For some, favorite pastimes like trading cards and role-playing games are but fond nostalgic memories. For others, it’s a lifelong passion.
CCG House Games and CCGHouse.com is a Vancouver-based tabletop and card gaming business at 3925 N.E. 72nd Ave., Suite 108, dealing in both nostalgic collectibles and modern-day gaming accessories.
The local retail store and e-commerce site is a dream that has been decades in the making for owner Shane Munyer.
“I started playing Magic the Gathering when I was 11 years old. My friend would teach me how to play on the bus to and from school, and I fell in love with the game instantly,” Munyer said. “When summer came around, we would go down to our local game store, where I bought my first cards. I basically lived in that place from open to close.”
Munyer was enamored with the world of tabletop and card gaming. When he wasn’t playing with other patrons, he was talking with the store employees trying to learn everything he could about the gaming world and the business of running a game store.
“I’m sure I must have annoyed them with all my constant pestering and questions,” Munyer said with a laugh. “But the store owner, Tom, was always so kind to me. He saw how eager I was to learn about everything. He really took me under his wing and taught me all there was to know.”
Munyer would go on to work at the store for about a year until the location closed. That’s when the owner pulled him aside and gave him some encouragement that would stick with Munyer for years to come.
“He told me that I didn’t need to work for him to stay involved in the gaming world,” Munyer said. “He said that I was smart and passionate enough that I could do this on my own.”
At first, Munyer was skeptical. He was still so young; how could he possibly start his own business? But he took the owner’s words to heart and kept pursuing his passion, growing his collection, trading with other enthusiasts and entering tournaments to start earning money. At 16 years old, Munyer would open an eBay account to start officially selling the items he was collecting and trading.
Turns out that Munyer’s story with his childhood game store was not yet over. As fate would have it, one of his new eBay customers was none other than Tom, the owner who had inspired Munyer to pursue a gaming business in the first place.
Impressed with the progress Munyer had made on his own, Tom offered to help the new business in any way he could. The pair would work closely for several years before finally deciding to merge their companies, paving the way for what would eventually become CCG House Games.
Going strong now for over 20 years, CCG House Games has created a space and community utterly devoted to gaming, much like the beloved store of Munyer’s youth.
Customers revel in the store’s namesake of collectible card gaming like Magic the Gathering and Pokémon, as well as a wide array of Dungeons and Dragons supplies, such as a long case full of dice sets of every shape and color that greets guests as they enter the shop.
While business is booming. Munyer hopes to continue to foster a strong sense of community by encouraging more face-to-face gaming through weekly meet-ups and tournaments held in-store.
Wherever life takes CCG House Games next, Munyer is ever grateful for the community and coworkers who have helped make the business what it is today.
“Successful business is a team sport,” Munyer said. “I accomplished a lot on my own, but I accomplish even more with a good team around me.”
To learn more about CCG House Games, including a full catalogue of its wares and upcoming events, visit www.ccghouse.com.
