With their love of games — from board games to trading card games and others — Mike Butkus and Tony Vandenberg did what many people dream about: They made their hobby their business.
“I didn’t know it would be that good. I get to do the thing I love to do,” said Butkus, owner of Triple Play on Opera House Square in Claremont. “I don’t go to work. I go to my shop.”
Butkus, 59, bought the store 4½ years ago.
“I ran retail stores for 20 years and I recognized if I did a better job, I could make money,” Butkus said of the shop, which was located on Glen Road in West Lebanon years ago.
For Vandenberg, who opened Black Moon Games in 2014, board games have been part of his life since he was in middle school. When Triple Play, where he had worked part-time, left for Claremont, he saw an opportunity.
“I saw potential in Lebanon because (Triple Play) in Claremont was far enough away not to be competition,” Vandenberg, 42, said. “I took a chance, opened the store and it has been working out really well.”
Besides Triple Play and Black Moon, The Fourth Place in Hanover gives the Upper Valley another option for gamers and others, including those who love trading card games (TCG). The stores have a large selection of game-related items along with comics, puzzles and some toys.
All three stores host game night events, including board game night. When COVID-19 hit six years ago and restrictions were in place for social gathering, most had no choice but to interact online, Vandenberg said.
“My peers and I talked during COVID and there was a lot of doom and gloom about how this will kill our industry because in person is how gaming works,” Vandenberg said.
But they weathered the shutdown and now are seeing the tide go the other way, he added. Among the benefits of board games are having time to unplug and focus on being with people, including family members.
“There has definitely been a movement in recent years where we’ve seen families looking at ( how much) screen time their children are getting,” Vandenberg continued. “So we do hear that from parents.”
Some board games have learning components and some are even designed to help kids learn, he said, adding that playing while in school helped him with his least favorite subject, math.
The social interaction value of board games cannot be overstated, Butkus and Vandenberg said.
Board game night at Triple Play brings in about a dozen people each week to play one of the hundreds of games Butkus stocks.
“I don’t really make money on board game night, but it is my favorite hobby,” Butkus said. “I didn’t make friends working at the convenience store, but I have made friends here.”
Triple Play is located in the Dickinson Block and Butkus leases three floors. He is planning to have a painting studio in the basement of the building and make other improvements on the main floor where the retail sales space is. He would like to have a Dungeons and Dragons rental room also.
“I have plans for every wall in the shop,” Butkus said. “I just haven’t finished them yet.”
By the end of the year, Butkus wants to be finished with the interior makeover. Then plans to put more effort into advertising and marketing, hoping to draw in more people for events like board game night.
Like any small independent retailer, selling items that are readily available and usually less expensive in box stores or online, both Triple Play and Black Moon try to distinguish themselves with a more personal experience and knowledgeable staff to gain a competitive edge.
Black Moon has drop-in board game Sundays from open to close, bringing a dedicated group and some newcomers for friendly competition, Vandenberg said.
“I don’t worry about competing with big box stores or Amazon because what my store offers is that you can walk in here and talk to my staff,” Vandenberg said. “They give you recommendations and try to find games that you like. You can meet people and play games at events, something you can’t do at Walmart or Target.”
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
