Where board games still reign
One of the glories of big cities is how sheer numbers create markets large enough for niche businesses to survive, even thrive. Like the 401— not the highway but a store by that name, at that address on Yonge St., where nerdy, geeky board games continue to move briskly in the digital age.
How it got started: “The store is now in its 21st year of business,” says manager Jason Malette. “It started out as 401 Convenience, which was just a straight convenience store, then started splashing into Magic (a card game) and sports cards, and now it’s evolved into strictly a hobby shop where you can get role-playing games, collectible card games, sports cards, board games, action figures, and all that nerdy, geeky stuff.” Who shops there: 401 Games attracts casual shoppers and devoted gamers. “The thing that draws in the average person walking by are toys and action figures,” says Malette. “Whereas people who are hardcore into the hobby, one way or another, they’re going to find the store.
“We have regulars who are 14 years old up to retired people,” says Malette. “It’s for all ages. I would say that collectible card games and sports cards will get them involved in the hobby world at a younger age and then they slowly evolve into other aspects, like board games. With collectible cards, you get a teenage, early-20s audience, whereas I would say the board-game crowd is late 20s up to 40s and 50s.” Geeks R Us: With new games constantly being released, each with its own byzantine set of rules, it’s important to have specialists on the floor. “Every category is expanding,” says Malette. “Our staff is very knowledgeable — there’s always going to be someone who knows something about whatever you’re going to ask us.” The board-game boom: One particular segment of the business has experienced staggering growth. “The board-game industry has gone crazy,” says Malette. A lot of people have tired of all the electronics and “are now wanting to play board games, because it’s not only a social experience, but it’s not a repetitive experience. I’ve played online games forever and, no matter what they come up with, after a while it’s always the same thing.” Revenge of the nerds: Pop culture has played a strong hand in removing the stigma attached to pursuits once considered the sole domain of the nerdy and geeky. “TV shows like Big Bang Theory have helped immensely with the popularity of it,” says Malette. “People can relate. People might think that, if you play board games, and you’re into collectible card games and stuff like, you’re a nerd. But, there’s more ‘nerds’ out there than there are non-nerds, when it comes down to it.”