Business Spotlight: Gamers Guild offers wide selection of games, cards

By Roni Gehlke
For the Contra Costa Times

Name of business: The Gamers Guild of Antioch Inc.

Type of business: retail games, cards and comics

Owners: Chris Meyer and Abraham Chung

Founded: 2007

Address: 1203 Auto Center Drive, Antioch

Phone number: 925-753-5219

Hours: Monday through Friday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.; closed Thursdays; Saturday and Sunday noon to 7 p.m.

Number of employees: four

Products and services: The Gamers Guild offers a wide selection of games, cards and comics. Comics include DC, Marvel, Independent and Dark Horse. Games include board games, role playing games and Dungeons and Dragons. They also carry miniature games such as World of Warcraft, Games Workshop 40K and AT-43.

They also sell a large selection of popular collector and playing card games such as Magic the Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, Naruto and World Of Warcraft.

How did you get into the business: "We turned our hobby into a business," Meyer said.

Best part about the business?: "This is a great place for people to come and hang out and have fun," Meyer said.

There are tables set up in the front of the store where customers can come in and play with other people who like the games they play. They also host tournaments and activities for the different merchandise they sell at the store.

Worst part about the business?: "Economy and dealing with people underselling us on the Internet," he said.

Key to success: "Customer service," Meyer said. "Having new and hot items for sale or available for purchase."

He also said that having what customers want on hand at the store.

Biggest misperception about the business: "Customers don't think buying their games online and coming to the store to play them hurts our business," he said.
By providing a place for customers to play their games, the hope is that customers will purchase the items from the store and not go online and buy items and then bring them into the store to play.

Future plans: In the future, Meyer said they hope to be adding a computer network for gaming in the store.