By KATHY CHANG
Staff Writer
MILLTOWN — For Michael Pfeifer, providing fairness, honesty and developing a good rapport with his customers at Main Street Comics & Toys is what he attributes to reaching 25 years in business this year.
“I was a kid when I opened, and I did not know anything about running a business,” he said.
To commemorate the milestone, the store will serve as the host to Scott Snyder, a fan-favorite, best-selling comic book writer for DC and Marvel, at 6 p.m. on Aug. 25. He will be signing and promoting his new series, “All-Star Batman.”
“My customers are excited,” Pfeifer said.
Pfeifer, who grew up in East Brunswick and now lives in Allentown, said reading comic books began as a hobby that turned into a lifelong career.
“That trip to 7-Eleven with my dad, I always wanted to buy something, if not the deck of baseball cards, it was the comic books in the 1970s to 1980s,” he said.
At 20 years old, Pfeifer opened Main Street Comics & Toys at 74 N. Main St. in Milltown in 1991 and has remained in the location ever since.
“A friend was teaching karate next door and told me about the location,” he said. “The location was a butcher shop and a vacuum repair shop beforehand.”
Pfeifer said the first few years of business were terrible as he survived working other part-time jobs.
“I was so naïve. … It was a long time before I started making money,” he said. “This became my full-time job five to six years ago.”
Main Street Comics & Toys began with Pfeifer’s collection of comics at a time when comics were booming; however, the comic industry hit a downturn in the late 1990s forcing many businesses to close.
“Vintage toys pre-eBay and the Internet carried me through that time,” he said.
The store’s collection of comics has since grown over the years with collections that he has purchased. It also includes new and back-issue comics, graphic novels, collectible toys, supplies and gaming cards.
The new comic books come out every Wednesday.
“The collection that I have constantly changes,” Pfeifer said. “My customers also give me a list of items to look out for.”
Pfeifer said the digital age has not affected the niche market of comics as much as other industries since, he said, his strong base of customers, who range in all ages, like that book in their hand.
“Reading a comic book online is not the same,” he said, adding that comic books are more than about just superheroes. “I probably could find a comic book for every person and their passions.”
Pfeifer said comic books have moved away from that stigma of a nerdy hobby to an acceptance, which has evolved from superhero movies to the television show, “The Big Bang Theory.”
He said he has developed many relationships over the years and shares the same passions about the comic books with his customers, which he said a person cannot get from saving a percentage from online shopping.
“I’m a one-man show,” he said, adding that the one-on-one interaction with his customers is what he loves about the business. “I have customers who have even moved out of state and I ship them their comics, which I am thankful for their continued business.”
Main Street Comics & Toys is open seven days a week and caters to the avid collector as well as the casual fan.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/mainstreetcomicsnj, email [email protected] or call 732-828-7886.
Contact Kathy Chang@[email protected].