by PAUL BICKLEY
College Mall has a new comic book, trading cards, and collectibles store. The Android’s Dungeon, located next to Target inside the mall, opened in May.
The Android’s Dungeon and Baseball Card Shop is the name of the collectibles store in the animated TV show The Simpsons. The store appears in only a few of the show’s episodes, but College Mall’s store owner and Bloomfield native Jonathan Sullivan, 40, says, “I thought certain people would know the reference.” Turns out, he says, the name serves as a good icebreaker for new customers who ask about it.
In addition to comic books and trading cards, the shop sells graphic novels, Star Trek and Marvel novels, action figures and vinyl statuettes, plastic model kits, DVDs, stuffed toys, and Hot Wheels. The Dungeon’s best sellers include comic books, vintage sports cards, Pokémon cards, and Funko products.
The store holds special events on the first Saturday of each month. Local pop culture artists come in, meet with the public, and sell their wares. Most recently, John Buchanan, who designed the store’s logo, brought in some of his original prints and miniatures.
Business has been good, Sullivan says. “Sales of products like these have been steadily increasing over the years as superheroes become more mainstream. And during the pandemic, with people staying at home more, it’s seen a quick upswing—supply chains are having a hard time keeping up, and some items are getting harder and harder to find.”
The Dungeon buys, sells, and trades. “I’ll trade for pretty much anything that I feel would make a good addition to the store,” Sullivan says. Traders can bring items in during business hours or make arrangements to have larger collections evaluated.
The business started online in 2010 and has had two previous physical locations before opening in College Mall. “This hobby is something that I’m very passionate about,” says Sullivan. “I’ve been collecting since I was about 10 years old. It was a hobby that just got out of hand!”
For more information, visit The Android’s Dungeon on Facebook.
