Buying comics online gives you the convenient option to order from a huge selection of new, old, and collectible comics without even having to leave your home. Parker's Records and Comics knew it was important to make this an option! Our inventory is updated almost daily to ensure that we have a wealth of options for you to pick from.  However, if you do want to see the items in person and explore our collection, we do have a physical location as well.

From A-Z we have thousands of comics including those from the Golden Age, Bronze Age, and Silver Age.  On top of this, classic comic books from Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Archie Comics, Gold Key and many more are available. If you’d like to get a glimpse of the kind of comics and records we have to offer, we frequently post photos with prices on our Facebook page.  For example two of our recent posts are the Bronze Age X-Men comic “Death of Thunderbird” from 1975. Then we have a 1962 R&B/Soul 45 by Fay Simmons. Both of these items, along with much of our inventory, are in mint condition.

We have used and new comics with prices that vary, along with records, that are all accessible through the World Wide Web.  If you are looking for something specific and don’t see it online, give us call we might have it in the store! You can also find our email address on the website.  We’re happy to answer any question you may have.

Bring History to Life With Novelty Records

Novelty records are more than just collector’s items. Most adults remember what record players looked like, cassette players, and monstrous CD players. You could drag your kids to the museum, repeatedly make sure they do not touch anything, and read small tidbits about music legends. However, you can explore history first-hand with Parkers RC.

Actually Exploring Music Legends Instead of a Trip to the Museum

There are more to novelty records than the music. You can help future generations experience what owning a record was like. Unlike semi-indestructible MP3 players with solid state drives that can be dropped, stepped on, go through the washing machine and still work, records are meant to be cherished. You can’t get the songs back on a cloud network after you drop a record, and you have to carefully play it every time. Keep history alive and well by experiencing music in a way that is difficult any other way.

Get Something Good in the Mail for a Change

Another piece of history that most adults remember is when good things actually came in the mail. Parkers RC will ship a new record to you, and you can actually look forward to getting the mail again. Show your children what it was like to order special items that aren’t for holiday gifts. Relive some of the most memorable music of all time the way it was first heard by thousands, on a record.

Boring Music History or an Exciting Hobby?

Music history can be lackluster at times, but where’s the fun in instantly downloading an MP3? Grow your existing record collection or start an exciting new hobby with novelty records. Get the records that meant something to you a few short decades ago, and keep your own history alive and kicking.

Order Records From Parkers RC Today

Call us at (513) 575-3665 for more information about our records. Make swing dancing sessions pop, or relax to sounds straight from the 1940s with our extensive collection of online records. 

Reasons to Read Comic Books

Parker’s Records and Comics is here to provide you with the absolute best in new and collectible comic books through our online comic book store, and we want to do the same for your friends. If your friends don’t understand why you’re so proud to be a self-proclaimed comic book geek, we’ve got a few good reasons for you to give them the next time they ask.  

A Joy to Read

You know all too well how enjoyable it is to sit down and read your favorite comic book series. We live in an age of multiple distractions, and it can be difficult to focus on a single task. It’s quite a feat when something as simple and low tech as a comic book can hold your attention and keep you enthralled for hours at a time.

Imagination Stimulation

Comic books can spark your creativity and give you a different way of looking at the world and everything in it. Actors, writers and even web designers have all remarked on how big of an impact comic books have had on their careers. It’s entirely possible that mankind’s next greatest achievement might be inspired by a simple comic book bought from an online comic book store. The possibilities are endless.

Inspiration

The superheroes we read about in comic books save lives both on and off of the page. Back in the days of WWII, comic books were used to inspire patriotism and support for the war effort, and in the 60s and 70s they were used to subtly address social issues such as race and bigotry. Today, comic books are still used as a way to teach readers how to live better lives and be all that they can be no matter what may come their way.

Literacy

One of the absolute best things about comic books is that they get people both young and old reading. Kids learn new words by reading comic books, and older readers get the mental stimulation that comes with reading. If you know of anyone who finds reading to be a chore, introduce them to the world of comic books.

If you’d like to check out our online comic book store for yourself or for your friends, visit Parker’s Records and Comics website.   

Safely Storing Your Old LPs and 45s

A vinyl record collection is something to be treasured. Those old sounds you remember will stay fresh and clear if you take the time to learn how to store your records correctly.

Improper Storage Can Damage Records

Many vintage vinyl records and 45s were not created with longevity in mind; record manufacturers were able to produce cheap products by skimping on vinyl weight and paper quality. This results in an item that is prone to warping and splitting.

Warping and splitting is caused by excessive heat and pressure applied over a long period of time, though different types of heat and pressure affect the vinyl and paper differently. The lightweight album cover is the record’s primary protection; protecting this outer layer should be your first concern.

Standard Storage Considerations

There are three basic considerations to keep in mind when storing vinyl records. These include:

·         Use place storage sleeves

·         Replace missing paper inner sleeves

·         Store records vertically

Place a clear, acid-free plastic sleeve over the album cover. Most of these are designed for standard, single record covers though it is possible to find sleeves made for gatefold albums or two-disc sets. This will protect the paper from rubbing and scuffs. It will also help the paper resist moisture, which can potentially cause the paper to stick to the vinyl’s surface. This can damage the delicate grooves and diminish the sound quality.

Inner paper sleeves protect the record’s surface from dust and grit. If the original sleeve is missing or damaged, replacement ones can be purchased for just a few cents apiece.

Finally, make sure that your vinyl records are stored vertically, just like a row of books. You can use bookends with a broad, solid surface to prevent the row from tipping over. Storing your records at a slant should be avoided since this can cause the vinyl to warp.

Building a Collection to Enjoy Forever

Storing your records correctly is easy and will ensure that your collection stays in great shape. When you are ready to build your collection, just browse through our great selection!

Vinyl Records are Bringing the Music Back

Vinyl records are making quite a come back in the music scene. With their raw, authentic sound, creative sleeves, and vintage feel, it is no wonder why more people are stepping back in time to purchase and listen to records. Here at Parker’s Records and Comics, we are excited and committed to help you find whatever record you are looking for!

Why Buy Old or Vintage Records?

Vinyl records, otherwise known as vintage records, produce a higher quality sound that cannot be matched with the audio on an MP3 player, CD, or cassette tape. They are composed of a petroleum based plastic called vinyl and are made when sound waves create vibrations in the plastic, creating the grooves on the record. These records were the main way of producing and selling music until the 1970’s. However, records have made a huge comeback in recent years due to the demand for more authentic music and recordings.

What we Offer

We are dedicated to offering you the best selection in vinyl records, EP’s, and 45’s. Our selection includes:

• Vintage 45's 
• Vinyl LP records
• Soul and Funk –examples include James Brown and Ray Charles
• Instrumental pieces
• Jazz-examples include Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald
• Reggae
• Reissues
• Pop and Rock-examples include Elton John and Stevie Wonder
• Picture sleeves

Grading Records

Grades are not just for students anymore! Here at Parker’s Records and Comics we take great pride in our grading system for our records. The top grade is sealed, meaning the record has never been opened or played. Next is mint, meaning the record is in perfect condition. We also rate records as being very good, but these can be scratched and may not have their original sleeve.

If you are ready to give the sound of vinyl records a try, please visit our store or order online. We can help you experience the raw and genuine sound of records, 45’s and EP’s.

The comic book world is full of superheroes. Reaching as far back as the 1930s, fans across the world have read in pure awe as they've watched these men and women clad in superhero uniforms complete with tights battle the evil that we simply couldn’t.

After much deliberation, we've arrived at the top 10 most awesome comic book heroes of all time. If you agree or disagree with us, let us know in the comments section below.

Superhero #1

Superman

Superhero #2

Batman

Superhero #3

Spider-Man

Superhero #4

Captain America

Superhero #5

Wolverine

Superhero #6

Wonder Woman

Superhero #7

Judge Dredd

Superhero #8

Hulk

Superhero #9

Iron Man

Superhero #10

Dare Devil

Do you have a favorite superhero? Let us know in the comments section below this post.

And don't forget -- comic books "stay alive" with your support. If you're in the Milford area, stop by and show your support! We're located at 1222 Route 28, Suite C. We sell all sorts of comics - we've got something for everyone.

Some people don't understand why vinyl records are still relevant in today's world. Well, roll up your sleeves, take a seat and read along - we're going to tell you exactly why you should be "buying vinyl".

Why Should I Buy Vinyl?

There are three basic reasons people still invest in and buy vinyl records - and why you should, too.

Reason #1

They just look cool. Vinyl records have that old-time aesthetic to them. While cassette tapes and CDs don't particularly look all that cool, vinyl records stand out. People love to show their guests their awesome vinyl record collection. Not only that, but all records are encased in specially-made-for-vinyl cover art on the sleeve. Purchasing vinyl makes buying music feel like something - it adds even more meaning to the music.

The ritual of taking a record out of its sleeve and putting it on the player usually means it's time to listen to and focus all of your attention on the music. 

Reason #2

Vinyl records are usually worth more than other music mediums (cassette tapes, CDs, etc), and their worth can grow with time. Buying vinyl records today is the only way to purchase music that is likely to give you a return on your investment. You can't very well resell a digital music file, can you? If there is a demand for the record, chances are that its monetary worth will only grow over time.

Not only that, but they're worth more to the owner as well - they're something to actually display as a relic of sorts inside the collectors' home.

Reason #3

Yes, vinyl records actually do sound better than other mediums. And we're going to explain why that is.

First off, vinyl records are an analog recording. They produce analog sounds - not digital sounds. Some would argue that records are "easier on the ear" or "softer."

We think Jonathan Strickland, Senior Editor of HowStuffWorks.com, put it best:

“An analog signal is continuous, meaning that there are no breaks or interruptions. If you were to hum a descending note, people hearing you would be able to detect the change in pitch, but not point to specific moments when the pitch jumped from one note to the next. Digital signals are not continuous. They use specific values to represent information. In the case of sound, that means representing a sound wave as a series of values that represent pitch and volume over the length of the recording. In a primitive digital recording of that descending note you hummed, you'd hear a single long sound as a collection of shorter sounds.”

Most of the famous rock stars of the past and present are still on board with vinyl. Are you?

Overview of Vintage Northern Soul Records

Even though "Northern Soul" sounds like it's a type of music, it doesn't actually refer to any specific kind of music. For many people, though, it's a name and an icon that means everything.

According to allmusic.com, most soul music is named for the region where the music was created, or for the type of sound that the music has. Northern Soul, however, is named after where the music was played, and in the past, that was in clubs in north Britain. That's right -- 'northern soul' refers to '70s dance club music in northern Britain. During the prog rock era, a few underground clubs played '60s soul records - but they weren't just as type of soul, they were the most underground and obscure American soul music records that the DJs could come up with. The DJs were essentially obsessive collectors -- and they started a fad. And a trend was born.  

Allmusic.com put it this way:

"Usually, these records sounded like Motown, Chicago soul, or New York soul, but they were records by unknown or underappreciated performers; Major Lance was one of the biggest names on the scene. These records were dubbed Northern soul because of the clubs. Northern soul continued to gain popularity until the mid-'70s, when punk and disco stole its thunder; however, it never really faded away. Some clubs remained open and there was still a collectors' market for the singles, and many rare singles were going for astonishingly high prices. Most importantly, many clubgoers, from Marc Almond to Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs of St. Etienne, went on to form their own groups, which kept the spirit of Northern soul alive."

Some of the most prominent & collectible Northern Soul records today are:

• Millie Jackson - "Caught Up/Still Caught Up" / the best of
• Gene Chandler - the best of / "The Duke of Earl"
• Jerry Butler - "The Sweetest Soul" / "Soul Workshop" / the best of
• Syl Johnson - "Bridge to a Legacy"
• The Impressions - "The Very Best of the Impressions"
• Bettye LaVette - "The Scene of the Crime" / "Do Your Duty" / "I've Got My Own Hell to Raise" / the best of
• The Dells - "Always Together: Great Chess Ballads" & many more
• The Manhattans - the best of

Many record collectors are not only on the lookout for records from their favorite recording artists, but they're on the lookout for the most valuable records they can find. That's why we've compiled a list of records that are considered the most valuable records of all time.

10. Elvis Presley - "Good Luck Charm" (1962): This single's record is worth a whopping $24,000, and features the words "Anything That's Part of You" and a picture sleeve of the king of rock. Good Luck Charm topped the Billboard Charts in 1962. The $24K price tag is NOT for the 45, but for the 7 inch 33 1/3 (Compact 33 Single).

9. The Five Sharps - "Stormy Weather" (1952): This doo-wop record was a very limited release, and is one of the most highly sought after records to-date. One of the records that was in "good condition" sold for $25,000 in 1977. 

8. Elvis Presley - "Stay Away, Joe" (1967): This one-sided LP wasn't even really produced. A copy was pressed and played in 1967, for a radio station. Due to its insane amount of rarity, it's worth about $25,000.

7. Velvet Underground and Nico - (1966): It's safe to say that you won't be getting your hands on this anytime soon because only one copy exists. The crazy thing about it, though, is that someone found it at a stoop sale and bought it for .75 - then turned around and sold it for $25,000 in 2006. Guess it pays off to know your stuff!

6. Sex Pistols - "God Save the Queen" (1977): This single was recorded but the Sex Pistols were fired from A&M Records just a week later because of unruly behavior. The records were then handed out to top execs after A&M's London office was shut down in 1998.

5. Frank Wilson - "Do I Love You?" (1965): Another one-time release as far as records go. The only existing copy was sold to a collector for $30,000 (15,000 pounds), an unheard of price for a 7-inch single.

4. Bob Dylan - "'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan' album" (1963): This album is worth so much because when it was released, Bob Dylan thought it was too old-fashioned sounding, pulled it, and quickly replaced it. The album was last sold for $35,000.

3. Beatles - "Yesterday and Today" (1966): This list wouldn't be complete without the Beatles, now would it? A copy of Yesterday and Today sold for $38,000 in 1996 because it was in "pristine condition." The reason there aren't many copies of this particular album is because of the cover - it was so odd - the group posed for it in white butchers' clothing and were covered in plastic doll pieces and scraps of meat. Umm, what?

2. The Quarrymen (1958): Paul McCartney is known to own this album, and it's worth an estimated $180,000 - 200,000. 

And the #1 most valuable record award goes to...

1. John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy" (1980): Although this isn't a rare album in and of itself, the one signed by John Lennon is. It's worth more than $400,000 ... because it was the record Mark David Chapman himself owned, after he asked John Lennon to autograph it on December 8, 1980. Five hours after having Lennon sign it, he returned to his New York apartment and shot him fatally. The album was used as evidence in court to lift his fingerprints, and then sold in 2008.

Oldest Comic Book in History Dates Back to Scotland

Have you ever wondered what the very first comic book in the world was? New research says it came from Scotland – and it was published a whopping 188 years ago, in 1825.

Named the Glasgow Looking Glass, this old comic book was largely a satiric piece of work that focused on political and social norms of Scotland in the 1820s. After only five issues, its name changed to the Northern Looking Glass, and better reflected the national events and issues in Scotland at the time.

The Northern Looking Glass is often compared to Punch Magazine, which was a British comic book style weekly that came out in 1841. It’s been said that historically, Punch Magazine is the most influential thing to come out of the 1840s and 1850s.

Earliest Known Comic Book in the US

While some may claim that the oldest comic in the US is Archie or Superman, it really wasn’t. The oldest comic book in the United States dates back to 1842, and it was called The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck. The crazy thing about this particular publication was that it was originally published in Europe, in several different languages. A year after running issues in Europe, it was picked up by a press in New York and then distributed. The original comic was done by Rudolphe Töpffer in Switzerland.

Comics from the 1800s often didn’t have speech balloons – instead, they consisted of thought-provoking, story-telling drawings and lines of text underneath the pictures to describe the story.

We Stock Older Comics

While we don’t have 1800’s comics like the ones mentioned in this blog in stock, we do stock some older comic books. Come in and see for yourself! We are located in Milford, just north of Cincinnati. Our address is 1222 Highway 28, Milford, 45150.