Welcome to the Manaverse Podcast
The Manaverse Podcast is where we explore what it takes to build a successful friendly local game store! Since 2015, I’ve been interviewing a wide variety of game store owners and industry professionals doing some really interesting things in the world of trading cards, minis, games, and more.
If you want to learn how some of the best game retailers in North America have built their businesses and local communities up from the ground floor, you’ve come to the right place!
MVP144: Michael Bahr on Selling Your Game Store
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...
MVP143: Behind the Scenes of Altered TCG: A Conversation with Game Designer Marcus Kearsey
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...
MVP142: The Deck Box – Josh Pyle-Carter on 10 Years of Building Halifax’s Premier Local Game Store
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...
MVP142: Part 4 The Deck Box: Pros and Cons of Online Card Sales, and How To Win With a Local First Approach
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...
MVP142: Part 3 Innovative Inventory and Pricing Strategies in Games Retail – Learn from The Deck Box
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....
MVP142: Part 2 – Unlocking Retail Success With Personalized Client Service – Insights from The Deck Box
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...
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
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...
MVP141: Altered – The Game Aiming To Change the TCG Industry
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...
MVP140: He’s Doing $500k/Year In Online Sales, So Why Open A Game Store?
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...
MVP139: Brendan Carrion on Lorcana Reprints, Restocks, and the Future of the Game
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...