New FLGS Store: Other Realms (Honolulu, HI)

So last weekend I mentioned I was in Hawaii and thankfully I'm back home. I'd wanted to post about a FLGS in Honolulu, but the only store I went to was some small hole-in-the-wall I stopped at with a coworker. I'm the only gamer in my workplace....ok the only TTRPG gamer, but at least one other guy likes comics so he was willing to swing by the one place that was on way back.

The next day I was able to get back out & about and found the store I actually wanted to go to....and holy crap the difference a day makes. The Other Realms was an awesome store, easily one of the top ten, if not top 3, game stores I've had the pleasure of visiting. Seriously, if you are on vacation to O'ahu, or on a business trip like I was, you need to make a side visit to Other Realms.

Getting there was kind of odd because it is nestled between (actually behind) a big-box retailer and a small industrial park. It really is a destination stop, because I cannot fathom accidentally finding it while out & bout. Parking also seemed a bit limiting as well, which means a customer really needs to intend to check out & shop here.

Right off the bat, the store was really clean but absolutely packed with product, pretty much floor-to-ceiling.  You'd think there wasn't a stockroom, but there was...I saw it. There was also a small back (game) room on the opposite side. Roughly one half of the store was comics and the other half games. The sales counter was more on the comic book side, but a large back-issue table occupied the games' side, so it was pretty even.

This place seemed to have a little bit of everything, but that was more of an initial impression. I didn't see any used TTPG or OSR materials, and they had but a single HeroQuest item (an expansion pack). Still, there were a lot of minis and maybe a solid three-foot section of Munchkin. The available board games were essentially the entire front wall (not pictured). I finally found myself a copy of Tiny Epic Dungeons, which I had been looking for over this last year or so. Other Realms pretty much had the whole Tiny Epic line, whereas I'm lucky to find one or two of the line elsewhere.

Not even 1/3 of the store

There was a great selection of comics as well, at least as far as comics I care about. I'm not a huge comic nerd, I mean I have a bunch, but I'm really only ever on the lookout for one particular comic. If I see a single Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos it's like a good month(?)....no, more like season. Other Realms had maybe a good dozen comics, including some single-digit issues. I picked up only half of what I wanted, which was half of what they had..... 

....seriously, if you find yourself in O'ahu you need to check out Other Realms. Just do it....

What I Look for in a Game Store

This weekend I got the opportunity to head into "the city" to do some shopping, which I did....BUT I've been at a loss to find a good, local game store. I've checked out a few locations, but nothing was better than what I have in my small town (technically it's towards the top 10 as far as city sizes in my state, but shopping & entertainment doesn't mesh will with the population size/base). Now I do have another spot to check out when I'm in the city, but fat lot of good that does me today....

I'm assuming that different Tavern patrons here have different requirements of what makes a good game store, much less a Favorite Local Game Store (FLGS).

For some dumb reason I tend to pick up way more board games than I get to play (so....most of them) and any store that wants to contend for my FLGS title has to have a decent spread of board games. If I can't find a good half-dozen Spiel des Jahres (German Game of the Year), then they're right out. If 75% plus of the business is Collectible Card Games, which is usually immediately evident, again....right out.

A good game store, has some used games available, and if they have some games (really, ANY games) available to demo......they get on my short list. I think one of the most important services a FLGS offers is serving as a connection spot for gamers. They don't really need a ton of gaming space, but a table or two for demos or a friendly game is a HUGE plus. Some kind of bulletin board for groups seeking players or players seeking groups really helps.

As far as stock goes, yes....I'd love to be able to find used products so I can try or have a place to offload some games I know I'm not going to ever get to play. That's a minor thing.....what is major for me is being able to find new games and expansions that I didn't even know about. Being able to grab some minis or paint supplies is just about required. I don't need to see a large supply of minis, but a mix of PCs, monsters, and terrain is a must if there's going to be any.

Since I travel...a lot, I've seen more than my fair share of stores. Most aren't worth mentioning and some don't seem that great on a quick view, but spend a few minutes checking things out reveal a FLGS in the making. I've noticed many game stores service the local nerd community with more than just games.....a lot have comics as well. A few more might have food and a rare few have a bar! I've seen game stores with a small arcade and one Hastur Games (SLC area) has/had (haven't been there in at least half a decade) had a row of computers for local LAN games or online play.

So...what do you require in a game store, much less a FLGS?

FLGS: Bosco's (Anchorage, AK)

There have been a handful of times when I've walked in to a game store and felt like, "This place is the hub of gaming in the area." Most stores cater to their customers, as one would expect, but they usually fixate on one thing, maybe two, well and everything else is rather hit or miss.

I'm currently on my way back from a business trip to Anchorage, Alaska and every time I come here I have to stop in at Bosco's, and it's clearly the focal point for gaming in this city. I'd say 1/3 of the space is devoted to comics, another 1/3 to RPGs and board games, and the last 1/3 is sports cards and a large play area. Bosco's has a little bit of everything, and their overall depth of stock is surprising as well. 

While a lot of minis were out of stock, they still had more than I see in the average game store. I managed to pick up some barnyard animals for $20. They're 28mm, but close enough and I get some animals I usually don't see minis for. I also found a handful of an old comic I'm always on the lookout for, but rarely see in the wild. I have no clue if I got a good price on them, but didn't care as finding any in the first place is a challenge. This was the place I found Tiny Epic Zombies this spring.

It was also Bosco's where I found the Volume I coffee table book (as in it was the size of a fricken coffee table!) of Judge's Guild material. I never thought I'd see one in the wild, much less be able to snag one.

I'm gonna share this little tip I indulge myself in when travelling: when you find a game store in a remote area, check it out. You'd be surprised the older stock I've found out & about in places that time/people have forgot. Unfortunately this doesn't apply to Bosco's since they clearly have an active support base, which they in turn support with that gaming space and regular events.

I know a lot of places have gaming areas and host gaming events, but Bosco's goes so far as to have a monthly "geek swap meet". Not sure how many places invite others to sell/trade (last time I went it was more "selling") on their property.

If you happen upon Anchorage in the future I suggest making a visit to Bosco's. I doubt you'll be disappointed! It's a nice, clean store with a bit of everything. While it's not the highlight of my trip (It is Alaska, after all), it's way up on the list of must-do's when I'm here.

New FLGS: TableTop Game and Hobby in Overland Park (Kansas City)

Today I really feel like phoning it in.....

....I had a bunch of use-or-lose vacation that expired on the 8th. I went to the family farm in Iowa to do mostly nothing. I've got some health issues that make the 12 hour drive problematic, but 6 hours is very doable (actually I can do 12, if I take a good 16 hours to do it!). Luckily for me, Kansas City is s little over halfway to the farm and that's potentially good for my gaming.

Kansas City has a Micro Center and this time around I got a whole slew of new computer parts to do a massive upgrade to my file server. It is long overdue and  since I store my RPG files on there, along with my 3D printing files, having that work...better, is always good. Among my upgrades though is a 8GB video card (I was getting along fine with an old 2GB card...) so now that same computer can also run my old computer game emulators.

When I'm not able to sling dice, playing some old-school  MAME or PC games.....well, at least it's a game.

I'm not conceited enough to think any readers here at the Tavern could care that much about my vacation or the potential (some assembly required) new computer, except Steve (Shout to Steve...Hi Steve!). Something that might be of interest though, especially if you get the chance to stop in Kansas City, is the most excellent TableTop Game and Hobby. It's a large, eat-off-the-floor clean place with a wide selection of board games, RPGs, and war gaming. It's connected to the Cardboard Corner Cafe which is a cool coffee shop where you can game.

Honestly it is one of the nicest game stores I've ever seen. I travel a lot for work (past & present) and I've seen a metric butt-ton of game stores and TableTop Game and Hobby is the nicest I've seen. There have been some other pretty good ones, but nothing comes so close as this shop. If you're passing through I suggest scheduling a break/stop to check it out.

Looking for Some FLGS's

Today I'm travelling for work and I'd normally pre-load a post or ask Erik to cover, but he's sick and since it's been more than a year since I've traveled (thanks Covid!) my ability to properly prep/manage my pre-trip time socks more than it should.

The great thing about travelling, gaming-wise, is that I get the chance to (hopefully) find some new game stores. My last trip I mentioned a cool couple of finds, one in Kansas City KS, and the other in Ames IA.

I've been to this location a few times before and there is a cool hole-in-the-wall store I like to drop by, but I'm hoping I get a chance to branch out a bit more.

The thing is, and this is something I really should bug Erik about, is that we need our own (managed) listing of Favorite Local Game Stores (FLGS). Probably something to go along with a convention listing. I've found some gems in my travels, but really only by dumb luck. I've always wondered how many great stores (and finds within!) I've just driven past. A couple of years ago I spent almost a month in Florida and I didn't find diddly-squat.....but I bet there was a great store I just couldn't locate.

I really miss the days of ads in the back of Dragon Magazine.....but those days I didn't travel very much.

I know there might be some listing to be had somewhere.....anyone care to share some links?