Welcome to the Manaverse Podcast
The Manaverse Podcast is where we explore what it takes to build a successful friendly local game store! Since 2015, I’ve been interviewing a wide variety of game store owners and industry professionals doing some really interesting things in the world of trading cards, minis, games, and more.
If you want to learn how some of the best game retailers in North America have built their businesses and local communities up from the ground floor, you’ve come to the right place!
MVP123: Nostos Boutique on Creating a Truly Unique Game Store Brand and Culture
We've got Krisy Viola, the owner of Nostos Boutique on the the podcast today!Nostos is a small, well-loved, and carefully curated WPN Premium shop filled with the very best of comic books, trading cards, and vintage and modern toys in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Their...
MVP122: Elysium Cards and Games
Today we're talking with Tyler Selee. Tyler is the owner of Elysium Cards and Games, a WPN premium retailer of tabletop games, Magic, Pokemon, and more in Fair Oaks, California, where everyone is welcome to the table. We have an excellent conversation on the...
MVP121: Versus Games and the Secret Sauce
I've got D from Versus Games in San Francisco with me on today and one of the most consistent threads in our conversation on what makes Versus Games successful is marketing. We kept coming back to how much D's marketing background shaped the business from the start...
MVP120: Welcome to the Spellenhuis!
We're going across the pond to talk to Patrick ten Hoorn, the owner of Spellenhuis in the Netherlands! Patrick talks about his journey of taking his dream to open a stylish game cafe and turning it into a reality, navigating the choppy waters of the hobby industry,...
MVP119: Gnome Games and The Gnoshery, Tales From the Head Gnome Pat Fuge
Today we're talking with Pat Fuge. Pat is the Head Gnome of Gnome Games, Wisconsin’s Family Game store, with locations across the Fox Valley for customers to shop and play in. Pat talks about the early days of Gnome Games and how his approach to planning has helped...
MVP118: Rob Gruber The Elf King on Good Times Games
Today we're talking with Rob Gruber, aka The Elf King. Rob is the owner of Good Times Games in Prince Rupert, British Columbia and he's built an incredible business by becoming somewhat of a local celebrity and personality. Rob plays the game store game a little bit...
MVP117: Digital Accessibility Lawsuits Are Here, What You Can Do To Protect Your Game Store
Here's what we know If you've been active in the game store owner groups on Facebook you've probably seen the posts recently about game stores and publishers being targeted by a law firm in New York and being sued for lack of ADA compliance. Digital accessibility...
MVP116: Magic 30th Anniversary Beta Packs, Game Cafes vs Game Stores, The Future of the Industry
New round table episode! Wizard's new $999 Beta booster pack product, The future of the friendly local game store, Are game cafes the natural evolution of the FLGS? What separates good retail from bad, And more. Matthew Vercant and Pat Fuge join me to discuss the...
MVP115: Running a Hands Off Game Store with Jason Garvin from Total Escape Games
Today we're talking with Jason Garvin. Jason is the manager of Total Escape Games, a premium retailer of tabletop games, carrying a vast array of role-playing games, card games, miniatures games, board games, and more in Broomfield Colorado. Jason is going to give us...
MVP114: Is the FLGS Business Model Dead?
Hey, welcome back to the Manaverse Podcast! I'm your host Tom Traplin and this is the podcast where we explore what it takes to build a successful friendly local game store. Before we jump into things, Q4 is coming and I'm looking for more game store owners to feature...