Category: featured ots

January 2020

SimplyUnlucky

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Welcome to 2020! We’re ringing in the new year with a Featured Official Tournament Store (OTS) that you may have heard of before! Their business as a game store may only be 5 months old, but their brand has been around for over 10 years as a popular YouTube channel, specializing in Yu-Gi-Oh! content, with over half a million subscribers! Coming from Modesto, California, our January 2020 Featured OTS is SimplyUnlucky!

SimplyUnlucky’s involvement with Yu-Gi-Oh! through its YouTube channel, created in the owner a real desire to become an OTS! “I always wanted my own store and we had a pretty good following, so I knew it was something that could last a long time,” says SimplyUnlucky’s owner, Roman Grothaus. So, he did some crowdfunding to open the store.

But mixing the YouTube channel with managing a business was more challenging than he initially thought. “Being a store owner is interesting because I was hoping to create content with SimplyUnlucky [the channel] while managing the store, but we couldn’t make videos for a few months and it was a bigger task than I first imagined! As I worked through it, the job is one of my favorite things. By recording content at the counter of the shop we’re able to get back into YouTube now that I’ve figured out how to manage my time!”

And it’s reaped its rewards as the audience from the SimplyUnlucky’s Youtube channel can also visit the SimplyUnlucky store! “We have some long-time viewers [as customers]. It’s really cool to me, it lets me know that we’re making a difference in people’s lives,” remarked Roman. Both game store owners and content creators would probably agree – having an impact in people’s lives is a satisfying goal! 

And with any OTS, bringing new players into the game is important for keeping the player community active. Their channel has been instrumental in bringing in kids and the more casual player. Roman explained that he “really tries to make SimplyUnlucky a place where new players can learn. We keep them updated on new cards, so they know what cards they want to play. We [SimplyUnlucky staff] all have a good idea of how the game works. We know what level the players are at. We can push them in a direction on where to go. I try to bring them into a light where Yu-Gi-Oh! isn’t complicated and doesn’t have to be a game of chess.” Roman also mentioned that “the best way to introduce new players, and sometimes the parents too, to the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME is with Speed Duel.” That method has proven so successful that families make up most of the store’s Speed Duel sales.

SimplyUnlucky also reaches out to the community at large to acquire new players, as well. They work with some after school programs and do Career Days at two local high schools! They have also worked with teachers who are looking for educational games for their students and are currently reaching out to the local library in the hopes of running some programs there.

Since SimplyUnlucky started as a Yu-Gi-Oh! YouTube channel, it only follows that the store would be centered around the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, as well. “I had a customer say that they felt like a second-class citizen in other stores that center on other card games.” Their customers, and viewers alike are fortunate to have a place that focuses on their game of choice to play and shop at. About the player community, Roman said, “I think our Yu-Gi-Oh! community has been growing every day. We have new players, casual collectors, casual players and competitive players alike. Yu-Gi-Oh! players will always feel at home in our shop. We will push the boundaries for what a Yu-Gi-Oh! shop is capable of.”Congratulations to our Featured OTS for January 2020, SimplyUnlucky! 

February 2020

ISD Gaming

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Did February sneak up on you too? With the last full month of “official” winter on the horizon, it seems fitting to take a foray into the tropical warmth of Puerto Rico. In the most northwestern tip of the island we will find the city of Aguadilla; it’s one of the principle cities of Puerto Rico, and also where we can find our Featured Official Tournament Store (OTS) for February 2020: ISD Gaming!

ISD Gaming started with humble beginnings out of the living room of Josue Arroyo, the owner. Josue began his business 8 years ago selling singles online. However, within six months, he was able to raise enough capital to lease a 500 square feet storefront. Three moves later he grew his business from a small shop to his current location that’s 1,500 square feet. “We are one of the biggest stores in Puerto Rico,” says Josue. “Yu-Gi-Oh! is the biggest TCG that we offer by far. We pride ourselves in being the premiere Trading Card Game Store in Puerto Rico, and we take pride in our customer service and community growth. We run several Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG tournaments weekly.” 

Within the first year in business, ISD Gaming acquired OTS status, and it’s been a boon for Josue. “If we weren’t an OTS, we’d be out of business. Players want Regional Qualifiers and want everything official. If we didn’t offer OTS Tournament Packs, the players won’t come to us. So, our status is critical for us.” That drive to cater to his customers is what keeps them coming back.

Josue takes a lot of pride in his store, and community. He said, “our main goal is to provide an all-age, friendly space for people to enjoy, learn and make friendships throughout trading card games and collectibles. We take pride in how we present our layout, gaming area and how we invest in keeping a fresh look month by month. People feel safe, they enjoy being here and their feedback is always “I wish we have a store like these where we live.”

ISD Gaming’s Yu-Gi-Oh! community has a wide range of Duelists. Josue explained, “our community is the most diverse in Puerto Rico; we draw in the widest age range, from the young 6 to 7-year-olds to adults.”  And among those adults there are many parents! “We encourage parents to bring their kids, and we teach the game to the parents. We see parents play in the tournaments along with their kids. It’s something they can enjoy together,” said a very gratified Josue. And he has much to be grateful for.

The store’s mettle was tried and tested back in September 2017 when Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 hurricane, descended onto the island. Regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect the island, ISD Gaming was not spared from the destruction. Josue recounted the damage from the 2017 storm: “The water went through the roof and we lost thousands of dollars in merchandise. Seeing the photos is not good for me. From the outside it looked ok, but going inside, you could see that everything was water damaged; very little was spared. But we bounced back though. It took a year, and patience from our players, but we’re back.” 

When asked if there was any advice for up-and-coming stores, Josue said “make becoming an OTS a priority. Players appreciate the OTS program and support. It will bring new players and customers to your store.  If you’re already an OTS, maintain good status.” Congratulations to our Featured Official Tournament Store for February 2020, ISD Gaming!

The Time Vault

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2020 has certainly been bizarre in many ways: raging wildfires, COVID-19, toilet paper shortages, locust plague, etc., and now firenadoes? Even with the situation being what it is, the game must go on; and with in-person Organized Play still being suspended, Remote Duels are currently the best way for Duelists to play the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME (TCG). Official Tournament Stores (OTS) holding Remote Duel events are still able to engage with their players, especially if they can’t safely gather in the store; giving the community the chance to enjoy the game, even if it is not quite “as usual.” One OTS that has eagerly embraced the challenge is The Time Vault; this month’s Featured OTS. 

Based in Edmonton, Alberta, The Time Vault had humble beginnings. In 2016, the owner, Joah Moat, worked his brother’s table at a local flea market. “My brother had bought the booth but seemed to lose interest, so I started managing it for him. Eventually it became full-time every weekend, and he left it for me to take care of,” explained Joah. The comradery was what he enjoyed the most – the community got along well with each other, and Joah, being a friendly people person, had people naturally gravitating towards his booth looking for and finding space on the floor nearby to play and trade together.

Clearly, the flea market booth by itself didn’t have enough space for Dueling; therefore, Joah acquired the 8×12 space right next to the existing booth. “So, we created an additional booth next to ours and called it the Blue-Eyes Event Lounge. We put 2 tables together and promoted game play during the weekend. The kids got me into Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, and they were very patient with me while I learned to play,” Joah remembered fondly. But as the community grew, The Time Vault needed to grow along with it. “Our booth was the best in the whole flea market, but we were confined by the constraints of the warehouse building itself. In order to be more recognized, we needed to get a permanent space for the community. My wife, Annette, and I knew that we were taking a risk, but we also knew that we had a bunch of support. With that knowledge, I felt confident that we could make a go of it together. For me it was about establishing our community; having a place for our guys to chill, be cool about everything, and socialize together,” said Joah. One of his mantras for the community is: “No matter the direction we need to go, we get there together; playing and collecting cards but also being kind to each other,” he reassured.

Joah has a Zen-like quality in his approach to life. “Each day is precious. We need to do with our time the best that we can. Today is what we have,” he stated. So it’s no wonder that in dealing with the current situation, The Time Vault has embraced the challenge of keeping its community engaged, but above all, safe. The Time Vault, acclimating to a world where a global pandemic rules, requires masks to be worn by everyone in the store, and sanitizing is a priority. But for game play, Remote Duel is the safest route. “Once you get into Remote Duel, you gotta get used to the headphones and the video layout of Discord, but this is what is getting our regulars back. Even if COVID stops tomorrow, I’d still let this be part of our community since people who couldn’t necessarily be present, can still be here,” Joah asserted. That is understandable when your OTS is getting players from over 100 miles away, like Nova Scotia, at their Remote Duel events!

When asked what advice he has for other OTS, Joah said, “run your store as a platform for the community. When you open the door, you’re opening the door for people to feel comfortable and feel accepted for who and what they are. Embrace change and work with it. It is about the people and how you connect with them. Brick and mortar stores are not exempt from this. Work toward development. We should have a comfortable platform where people can gather.”

We’d like to congratulate our August’s Featured Official Tournament Store, The Time Vault!