Super7 Spotlight: Daniel Sant / Super7 Retail Stores

The original Super7 retail store opened in 2003 in San Francisco's Japantown. The S.F. store moved to historic Haight Street in 2010 and in 2016 relocated to the current site in The Mission District. The Super7 San Diego store opened in 2015. We chatted with Retail General Manager Daniel Sant about what the Super7 stores are doing now.

How long have you been at Super7 and were you familiar with the company before coming here?

I’ve been at Super7 for 7+ years. I was familiar with Super7 before I worked here, although it was a very different Super7. I used to shop at the Haight Street store and was always impressed with all the punk and hardcore references that would make their way into various Super7 shirts and ephemera. My friend Alex worked for Super7 and then I met Brian Flynn. We connected over hardcore punk and record collecting. Also, a major Super7 shot right to my heart was the Gorilla Biscuits vinyl toy collection! I couldn’t help but stand back and applaud. I was hooked from then on.

The first Super7 x Gorilla Biscuits Japanese vinyl collaboration was released in 2008.

Do the Super7 stores have a specific focus?

It’s a place to interact with all things Super7. The Super7 stores allow our customers to come see, touch, and discuss all aspects of what we do and why we do it. It gives us an opportunity to showcase new releases and tie our mission to that epic joy of nostalgia that we all share. Primarily, the Super7 stores provide a clubhouse for our fans and we revel in the opportunity to connect with them all. From the nerdiest chats, to the monthly themed parties we throw, rubbing elbows with our community is the main purpose of our retail stores.

The Super7 San Francisco store.

Who are your regular customers? Families? Adult collectors?

We have a vast array of regulars! We love to spend time with our new friends and learn about what they love and the stories that brought them to us. We have folks that come by every month to grab what is new, some that live farther away and drop by when in the area, and those all-stars that make the weekly pilgrimage to our hallowed halls. Lots of families, adult collectors, and t-shirt enthusiasts. It’s fun getting to know each of our regulars and being able to reach out when we are launching something that will be right up their alley.

Are there other products that fit in with Super7 items at the shops?

At our retail stores we aim to have about 10% of store stock being amazing vintage items that illuminate why we do what we do. From vintage Kenner Star Wars figures to some original Japanese Sofubi Vinyl pieces. These allow the customer to see the inspiration and passion behind Super7 while also providing that nostalgia itch that lies within us all. We also carry a vast array of beautiful original movie posters, many from Italy, Spain, and France. My personal favorite is the Italian Death Race 2000 poster. The art on it belongs in The Louvre!

What have been some memorable events at the shops?

We have had a ton of great events at both retail stores. In San Diego, we flip our store into an all encompassing pop-up shop experience annually during Comic-Con. The most recent one being a Cobra Recruitment Center where we sold all of our SDCC G.I. Joe exclusives. Every year it’s a lot of hard work but it’s so gratifying. The joy of the fans, especially on our preview night openings, make it all worthwhile.

The Super7 San Diego store transformed into the G.I. Joe Cobra Recruitment Center during Comic-Con 2022.

In San Francisco, we have a monthly themed party around one of our new releases. Some favorites have been Alien, Godzilla, Pee-wee's Playhouse, Star Wars, and Hip Hop themed. We always have a ton of the 501st Stormtroopers here every May the 4th. The last in-store party was a release event for our Mighty Morphin Power Rangers ULTIMATES! Figures. We had a cosplay troop onsite dressed as all your favorites from the series who were happy to take pics with all of our customers. We also showed a ton of MMPR deep cut content for the fans. Not to mention free pizza! It was a total blast!!

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Party at Super7 San Francisco - February 2023.

What has been your most recent favorite Super7 release?

I think my favorite releases are most of the music ReAction Figures. My two favorites from last year are the Discharge - Cal Morris ReAction Figure and the ODB ReAction Figure. When I was a young punk I could never have imagined one day I would hold a Discharge action figure in my hands, especially one that has the iconic 7” single cover as the card art.

In 1994 I got the Wu logo tattooed on my leg. They have been my all time favorite Rap group ever since I first heard them in ’93. ODB definitely stood out from the clan as having the biggest personality of the nine MC’s and to have a figure of him is just such a cool tribute to his legacy.

What would you like people to know about the Super7 shops?

We are here for you! We are your clubhouse, your place to feel safe getting as nerdy as possible. We treasure the interaction with our customers and learn so much from them. The store gives you an opportunity to be a kid again and that is NEVER a bad thing.

What’s your dream toy that you’ve not seen made yet?

I would love to see Spice Girls ReAction and ULTIMATES!, Whitney Houston ReAction, The Smiths ReAction, Ian Curtis ReAction, Polly Styrene ReAction, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest ReAction, and of course all things Minor Threat and Bad Brains.

Is there something I didn’t ask you that you would like to add?

Super7 provides us all an opportunity to engage in things we are passionate about and allows us to mix with the community who loves this stuff as much as we do. It’s a great place to work!

Visit the Super7 stores:

Super7 San Francisco
3253 16th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415.374.7190
E-mail: SFstore@super7.com

Super7 San Diego
701 8th Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: 619.501.6602
E-mail: SDstore@super7.com