Marc Bowker in Lima, Ohio wants his comic book store, Alter Ego Comics, to be an alternate reality escape from real world troubles, just as the name says.

Life-size models of Darth Vader and R2-D2 stand at the entrance ahead of a wall of more than 200 comics.

But these days, the reality of tariffs has encroached into that escape that Bowker seeks to offer.

“It’s become a challenge to try and remain stoic and focus on the four walls of my shop when it seems like the world is on fire,” he says.

For nearly a year and a half, small business owners like Bowker have dealt with both the financial cost and uncertainty caused by tariffs.

Bowker is concerned about an escalating trade war with Canada increasing tariff costs.

Maddie McGarvey for NPR

hide caption

toggle caption

Maddie McGarvey for NPR

And now, Bowker is also dealing with how to seek tariff refunds after some of the import taxes he paid were struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year – and facing the prospect that an escalating trade war with Canada could soon drag him into another tariff storm.

“It unfortunately could be a major issue to an industry that has really been firing on almost all cylinders for the last couple of years,” Bowker said.

It’s an illustration of how tariff walls around countries continue to put pressure on main street American businesses more than a year after President Trump first unveiled them in a White House ceremony.

Bowker and his customers paid the cost of tariffs

For Bowker, those initial “Liberation Day” tariffs meant paying more for the action figures that drive about 70% of his revenue. Think highly detailed foot-tall statues of Wolverine or Spider-Man made in China. At one point, Chinese goods were tariffed at 145%, though they’ve since fluctuated lower.

Since “Liberation Day,” Bowker has paid his supplier more than $16,000 in tariffs. For a while he passed some of that along to his customers as a 3% tariff fee. Recently though, Bowker decided to get rid of the fee and just eat that extra cost himself because it was costing him business.

A Darth Vader figurine is on display. Foot-tall action figures were tariffed at 145% one point.

Maddie McGarvey for NPR

hide caption

toggle caption

Maddie McGarvey for NPR

“The reality is our action figure business was down 50% last year,” Bowker said. “And I have a feeling a lot of that had to do with tariffs.”

Then the Supreme court struck down many of the tariffs

Companies did eventually receive some tariff relief in February. The Supreme Court ruled Trump’s use of The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to enact many of his tariffs was illegal.