Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Exposito.
Hi Nick, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My wife and I are big fans of Japan. During one of our visits to the country, I became obsessed with capsule toys known as gachapon. These Japanese toys are high quality, detailed collectibles, so much nicer than the cheap capsule toys that we’re used to seeing in America, and I wanted to find a way to bring them to KC. After a lot of research and more travel to Japan, I found a way to buy the machines used to dispense the toys and import gachapon to the US.
My friend, Mason Hans, owner of Mission: Board Games, was my first customer. He allowed me to test out my idea in one of his stores north of the river. From there our business has grown to 4 other locations around the city. Connie Tran, owner of Gocha Tea and Beverage in Overland Park, is another business inspiration. We’re grateful she took a chance on us, and her store has become our most popular location. We also bring our wares to Japanese-themed conventions and festivals. We have a small but dedicated fanbase and it’s always fun to meet people who love gachapon as much as we do or are discovering them for the first time.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We’ve had our ups and downs. At one time we were in 8 stores around KC but due to economic conditions some of those stores have closed. My wife (who’s also my business partner) and I both work full-time jobs and it takes a lot of work to run a small business on the side. The biggest obstacle was finding reliable suppliers for the toys. We wanted to make sure we only stocked authentic gachapon from Japan and not any cheap knockoffs, which required us to do a lot of research and meet with Japanese companies.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I work full-time in marketing and technology. Selling gachapon is a fun side project for now.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Quality is extremely important to us; we go above and beyond to make sure we only stock authentic and high quality collectibles. We also pre-order inventory months in advance so that we’re able to sell products as soon as they’re released in Japan.
We really enjoy meeting customers at conventions and do our best to make sure they have a fun experience. Whether it’s swapping out products if a customer gets duplicates, or having surprise giveaways, we love being able to make a little magic happen.
Pricing:
- 3 token machines are $7.50
- 2 token machiens are $5,00
- Premium gachapon are $10
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.taiyakicollectibles.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taiyakicollectibles
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taiyakicollectibles
