Grand Opening May 22nd, 2021

 

My new game store, Third Coast Games, will have our grand opening celebration on Saturday, May 22nd. I've been envisioning a game store like "CHEERS", an upscale place where everyone knows your name, and we're always glad you "dropped in," which is is similar to but legally distinct from "came."

We would love to see any and all of you there. And remember, the rules:

RULE 1: DON'T BE A JERK!

RULE 2: BE KIND!

RULE 3: HAVE FUN!

Third Coast Games

    Speaking of insanity, I have decided to open a game store.

   Third Coast Games will be opening in Friendswood, TX, just south of Houston. I am trying like crazy to open on May 4th, but due to delays with the landlord getting the lease contract put together, that may not happen. Heck, I can't even say for 100% sure that I have the space, since the lease is not yet signed.

   For now, there is a placeholder website, www.thirdcoastgamestx.com. Once I have the logo ironed out and the location settled, I will set up social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Store Report: Gamers N Geeks, Mobile AL

It's been a while since I posted one of these, and I don't have a lot of time at the moment, but I wanted to get down my impressions of the store that bills itself as "Mobile's Gaming HQ", Gamers N Geeks.

The pros:

• Plenty of gaming area, especially for card games.
• They are adding in a LAN gaming area as well - I think it may be in operation.
• Well lit and clean.
• Provide snacks and drinks (for a charge).

The cons:

• Share space with a comic book store, but different registers.
• Very little on-hand game-wise, except for CCGs.
• Hours of operation online are incorrect - professionalism pet peeve.

Over all, I wasn't terribly impressed. It's not bad, but it sure isn't very good either. Call it about a 5 out of 10.

Top Ten Game Stores in Texas

It's simple: these are my personal ten favorite game stores in Texas. There is no particular order, and if I have already done a store report on the particular store, you can click on it's name to go to the report. Otherwise, I haven't done a report yet, and probably ought to get to it.

1. Great Hall Games

    Austin: http://www.greathallgames.com

   Two rooms worth of gaming space. Traditional games, puzzles, boardgames, and lots of historical games in multiple scales. Friendly staff. Decent location, though has parking issues. Supports local conventions. For historical minis, this is probably now the best in Texas. (See Little Wars in the Honorable Mention section, below)

2. Fat Ogre Games

    The Woodlands http://www.fatogre.com

   I have done a store report on the Fat Ogre already. This would be my FLGS if it were a little more local. However, on the other side of Houston, it's about 55 miles from my house. In Texas distances, that's an hour or so, depending on traffic. It is a great store, though.

3. Montag's Games

      Pearland: http://www.montagsgames.com

   The only real problem with Montag's is size. It is pretty cramped in this location. They have a lot of GW, as usual, and Magic cards, but also carry some RPG stuff and other games (they cleared out FOW, but may still have some bits and bobs laying about). Gaming tables take up a hefty portion of the available acreage. The owner/manager/guy who is always in there is very friendly and helpful. You can see in and there is plenty of light. No stink. All of these are Good Things.

4. Gerard's Games

    Webster: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gerards-One-Stop-Gaming-Shop/270156646356817

   Not a lot of product, and I wish the lighting were a little better, though I know why they keep it dim. They have a lot of GW product, like most games stores. Not a bad thing, because it sells and therefore helps keep the doors open. Very friendly staff, will order anything you like and usually get it within a week. LAN gaming and video games (Xbox, not arcade) as well. They do late nights (even overnight lockins!), have plenty of game tables, and are open to letting you run pretty much anything you want to bring to their store.

5. Dragon's Lair

    Austin: http://www.delair.net

   This store is located inside an old barnes and Noble or something, in their new location. It's amazing. Lots of space, even an area for littler lids to play with DUPLO and stuff. Lots of selection, and this icludes games, toys, t-shirts, all sorts of good geeky stuff. Looked to have a good deal of gaming area as well. The place is really a palace. Staff was friendly, but a little spread out, and didn't all seem to know what was going on really.

6. Texas Toy Soldier Company

      Dallas: http://texastoysoldier.com/

   I stopped in here one very hot day after being outside in the heat all day. I was borderline dehydrated. The owner gave me a bottle of ice cold water free of charge, because "you look like you need this." They have GW, and Spartan Games, and Privateer Press, but also had items for SAGA, which was pretty new at the time, last spring. A few game tables as well. Their online shop has outstanding discounts, by the way. (https://texastoysoldieronline.com/)

7. Dragon's Lair

      San Antonio: http://delair.net

   Not exactly a clone of the Austin store, but I like to stop in here whenever I am traveling through San Antone. Very friendly and helpful staff. Private rooms for games as well as open area. Comics, toys, good variety of games, including both minis and RPGs, some board games.

8. Nan's Too Books and Comics

      Houston: http://www.nansgames.com/index.html

   A Houston institution, located near Rice University. No gaming space. Lots of comics. Weird smells. Tons of games. Employees who have been there for decades. Odds and ends you can't find anywhere else. It's funky, but I like it.

9. The Book Stan'

    Beaumont, 6055 Phelan Blvd. No website.

   A comic store with a lot of old RPG stuff. Big warehouse-y space. A/C needs work in the retail area - it was pretty warm last time I went by in July. When I lived in Beaumont, they were in a strip mall. Better retail space, but no space for gaming. New location has a room with several tables for gaming, and the a/c in that area is much better. Lots of old bits and pieces, tons of GW, boardgames, a nice place to go hunting for lost treasures. Owned by a couple of ladies, a mom and daughter, I think. They are always there, and very nice folks. They recognize me though they don't remember my name because I only make it through there once a year or so now. I used to hang out on my lunch hour in their old location when they had a different manager (Mark was his name), back in the mid-1990s.

10. Area 51 Games

     Grapevine: http://www.area51gac.com/home/

   If I still lived in Dallas, this would be a real close run for FLGS with Texas Toy Soldier. I think this store might lose out because they have a little bit less retail space. I haven't done any special orders with them, but they have offered to make one for me. I have been here twice. Check out the store report if you want more info on the place.

11. The Game Closet

      Waco: http://thegamecloset.com/wp/

   Okay, so this "Top Ten" goes to ELEVEN! It's one louder, after all. I spent a lot of time in Waco as a a kid, but not so much lately. However, my son is considering Baylor for his college, and we made a college visit to Waco earlier this summer. While there, we dropped by this little gem of a store, which has apparently had a few problems recently. I hope they get them worked out. Anyway, the owner was there, and we had a nice long chat about games and the business and all of that. Very friendly and knowledgeable. A good selection of games, and, of course, plenty of tables for playing. This really is very important for me in a good game store. If you are in the area, I recommend them. They are also sponsoring a convention, WaCon, at the end of September. http://www.wacogamecon.com/

Honorable Mentions:

   These are stores that are now closed, no longer carrying games, or a mere shadow of their former glory.

Starships and Dragons (College Station)

   This was my games store in my college years. I spent many an hour in here when my wife (then girlfriend) wasn't in town. She wouldn't go in, because one of the owners had a serious case of gamer funk. But they were very friendly, had a decent space in back to game, and would let you work for store credit sometimes.

Lone Star Comics (Dallas)

   When I was a kid, this was my go to store. I rode the bus to get within a mile of the Forest Lane location (across from Medical City hospital) and then walked. In Texas summer heat, that's dedication. No gaming space, but a friendly manager, a Subway right next door, and they didn't mind if you spent an hour 'just looking.' That location is closed, as are most of their others, but I believe that some locations are still open. Not much in the way of games, though.

The Game Chest (Valley View Mall, Dallas)

   This is a recent closure. I used to go by every time I was in Dallas (three, four times a year) and buy at least a pack of cards or something. No game space - no space, period! - but a lot of games and a very friendly staff who knew something about the games, puzzles, and whatnot. Last time I went by, the store was closed. A little tear rolled down my face.

The Game Store In Prestonwood Mall Whose Name I Don't Recall Right Now (Dallas) 

  Not only is this store closed, the mall itself was torn down about ten years ago. This was a high school favorite, mostly because I knew the manager (played Rolemaster and Spacemaster with him and some other guys for a couple of years - Hi Brian!) and one of my good friends worked there. That, and I worked in the mall, so I could go down and hang out for a few minutes during my break.

Little Wars (Houston)

   As far as I know, this store is still open for business, but it is a mere shadow of itself. Little Wars used to be one of the best historical games stores in the country. Massive mail order business, and they even held little one day gaming events. They had darn near anything you wanted, and if they didn't have it, they would get it. In fact, the one thing you used to not be able to get there was Games Workshop. A few owner changes later and a move to a new location, and it changed into a GW and FOW shop, with a lot of boxes of "old crap that no one wants" (QRF, Freikorps, more) in the back that the staff couldn't even be bothered to look through or bring out for you to dig through. The new owners would, however, allow you to mail order from them online, take and hold your money, and never return calls or emails. A threat to file charges against them for mail fraud got my money returned, without any explanation or apology. So, even if they are still open, they are dead to me.

Store Report: Game Vault

Game Vault

6328 Five Mile Centre Park

Suite 412-414

Fredericksburg, VA  22407

540-785-4263

www.thegamevault.net

   Everywhere I travel, I usually try to find time to look into the local game store, if there happens to be one. My trip to Fredericksburg, Virginia, for Historicon is no exception to that general rule. In Fredericksburg, the Game Vault is your FLGS. At least, it would be mine if I lived there.

   The only drawback to this place is that it is a little hard to find. Really, that's it. There is ample gaming space, and an active weekly tournament schedule. They support Magic and other CCGs, roleplaying, and miniatures wargaming in the store, which is about half dedicated gaming space. One last word about layout, and this is something I have mentioned before is a big plus in my book: they have open windows so that you can see inside. I really hate the cave-like atmosphere of some games shops where the windows are plastered with posters and such to the degree that you get no light in from outdoors, and it makes the whole thing seem somewhat seedy and disreputable, like a 24-Hour video rental place, the kind with preview booths, if you catch my drift.

  On the retail side, they have a wide variety of games. Mostly, I am interested in miniatures, and they have a good selection of different lines, including Flames of War, Dystopian Wars, Reaper, Warmachine, JR Miniatures terrain, and more. They also have a good variety of boardgames and roleplaying games. The ubiquitous CCGs are also available.

  Service-wise, the Game Vault is very fine. They are open most of the times you would expect a game store to be open (see website for exact hours, naturally). The staff is very friendly and helpful. Cathy, who owns the store with her husband, was there on both our visits and was very accommodating to us, and offered the Historicon discount of 10% even though we couldn't find the coupons that were supposed to be available at the convention. Our badges (and out-of-town accents, I am sure) were plenty. While friendly, Cathy also did point out that she wasn't so nice to those gamers who need to make a closer acquaintance with soap and hot water. The upshot of that is that the store had no atmosphere of 'gamer funk.' The tile floor helps, too.

  Overall, I would give Game Vault a 4.5 out of 5 stars. It has everything you would expect in a store, and with a better atmosphere than most. I only withhold that last half star because of the new Dragon's Lair in Austin, Texas, which is the greatest games store I have ever seen. If you are ever in that part of Virginia, or even as far off as Washington, DC, I recommend a visit. I doubt you will be sorry.

Store Report: The Game Closet

The Game Closet

3122 Franklin Avenue

Waco, TX

254-751-7251

   Whilst in Waco, visiting Baylor University as a prelude to my eldest's impending college departure (only one more year!), I followed up on my habit of checking into the local gaming scene when possible. In this case, a quick internet search brought me to the door of The Game Closet. I duly spent an hour on the premises during the day on a Monday. Granted, this was during the summer, so I expect that one or two of the patrons (there were five there, other than the owner, who I shall mention momentarily, the entire time I was present) would probably not have been there had it been a school day. Besides the five 'regulars' and myself, two other men came and left in the space of time I was there. So, a fairly busy place, I would say. The regulars were playing and discussing and organizing their Magic: The Gathering card games. Two of them were friendly enough to say "hi" as I walked through the play area to the sales display area of the store.

   Layout of the store was pretty good, with an ample space for playing games, available terrain for wargamers, that sort of thing. It was all well-lit, and the a/c worked well - this is critical in Texas summer heat, folks. I would say about a 50-50 split in gaming to retail area. The retail area carried a large amount of Games Workshop product (no surprise), but also a good selection of Reaper, Warmachine and Hordes from Privateer Press, and less-well-known games (Malifaux, for example). In addition, there were a few bookshelves dedicated to RPGs, mostly the standards (D&D, GURPS) but also again some of the more uncommon as well (WFRP). There was s section of board games (pretty wide selection there) and the ubiquitous CCGs in display cases. I'm not knocking this practice - it makes the stores some much-needed bread and butter money. Just not really my cup of tea, that's all.

   I looked around for a few minutes before I was approached by Dequan Watson, the owner. Dequan was really nice to talk to, and had a lot of knowledge about the gaming industry, it seemed. In fact, he related to me something I had not heard previously: that it appears Citadel was abandoning Crapcast, er, Finecast that is, and returning to plastics. Good news, that. We talked a little bit about how business was in Waco, how long the store had been open (as a child, I spent a  lot of time in Waco, and the store was not open back then), that sort of thing. He also mentioned that the store was helping to sponsor a convention in Waco on the last weekend in September. I think I might have to return for that! The store hosts other events on a weekly basis as well, including Magic tournaments, Warhammer nights, painting nights, D&D roleplaying nights, and more. They keep a schedule on their website.

   Overall, I give The Game Closet a solid "A" rating. The only thing I can say would improve the store would be additional space and inventory. This, however, is a function of business volume, and so can't be held against them. If you live in the area, it's definitely worth checking out.

"A"

Store Report: Tier One Games

TIER ONE GAMES

FM 517, Dickinson, TX

   If you are familiar with the South Houston gaming scene, Tier One Games is located in the same place that Predator Games once occupied.

   If you are a card gamer, this may be your place. Lots of Magic and Yugioh. There were a few Warhammer 40K players in the store as well. Minis-wise, they had about a dozen box sets of 40K, and that was all.

   One thing I did like about the store was that the windows were not totally covered, so light and curious passers-by could see in.

   At that point, I run out of positives. The space is small and cramped. They have a lot of folding tables set up for card games. They had a fairly large crowd for a Sunday evening, but none of them were aware that a convention was going on in Houston over the weekend. Many could have used a closer relationship with soap and hot water. The store smelled bad.

   I was hoping for the change to create a new FLGS for me, as they are only a five minute drive for me. However, I won't be going back, at least not until the store changes hands again.

"F"

Store Report: Fat Ogre Games

Fat Ogre Games

525 Sawdust Road #101
Spring, Texas

   Returning home after a weekend in Dallas, I decided to drop back by this store on the way. They have moved, and I wanted to see their new premises. We arrived at about 1700 on Sunday afternoon.

   Premises: Spacious, clean and new. Plenty of windows. I like this, because it seems to me that too many game stores hide what they are donig behind an impenetrable wall of crap in the windows. Maybe gamers are sensitive to the sun, but I think it makes us look like we are hiding something. This is not a porn shop, after all!

   Staff: Friendly, but not pushy. They asked if I needed help finding anything, and backed off when I replied that I was mostly just checking out the new shop. Allowed me to thumb through the store copy of a Flames of War book for a few minutes, no trouble. My cashier had to be coached through the transaction because they have recently changed their POS system, apparently.

   Gaming Area: It was split between an RPG area and a wargaming area. The tables for the wargaming area are good and sturdy. Wish I had as nice, and mine is not bad (just too low and a bit small). The RPG area had standard folding tables and chairs. Gaming space takes up the majority of the floor area. There were three or four wargames going on, and one group of about a dozen playing some RPG - I didn't get nosy enough to find out what.

   Retail: Some board games, plenty of card games (not that I am interested in those, but for those of you that are - they have 'em!). Lots of GW stuff, no surprise. A good selection of Warmachine (better than Area 51's), a good selection of Flames of War as well. They had quite a few boxes of Mantic figures for fantasy gaming. Some comics, but this is definitely a gaming store with comics, not a comic store with games. This is preferable, to me.

  Food: They are right behind a James Coney Island (not as good as Der Weinerschnitzel, of course), and other food places are nearby. I didn't notice any vending in the store.

  Misc.: I would suggest a re-work on the website, as it is out of date with pictures of the old store, the old address in some places, and events that I do not think the current store can support - or I may be wrong. One neat thing they used to do was offer movie night in a separate media room, with popcorn and everything.

   Anyway, a short review of a good store. If I lived on that side of Houston, I could easily see this as my FLGS. But, an hour plus drive makes it a bit far for a regular hangout, to me.

"A"

Store Report: Area 51

Area 51

201 N. Barton Street
Grapevine, Texas

   My sons and I went to Dallas over the weekend to celebrate my good friend's 40th brithday. We arrived on Friday night, but the party wasn't until Saturday night, so we spent some time on Saturday afternoon doing something I always love doing when I am out of town: checking out the game stores!

   Now, I grew up in Dallas, and have been to many game stores there over the years. Most are no longer with us, sadly (Game Chest, RIP). But, now days I rarely get the opportunity to go exploring because I usually travel with the memsahib, who has less than zero interest in being dragged to another game store. Sort of like me and any place that sells shoes, cosmetics, perfumes, or handbags. But I digress. We got to the hotel on Friday, and I popped onto the internet to find a new game store. I found Area 51, in Grapevine, Texas.

   Grapevine is not immediately adjacent to the neighborhood in which we were staying, but we had pretty much all day, so over we went.

   I was happy we drove the thirty minutes. The store is a bit difficult to find - they have no sign, and are easy to miss from the road. However, a quick phone call got us back on track. Once you see it, you can't believe that you missed it.

   We arrived in the midst of a Warmachine tourney. Probably a dozen or more games being played. Additionally, there were people painting, playing card games, some Warhammer games, and one game of Dystopian Legions - interesting look, and something I will have to mention later.

   Gaming Area. Probably 90% of the store. At least 80%. Good, sturdy tables, some beautiful terrain, just really a good place to push some lead about the table. Or plastic, resin, whatever. This is a big plus for me. I just don't see how you can really have a good game store without any place to play the games...

   Retail Space: The retail end was a little disappointing. They had a great paint selection. Some GW, of course, and a decent selection of FOW and Warmachine/Hordes. Also displayed were the new Dystopian Legion figures, and Dropzone Commander miniatures. There is a small comic selection as well.

   Staff: The owner (whose name I have suddenly forgotten - sorry!) was present, and very friendly and helpful. There were one or two other employees as well. They seemed friendly and knowledgable, but I spent less time talking to them.

   Location: As I mentioned, a bit difficult to find, but not too bad. Several food places nearby (one player was scarfing down some Sonic). Store is clean and well lit.

   Purchase: Minimal. I got the boy a Munchkin expansion (Expansion 7: Cheat with Both Hands), some Army Painter 4mm tufts, and a can of Desert Armour spray.

   Patrons: Largely friendly, though one kid (well, at 22, not really a kid, but he was to me) was pretty annoying. He claimed to have written the rules for Star Wars Miniatures seven years ago and sent them to Hasbro, who stole them and didn't give him credit. And the same thing happened with an FOW army list he created and shared with Battlefront. Uh-huh. I made a few useful contacts, though (hey, Terrence!), and ran into an old acquaintance, Jeff Hunt of Portsmouth Miniatures. He has a new game coming out that looks interesting as heck, a murder mystery kind of thing, set in 1900s London.

 "B+"

Store Report: The Source, St. Paul, MN

The Source

2057 Snelling Ave. N

Roseville, MN

   While my wife and I are up in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul region, I talked her into letting me swing by a game store that had been recommended to me by people on The Miniatures Page. Now, they are moving in a week or so, to a larger location. This will bring them from 6,000 sf to 10,000 sf of retial and game table goodness.

   Over all, I thought this was one of the best game stores I have been in for a long time. It reminds me a lot of Great Hall Games in Austin, TX, with the addition of a really good comic store. Plenty of game tables, lots of terrain for use, snacks available in store. Tons of minis, rules and everything else you generally need for minis wargaming. Lots of RPGs as well.

   The staff was very friendly. We talked about gaming and the various popular games in the area, how the gaming was in Houston, etc. I was even invited to play in the historical games they are having tonight, but I couldn't make it. I only ended up buying an Osprey that I needed for my FOW project (did I mention they have a LOT of Ospreys?) and a couple of bottles of Vallejo, since we are flying back home in a few days and I needed to keep it light.

   If we ever have to come back to Mayo CLinic, I will be sure to stop by there again.