Get Off My Lawn is a series of articles from guest contributor Ben “ObiWein” Weiner. He is the FLGS of people.
Store Showdown season is wrapping up at this point. I’ve been to three in Philadelphia and the immediate vicinity, with one more on the trailing end of the season coming up. If you’ll indulge me with the humble brag briefly: I’ve done well in these events. Top 8 in the first, winning the second, and top 4 in the third.
A majorly important thing that significantly adds to the fun of going to these events has been the stores themselves. They are amazing compared to some of the places from years ago. I have been to some legitimately terrible game shops in my time playing card games.
A long-since closed place that was more of a sports card and collectible store called Doctor Ron’s was probably the first place that I played in a tournament. There was maybe a table or two. To actually accommodate all the players, the majority of the matches had to take place on the display counters requiring people to stand during the matches.
Another spot that is somehow still in business (so won’t be named) was so unbelievably small. There was not any room for tables so the display case method was also used. Add to that the fact that there were not enough display cases. Even for a Friday evening casual event a round would often have to be split into two parts since the play space was so limited.
Cleanliness was also a major concern. Many of the stores thirty years ago seemed to be basically falling apart. Not the shopping centers themselves, but the insides of the stores. Sticky floors, trash everywhere or overflowing from the one small can available, random piles of cards and boxes in various sorts of disarray.
Bathrooms were another major problem. Some stores either did not have an available facility or it was for employees only. The ones that did have something accessible to the players were only just a half notch above a port-a-potty.
Vividly remember one time that I was playing a game in a many decades ago closed store. We were almost definitely playing on the top of a comic book bin while hoping our cards did not somehow fall between the books. There came a yell from the bathroom that was nearby asking for toilet paper. No joke the store owner responded with, “There’s a box of commons sitting behind you on the toilet tank.” Believe that was followed by an explicative laden scream from the bathroom.
The stores in the area that I have been to recently have been the opposite of those days. All of the places have been clean and organized. No sticky floors. All have nice tables and chairs. Many of the tables even have covers on them such that a playmate becomes a bit redundant. One local shop I had to make a point to the manager about how clean and nicely smelling the bathroom was.
Major upgrades all around. Everybody can come party on the lawn for this one. Unless there is a box of commons for toilet paper still floating around out there which I just haven’t seen. That can get right off my lawn.
Ben is a technology professional by day. He has been an avid gamer for 40 plus years spanning everything from Dungeons and Dragons, board games, and through multiple past and present collectible card games. His non-gaming spare time is spent with his family and playing guitar. Warning: Do not play Jenga for money with this person.
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