Episode 147

full
Published on:

7th Aug 2024

MVP147: Category One Games and How Scott Church Built a Business on "Dead" TCG's

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 store owners often look at the products they sell as hot potatoes, Scott’s experience may lead you to reevaluate that common wisdom. Maybe there’s gold in those dead games sitting on your back shelves. 

We also talk a fair bit about Crystal Commerce and the struggle of working with a legacy system that has a huge amount of potential, and the intricacies of marketing online. Good stuff all around.

Speaking of marketing, that’s what we do! We help local game stores get more sales and establish a stronger presence online with digital marketing strategies like email, Google ads, Meta ads, social media, content, and search engine optimization, and we’d love to work with you! If you go to manaversesaga.com/mma and book a free call, we’ll go over your store’s current digital footprint and put together a custom digital marketing strategy plan tailored to your business. We’ll go over the plan together on the call and talk about how we can implement everything for you. If you want to work together, great! If you want to take the plan and try implementing it in house, that’s cool too. Either way, it’s yours to keep. We’ve helped game stores in nearly every stage of the business, from prelaunch all the way to multiple millions in yearly revenue, and we’d love to help your LGS take advantage of the massive opportunities that exist online. Head to manaversesaga.com/mma to get started!

Links

https://www.categoryonegames.com/

Scott Church on Facebook

Show artwork for The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals

About the Podcast

The Manaverse Podcast: Magic: the Gathering Business / Game Store Entrepreneurship / LGS Professionals
Grow your business, sell more games.
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, Warmachine, Dungeons and Dragons, board games and Euro games from some of the best retailers in the industry. Once a week, Tom talks with some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the game industry and pulls out the strategies, tactics, and systems that make their businesses so effective. With a special focus on Magic: the Gathering, you will learn how to level up your LGS and build a better community with Tom Traplin and the Manaverse Podcast.
Support This Show

About your host

Profile picture for Thomas Traplin

Thomas Traplin

Tom Traplin has been involved in the Magic community for the past 18 years in a variety of roles. As a player he played competitively in cities all over North America. As a tournament organizer he's managed hundreds of events and given away thousands of dollars in prizes. As the owner of an LGS he built up a local community and made a living selling Magic cards.

Tom is also the host of the Manaverse Podcast where he interviews some of the best game store entrepreneurs in North America including Pete Hoefling, John Coviello, Lynn Potyen, and many more. He is also a husband, father, business strategist, digital marketer, Dragonball Z fan, and philosopher. Not necessarily in that order.

His mission is to encourage more people to become game store entrepreneurs by giving them the tools and skills they need to succeed.