Collectibles Unlimited sits behind an unassuming storefront on South Street, the interior largely hidden from view despite a large picture window thanks in part to dozens of posters and other artwork plastered to the glass.
Behind that window, though, crowds as large as 30 people congregate on Friday evenings to compete in Magic: The Gathering tournaments, filling rows of card tables inside the hobby shop.
Where else in town do you see more than two dozen people taking part in the same activity as the weekend dawns? Indeed, one of the more popular Friday night activities is happening under our noses, and it remains almost invisible.
So the Insider, of course, needed to draw back the curtain and shed some light on the action.
“It doesn't get the okay from popular culture for some reason,” Matthew Knapp, a three-year veteran of the Collectibles Unlimited action, said. “From a player standpoint it's at an all-time high. It just hasn't caught on culturally. There are games like World of Warcraft, but this hasn't found that niche.”
Part of that is perception, at least if you ask the gamers themselves. The general public tends to focus on the fantasy artwork and storylines. But to regular players, it's the strategy and thinking required that draws them to the game.
“It's got nerdy-ass dragons on it, but it's a numbers and strategy game,” Knapp said.
Francis O'Rourke, a 23-year-old player who took up the game in 2006, added: “I think there's a stigma like 'Oh, that's only for nerds.' It gets pushed into the realm of Dungeons and Dragons and tabletop gaming, but it's different. When I speak to people they say, 'Oh, you play Magic. Do you play in somebody's basement all weekend?' But most of the people I meet (through the game) are well-rounded, socially nice people.”
Magic is a trading card game touted as “the first of its kind” on its official website (wizards.com/magic/summoner) that requires players to buy packs of cards and accumulate a person deck over time. Competitors play the role of a planeswalker, the site said, “a powerful wizard who fights other planeswalkers for glory, knowledge, and conquest.” The deck of cards comes to represent the various weapons in one's arsenal.
Despite the lack of mainstream traction, Magic is as popular as ever at Collectibles Unlimited. The store has been hosting games for 17 years, according to owner Michael Boddy. Boddy has owned the store for seven years and sees little reason for the game to fade among its most ardent supporters.
“Like everything else, it's a hobby," Boddy said. “Hobbies always draw people because there's a level of entertainment. If this is a person's hobby, it's just like fishing. Is fishing ever going to go away?”
The game attracts players of all ages. A typical Friday night at Collectibles Unlimited can feature at least as many competitors over 30 as those in their teens, according to Knapp. Rich Finkelson, a Bow resident who has been competing in Concord for almost two years, is 41, while Jack Champagne of Concord is 14 and began taking part when he was 12.
To the hard-core players, the storyline is often a secondary feature, or it may be ignored entirely. While outsiders deem the game silly because the pictures on the cards may be the stuff of daydreams, the action at the table requires intense focus and aptitude.
For those who play regularly, the images might as well be crudely-drawn stick figures. That's not what it's all about.
“It's fun, but you have to be sound, mathematically sound,” Jay Carlage said. “It's really just like poker.”
“You have to think about what you're doing and what you're opponent is doing,” O'Rourke said. “It's the fact that you come to the table with a plan in your head and your deck already. Some people compare it to playing chess, but with 2,000 pieces.”
The game can indeed dent the wallets of true enthusiasts. Knapp estimated that most in attendance on a Friday night have invested at least $200 in their deck, many a lot more than that. The products are always involving, Boddy said, so even the most dedicated gamers are constantly in search of new pieces.
But the enjoyment of the game often goes beyond the table. Champagne said he first learned from his brother but has benefited from the weekly meetings at Collectibles Unlimited – he goes as often as three or four times a week, he said – and his play has improved because of it.
“If I didn't come here three days a week I really wouldn't have as much fun as I am,” Champagne said.
Knapp noted that many of the players will often finish the night around 11 p.m. and perhaps hit a local bar for a drink or two before going home, adding a social element to the weekly battles.
Regardless of widespread perception, the game has certainly gained a local following, making the weekly get-togethers something the regulars look forward to.
“I've gotten a lot better at the game because of (the tournaments),” Champagne said. “It's an enjoyable experience.”
For Magic: The Gathering tournament info or to learn more about Collectibles Unlimited, call 228-3712 or visit collectiblesunlimited.biz.
