Kiser’s first loves were video games and toys, but horror was always a part of his life too. As a kid, he would constantly rent the same movies from Blockbuster; he still knows all the lines in the “Friday the 13th,” “Halloween” and “Child’s Play” franchises.
When he opened the store, he thought selling just one type of product would be fruitless, considering dwindling physical video game sales driven by digital storefronts, subscription services, collectors hoarding rarities, and reduced physical production. So, he combined his loves, while mentioning only two on the sign out front.
The store’s front room houses glass displays and racks of games, trading cards and non-horror-related toys. One room over, the darker yet not quite black lighting sets the mood among the creatures, villains, and slashers of today and yesteryear. Most of the horror items are new — many purchased through Trick or Treat Studios and NECA, the National Entertainment Collectibles Association — because secondhand in-box items are harder to come by.
“People that have horror stuff don’t really like to sell,” Kiser said. “They kind of die with their collections, so it’s one of those things we really depend on ordering.”
Other toys — like those in the Marvel or “Star Wars” universes — are more ubiquitous, and Kiser sometimes buys those collections in bulk. He recently picked up numerous Hot Toys in Mansfield. Hot Toys are deluxe, nearly immobile action figures with price points aimed at collectors and dusted shelves, not children.
Kiser personally collects toys from his childhood: ‘90s brands like “Power Rangers” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” When things don’t sell in the store, they display on a shelf at home.
Currently, Nightmares and Video Games sells more toys, Pokémon cards and horror memorabilia than video games. The store also recently opened a small media room in the back with a modest collection of VHS and DVDs.
“A lot of customers are coming in wanting physical media,” Kiser said. “It’s a lot of older customers, but some younger people have been coming in lately and buying it as well. They’re ditching subscription services and wanting physical media again.”
Inside the media room, a cutout Michael Myers and a circus clown from “Killer Klowns from Outer Space” loom over browsers’ shoulders to remind them where they are.
One of Kiser’s favorite pieces in the store is the “Nightmare on Elm Street” wallbreaker wall hang, with Freddy busting through wooden slats, his signature claws having gouged the Elm St. sign.
Art the Clown, the brutal yet comical slasher from the “Terrifier” series, is a big seller, as are the movie prop-quality dolls of Chucky and his bride, Tiffany. There are classic pieces on display, too, like an original “Gremlins” poster and a bulbous piece from the “Pumpkinhead” franchise.
Nightmares and Video Games often brings in customers from hours away. What attracts them is the horror.
“Other toy stores might have some horror items, but they don’t have a dedicated space that really pushes it,” Kiser said. “There’s a store in Cincinnati called The Toy Department. They have the largest selection. I don’t want to guarantee it, but we probably have the second largest selection in all of Ohio.”
MORE DETAILS
Nightmares and Video Games is located at 1607 E. Main St., Springfield. It is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call (937) 505-3477.
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