Since our last blog entry, we have been incredibly busy getting everything ready for our game store. We have been ceaselessly scouring stores and online marketplaces for just the right items to make the GriffoNest Games experience a great one for all of our customers. We just wanted to update everyone on what we’ve been doing, some new ideas for the store, some incidental developments, and our anticipated Grand Opening dates.
Painting, Carpeting, and Furniture
At long last, the store is painted and the new carpeting has been installed. This means that we can now begin to move in the furniture we have acquired. Sadly, Barnes and Nobles in Crystal Lake is going out of business. We managed to acquire two excellent pieces of furniture from them for a bargain price. I have been picking up discarded dining room tables and chairs that are perfect for gaming using the Facebook Marketplace. We have also completed our orders for the glass display cases and cash register counters now that they can be placed on the new carpet.
Wall Mountings
In order to create a dynamic and versatile behind-the-counter display, we will be mounting slatwall. This will allow us to move around shelving and other display items with ease. We have a 50” HD television primarily for video game tournaments. I am looking into a sports package so that I might still watch the Bears and Bulls at times when I am in the store completing tasks / not dealing with customers. We have purchased a Sonos sound bar to accompany this television and to blast out music or game-themed soundtracks (so as not to interfere with the intense thinking of game play). We will have a couple of other 32" televisions. One will be mounted by a table so that people may bring in their Nintendo Switches and connect to it to play with friends. It can also be used for displays during role playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. The other 32” television will be mounted behind the counter and used to display pairings, announcements, and other advertisements. Since Magic: The Gathering will be front and center in our store, we will also look to get a few griffin art prints from the game to frame about the space.
Tournaments
We are planning many tournaments. On the video game front, we have a shiny new Nintendo Switch with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Octopath Traveler, and Minecraft. For Magic: The Gathering, we will do Commander and Draft pods. We will see what we can do in terms of deck building games and role playing games. Prizes for these tournaments will come in the form of store credit.
Learn-To-Play Nights
We don’t just peddle fun games - we play them! Therefore, in an effort to help our customers make more educated decisions about the games they purchase, we will host special game nights to teach those interested how to play various games. From simple family games to intense brain-burners, we will bring a lot of different board games to the table in this fashion. Look for these announcements in our store and online!
Community Marketplace
This is in the brainstorming phase and is mostly hypothetical at this point. If people have video, board, or role playing games they no longer want, we are looking at the idea of being the broker between people within our gaming community. If you have an item that is in good shape and has all of the pieces, instructions, etc., we may take it, find out how much you are asking, and post it on our website. Someone who is interested can come in to our store to purchase this item. They will pay the cash amount the seller was asking, and the seller will receive an equal amount of store credit. This would be the only way we would allow individuals to sell anything in our store. While we encourage the trading of things such as trading card games, the exchanging of cash for items with anyone other than GriffoNest Games will not be allowed.
Unexpected Networking Opportunities
As we go about purchasing the things we need for our store, we have met a variety of people we had no idea also loved gaming. One such person is the proprietor (Randy) of the tea store on the Woodstock Square called Casting Whimsy (located directly next door to Classic Cinemas). Not only do they serve delicious tea, they also run a Saturday night event called “Tea & D”. I had the pleasure to attend last night’s session: Lost Diamond of Al-Nasah, a Tea & D Production. I loved Randy’s original adventure, enthusiasm, and skill as a dungeon master. I also enjoyed the complimentary tea! If you get the chance, stop by for a tea or one of these unique Saturday night Tea & D sessions. Or, check them out at https://castingwhimsy.com/.
Creekside Middle School Music Teachers are Awesome
When I arrived to my store on Friday night, I found a surprise note. The next day, as I was out front of Snap Fitness putting together a little video to show where we are, a motorcycle rolled up. It was Creekside’s former band director, Greg Ericksen. While Duane was the first to visit our location, Greg was the first person to officially come inside. We would also like to give a shout out to Lyndra Bastian, as she was the first to share information about our store on social media! Thank you all for your support. It means a lot to us.
Our Grand Opening
As of now, our scheduled opening to the public will be Labor Day weekend. We will have events and specials running from Friday, August 30th to Monday, September 2nd. As soon as we know what these events and specials will be, they will be posted on our website and social media. While we have accomplished much to this point, we still have a long way to go! We are excited and ready to do everything it takes to make GriffoNest Games an awesome place to visit. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or suggestions you might have.
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