Best Tom Traplin Podcasts (2025)

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MVP160: Game Store Strategies for Black Friday Weekend 16:00

Play Pause

29d ago16:00

16:00

Today we're tackling one of the biggest weekends of the year, black Friday, small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. It is three days, four days technically of pure intensity. Everyone is running promos, customers are hunting for deals, and the whole retail ecosystem usually kicks into overdrive. If you don't have a plan, it is going to feel lik…

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MVP159: Is Your FLGS Ready For Q4? 27:25

2M ago27:25

27:25

Q4 is make-or-break for local game stores — but without a plan, the holiday rush can feel like chaos. In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, I walk you through a simple Holiday Game Plan to help your store maximize sales, get in front of more customers, and stay sane this season. You’ll learn: Why Q4 is the most important quarter for your store …

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MVP158: David Finn On The De Minimis Exemption Removal And Its Impact On Tabletop Games 45:01

3M ago45:01

45:01

In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, we delve into the significant changes in shipping to the US from the rest of the world due to the removal of the de minimis exemption. David Finn, the owner of Giga-Bites Tabletop Gaming Cafe and Bridge Distribution breaks down why this change might actually be good for US and global businesses and strategi…

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MVP157: Cardmill - Scan. Sort. Done. - Behind the Scenes with Jonathan Domanus 29:38

4M ago29:38

29:38

Cardmill—a compact, cost-effective card sorting device designed for everyday players and collectors of trading card games. Get a behind the scenes look at the CardMill and how Jonathan Domanus is working to make professional and efficient card sorters affordable and accessible to TCG collectors and stores around the world. Meet CardMill Designed fo…

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MVP156: SortSwift - The Ultimate TCG Ecosystem 42:41

5M ago42:41

42:41

Mikah, the founder of SortSwift and MTech Cave, comes onto the Manaverse Podcast to talk about his journey from running a phone repair shop to building cutting-edge tools for the collectible card game industry. Mikah shares how his business evolved from selling Magic: The Gathering singles to creating a Kickstarter for card drawers that raised over…

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MVP155: eBay, TCGplayer & the Syracuse Union Showdown 40:19

5M ago40:19

40:19

In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, Douglas Johnson (DJ) and I discuss the recent turmoil surrounding TCG Player and eBay. TCG Player recently announced the closure of it's Syracuse authentication center and the firing of 220 employees, right as the union was within weeks of finalizing a collective agreement. We talk about TCG Player's histor…

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MVP154: 23 Budget Friendly Marketing Strategies For Your LGS 40:22

6M ago40:22

40:22

In this episode of the Manaverse podcast, we explore a variety of low-cost yet highly effective marketing strategies to help you increase the visibility and customer base of your friendly local game store. Inspired by a question from the Opening a Table Game Store Facebook group, we dive into 23 actionable tips, from optimizing your Google Business…

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MVP153: Unlocking Media Coverage For Your Local Game Store 39:26

7M ago39:26

39:26

In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, we sit down with Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases and expert in small business PR, to dive deep into how local game stores can harness the power of press releases and media outreach to grow their customer base and boost their reputation. Mickie shares why small businesses have exactly the kind of human …

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MVP152: What Board Game Retail Really Looks Like in 2025 1:05:00

7M ago1:05:00

1:05:00

In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, I’m joined once again by Kylie Prymus, the owner of Games Unlimited in Pittsburgh — one of the oldest game stores in the U.S. We dig into the current state of the board game industry, the tension between CCGs and board games, the role of retail, and the long-term viability of friendly local game stores. We …

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MVP151: Game Stores, Community, and Conventions – The LFG Con Origin Story 42:34

10M ago42:34

42:34

In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, I sit down with Dustin Staats from BGE Tabeltop and Dae from Fire & Dice to talk about their journey as local game store owners and their ambitious plans for their first-ever convention, LFG Con. We dive into their backgrounds, the challenges of organizing a convention from the ground up, and the budgeting …

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MVP150: The Biggest Lie in the Tabletop Games Industry 10:42

10M ago10:42

10:42

Today’s episode is called "The Biggest Lie in the Tabletop Games Business." And that lie is some variation of this thought: "You can't be really successful or make a substantial amount of money running a game store." Now, if you've been in this industry for any amount of time, you've probably heard some version of this. Maybe you've even thought it…

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MVP149: The Future of 2nd Hand Geek: Updates, Features, and Benefits for Game Stores 41:47

1y ago41:47

41:47

In this special update episode of the Manaverse Podcast, host Tom Traplin sits down with Blake Edward Hawkey, one of the co-founders of 2nd Hand Geek. Together, they discuss the evolution of the platform since its inception, the exciting new features available, and how the marketplace can benefit both players and local game stores. What You'll Lear…

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MVP148: Local Game Stores Can Save The World 13:34

1y ago13:34

13:34

How Game Stores Can Change Lives and Build Community In today's episode of the Manaverse Podcast, I dive deep into a topic that's been on my mind a lot lately: the growing loneliness and division many of us are experiencing in the modern world. With nearly a third of adults in the U.S. feeling lonely on a regular basis and our society becoming more…

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MVP147: Category One Games and How Scott Church Built a Business on "Dead" TCG's 1:00:56

1+ y ago1:00:56

1:00:56

This interview that you’re about to hear with Scott Church is fascinating. Scott is the owner of Category One Games, an online only store he started way back in the mists of time, also known as 2004. A 20 year old online only store is interesting enough, but Category One Games specializes in dead TCG’s. Games that have been written off and dumped i…

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MVP146: Millennium Games - Building the Biggest Game Store in the USA 57:28

1+ y ago57:28

57:28

Welcome to another episode of the Manaverse Podcast! In this episode, I sit down with Travis Severance, the co-owner of Millennium Games in Rochester, New York. Join us as we dive into Travis's incredible journey in the gaming industry, exploring the challenges he's faced and the strategies that have made Millennium Games the largest game store in …

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MVP145: Manapool.com - The Marketplace for Magic Cards 46:00

1+ y ago46:00

46:00

Andrew Johnson comes onto the podcast to talk about creating Manapool.com, a marketplace just for Magic cards. Learn about the hottest new marketplace for Magic players and local game store owners to buy and sell Magic singles, and how Andrew and his team of co-founders and building a great solution for the Magic community. Sign up for a Manapool.c…

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MVP144: Michael Bahr on Selling Your Game Store 1:11:27

1+ y ago1:11:27

1:11:27

Welcome to another episode of the Manaverse Podcast! My name is Tom Traplin and I am your host and this is the podcast where we talk about building successful friendly local game stores. Today, we’re talking with Michael Bahr, the mind behind the LGS Net Income newsletter and former owner of Desert Sky Games in Arizona. Michael relatively recently …

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MVP143: Behind the Scenes of Altered TCG: A Conversation with Game Designer Marcus Kearsey 1:02:15

2y ago1:02:15

1:02:15

In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, I interview Marcus Kearsey, a game designer for the Altered TCG team. We discuss the unique aspects of Altered TCG, including its non-combat focus, digital integration, and innovative deck-building mechanics. Kearsey shares his journey into game design, the challenges and rewards of developing a new TCG, an…

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MVP142: The Deck Box - Josh Pyle-Carter on 10 Years of Building Halifax's Premier Local Game Store 2:05:22

2y ago2:05:22

2:05:22

Welcome to another exciting episode of our podcast! Today, we dive deep into the world of gaming retail with Joshua Pyle-Carter from The Deck Box. Joshua shares his incredible journey of building a successful gaming store from scratch. We explore how The Deck Box has created a community-centric environment, offering a personalized client service th…

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MVP142: Part 4 - The Deck Box: Pros and Cons of Online Card Sales, and How To Win With a Local First Approach 36:46

2y ago36:46

36:46

In Part 4 of my interview, Joshua Pyle-Carter digs into the future plans for The Deck Box, with their 10-year anniversary quickly approaching this summer. Josh talks about the balance between online and in-store sales, stressing that each requires a vastly different approach and business model, and why he favours the local first approach for his co…

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MVP142: Part 3 - Innovative Inventory and Pricing Strategies in Games Retail - Learn from The Deck Box 34:54

2y ago34:54

34:54

This is Part 3 of my interview with Joshua Pyle-Carter from The Deck Box, Halifax's Premier local games store. We delve into inventory management, pricing strategies, and how Josh empowers his staff to make good decisions without requiring his input as the owner. Joshua talks about balancing pricing for different card rarities, adapting to market c…

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MVP142: Part 2 - Unlocking Retail Success With Personalized Client Service - Insights from The Deck Box 26:17

2y ago26:17

26:17

This is Part 2 of my interview with Joshua Pyle-Carter from The Deck Box where we focus on personalized client service as a key factor in his success. Understanding individual customer preferences, especially in complex games like Magic: The Gathering, is crucial and so is guiding customers based on their interests and experience levels, rather tha…

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MVP142: Part 1 - Joshua Pyle-Carter on The Deck Box, Clients vs Customers, Being Profitable From Day One, and Building Halifax's Premier Local Game Store 35:15

2y ago35:15

35:15

This is part 1 of a 4 part interview I did with Josh Pyle-Carter. He’s the owner of The Deck Box, a massively successful and tremendously cool tabletop game store in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In this part of our interview, Josh tells the story of starting his first game store in PEI on a shoestring budget and how being profitable from day 1 was basical…

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MVP141: Altered - The Game Aiming To Change the TCG Industry 41:53

2y ago41:53

41:53

This episode of the Manaverse Podcast features Eric Dieulangard, the CMO of Equinox. Today we're discussing "Altered," a new trading card game scheduled for release in the summer of 2024, and diving into how the game's innovations fit into the business model of your friendly local game store. Eric elaborates on Altered's unique features, including …

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MVP140: He's Doing $500k/Year In Online Sales, So Why Open A Game Store? 50:14

2y ago50:14

50:14

Welcome to another episode of the Manaverse podcast! I’m your host, Tom Traplin, and today, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tyler Brotton, an ambitious entrepreneur charting a unique path in the gaming industry. From starting as an online card trader during the COVID-19 pandemic to his current venture of setting up a brick-and-mortar game s…

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MVP139: Brendan Carrion on Lorcana Reprints, Restocks, and the Future of the Game 1:12:33

2y ago1:12:33

1:12:33

The launch of Lorcana has been a roller coaster for game stores. The absurdly high demand combined with a very limited supply of product has created a perfect storm for game store owners looking to sell, as well as consumers and collectors looking to buy. Online communities of players/speculators have accused game store owners of scalping and gougi…

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MVP138: 2ndHandGeek.com - The Marketplace That Supports Your FLGS 50:25

2y ago50:25

50:25

Alan Blakeborough, Founder and CEO of 2ndHandGeek.com, talks about the new online marketplace that supports friendly local game stores. Alan and his team are creating a new competitor to the $9 billion marketplace of eBay, where the fees are competitive and 1% of each transaction gets paid back to the friendly local game store associated with a use…

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MVP137: How To Create Video Content and Why It's One of the Most Powerful Ways To Market Your Game Store 44:03

2y ago44:03

44:03

Frank Rossi and Jordan Shankman are the featured guests for today's episode of the podcast. Frank and Jordan are the owners of Petrichor Productions in the Greater Atlanta area and they specialize in video production and helping businesses bring their brand story to vibrant life. The Petrichor team recently worked with Jason Mastowski, the owner of…

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MVP136: The Commander Nexus 31:44

2y ago31:44

31:44

Commander players are the ultimate casual Magic player for game stores. Having a thriving and vibrant Commander community is a huge asset since Commander players often spend the most money on the hobby and buy all sorts of cards that conventional Standard or Modern players wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole, and are happy paying for them! The more…

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MVP135: The Mind Behind Mindtaker Miniatures 53:25

2+ y ago53:25

53:25

Robyn Lowy, the owner of Mindtaker Miniatures in Vancouver, Washington, talks about how she built a truly unique take on the friendly local game store. Find out how Robyn started by buying and selling miniatures online and expanded the business into a fully fledged miniature powerhouse. If you've ever thought about carrying miniature games in your …

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MVP134: Brendan Carrion on Athoria Games and Marketing in the Modern Age 1:08:45

2+ y ago1:08:45

1:08:45

Brendan Carrion, email marketer/game designer/podcaster with Athoria Games in Arizona, is on the podcast to talk about the nuts and bolts of marketing a game store and getting new customers, what makes Athoria Games tick, and discuss the state of the gaming industry as a whole. Good times. Don't forget to connect with Brendan here. Links Mentioned …

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MVP133: Jamison Sacks On 10 Years At Common Ground Games 1:11:01

2+ y ago1:11:01

1:11:01

We've got Jamison Sacks on the podcast today. Jamison is the owner of Common Ground Games in Dallas. Founded in 2013 by Jamison Sacks & DR Hanson, Common Ground Games brings a premiere retail and gaming space for all of D/FW to enjoy and has well over a thousand five star reviews on Facebook and Google. Links Mentioned https://www.boardgamesdallas.…

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MVP132: 95 Game Center and Growing The Business Into An MTG Singles Online Powerhouse 43:37

2+ y ago43:37

43:37

We've got Michael McKinney on the podcast today. Michael is the logistics manager of 95 MTG and 95 Game Center in Wilmington and we dig into some really interesting aspects of the way 95 Game Center runs and how it built up the singles side of the business. We talk about the differences between the pay-to-play model versus a free game space, how 95…

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MVP131: Is Wizards of the Coast Killing The Golden Goose? 1:35:17

2+ y ago1:35:17

1:35:17

Daniel Vander Kooy comes onto the Manaverse Podcast and talks about the OGL, whether Wizards of the Coast is killing the golden goose, what's happening in the hobby industry, and how game store owners can prepare. Get a customized digital marketing strategy for your game store by booking a free 45 minute strategy session with us. We will do a deep …

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MVP130: The Return of Erik Bigglestone, Website Accessibility and ADA Lawsuits, and What Game Store Owners Need to Do To Protect Their Businesses in 2023 1:00:01

2+ y ago1:00:01

1:00:01

Erik Bigglestone makes his return debut on the Manaverse Podcast to share his experience dealing with an ADA lawsuit last year and talk about ways for game stores to protect their businesses from predatory actors. We discuss how Games of Berkeley was targeted last year for an Accessibility claim out of New York, the pattern of certain plaintiffs an…

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MVP129: The First 100 Days 34:42

2+ y ago34:42

34:42

Hypothesis: Customer Lifetime Value highly correlates to a high number of positive interactions within the first 100 days, and the likelihood of those interactions is highly correlated to to the quality of the experience in the first 100 seconds. Your game store may not be selling gym memberships, but games and hobbies are still part of your custom…

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MVP128: Cosmic Games and the Art of Selling Singles and Retro Video Games 51:19

2+ y ago51:19

51:19

We've got Adam Scholtz on the podcast. Adam is the owner of Cosmic Games in Bellingham. Cosmic Games is Bellingham's premier source for Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon Trading Card Game, Video Games and more. Links Mentioned for Cosmic Games https://www.cosmicbham.com/ https://www.facebook.com/cosmicbham https://www.instagram.com/cosmicgamesbham/ htt…

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MVP127: The Game Chest Is Raising The Bar On The Tabletop Industry 53:21

2+ y ago53:21

53:21

We've got Maryam Al-Hammami on the podcast. Maryam is the co-owner of The Game Chest, a four location local game store business in California. Maryam and I discuss what it takes for a game store to grow into a multi-location business, how making the in-store experience welcoming and diversifying your inventory can change everything, why hiring a gr…

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MVP126: How David Finn Is Building A Giga Empire - Giga-Bites Tabletop Cafe and Bridge Distribution 1:13:11

2+ y ago1:13:11

1:13:11

We've got David Finn on the podcast. David is the owner of Giga-Bites Cafe in Marietta, near Atlanta. Giga-Bites Café was founded by David Finn 14 years ago and is the host for a gaming community of thousands, and is Atlanta's best stocked tabletop retail space. David is also the owner of Bridge Distribution specializing in a huge variety of hobby …

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MVP125: Modern Table Top Gaming 1:07:54

2+ y ago1:07:54

1:07:54

We've got Christopher Wood and Deon on the podcast today. Chris is the owner of Modern Table Top Gaming, a WPN Premium store in South Chesterfield, Virginia. MTTG is a fantastically executed game store with an epic sign out front and we dig into what makes the store tick and how they earned the WPN Premium status. https://moderntabletoprva.com/ Che…

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MVP124: Breaking Down the Barriers to Entry for Your LGS with Critical Hit Games 47:13

3y ago47:13

47:13

We've got Whitman Bottiger, the owner of Critical Hit Games on the the podcast today. Critical Hit Games is a WPN Premium game store in Abingdon, Maryland carrying the classic selection of TCG's, miniatures, RPGs, and board games with a special focus on custom TCG formats. Game stores can be an intimidating environment for customers who've never be…

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MVP121: Versus Games and the Secret Sauce 55:18

3y ago55:18

55:18

I've got D from Versus Games in San Francisco with me on today and one of the most consistent threads in our conversation on what makes Versus Games successful is marketing. We kept coming back to how much D's marketing background shaped the business from the start and how important it is for game stores to have their marketing locked down if they …

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MVP120: Welcome to the Spellenhuis! 37:37

3y ago37:37

37:37

We're going across the pond to talk to Patrick ten Hoorn, the owner of Spellenhuis in the Netherlands! Patrick talks about his journey of taking his dream to open a stylish game cafe and turning it into a reality, navigating the choppy waters of the hobby industry, and how he grew the business into multiple locations. Links https://www.spellenhuis.…

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MVP119: Gnome Games and The Gnoshery, Tales From the Head Gnome Pat Fuge 1:38:44

3y ago1:38:44

1:38:44

Today we're talking with Pat Fuge. Pat is the Head Gnome of Gnome Games, Wisconsin’s Family Game store, with locations across the Fox Valley for customers to shop and play in. Pat talks about the early days of Gnome Games and how his approach to planning has helped expand to multiple locations and even venture into the world of gaming cafes. Links …

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MVP118: Rob Gruber The Elf King on Good Times Games 1:02:06

3y ago1:02:06

1:02:06

Today we're talking with Rob Gruber, aka The Elf King. Rob is the owner of Good Times Games in Prince Rupert, British Columbia and he's built an incredible business by becoming somewhat of a local celebrity and personality. Rob plays the game store game a little bit differently and today we're going to talk about his approach to working within a sm…

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MVP117: Digital Accessibility Lawsuits Are Here, What You Can Do To Protect Your Game Store 14:04

3y ago14:04

14:04

Here's what we know If you've been active in the game store owner groups on Facebook you've probably seen the posts recently about game stores and publishers being targeted by a law firm in New York and being sued for lack of ADA compliance. So far they've sued Crafty Games of Washington, Games of Berkeley in California, Black Rowan Games in Tracy,…

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MVP116: Magic 30th Anniversary Beta Packs, Game Cafes vs Game Stores, The Future of the Industry 47:47

3y ago47:47

47:47

New round table episode! Wizard's new $999 Beta booster pack product, The future of the friendly local game store, Are game cafes the natural evolution of the FLGS? What separates good retail from bad, And more. Matthew Vercant and Pat Fuge join me to discuss the future of the friendly local game store and speculate on the future of Magic: the Gath…

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MVP115: Running a Hands Off Game Store with Jason Garvin from Total Escape Games 35:50

3y ago35:50

35:50

Today we're talking with Jason Garvin. Jason is the manager of Total Escape Games, a premium retailer of tabletop games, carrying a vast array of role-playing games, card games, miniatures games, board games, and more in Broomfield Colorado. Jason is going to give us some insight into the origins of the store, dealing with the day to day operations…

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MVP114: Is the FLGS Business Model Dead? 11:30

3y ago11:30

11:30

Hey, welcome back to the Manaverse Podcast! I'm your host Tom Traplin and this is the podcast where we explore what it takes to build a successful friendly local game store. Before we jump into things, Q4 is coming and I'm looking for more game store owners to feature on the podcast, so if you get an email or phone call from me in the near future d…

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MVP113: The Secrets of Unplugged Gaming's $14K Grand Opening Day 58:46

3+ y ago58:46

58:46

Jake Tanner is the owner Unplugged Gaming in Manlius New York. Jake came into the tabletop gaming business from a different angle than most of the game store owners that have been featured on the podcast. Before launching Unplugged Gaming, Jake, along with his business partner, owned and operated a highly lauded digital marketing firm called Digita…