Carolyn Fath
Young would-be Jedis feel The Force among the collectibles.
Any good Star Wars fan will appreciate the name of this store. And serious collectors may have already paid a visit to A New Hope Collectible Toys & Comics. The store, which relocated to State Street in May from a smaller space on Gilman Street, has filled a niche for comic book and toy collectors for over two years.
“There’s not many places you can go to find these items,” says shop owner Zach Leavy.
Leavy owns the shop along with his brother Josh, wife Ashley, and her brother, Chris Dalke. The four are all lifelong collectors of comics and related collectibles, routinely taking day trips to flea markets and antique malls to find desirable items. Eventually, the inspiration hit to open a store with “all this stuff people remember from their childhoods,” says Leavy. He’s proud to be one of the few small, family-owned businesses on State as well as a unique destination stop downtown.
A New Hope sells both new and used toys centered around science fiction or superhero themes. There are valuable collectibles dating back to the 1970s, as well as newer pop culture items like the popular Pop! Vinyl dolls. Star Wars (of course), Batman, Superman, Transformers, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter and Pokémon are just some of the merchandise lines available.
Carolyn Fath
While the name references Star Wars, other franchises like Battlestar Galactica also populate the shop.
A New Hope also has boxes of comic books, with a wide variety from DC (Batman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman), Marvel (Avengers, Captain America, Deadpool, Ms. Marvel, Black Panther) and indie titles (Saga, The Walking Dead). The inventory ranges from hot-off-the-press editions to one of the most extensive selections of back issues in the Madison area. If comic book enthusiasts don’t find what they’re looking for, the staff at A New Hope is happy to order any titles not in stock.
The collectibles inventory at A New Hope varies. The store also directly buys items that people bring in and will also act as a consignment shop. Leavy believes in giving sellers a fair price; he shares the story of a seller who came in with a box of toys found in the attic, unaware that it included two rare 1979 Knickerbocker Lord of the Rings figures valued at $400 a piece. “People appreciate [knowing] that they’re getting a fair value for what they have,” says Leavy.
Leavy also loves those moments when people come in and spy something from their youth, which happens at least once a week: “They just have to have it.”
A New Hope Collectible Toys & Comics
444 State St; 608-515-8722; anewhopecomics.com
11 am-6 pm Mon. and Wed.-Thurs., 11 am-7 pm Fri.-Sat., noon-6 pm Sun.
