Help the Mystery Shop move to their next home!

Hi friends! My name is April-Lyn, and I'm creating this fundraiser to support my good friends at the Mystery Shop as they gear up for their next great adventure. The shop has outgrown its current space in downtown Ventura, CA, and their lease is up soon. They need your help to move to their new home in downtown Oxnard!

What is the Mystery Shop?

The Mystery Shop isn’t just a comics and collectibles store—they're a community hub that celebrates popular culture and champions independent creators. Yeah, they sell your standard nerd stuff: comics and graphic novels, action figures, board games, collectible card games, apparel, and more. And they host the kind of events you'd expect from your friendly local comic book store, like game nights, artist signings, and weekly CCG tournament play.

But the Mystery Shop is also the newest spot to catch live shows from the vibrant Ventura County underground music scene. They’ve showcased musicians performing everything from experimental electronica to hardcore. Their open mic nights have attracted comedians, poets, and youth musical acts. They're also committed to creating spaces and events that are accessible and welcoming to everyone, including all-ages shows.

The Mystery Shop is an important place for many people in the community: a place where we can gather with friends and make new ones, share our hobbies and passions, find inspiration, and be ourselves—no matter how weird the rest of the world thinks we are.

Where else can you go to try a new board game, pick up the latest Justice League comic, learn to make chainmail or paint miniatures, geek out over laserdiscs and vinyl, beat your children in some arcade games, AND practice your comedy routine in front of a live, supportive audience?

Why are they moving?

Simply put, the space in Ventura is no longer suitable for the kind of community-focused events that they want to bring to Ventura County. The current storefront is long and narrow, which makes for cramped shopping on busy days and makes gaming events and live performances difficult. Plus, while we may think that drums, horns, and electric guitars sound rad . . . the people eating dinner right next door may not think so.

The new location in Oxnard is approximately twice the size of the current space, which will give the shop more room for always-available gaming tables, expanded tournament play, live performances, workshops, and more. Plus, there is currently no comics or gaming shop in Oxnard or Port Hueneme, so this move will allow the Mystery Shop to serve a brand new community of comics and gaming fans while still being close enough to serve their current customers.

Why GoFundMe:

The lease on the new space has been signed, but to get the keys and start moving in, the store needs to raise some additional funds. This money will go toward move-in rent (first/last month and security deposit) and any miscellaneous moving expenses for the shop’s inventory, equipment, and furniture.

The timeline on the move is tight, so other fundraising options (like a benefit concert) aren’t feasible. Plus, unlike other crowdfunding sites, GoFundMe will allow the shop to access your donations directly and immediately, regardless of whether they meet their stated goal through the site or through a combination of sources.

How you can help:

Thank you for helping to support gaming, comics, arts, and music in our local community!

(Disclaimer: I'm not an employee of the Mystery Shop nor am I being paid in any way to promote them, although I am posting this with their approval and input.)