Mad Jack's Records & Comics

Mad Jack's Records & Comics has brought records and comics together in Matthews for 15 years. In this interview, the owner talks about the town, buying collections, and a remarkable Beatles find.

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Interview with Mad Jack's Records & Comics

Mad Jack’s Records & Comics — records and comics under one roof. How did the two end up together, and does one side pull more people through the door than the other?

I’ve always loved and had a a passion for both. Records and comics may seem like two different worlds, but there’s actually a lot of crossover. They’re both things people collect because they have a real connection to them. There’s the hunt, the nostalgia, the artwork, finding something you haven’t seen in years. Records are probably the bigger part of the business and bring more people through the door, but comics have a very loyal following, and plenty of our customers collect both.

Matthews sits just outside Charlotte with its own small downtown. What does the shop mean to the town, and who’s walking in — collectors, comic readers, kids, folks passing through?

That’s one of my favorite things about being in Matthews. We’ve been here a long time, and I really feel like we’ve become part of the community. We just had our 15th year anniversary this October! We get all kinds of people really. Serious collectors, people buying their first record, comic collectors, families with kids, people visiting Matthews, and people who have lived here forever. We also get people that haven’t owned a turntable in 30 years walk in, see a record they had when they were 16, and suddenly they’re a record collector again.

When someone brings a box of records in to sell, what’s the first thing that tells you it’s worth a close look?

Honestly, you can learn a lot in the first 30 seconds. I look at the overall condition, how the records were stored, and what kind of titles are mixed in. If I start seeing records that weren’t the same albums everybody bought by the millions, that’s usually when I slow down and start looking more carefully. Sometimes one unusual title tells you the rest of the collection could be interesting.

Records and comics are two different resale worlds. Do you buy them the same way, or does each side have its own rules?

They definitely have their own rules. With both, condition and demand matter tremendously, but records have pressing variations, labels, matrix numbers, inserts and all kinds of little details that can make two copies of what looks like the same album worth completely different amounts. Comics have their own version of that with issue numbers, first appearances, variants, grading and key issues. After doing it long enough, you develop an instinct for both, but you still have to do your homework.

What’s the record people are most sure is worth money that just isn’t?

Probably Beatles albums. People tend to think every Beatles record is priceless just because it’s the Beatles. They’re great records, but millions of copies were made, and plenty are still out there. Certain pressings can be valuable, but the pressing and condition matter a lot. People see one listed online for hundreds or thousands of dollars and assume theirs is worth the same. Asking prices and what records actually sell for are two very different things.

And the other side of it — what quietly sells for more than sellers expect?

That’s where it gets fun. Certain metal, punk, alternative, hip-hop, jazz, private pressings and records that didn’t sell particularly well when they originally came out can surprise people. Sometimes the record somebody thinks is the throwaway in the box is the one I’m most interested in. Scarcity and demand can be a funny combination.

When you put two numbers on the counter — cash and credit — what actually tips someone one way?

It usually comes down to whether they’re getting out of collecting or feeding the habit. If somebody inherited a collection or just wants to clear space, they’re usually taking the cash. If they’re a collector and they start looking around the store while I’m going through their stuff, there’s a pretty good chance they’re thinking about store credit.

North Carolina summers are humid and a lot of collections come out of a garage or attic. What condition damage do you see most, and what would you tell a seller to do differently?

Moisture is brutal. Mold, mildew, warped records, stuck-together covers and that unmistakable musty smell can take a great collection and destroy a lot of its value. Attics and garages are two of the worst places you can keep records in North Carolina. Keep them upright, indoors, somewhere climate controlled, and don’t pack them so tightly that you’re damaging the jackets. Treat them more like books than something you’d store in the garage.

What’s the wildest thing that’s ever walked in?

This one is tough because after doing this for so many years, I’ve had some pretty crazy things come through the door. Probably one of the most memorable Records that came in was a Beatles “butcher” album. An older couple came in and just gave me a collection of records because they were moving and didn’t want to just throw their records away. About a a week later I finally started sorting through the box and low and behold there was a second state copy of the “butcher” album! The holy grail of all Beatles albums!

What’s the record people ask for most that you can never keep in stock?

There isn’t just one, but the classics disappear constantly …Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and similar stuff. Clean copies of albums people grew up with don’t sit around very long. What’s interesting is that it’s not just people who grew up with them anymore. We have teenagers coming in looking for the exact same records their parents and grandparents bought.

Last updated: 2026-10-28

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