When Anthony Peach opened Krackers Comics & Games with his mother and brother in the early 1980s, it was originally a novelty joke shop.
Then, spotting a gap in the market, Anthony made the transition into selling pop-culture collectibles, from trading cards, to comic books, to tabletop board games and figurines.
Since then, he’s never looked back – and has gradually built up a cult following among local pop-culture enthusiasts and collectors.
"It’s all mainstream now," said Anthony, who was a graphic designer in London before opening Krackers.
"That’s why there’s so many shops doing it now. But back when we started, we were the only ones in town."
In the mid-80s, it was all about Games Workshop, the brand best known for its much-loved Warhammer games.
Then came Pokémon, the hit franchise from the Japanese giant Nintendo.
"It wasn’t like everybody had Pokémon cards," he added.
"And when the franchise got really big, we were the main people in town for it, because we’d been selling it from the beginning."
Perhaps the biggest hit, though, was Lord of the Rings and when the first film came out in 2001, Anthony saw a trend coming.
"That was the maddest year," he said.
"We knew Lord of the Rings was popular because we got quite a bit stolen."
It’s not always been plain sailing though. Competitors began opening in Taunton, the recession hit in 2008, and then there were Covid lockdowns of 2020-2021.
"I just kept going," said Anthony.
"Because for quite a few years it’s been really hard, even terrible."
Brexit was another hit to the business. Anthony used to sell his products on Ebay, but following the UK’s exit from the European common market in 2020, it was no longer profitable.
"I lost a whole market, I lost the whole of Europe," he said.
"The added paperwork alone made it unprofitable."
Anthony’s always survived, though, and today business is as good as it’s ever been. Once dismissed as a niche, many collectibles have become mainstream, Anthony said.
Andreea Wade, 24, who works in the shop, said: "A lot of the people who are getting into collectibles now were into it as a kid. They’re of the age where they have the money to buy these things. There’s an element of nostalgia."
Anthony believes 'the key' has been to keep on top of cultural trends, and always being prepared to evolve.
"You might see a cartoon, or a movie, or anything like you," Anthony said.
"You think 'that’ll be a big film', and you begin stocking it."
Most recently it’s been the Pop! figurines from the US brand Funko – the rarest of which sold in the US for around $100,000.
"But it might be any of the collectibles," Anthony said.
"One franchise will suddenly go bonkers, then it dies off until the next big release. A certain comic might become really hot, then another. It’s about keeping on top of it.
"The only days I’m not here are Christmas, New Year’s, Boxing Day and Easter Sunday.
"Because all people want to do is shop."
You can find Krackers Comics & Games in Bath Place, Taunton.
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