Thankful for my FLGS

This photo of Moxie Games' interior is lifted from its Facebook page,
as my photos didn't turn out very well.

Reflecting on the many things for which I'm thankful, I realized just how grateful I am to again have a wonderful local gaming store to frequent.

We were without one here for a long time, so the presence of a gaming store that gets it right is something to be celebrated.

My local haunt is Moxie Games, run by the incredible Jerry and Meredith Fry. These Indiana natives, parents of Leah and Cash, originally ran Moxie as a paintball equipment company. They first started carrying Games Workshop product as a sideline to get them through the slower winter season. Now a few years and a relocation later, the paintball equipment is all gone and tabletop, board and card games and their accessories line the store, and the store has multiple tables and terrain available for your gaming pleasure.

A typical Tuesday's incoming goodies.

One of the things they do that I love is post weekly pictures of their new shipments as they arrive. Just seeing the assortment of new goodies does a gamer's heart good. There are also soft drinks and snacks for sale.

They support a thriving (and growing) gaming community. In addition to GW's 40K and WHFB, they carry minis, rulebooks, dice and decks for Warmahordes and Malifaux, and they are more than happy to special order items. Magic the Gathering is incredibly popular, with drafts and standard events three days a week. Those games that straddle the line between minis and board games are represented as well, like Super Dungeon Explore and Krosmaster Arena. Other items include RPGs, paints, card sleeves and mats, Funko vinyl figures -- your usual geek assortment.

I've never played any CCGs, so I have no idea what
any of this sign means. It might as well be written in Abyssal.

Board game nights are Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, when you can bring your own or borrow from the store's demo collection. There are usually weekly Heroclix tournaments at 3 p.m. Saturdays. A 40K escalation league has just wrapped up, with a tournament coming this Saturday. Stars Wars X-Wing has caught fire among the customers, it seems. I can't really speak to the meta here, as I'm much more a shopper than a hang-around-and-play type.

But I do love hanging around to chat with Jerry and Meredith. Meredith says many people have told her that, once meeting them, they immediately felt like family, and I can attest to the validity of this statement. Jerry exudes a relaxed surfer vibe, unless he's riding herd on unruly tournament players (Don't cross him, people. Don't poke a sleeping bear.) Meredith is a great conversationalist and a talented artist, and she is funny. I know I'm not related to them, but when I got out of the hospital this summer, one of the first things I did once I could travel again was go to the shop and give them each a hug. They are warm, witty, knowledgeable, customer service geniuses who will bend over backwards to help an earnest customer. Their staff share these traits as well.

Meredith and Leah

Jerry and Cash. Photos again from Facebook, used with permission.

I remember overhearing that Jerry also stays up into the wee hours to play Pokemon online. At that hour, I guess his only opponents are kids on the other side of the planet. I do not know if Jerry can talk smack in Korean.

And did I mention how smart their kids are? Scary smart. And cool. Smart and cool. Smash some face, Cash.

The clientele is warm and welcoming, with none of the stink-eye, distrusting, insular treatment new customers or players sometimes get at gaming/comic stores. You know the kind, I'm sure.

So here's my thanks to Jerry and Meredith. Thank you for giving us a gaming home in Columbus, Ga. May your business and your family continue to thrive.

Enough of my gushing. Back to the boards, everyone, and I'll see you across the table soon.