REBIRTH

I’ve come to this point in my gaming life largely due to Legends Family and Hobby Games in Vincennes, Indiana, and it owner at the time, Jason Cline.  I had always been a gamer, as detailed in a previous article on this website, but I do not believe I would have risen to the level of gamer goodness (or the depths of gamer despair, depending on your outlook) if not for a visit to Legends in June of 2012.  When I saw a picture of their board game collection on their website, I realized they were more than just a Magic shop.  I read an article Jason had written about Quarriors, and decided to visit the shop.  Jason greeted me when I walked in, I told him I was interested in Quarriors, and he said if I had a few minutes, he would play the game with me.  Two hours and four plays of two different games later, I walked out with 3 games and a smile. The rest as we say, is history.

Over a period of the next year, I became very involved in Legends and gaming.  I often visited the shop 6 days a week, playing in two board game nights, two role playing games, pick up games and other events.  I was in gamer paradise!

Then over a period of months, things started to change,  Jason and his wife, Jamie, had their first child, Betty Jean.  Then Jason got a better job (he ran the shop on the side), and moved out of the area.  He sold the shop to his manager and another gamer.

The shop slowly started to slide away from board games, focusing more on Magic.  Less board gamers were coming in.  It became increasingly difficult to spend money there, as the inventory dwindled, they were always out of soft drinks and snacks.  The store became cluttered, disorganized, and dirty.  The limited staff often couldn’t help with product questions as the owners were off at some Magic tournament.  Soon the small group of active board gamers dwindled to two, meeting one night a week.

Then the shop lost its lease, and had to relocate.  Leaving Main Street in Vincennes, they moved to a location, while closer to the Vincennes University, had limited parking, and if you didn’t know exactly where it was, would drive by it. The shop quickly became a carbon copy of the previous location, cluttered, disorganized and dirty.  And DARK.  Travis and I both had trouble reading card text and rule books.  The only time they had new games in stock was when they ordered it by mistake.  If you ordered a game, you were lucky if you got it in 6 weeks.  I’m still waiting on a game I ordered in December, that I paid for up front.  Lots of excuses, its everybody’s fault but theirs.

Travis and I saw the writing on the wall, granted we are a bit slow.  We started discussing our options for playing somewhere else on Thursdays.

Then things changed.  One of the two owners left and moved north.  I came in 3 weeks ago, and the shop was clean….and organized.  It is still dark, but they are working on that.  I got my game.  I was approached to play on Tuesday nights in a role playing game.  The next week, I was asked to participate in a Warhammer league on the weekends.  The shop has also started a Pokeman league, and expanded their Magic play.   Travis and I have renewed hope for the survival of the shop.

Up to this point, you might think that Rebirth refers to the shop, and to a certain extent it does, but I am really talking about me.  At the beginning of the year, I sat down and wrote goals for the year, and a 5 year and 10 year plan.  (Yeah, I’m one of those).  It has personal, family, financial, and health goals.  My wife and I sat down in early January to finalize them.  And yes, I have gaming goals.  I have a 14 in 14 for games, 5 Jeffcons, (solitaire game conventions), purchasing targets and overall game play.  One of my goals was to start a game group in Washington, and it looks like that is going to happen via the Daviess County Museum.

So, I am very optimistic.  Other than my limit of purchasing only 14 new games in 2014 (I’ve already missed that target, don’t tell my wife 🙂 ) I’m on target to hit my gaming goals.  I have a tendency to be positive, but I feel really good about the future on all fronts.

I feel reborn!

Jeff Chattin

Great Gaming Gang!