Heroes & Villains

Heroes & Villains in Tucson treats records as part of a wider pop-culture world: comics, games, music, toys, skateboarding, motorsports, car culture, and more. Mike Camp's answers frame vinyl as one piece of a shop built from long-running personal interests rather than a bolt-on category.

Interview with Heroes & Villains

Heroes & Villains covers a lot of pop-culture ground. Where do records fit in the bigger picture of the shop?

When I was originally planning the shop, there was an element of me tapping into the things that my inner self truly loved, and there was plenty for me to pull from. I love comics, games, music, skateboarding, toys, baseball, motorsports, car culture, and so on. I knew that succeeding in niche specialty retailing would involve a lot of struggle and many lean years, so I wanted to ensure whatever niche I picked came from that list. We started with comics because, at the time, I felt that offered the best opportunity for success in my marketplace. As time went on, and we gained stability, I began looking at what other things that I loved that I could add to our mix to keep moving forward. First we added games, and then music. Fast forward to today, and each category has created a solid foundation, with each interest forming a piece of that foundation.

Do comic people wander into the vinyl and get hooked, or are the record buyers their own crowd?

Our store is divided into three distinct areas, each with its own staff, presentation, etc. Natural cross-pollination occurs, which makes for an exciting customer experience, for sure.

What music does well with your Tucson customers — and do soundtracks and genre stuff outperform because of the crossover audience?

Tucson has always been a classic mid-size consumer market with a unique southwest flavor to add spiciness to the mix. Because of this, national brands have often used Tucson as a test bed before rolling out products to the rest of the nation. Every time I look at charts and lists of what is doing well nationally, I find that our store's success mirrors it closely.

What's an item that surprised you by connecting the comics side and the music side?

Given the things that I love, that I mentioned earlier, I can't say that I was surprised. I always felt like I wasn't the only one who liked what I liked, and that's certainly proven true!

If someone wants to sell records, what should they know before coming in — and what makes a collection interesting for your particular crowd?

This is a tough one. The motivation to sell records varies so widely that we must take each collection on a case-by-case basis. The person wanting to trade a handful of records for the latest release is motivated differently than the person who inherited a collection and has no use for it. Each of these two has different expectations, so we try to meet them where they are and work through the process with them individually.

Does condition work differently across everything you handle — records versus comics versus collectibles?

Not really. All three departments have some level of exposure to purchasing from the public and the technical aspects (pricing, condition, valuations, etc) are all very similar. I would also say that this part of our business is much smaller than you'd think. Today, the impact of online sales channels available to the public has reshaped how brick-and-mortar businesses operate. I think the old days of pop culture stores deriving most of their business from the buy-sell-trade world are not as prevalent today as you might think... at least not for us. We spend more time thinking about new releases than evaluating old collections.

What's the most memorable thing that's ever walked through the door?

For us, the most memorable thing walking through the door is a new customer! We're more excited by that than anything else. If you're asking about the most memorable item brought in for trade, I think that would change from employee to employee. On the record side of our business, for me, it was an early pressing of the 1974 self-titled Kiss debut (the one without the Kissing Time track), but I'm old! I think each staffer would have something different.

First visit to Heroes & Villains — what shouldn't people skip?

Be sure to visit all three sections of the store, and say hi to the staff in each. It will be memorable for you as it covers a wide swath of modern pop culture.

FAQ

Where do records fit at Heroes & Villains?

Records are one part of a broader pop-culture shop that also includes comics, games, and collectibles.

Does Heroes & Villains buy records?

Yes, but collections are handled case by case because sellers have different goals and expectations.

What should first-time visitors do?

Mike recommends visiting all three sections of the store and saying hi to the staff in each.

Last updated: 2026-08-17

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