THE ELDRITCH
BAZAAR

I have been gaming for nearly 2 decades. Tabletop games have been at the heart of my life for as long as I can remember. Our local game store at the time, Fantastic Games, was my home more than the very house I'd rest my head at the end of every day. I'd spend countless days and nights there simply existing amongst my fellow nerds and giving even a bald man more grey hairs (Sorry, Beetle!)

After nearly a decade spent there, I realized that I was becoming one of the guys others would bring their questions to and that the kids looked up to, just like I did when I first walked through that bright green door. I knew at some point around then that this community was my family, and I'd never let anything happen to it.

And so, as fate would have it, in June of 2020, I was offered an opportunity of a lifetime, or what it felt like at the time: to work at my local game store. This was a dream come true to me. However, this dream did not last. After nearly a year of struggle and hardship, I realized that I couldn't help the local store that raised me. However, this was nowhere near the end. The day I walked away from my job there, I was approached by a collective of my players who sought to keep our community alive. In a sense, I was browbeat by a group of nerds with puppy dog eyes!

Regardless, I knew what I had to do. I founded The Eldritch Attic, named after my favorite gaming theme at the time, Cosmic Horror. What started in my 250 sq. ft. attic quickly grew into so much more. From traveling for vending shows to helping organize local community events, we grew and grew rapidly at that. After just over a year, I opened my first physical location. 380 sq. ft., then a year later, 1100 sq. ft., then 2000 sq. ft., and we've kept the momentum going.

But beyond the business, The Eldritch Bazaar is community first.

As someone diagnosed with Asperger's (later reclassified as autism) when he was just 3 years old, I always had trouble developing socially. Gaming gave me the people, place, and resources I needed to reach the greatest version of myself. And seeing that, I've made it my mission to provide that for my community. From the local boy whose home life doesn't provide him with the space he needs to feel welcomed, to the quiet girl who doesn't understand people but wants to in a way that works for her, to all of the "weird" kids who just want to find a hobby that they can connect with others over, The Eldritch Bazaar will be that place in Columbiana, Ohio.