help me out after I explained the reasoning.
I will be back in the shop quite a few more times before I leave the Island and ensure that I visit any time I come back.

Knowledgeable staff. Girl Friendly.
Best Comic shop on island. I am the kind of jerk who was weaned on Gaiman and Spiegelman (and yet can’t spell Spiegelman). I loved superhero comics as a kid, but haven’t been able to drum up the passion to follow anything outside of Vertigo for years. I want to think of myself as an Indy comics kind of guy, but simply don’t put in the time and effort to think about and understand the industry.
Enter Toni. Toni’s recommendations for Indy comics (you know, the books with New Yorker blurbs on the back talking about how, finally, there’s a book that elevates the genre/​medium to great literature) have continuously been spot on. Moreover, I like that I can go into the store and have a comic book shop that doesn’t make women feel like they don’t belong. Toni was extremely helpful to me and my friend’s daughter, and her recommendations got this book-​phobic young girl into reading!
Though Ted’s comic recommendations are generally not for me (we like different stuff – it happens) he is extremely knowledgeable and runs a great shop. He has recommended fun games for me on more than one occasion.
I wish there were game nights, or cross overs with Coffee talk. It would be amazing to hang out and play games on a Tuesday evening.
There is a discount, so often it is cheaper than ordering online.

Regarding other posts about Ted:
I see all of negative comments here regarding Ted. And I crack up reading his responses. I’m under the impression that the negative posts went into the store in a bad mood and none of those occurances can be blamed on Ted. If he was as bad as they imply, he’d not have so many loyal customers! And no business for you to complain about.
He’s not a bad guy. So grow up and get over it. Both he and his daughter are extremely knowledgeable and more than willing to help you check every corner in the store to find whatever you are looking for. I’m a Marvel fan, so when my wife finally got corrupted (got into comics), of course she likes wonder woman. I had no idea where to even start, but Ted’s daughter (i forget her name, sorry) went straight to pick her personal favorite to suggest. Made it much easier on me. Then it took her all of 30 seconds to find me two top loss protectors for some 11×14 posters I am having signed by Stan Lee and Arthur Suydam at the upcoming comic con.
Rest:
Most of their prices are at or even under current market value, so no one is getting ripped off. Selection will have you constantly spinning and walking in circles trying to look at it all. It really is everything, comics, books, manga, statues, figures, graphic novels, cards (pokemon, magic, sports… pick your poison), and a D&D gamers wet dream. There’s even the typical, but nice selection of character paraphernalia (wallets, banks, bottle openers, etc.).
All in all, I will continue to shop here, and highly recommend this as your go to spot for gaming/​sci fi/​comic needs. I caught of a comic that will soon be framed on my wall. I just have to pick it up later since Ted was kind enough to order it for me (without meeting me) and keeping it protected and on display with his other high value comics (look up and you can’t miss them). I’ll return for you, ASM #300. Lol.

Gecko is just an amazing store– they basically have everything you could ever ask for. There are comics, manga, magazines, art books, games, dice, cards, hentai, shirts, figures and even video game merchandise. Everything in the store is also very fairly priced.
ALSO I don’t understand why everyone is complaining about the owner Ted. Yeah maybe he isn’t the usual falsely chipper, pushy, overly friendly, ANNOYING worker BUT he is insanely knowledgeable about all of his products and very passionate about comics, figures etc. My boyfriend and I were in the store for 2 and a half hours and he didn’t rush us or hover over us.
And if someone had left a bad review personally attacking you wouldn’t you also ban them from your shop?