The partnership hopes to continue growing their community base and providing an inclusive space for individuals interested in starting their collectible journey as well as seasoned collectors.
How it happened
Jimenez and Ocampo founded Bandito’s in 2021 and started selling and trading from their personal collection.
The pair had joined the collectibles business before the start of the pandemic. They attended conventions all across Texas, Seattle, Chicago and Portland. Jimenez said they garnered a group of regular customers through this time and the duo decided to open a storefront.
What they offer
Bandito’s sells collectibles from Funko Pop figurines, packs of trading cards, single trading cards, comic books, dice and more. The store works with Rob’s Retro Repair to offer clients repair services for hardware and service repair and game cartridge battery replacement.
Bandito’s also hosts multiple tournaments a week with zero entrance fee featuring a variety of trading card games such as Lorcana, Pokémon and Star Wars: Unlimited.
What’s special about it
Jimenez said since opening the shop, they have built a solid group of regulars—including some from Killeen, Bastrop and San Antonio that make the trip just to visit Bandito’s.
“It’s a safe space for sure. It’s very community-oriented,” Jimenez said. “We get a lot of people that come to the shop and they stay here for hours just hanging out and meeting people. It’s almost like 'Cheers,' when you walk in somebody is bound to know you.”
Jimenez said the community support for the business has existed since its opening. Bandito’s had a break in just two weeks after opening, but she said community members flocked to the store in-person and on social media offering their support.
“It's a beautiful thing to know that the community is all about supporting small businesses,” Jimenez said. “Austin is based on small business and I feel like the community here is all about that and they turned out for us.”
- 3509 Hyridge Drive, Austin
- www.banditos.net
