In our ongoing Champions of Tabletop series, we’re traveling to Spokane, Washington, to visit a shop that has been a cornerstone of its community for over 25 years: The Gamer’s Haven. We caught up with owner Bob Kelley to talk about the “apostrophe” in their name, surviving the changing tides of the industry, and why they might just be the Vash the Stampede of game stores.
FLG: Bob, you’ve been in business for 26 years—that is an incredible milestone. What originally inspired you to open the doors of The Gamer’s Haven?
“I was inspired to open The Gamer’s Haven when I was a young gamer and finding the local stores I was frequenting lacked a level of friendliness and community that I wanted. I wanted a store that focused on the apostrophe in our name, a haven that belonged to the gamer. A place where people could come in and truly enjoy their hobby with their peers and not be judged or met with ‘gatekeepers.’ Friendliness and customer service has been our main focus, and after 25 years I guess I can say that the business plan has been pretty successful!”
FLG: Your shop is located in a beautiful 120-year-old building with exposed brick and steel. Aside from the cool architecture, what makes your store unique in the Pacific NW?
“Our store is unique in our local area due to our focus on customer service and knowledge. Our staff are all avid gamers and most have extensive knowledge on the use of the hobby supplies we carry… Our gaming room is designed for gamers with excellent lighting and comfortable chairs. A number of our gaming tables are designed specifically for miniature gaming with the best quality terrain available. We also carry one of the largest collections of second-hand miniatures in the Pacific NW, which we believe is key to helping new players dive into the hobby.”
FLG: We love the focus on the “Haven” aspect. How do you approach the different types of gamers that walk through your doors, from the lore-readers to the hyper-competitive players?
“I find that tabletop gaming can mean very different things to different people… and none of these gamers are wrong. Tabletop gaming is so unique in its combination of story, building/painting, and gaming as a hobby. If a community is accepting of all who appreciate the hobby in all of its variants, that community will grow and stay strong as long as there are books to read, models to paint, and dice to roll!”
FLG: Speaking of community, you guys run some massive events, like the Storm of Silence. How do events and leagues play into your business model?
“We run monthly tournaments for most if not all of our games… as well as The Spokane Spring Open at The Centennial Hotel that includes tournaments for 7+ game systems. We love running our escalation leagues and map-based campaigns for our miniature games. We find that ongoing campaigns help the community find a focus and reason to continue building and painting, as well as providing newcomers a great and realistic entry point.”
FLG: If your store was a character from gaming or pop culture, which would they be and why?
“Well, I am old and angry. So my brain went to Popeye or Kharn for no real reason. So I asked my crew and this is what they came up with: Vash the Stampede from Tri-Gun. ‘This world is made of love and peace!’ He acts like he is just going with the flow of life but he knows exactly what he is capable of and how to handle most situations. He never wants to hurt anyone but will go to any lengths necessary to protect the innocent… he is humble in reality but puts forward a confident personality that keeps things light-hearted and fun.”
FLG: You’ve seen the industry change a lot since 2000. What are the biggest challenges you face today, and how are you adapting?
“The challenges are pretty dang massive… 3D printing is a continuing challenge, but even bigger than that is product availability. So many manufacturers have taken the approach that they would rather sell direct to a customer… but customers NEED table space, and publishers don’t offer that. It is our goal as the store to make sure the customer finds it worthwhile to support us. For the future, I believe focusing on more services as a form of income will be big.”
FLG: You’ve been a long-time supporter of Frontline Gaming. Which of our products do you currently carry, and how have they impacted your shop?
“We carry FLG Mats, FLG Terrain, and FLG Accessories like cutting mats, laser lines, and wet palettes. We started carrying FLG mats almost immediately after they were first available. Previous to neoprene mats, my tables were 4×6 sheets of plywood with sand glued down and painted—they looked cool, but they sucked to roll dice on! I can honestly say that FLG mats have impacted the overall tabletop gaming community more than just about any other item I can think of. I think I own over 200 at this point!”
FLG: To wrap things up, do you have a favorite story from your 26 years of running the Haven?
“Well, there was that one time the FBI surveilled us for over a year… Oh wait! I opened on April 1st, 2000 because I thought opening a game store was going to be a joke. But seriously, the most rewarding part is the community. After 25 years, I have seen customers who started as kids grow into adults. I have seen lifelong friendships developed, lifetime partners met and married, and a community grow from almost nothing. It has truly been one of the most rewarding journeys of my life!”
Visit The Gamer’s Haven:
- Address: 1403 West Broadway Ave, Suite 101, Spokane, WA 99201
- Website: TheGamersHaven.net
- Facebook: The Gamer’s Haven LLC
- Phone: 509-443-5992