The Gaming Emporium is back, now in Rib Mountain
Its two owners combine business experience, and youthfulness and an eye for new trends
David Miller and Frank Vang weren’t sure what to expect when they opened the doors to The Gaming Emporium in Rib Mountain Drive Friday.
They’d been scrambling to get things ready, which included dusting layers of sediment from the shelves from construction work that had been going on at the store in the weeks leading up to the opening.
But as the 2 pm opening time neared, a line of 30-40 people stood outside the doors waiting to get into the shop filled with Magic The Gathering and Pokemon cards, Lego sets, Funko action figures, board games and other collectibles.
Miller and Vang were all smiles around 2:45 pm as The Wausonian entered the store, which still had dozens of customers milling about the Rib Mountain location.
The store isn’t entirely new. As many remember, The Wausonian included it in the 2019 Wausau new businesses I and other writers had written about. It had originally been on my “closed” list until I had seen a sign for The Game Emporium on a trip to The Garage one evening.
It turned out the story of the business took some interesting twists and turns, and led to Miller, who’s had card shops since the 90s, partnering with Vang for whom this is a first foray into the brick and mortar business world.
The Gaming Emporium story
Miller opened The Gaming Emporium in the Wausau Center Mall in 2019. Miller had previously been involved with Johnny Cee Cards on Grand Avenue, and had run shops going back to the 90s. Miller told The Wausonian that the location worked out well for him - mothers would go shop for clothing while dad would take the kids over to the games and Legos.
Then COVID happened. The mall shut down, and plans were in the works to tear the building down. Miller at one point had told me he wasn’t able to get at his inventory during the lockdown, which would have allowed him to sell online.
Ultimately he closed in the mall and reopened on Stewart Avenue. He ran it there for awhile before selling to his partner with the idea of enjoying a kind of semi-retirement to spend time with his daughter.
Then the Stewart Avenue store closed, and Miller took back much of his inventory as repayment.
Starting the store again
Miller hadn’t really intended to re-open a store again. But in talks at Milwaukee Burger Company with Vang, he saw the passion for collectibles and a real desire to build something the collectible community could enjoy. “If he would have said ‘I just want to make money,’ I would have still helped him but I wouldn’t have been involved like I am.”
Both Miller and Vang also sell collectibles through online marketplaces — Miller focuses on Magic: The Gathering, considered the original collectible card game that launched an industry; and Vang on Pokemon, the next biggest card game.
Vang, a member of the Army National Guard, says he sees Miller as a mentor, someone with 30 years of business experience, and someone who he enjoys learning from. Miller says Vang brings more youthful energy and knowledge of some of the latest trends. For instance, Vang brought to his attention a new toy called a Labubu that younger folks are going wild for.
Both Miller and Vang say they’re trying to do their best to keep prices low for customers. Some of the card sets or specialized decks have gotten very expensive, and that includes the legos too. Miller points to a commander deck for Magic: The Gathering that costs $400, for instance.
One plan they’re excited about is a special Game Emporium set of cards that they plan to manufacture with a special card sorter Miller has that will make an affordable set with decent cards for younger people who don’t have a ton of disposable income.
They’ve got more plans to add more merchandise to fill up the store, but for right now, old customers and a lot of people they hadn’t seen before are finding the place. “It’s a good day,” Vang told the Wausonian.
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