Welcome to the Manaverse Saga Resources section, a curated list of the tools and websites I strongly recommend for building and optimizing your business. I have tested or used every recommendation on this page. Many of the resources listed here are crucial to running my business (or were crucial to developing Manaverse Saga to where it is today).
Before digging into the awesome resources I know and trust, an important disclosure:
Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that I have experience with all of these companies, and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.
List of Tabletop Game Distributors and Related Product Distributors
Getting distributors in place is crucial to stocking the best products for your tabletop game store. This spreadsheet put together and managed by Meeple Madness is a great resource for game stores that need to get accounts started with a variety of distributors in the industry.
The spreadsheet includes the info for distributors that carry card games, role-playing games, miniatures, snacks, special collectible items, anime, and more.
Bluehost
All of my websites are hosted on Bluehost. Why? Because they make it incredibly easy to get a new site up and running with their one-click automatic WordPress Blog installation.
You can use your Bluehost account to host multiple domains—no need to pay more for hosting when you’re ready to start another website. Also, they provide outstanding customer service. Phone is best, they are happy to talk direct.
I highly recommend using Bluehost for your game store website, it's easy, affordable, and reliable, and you can get started now at $3.95/month, which is an exclusive Manaverse Saga reader deal!
Get your website started with Bluehost.
GAMA EXPO
“The GAMA EXPO is the perfect resource for hobby retailers looking to learn from their peers and improve their business,” said David Finn, owner of Giga-Bites Tabletop Café in Marietta, Georgia and winner of the 2018 Power Retail Award Outstanding Organized Store and Outstanding Organized Play awards. “Every year, the seminars and vendor presentations get better and better. We credit our success in large part to the experiences and lessons we have learned from GAMA and our fellow retailers.”
Quest For Fun Blog
Gary Ray has been writing about the game trade on his blog since 2007 and there is a lot of great content to read through. As the owner of Black Diamond Games in Concord, California, Gary has seen more of the industry than most and has amassed a wealth of wisdom.
ION Retail
ION Retail is an e-commerce option designed by Nate Peterson, owner of Backstage Hobbies and Games in Ludington, MI. It was designed specifically for game store owners, by a game store owner, out of a frustration of a lack in the market of a truly effective e-commerce solution.
Shopify
Shopify is one of the easiest and simplest ecommerce solutions on the market for game store owners. With an incredibly deep library of apps, a Shopify store can be customized to your brand without any special coding or design skills and comes loaded with a number of clean looking themes, making it easy to get your online store up and running over the course of a weekend.
Shopify can also double as a POS in store making inventory much simpler and automatically syncs with platforms like Facebook and Google, making advertising and selling on those platforms a breeze. If your game store doesn't sell singles, Shopify is a great all-in-one solution for both ecommerce and in store purchases.
Get your website built with Shopify.
Binder POS
Binder POS is the solution for game stores that deal in singles and need an in-house sales platform for their website. Built on top of Shopify, Binder POS is a custom piece of ecommerce software built for selling TCG singles and is a great option for game stores that specialize in that area.
With automatic price adjustments and plenty of integrations, Binder POS is a solid solution for game stores that want a mix of flexibility and power for their website.
Build your singles inventory on Binder POS.
Mana Pool
Mana Pool is a marketplace built 100% for Magic: The Gathering, and their vision is to create an experience that helps buyers discover the perfect cards, and a platform that helps sellers connect with new customers and grow their local business.
The founding team includes two software engineers and a successful LGS owner.
Seller benefits
- Low fees
- Fast payouts
- Easy back-end integrations for businesses
- Easily sync your back-end system - support for Shopify, TCGSync, and Crystal Commerce (coming soon)
- Cross-post your cards to Mana Pool and other markets - no lock-in
- Fast manual and spreadsheet listing capabilities for small sellers
- Responsive support - talk to real humans who care.
Start selling on Manapool.com.
Why We Buy: The Science Of Shopping
Revolutionary retail guru Paco Underhill is back with a completely revised edition of his classic, witty bestselling book on our ever-evolving consumer culture—full of fresh observations and important lessons from the cutting edge of retail such as Internet behemoths Amazon and iTunes as well as the globalization of retail in the world’s emerging markets.
Friendly Local Game Store: A Five-Year Path to a Middle-Class Income
If you love games like Catan, Magic: The Gathering, or Dungeons & Dragons; like the sound of being your own boss; and are willing to dive deep into what it takes to build a successful business, then this is a book for you.
In Friendly Local Game Store, you’ll learn what you need to know to build a store that doesn’t just sell games, but creates a community where games are beloved.
Game Retailer Guide
Written by a veteran game store owner, the Game Retailer Guide is a how-to industry manual that contains everything you need to know in order to start and run a successful game-selling business.
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
This book will change the way you look at the world and your business. For a taste, check out this TED talk Simon Sinek gave a few years ago.
The Board Game Family
A roadmap to integrating board gaming into family life, filled with irresistible ways to engage even the trickiest of teenagers and manage game nights with flair. This is a great book for parents to learn the benefits of tabletop gaming with their kids, but also for game store owners in understanding the exact value they're bringing to their customers.