Meet Marco Gutierrez | Owner of Comet Collectibles

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marco Gutierrez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marco, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
The thought of opening Comet Collectibles came from opportunity. I really only started selling toys and collectibles because I needed to make space to continue growing my personal collection of Star Wars and anime toys. At a local toy show here in Tucson in 2020, right on the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic, I lucked out when a mutual friend of mine told me he wanted to get out of the toy selling game. At that time, I was working out of state in the cement and construction business with my father, but I knew I could sell the action figures and other collectibles my friend was selling very cheap for a profit, so I asked him to sell me product he had stockpiled in his garage on a weekly basis. I would come back every other weekend and pick up the product I had purchased from him weekly, then head straight to the Tanque Verde Swap Meet and sell the toys there. Eventually, I started renting a small building there at the Swap Meet and decided to get all the tools and forms I needed to start selling from nationwide toy distributors. I stopped working construction after several months of my business being open at the Swap Meet and focused on the toy selling somewhat full time, Friday through Sunday. Being located in an outdoor marketplace, my business was able to grow and really thrive during the pandemic. I am forever grateful that I had my business located in a marketplace that really brought people out of the house into the open air. However, tragedy struck when I had my shop broken into the first week of February 2021. From one Sunday to the following Friday, somebody or some people busted my lock and stole over half of the items of my store. I was completely devastated that Friday; truthfully, a lot of it was a blur. I recall calling my family over, having to fill a police report, calling friends and regulars, and posting on my social media about what had just occurred. That night, we pulled what was left inside the building out of it: a few dozen toys that were left behind; the only two large containers that weren’t taken away; and several fixtures attached to the wall and tables. I questioned myself if continuing was the right idea. The blow was tremendous, and it did not help that at the time, being in a flea market type setting that I was told had 24/7 security, my product was uninsured. What was left to do? I could sell what was left to a local toy store or try e-commerce and open up a website or sell on third party sites like eBay and Amazon. But I feared that with such a competitive online market, Comet Collectibles would not succeed online. I thought about giving up entirely and reaching out to someone, anyone who would purchase the few items I had left. The following Monday, as I was still dazed and confused from the event a few days prior, I got a shipment of new Funko Pops! in the mail. Then I received some anime statues on Wednesday, followed by another shipment of stuff on Thursday. That’s when I realized that my business just hit a speed bump, and I couldn’t just sit around and mope around this. I am in general a very positive, glass-half-full type of person and I felt like that mentality kept me from quitting. One week after my business was broken into, I was back at the swap meet, posted in the dirt just like I was for years prior. And thankfully, my business continued to thrive. I give most of my thanks to my family and loved ones who also helped push me to continue with Comet Collectibles, but I wouldn’t have been as successful if it wasn’t for the many people in the collector’s community here in Tucson that continued to support my business. After several months of building up my stock almost completely from scratch, I had enough toys and statues to open up at the Park Place Mall, something that had never crossed my mind would be feasible, especially not after getting broken into. I am grateful to everyone who has helped me get to this point. One year being open here at the mall, and I still have people come in to tell me how they remember me from the swap meet, and how happy they are to have seen how my store has grown into a now Tucson staple for collectors. I’m brought to tears when I’m told of the inspiration I’ve given people to never give up, even when faced with hardships and speed bumps. If there is anyone out there reading this that feels like they want to give up on their business venture, or in anything in your life, I want you to remember that determination will push you through. I never gave up on myself, because I and many others believed in my business.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Comet Collectibles has been operating in the Park Place Mall in Tucson, Arizona since May of 2021. I’ve been very proud and excited to join the other toy stores in this city in bringing toys and action figures and statues to the ever growing community of collectors living in and around Tucson. I wouldn’t necessarily say that what I’ve been through has been easy, although I did have a lot of help from many people, and I always consider that I really was fortunate to be in the right place, right time sort of situation. Specifically, we saw an emergence of hobby collecting due to people staying in and quarantining in the last couple of years. Collecting items like trading cards, Funko Pops!, and action figures became a pasttime that many people first explored once people were quarantining at home. Not only that, but I also noticed that a ton of people started exploring anime more than ever before! With very popular anime shows to watch, it was only a matter of time before many people, young and older alike, started craving some anime merchandise. I already was starting to sell many toys before the pandemic, but I really started to focus more towards Japanese culture when ordering my products once Comet Collectibles became more concrete and especially once I opened here at the Park Place Mall. It wasn’t a difficult transition, however I will say to everyone who asks, that I am a much bigger Star Wars fan than an anime fan. I’m trying to change that by watching more of it and I’ve begun collecting manga to learn more about the things my customers love. Nevertheless, the name Comet Collectibles was born from my love of science-fiction movies and of a wish I made years ago to share my passion of collecting with those around me with the hope that they too can start a collection of their own.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am extremely biased when it comes to pointing out some great spots in Tucson. People come in and ask where they can find similar stores to mine and I point out a few throughout the city, namely KiraKira Collectibles on Speedway near Country Club, and Heroes and Villains, located on Broadway and Swan. You can always find fun stuff to explore at either the Tucson Mall or the Park Place Mall. If you come and visit Comet Collectibles, you can spend the remainder of the day at Round 1, a Japanese inspired arcade and bowling alley located right here at the Park Place Mall! It’s not in my nature to go out into the wilderness, so I frequent the always suggested areas of town like 4th Ave and the University of Arizona area, although most of my outings revolve around going to catch a movie at the Cinemark Theater located right here at the Park Place Mall. Like I said, I am a little biased!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Comet Collectibles has always been my dream that was thankfully nourished by my loved ones. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the help of my father, my mother, my sister, and my partner and her family. Of course, I also want to recognize the people of my community, from the people who first started supporting my business when I was set up in the dirt lots of the Tanque Verde Swap Meet, to those I hopefully inspired to start their own businesses or join the collecting community. I also want to shoutout the fellow local businesses that have inspired me as well, such as KiraKira Collectibles, who put me in contact with Shoutout Arizona to begin with. Thank you as well to all my friends who have helped the business thrive!

Website: cometcollectibles.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cometcollectibles/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cometcollectibles

Image Credits
Dave Damaroda