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PODCAST

The Manaverse Podcast

The Manaverse Podcast is a podcast created for you, the gamer with aspirations of building your own local game store (LGS), the entrepreneur running an LGS who wants to grow their business, and the player who wants a behind the scenes look into their favourite hobby. If you’re looking for inspiration, new ideas, and interesting perspectives then Tom Traplin has you covered. Learn the business of selling some of the best games in the world including MTG, Warhammer, Pokémon, Dungeons and Dragons,

business marketing

All Episodes

18:13

MVP161: Q5 - The Secret Shopping Surge After the...

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2025/12/10

Google calls Q5 a ‘distinct, high-value shopping season,’ and their data is fascinating which is why I wanted to talk about it. But the magic here goes way beyond Google ads. Game stores can use this Q5 behavior across their entire business — events, email, merchandising, community building, all of it.So this episode is all about how the psychology of Q5 works… and how you can tap into it in ways your competitors probably won’t.Check out the Game Store Mastermind

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16:00

MVP160: Game Store Strategies for Black Friday Weekend

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2025/10/20

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 like chaos. But if you do it right, if you go in with a strategy this weekend. Can generate a massive surge of momentum for the rest of the holiday season,

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27:25

MVP159: Is Your FLGS Ready For Q4?

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2025/10/03

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 storeA quick “holiday audit” to focus your effortsThe 3 pillars every successful game store holiday plan needs

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45:01

MVP158: David Finn On The De Minimis Exemption...

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2025/09/04

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 strategies for adapting to the new rules.Discover how this policy shift is reshaping global trade in the games business and how you can shift your operation to

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29:38

MVP157: Cardmill - Scan. Sort. Done. - Behind the...

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2025/07/08

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 CardMillDesigned for PlayersThe CardMill is the only automated trading card game scanner and sorter on the market, priced for the everyday collector and player.Automated

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42:46

MVP156: SortSwift - The Ultimate TCG Ecosystem

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2025/06/13

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 $150K, eventually leading to the development of his own card sorting machine—one of the first new production machines in over 20 years. Get started with

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40:19

MVP155: eBay, TCGplayer & the Syracuse Union Showdown

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2025/06/07

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 history in dealing with its employees, what this means for sellers and buyers on the platform, and the ethics (or lack thereof) in running a multibillion dollar

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40:22

MVP154: 23 Budget Friendly Marketing Strategies For...

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2025/05/28

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 profile to running new player game nights and using attention grabbers to pull people into your store for the first time.Most of these strategies won't

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39:26

MVP153: Unlocking Media Coverage For Your Local Game...

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2025/04/29

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 stories that local journalists love, and how easy (and inexpensive!) it can be to start getting media attention. Whether you're brand new to PR or just

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01:05:00

MVP152: What Board Game Retail Really Looks Like in 2025

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2025/04/08

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 talk about:Why board games might feel like they’re in trouble — but aren’t.How Games Unlimited succeeds without Magic, Pokémon, or miniatures.The downsides

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42:34

MVP151: Game Stores, Community, and Conventions – The...

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2025/02/04

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 hurdles they've had to navigate. They also share what makes LFG Con unique and how they’re working to create an event that stands out. Throughout our

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10:42

MVP150: The Biggest Lie in the Tabletop Games Industry

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2025/01/27

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 yourself. I’ve been putting together this podcast for over 10 years now, and I can recall several guests more or less saying the same thing.The idea that

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41:47

MVP149: The Future of 2nd Hand Geek: Updates,...

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2024/09/20

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 Learn in This Episode:The story behind 2nd Hand Geek, an eBay-style marketplace for used and new games, miniatures, and other geek culture items.How 2nd Hand

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13:34

MVP148: Local Game Stores Can Save The World

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2024/08/29

How Game Stores Can Change Lives and Build CommunityIn 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 polarized, I believe local game stores have a unique opportunity to bridge these gaps and foster genuine human connections.The Loneliness

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01:00:56

MVP147: Category One Games and How Scott Church Built...

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2024/08/07

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 in the clearance sections of stores in the past are the bread and butter of Category One Games and Scott has a thriving business because of them.Since game

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57:28

MVP146: Millennium Games - Building the Biggest Game...

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2024/05/15

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 the USA.In this interview, we cover:Travis's early passion for gaming and how his family's gaming habits influenced him.His unique career path, from

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46:00

MVP145: Manapool.com - The Marketplace for Magic Cards

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2024/04/23

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.com account and get 0% seller fees for 6 months plus cash rebates.

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01:11:27

MVP144: Michael Bahr on Selling Your Game Store

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2024/03/01

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 sold DSG to another game store owner, and I say relatively because I’ve been sitting on this recording for way too long, but we dive into what it takes to

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01:02:15

MVP143: Behind the Scenes of Altered TCG: A...

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2024/01/30

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, and how player feedback shapes the game. They delve into the game's lore, art, and future plans, including organized play and competitive aspects. The

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02:05:22

MVP142: The Deck Box - Josh Pyle-Carter on 10 Years...

The Manaverse Podcast ·

2024/01/20

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 that goes beyond just selling products. You'll hear about the innovative strategies in inventory management, pricing, and staff empowerment that have

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166 results

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