Divine Gamez: A Walpole, Massachussets Game Store

“Playing card games is probably one of the best hobbies.” That’s what Divine Gamez owner, Evan LaBarge, shares regarding his affinity for card games. Evan got into gaming young, around 8 years old, starting with Yu-Gi-Oh!, which he shares he still loves to play today. Furthermore, he says he always thought about owning a store. Before that dream came to fruition, he would attend trade school during his high school years, specializing in engineering. These days, he plays Commander at the store. It’s an endeavor that’s been part of his life for the past 10 years and counting.

Evan says the game stores he played at in the past provide good memories. Some people he met at those previous game stores now work at Divine Gamez. However, Divine Gamez did not start as a brick-and-mortar store. Instead, Evan, who’s worked in retail his whole life, started selling bulk on TCG Player from his basement. At one point, he had an inventory of ~3,000 cards. At that time, Evan says he was also buying 400-500 cards per week. Moreover, he credits his wife, who handled shipping orders for the first year of his operation.

Divine Gamez Becomes A Retail Store

Divine Gamez is the sole brick-and-mortar store in Walpole, per Wizards of the Coast Store & Events Locator. Evan’s dad owned the building where the store would begin. The two-unit building is 3,200 sq. ft., and his dad wasn’t using it. So, he would proceed to renovate 800 sq. ft. of the space, as it only had two walls for products. The soft opening occurred in April 2024. With no store in the area, Divine Gamez would be filling that gap, Evan says.

During the first year of business, Evan tells us that not having to pay rent was huge. That said, plans to move to a new location were always in place. Ideally, he desired a space of 32-36 players. That said, Evan would find that space and then some. He notes the new store in Walpole holds 48. Looking back, Evan says the original intent of his business was to be only an online operation. Now, it’s only 20-25% of the total revenue. Yet, being a “TCG Direct Store”, Evan appreciates the help of TCGPlayer. Divine Gamez in Walpole is in its new location for 3 months and counting as of this writing.

Past Experience Proves Helpful For Divine Gamez Owner

Before the move to the new store, Evan says a business model was already in place. Additionally, obtaining knowledge regarding overhead and his past retail experience has proven helpful. Evan notes that being a manager at GameStop (2 years) was as well. It provided him with the knowledge of the retail business model. Additionally, he was a General Manager at McDonald’s and worked in banking. After three years, Evan became a Branch Manager split between Citizens Bank (6-7 years) and Chase (2 years). If that wasn’t enough retail experience, he also shares that he helped manage at Dunkin. It was this experience, Evan says, that developed both management and social skills. He was primed to parlay his past work experience into running a game store.

The Bond Between Owner, Employees, and Customers

Evan doesn’t pay himself out of the business. Rather, he has a full-time job as a Treasury Cash Manager, providing his income. The majority of the business expenses go towards paying employees and rent. Speaking of his employees, Evan notes they’re close. Furthermore, they have been in his life for a while. Moreover, his friends are part-owners in the business. Doing so has allowed them all collectively to remain players. Before employing a store manager and assistant manager, Evan worked 110 hours a week, including his full-time job. He says he lives three lives: a Treasury Cash Manager, a game store owner, and a family man.

Customers at Divine Gamez are a casual crowd, Evan says. Moreover, they love playing Commander. They also host Pokémon events on Sundays, their “learn to play” day. Furthermore, he says the community likes having the opportunity to play games with him in-store.

Evan says the joy is engaging the community in different games. An example shared is that Yu-Gi-Oh players are playing Commander. Yet, Evan notes that he’s very open to feedback and criticism from the player base. Still, he reflects on his time at GameStop, where improvements could have been made, and applies those changes to his store. He says he puts himself in the customer’s position by asking, “What would I want?”

“Best staff and awesome new store for us LORCANA ADDICTS“

-Debbie Cormier, customer feedback on the Divine Gamez Facebook page

A Positive And Negative Being A Smaller Operation

As a smaller operation, distribution can be tough, Evan says, compared to a larger store. He says a major factor is due to the amount of capital available. Another challenge is dealing with scalpers, especially with Pokémon, leading to acquiring products at a premium. He says it can be frustrating to adjust your business plan, but sometimes it’s for the better. That said, while he used to manage product pricing himself, ethics are still maintained. Evan notes this stems from his experience working in the financial industry. He believes in being transparent with his customers.

One of the aspects of his store he’s happy with is the office-style chairs for the gaming area. Evan says he was able to acquire the chairs under the estimated budget. The acquisition has solicited positive feedback from customers. While casual play is the norm, he’s looking to pull in some of the competitive crowd for Magic: The Gathering. Yet, being knowledgeable of events going on at other stores nearby is important to attract the competitive crowd. Evan says, “You have got to be good at prize support.” For example, at the end of every month, they run a Yu-Gi-Oh tournament where the prize is a booster box.

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