Conversations with Kenny Long

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenny Long.

Hi Kenny, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been into this kind of stuff (nerd stuff). I had worked at a wholesale place that sold to shops like mine. Did that for several years. Traveled around to Ohio Kentucky Alabama and Tennessee for that job. I was selling sportscards on Ebay in late 90s. In late 2000s I was working at a treatment facility (that housed both kids and adults). I was looking for a hobby to pass the days with. I looked at selling on ebay again and looking on Craigslist for video games and other collectibles items. Did this for years. I ended up leaving my job as a counselor in 2015 to do ebay full-time from my house. In 2016 I moved into a small strip mall around back that had an adjoining storage unit. Eventually in 2017 we moves to front of strip mall and officially opened a store front. It was a small space probably 900 sq ft.. it was ver y slow and hard to get noriced. Then 2020 and covid happened. So most would think collectibles would be an after thought. Only in America would it boom. Not in store but online. I was selling things on ebay faster than ever possible in store. We saved the money and decided to try and grow. We moved into about 2500 sq ft. building. We started hosting different events. We stayed there for 3 years which was around 2023. We wanted to be downtown where an awesome resurgence was happening. We wanted to be more part of the community. We moved down on main street in June 2023. We started hosting numerous events. When we say we have something for kids 5 years old to adults 90 literally it’s true. We have free poker games on Mondays that averages 35 players. We have video game tourneys on Fridays that averages 10 to 15 teenagers and yiung adults. We trade pokemon once a month that brings in 60 plus people that ages from 3 or 4 years old to 50s. It’s our longest running event going on 4 years now. We are growing once again and will be adding the other side of our shop to make almost a 5k sq ft place. We have or carry
Pokemon
Magic the gathering
Vintage toys gi jo human transformers and many more
Comics
Sportscards
Video games (specialize in original nintendo or super nintendo)
We host events weekly and monthly.
We have kids spend their birthdays with us. We are ever growing and adapting to what our customers want. We travel to Ohio 2 times a year to Xenia Oh. For the Great Ohio Toy Show.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When we first opened there would be days noone would come in. I coached girls travel softball ages 8 to 16 and would have to leave early on days. So getting it going was a challenge. Covid hit and I thought this is it. I have to shutdown. As I said before it was the opposite and I ended up taking a big chance to open in a place triple in expenses. Once we moved to the our 2nd location we have never had a day that noone came in. So it definitely paid off

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Customer service. Making sure everyone feels included or has a place to come and feel safe. Not just me but my staff is very knowledgeable but truly the most authentic people

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Not sure.

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