Niceville Comics & Collectibles set to unite community through childhood memories

Collin Bestor, Northwest Florida Daily News
Updated ·2 min read

VALPARAISO — Do you like comics, collectibles and playing games with other community members? Well, a new store in Valparaiso may be just the place for you.

Since March 1, Niceville Comics & Collectables has become the new home for those in the area who want to find that next rare card to add to their collection or make some new friends over a game of Dungeons & Dragons.

Operated by veteran Anthony Chan, the idea of turning what was once a hobby into a full-fledged business started in the summer 2023 when he began selling cards and comics from the Eglin Exchange. As time progressed, the opportunity arose, and he was able to transition to a physical location with the hope of bringing people together.

"The goal is to reach out to the community and allow them the opportunity to play," said Chan. "When I was on base, it was restricted to only base personnel, and the ability to have a place to play was not there."

The store offers free tables for locals who want to play games in a friendly setting, from traditional games such as chess and UNO to immersive card games like Magic The Gathering, Warhammer 40K, Dungeons and Dragons and Yu-Gi-Oh.

Alongside trading cards and video games, Niceville Comics & Collectibles offers a variety of officially signed sports memorabilia, from a signed hat with signatures from NBA and WNBA Hall Of Fame members to race car drivers such as Mario and Micheal Andretti.

"Just have fun," said Chan. "At the end of the day, we sometimes miss those things as time goes on; we get caught up with working in our daily lives, and we sometimes lose our grasp of our childhood. Come have fun, enjoy yourself and get to know each other."

"It's a small community, and in doing so, I think it would help morale within the schools and community," he added.

Niceville Comics & Collectibles is located at 96 S. John Sims Parkway in Valparaiso. The hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, with extended hours of Friday and Saturday until 8 p.m.

For more information, Niceville Comics & Collectibles can be found on either Facebook, Instagram or by phone at 850-333-3516

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Buy, Sell or Trade: Niceville Cards & Collectibles is now open