Downtown Belleville specialty shop to close after 5-plus years in business. Here’s why
A Belleville business owner has announced the closing of his shop later this year.
Cosmic Comics Games & Collectibles, open since September 2018 at 132 W. Main St., will close in August.
Owner Dave Dyer made the official announcement via Facebook Live on Monday, April 15.
In the 5-minute video, Dyer said that revenue for 2023 was down quite a bit. The first quarter of 2024 was down even more.
Dyer feels that the area never fully bounced back from COVID, and many people aren’t able to spend like they could before.
And expenses for hobbies like collecting comics, action figures and other memorabilia can add up really fast.
(If you’re wondering how I know, you should see my little “Star Wars” collection.)
Dyer said his other reasons for closing are personal.
The shop
I decided to pay Dyer a visit to at the shop, which I’ve been to on multiple occasions.
A fun place for die-hard (and not-as-die-hard) comic and movie fans, Cosmic Comics offers collectible comic books, movie memorabilia, action figures, toys, games and other great merch.
I like to check out the Funko Pop figures and the various items in the glass display at the counter.
There’s currently a pretty sweet 1960s vintage collection of Marvel comics that include Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four and Thor on display right now, if you’re interested.
Dyer is proud of his Godzilla line, which is prominently displayed in the shop’s front window.
As one of four collectors shops within about a mile of each other, there’s always some competition.
I Had That! (116 E. Main St.), Bigfoot Comics (101 E. B St.) and Fantasy Books (1113 E. Main St.) also deal in comics, books and other great collectibles.
Dyer said that if there was an item a customer wanted but he didn’t have it, he’d refer them to I Had That! owner Luke Naliborski, who does the same for Dyer.
The four shops in Belleville have similar items, and people will make Belleville a destination to hit them all, said Naliborski.
“I hate to lose one of the group,” he said of Dyer’s shop.
Dyer and wife Susan Dyer previously owned another business downtown, The VooDoo Alligator, which was located at 8 S. Church St.
The unique boutique opened in September 2022 and closed little more than a year later.
That was a pretty cool shop too, with the gorgeous furniture and decorative items, art and alligator heads.
“We gave it a good college try [in Belleville],” said Dyer.
What’s next?
Things will be business as usual at Cosmic Comics for the next several months, and movie nights will take place in May, June and July.
Dyer said he plans to have a storage pod brought to the store in June and will start packing.
There will be a final sale the first weekend in August and then the store will close.
The rest of the shop will be packed, and the Dyers will be on the road by the end of August.
While the Belleville store is closing, the business will, Dyer said in the video, rise from the ashes.
Like a phoenix.
The Dyers are moving to Arizona and will reopen the shop there.
“It’s bittersweet. And it’s scary,” said Dyer.
He will start from scratch and reopen in a high-traffic area where there’s a market for his business.
He thinks the business will do well there. He will take more of a back office role while his staff handles things on the shop floor.
“I wanna be happy coming into my shop again,” he said.
As for his time in Belleville, Dyer appreciates his customers and thanked them in his video announcement.
“For those of you who came in weekly, had a pick-up order with us with our comic pull list, we thank you from the bottom of our heart because we couldn’t have done it without you.
“And we will miss you all quite a bit. A lot of you have become deep, solid friends and we feel that you guys are family.
“For those of you who came in a couple of times a year, we appreciate your business, definitely.
“And for newbies that just found us, like they say, no time like the present. Better late than never. So I just wish we coulda got to know each other better.”
About Cosmic Comics
Cosmic Comics, located at 132 W. Main St. in Belleville, opened Sept. 28, 2018.
The hours at Cosmic Comics are 10:30 a.m to 6:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
For more information, call 618-416-3115 or follow the shop’s socials.
In time, merch will be available for online orders shipped from Arizona. Keep an eye on the Facebook and Instagram pages for product updates and announcements.
