Bag End Books

In a Dunedin street, in a building, there was a book shop.  From 1991 till 2002, Bag End Books ('Bag End' as it was fondly referred to) resided at 13 Frederick Street, Dunedin.  So what's the point of having a page on Waypoint Comics dedicated to an old, extinct business?   Bag End largely predated the internet as we know it today so it never had the chance to have its own website.  This page is to chronicle its time and provide some of the few images that exist of the shop for the enjoyment of those who supported it. In fact, you can come into Waypoint Comics, and see some old fixtures and posters that are still in use and that were in Bag End!  Waypoint Comics is the legacy of Bag End Books....where it all began.

Welcome home to Bag End...

The famous warm and welcoming green of the shop, and the classic wooden panel door led to a store where people could seek refuge from their daily grind, be that their work or university life.  Being pre-internet, shops like Bag End were largely the 'keepers and gateways' to knowledge of news and upcoming books and products.  

The name was of course a Middle Earth reference, and decided long before Peter Jackson's grand adaption came to light.  It simply was to reflect the specialist fare that Bag End provided.  Permission was granted by Harper Collins NZ for the use of the name.

where there were books, real books....

Bag End was a book store.  We sold science fiction, fantasy as well books dealing with movies, industry art and other interesting subjects.  We were selling steampunk before Steampunk was really a thing (Snowcrash anyone?)  From the staples of Feist, Eddings and Jordan to the magic of Lackey, Gibson, Robb, Turtledove not to mention the expanded Star Wars universe and the artistry that is Pratchett. 

....and comics, graphic novels, and toys oh my

The other main leg of Bag End was comics.  Bag End came into being at a very interesting time in comic history.  The speculation craze of the early 90s was just in its infancy in 1991, but was announced by three main events, the Death of Superman, Image Comics and the breaking of Batman.

Marvel, DC and Image were, like any comics store anywhere, the bread and butter publishers. 

But we did more, Stray Bullets, Cerebus, Bone, Sandman, Preacher, Strangers in Paradise.

Nearer the late 90's toy companies, led by McFarlane Toys Spawn line with its high-end sculpting, started marketing to the adult collector's sensibilities and we saw in that trend that continues to explode to this day.

And Magic the Gathering. Bag End was able to stock Magic just as Revised/3rd Ed was coming out (and once we even had a single box of The Dark expansion!) While Waypoint is yet to turn its talents to gaming, come in and see us for Magic singles and to talk about magic in general - we have been known to play a bit of Commander :).