By JUDD WEIL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Another local business is preparing to close its doors. Smallville Comics is shutting down its North Main storefront in December.
“It’s mostly to do with the economy,” said owner Cory Zeferjahn. “We were open in a tinier store right before the pandemic for two years.”
During a COVID-19 pandemic-forced closure, Smallville Comics moved from their previous location to 2606 N. Main St. and reopened in June 2020.
“Everything was fine,” said Zeferjahn. “People at that point were coming in, the economy was still going.
"People were spending their stimulus checks, coming in and buying collectibles.”
However, following post-closure success, 2022 saw a steady decline for Smallville Comics.
“Distributors started raising their prices, so there was no more free shipping, everything was costing more for me to get,” said Zeferjahn. “Prices started going up. Finally, I feel like the last three or four months started hitting Hutch more with people just not having the extra money.”
Being unable to completely bring back the pre-pandemic organized card games and tournaments that garnered a lot of business was also a factor in Zeferjahn’s reason to shut the store’s doors. He also cited being unable to compete with most online prices. Zeferjahn fondly remembers collecting comic books as a kid with his father. He took up the tabletop card game (TCG), Magic: The Gathering in the '90s.
Smallville Comics originally opened its doors in 2017.
“The main thing we opened the store for was to give a place for the community to go to,” said Zeferjahn. “We went in heavy on Pokemon to try and get kids in here and give them something to do and interact with other people.
“That was a big, the community, giving to them.”
In addition to their standard comics, cards, and collectibles, as well as their card tournaments, Smallville Comics also used to host a weekly gathering of various Dungeons and Dragons groups.
Despite their impending closure, Smallville Comics is still taking care of their customers by running several discounts.
Furthermore, the closure has not diminished the spirit of community that opened Smallville Comics as Zeferjahn said they will be donating a lot of their items.
“We haven’t decided exactly how we’re going to do it, whether it be through the Salvation Army Angel Tree program or what,” said Zeferjahn. “We’re going to be donating a lot of the extra stuff, Funkos, comics, toys we don’t sell, to families.”
Krystal Zeferjahn added, “And schools or any other programs that kids are involved in that we can help, like Boys and Girls Club.”
Krystal is Cory Zeferjahn’s wife and owner of Krystal Emporium located at 2610 N. Main St.
Cory Zeferjahn said if things were different, Smallville Comics would stay open for the community.
“For example, we have a group of high school kids that come in on the weekends, they come here and play Magic instead of going out and getting in trouble,” he said. “Then we have little kids spending their allowance to buy Pokemon cards.”
After the doors physically close on Dec. 23, Smallville Comics will still exist in spirit online through a variety of avenues including Facebook, their TCG website store, and Ebay.
Cory Zeferjahn said the store doors could close earlier if they sell out of most of their stock.
In the meantime, Smallville Comics will also be hosting two more pay-to-play Magic: The Gathering tournaments. A pioneer tournament will take place on Dec. 3. The prize is an uncut cardsheet and a few other prizes. The other tournament, their final Two-Headed Giant tournament, will take place on Dec. 10. The winner will take home several store exclusive posters.
“The major thing that is killing small stores like this is online shopping,” said Cory Zeferjahn.
Krystal Zeferjahn said, “we’re just going to miss everybody. We’re going to miss the community we got to meet and the people that ended up just not being customers but family.
“We’re going to miss the place for kids and for people that are looking for likeminded individuals to go to and hang out.”
Smallville Comics can be reached at (620) 200-9744.
CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.