From 'Blue' to 'Who's': Game store planned for former adult bookstore

By Heidi Bell Gease, Journal staff | Thursday, May 15, 2008

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Fans of collectible card games and tabletop war games will soon have a place to call their own.

Clancy and Somer Kingsbury, owners of Who's Hobby House, have bought the building at 508 Main St., formerly home to part of the Video Blue adult bookstore. They plan to open a new store there that will specialize in games and also provide space for gamers to play and hold tournaments.

Video Blue remains open at 510 Main St.

The new store doesn't have a name yet, but when it opens this fall, it will cater to gamers. Rather than video games, these are games with names like "Magic: The Gathering," "Warhammer," and, for younger players, "Pokemon."

"I haven't personally played them, but there's a lot of people that do," said Kingsbury, who currently sells gaming merchandise at Who's Hobby House.

In "Magic: The Gathering," for example, players use collectible cards (similar to baseball cards) to play. In "Warhammer," players direct small armies of fantasy figures such as elves and goblins. "Warhammer" requires a tabletop space of about 6 feet by 4 feet, making it difficult for gamers to find room to play.

Open space will be a key feature of the new store, which might also offer Wi-Fi access. Business hours will likely extend into the evening to accommodate gamers who work during the day.

Having a separate gaming business will also free up space for other hobby supplies at Who's Hobby's current location at 715 Main St., Kingsbury said. "It'll help on both ends."

It may also help downtown in general. The Kingsburys plan to remodel and renovate the former Video Blue building, which has been painted white and covered with wooden signs in recent years.

"It'll look like the original building did when it was built in 1906," with big windows in front, Kingsbury said. Mac Construction, which renovated the Sears Building in the same block, will do the work. "It should look really nice once we get it done."

Kingsbury admits to a little concern about setting up shop next to an adult bookstore but said there are lots of positives to the location, including the building's size and the abundance of parking in the nearby ramp and lot.

It doesn't seem to bother Kingsbury's customers.

"There's already people asking me daily, 'When are you going to open?'" he said. "Since it's a historic building, it just takes time."

An employee at Video Blue declined to comment on the sale.

Contact Heidi Bell Gease at 394-8419 or heidi.bell@rapidcityjournal.com.