We caught up with the brilliant and insightful JAYMES ALEXANDER-COLE a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

JAYMES, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Well, I’ve been a nerd and collector all my life. I read comics and YA books voraciously as a teenager and was always fascinated with superheroes, both male and female. About two years ago, I looked at my large comic book collection and I wasn’t reading anymore and I figured it was time to get rid of it. So, I pulled all the very valuable comics out of it (or at least I thought so at the time – LOL) and I donated the remainder of my collection to Texas Children’s Hospital. Afterward, it was the motivation I needed to begin reading again and I was ecstatic at how I quickly became immersed in the world again. I also started looking at how the industry had changed and I quickly decided that I wanted to develop a small business out of something that had always been a passion for me that I was fortunate to rediscover.

JAYMES, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

There are lots of people with shops on eBay and other online merchant places that sell comics. However, there aren’t many that specialize in autographed collectibles and memorabilia. That is the niche that I wanted to embrace and represent. I feel like when something is autographed it becomes more personal and immediately differentiates itself from any other item just like it. It becomes special. That is what makes me proud of what I do as a merchant in this industry. People want to feel special and sometimes owning something special goes a very long way in cultivating that feeling. That feeling was such a huge part of my childhood and I’ve worked hard to hold on to that into my adulthood because it keeps the child alive in me. :-)

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I’m the oldest of five siblings. Growing up without my father made me want to not only be a big brother to my siblings, but also a father figure. I guess that’s one of the main reasons Superman has always been my favourite comic book character. I always wanted to be everything I could for my family and friends. As a Black-American gay man, the struggle has been challenging in more ways than I ever imagined. However, the love of my husband, my family, and my extended family has provided the foundation I’ve needed for success.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

My business is coming up on two years old and this is an area that is about to undergo some significant change. I’m currently only selling on eBay and at Cons. I just recently did my first Con as a vendor and it was a resounding success! It was only a mini-Con (1 day/6 hours) , but it allowed me to get my feet wet in preparation for the larger ones I’m planning to do this Fall. I’m also in the process of opening some additional e-commerce storefronts that will hopefully allow me to reach an even wider audience base.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ebay.com/bigdaddyscuriositiesandoddities
• Instagram: bigdaddyscuriosities
• Facebook: BigDaddy’s Curiosities and Oddities
• Other: TikTok – BDJ6264