Jackson said his love of collecting started with Power Rangers and grew into finding figures from popular franchises. When his collection reached the point where he had extra items, he found success and a market online.
“My wife noticed how much people really like these figurines,” Jackson said. “She told me instead of selling my stuff, I should look into buying extras and having a storefront.”
Jackson attributes his success to his passion for collectibles and the support of his wife, Daisy, and regular in-store customers.
"[Daisy] helps me to stay in line and not to be too optimistic when I’m buying things,” Jackson said. “Optimism is good, but we don’t want to do too much and put ourselves at risk.”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Stephen’s Collectibles stayed afloat by switching to an online method where they could keep the doors shut for safety.
“COVID was a bit scary for us,” Jackson said. “But we actually grew our customer base a little during COVID as people got more into their hobbies and bought more collectibles. It ended up turning into a blessing in disguise. We had a lot more people getting into the hobby of model kits and little things they could work on during quarantine.”
Because of these ventures, Jackson said he has been able to grow the business and combine the store’s online presence with his brick-and-mortar shop to reach all of his customers, no matter where they are.
Since the store’s reopening, Jackson said he aims to improve and expand his customer base and bring in people new to collecting or looking to grow their passion.
“One thing we have really tried to focus on is reaching customers locally,” Jackson said. “But we also want to reach customers outside of San Antonio and out of Texas. We have been involved with podcasts and other events that help get our name out there.”
Popular store items include Hot Toys figures, anime collectibles, WWE figures, Star Wars and more. The shop also carries merchandise from Marvel’s Avengers series with characters such as Spiderman, Groot and more.
While the store has a focus on collectibles, Jackson said he also has a selection of toys that are meant to be taken out of boxes and played with. Those are typically sold at a lower cost he said. Jackson said he tries to keep his stock fresh and sets prices at a competitive rate.
“We focus on the newest and most sought after collectible figures,” he said. “We look at retail price points and try to sell them at retail or as close to retail as we can possibly sell them. We are very competitive on our pricing and what we offer.”
Stephen's Collectibles
12000 E. Loop 1604 N., Ste. 106, Universal City
210-314-8115
https://stephens-collectibles-more.business.site
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.- 5 p.m., Closed Sundays
