Episodes 169
Avg. Duration 54m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.4 (8)
Since Mar 2015
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Schedule
Monthly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
78%
Hosting
feeds.captivate.fm

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About This Podcast

The Manaverse Podcast is a podcast created for you, the gamer with aspirations of building your own local game store (LGS), the entrepreneur running an LGS who wants to grow their business, and the player who wants a behind the scenes look into their favourite hobby. If you’re looking for inspiration, new ideas, and interesting perspectives then Tom Traplin has you covered. Learn the business of selling some of the best games in the world including MTG, Warhammer, Pokémon, Dungeons and Dragons, board games and Euro games from some of the best retailers in the industry. Hear from some of the most successful business owners in the tabletop game industry and learn about the strategies, tactics, and systems that make their businesses so effective.

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Recent Episodes

MVP164: Brass Dragon Games - Building a Game Store Around People, Not Product

Jun 08, 2026 1h 5m

Opening a game store is easy to romanticize. Running one is where the real lessons begin.In this episode, I talk with Trey MacCampbell, owner of Brass Dragon Games, about what he’s learned in the…

MVP163: Tariffs, Trade, and the Future of Tabletop

Mar 25, 2026 58m

In this revealing episode, Lynn Potyen from The Game Board and Price Johnson of Cephalofair Games discuss the hidden crisis of tariffs impacting the tabletop games industry. Discover how sudden trade…

MVP162: Mastering Your Store's Google Business Profile with Bill Hibbler

Jan 31, 2026 1h 6m

"Google Business Profile is where your store's introduction is made"What would the impact of having 100 extra potential customers walk into your store each month be? People who are interested in the…

MVP161: Q5 - The Secret Shopping Surge After the Holidays

Dec 10, 2025 18m

Google calls Q5 a ‘distinct, high-value shopping season,’ and their data is fascinating which is why I wanted to talk about it. But the magic here goes way beyond Google ads. Game stores can use this…

MVP160: Game Store Strategies for Black Friday Weekend

Oct 20, 2025 16m

Today we're tackling one of the biggest weekends of the year, black Friday, small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. It is three days, four days technically of pure intensity.Everyone is running…

MVP159: Is Your FLGS Ready For Q4?

Oct 03, 2025 27m

Q4 is make-or-break for local game stores — but without a plan, the holiday rush can feel like chaos. In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, I walk you through a simple Holiday Game Plan to help…

MVP158: David Finn On The De Minimis Exemption Removal And Its Impact On Tabletop Games

Sep 04, 2025 45m

In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, we delve into the significant changes in shipping to the US from the rest of the world due to the removal of the de minimis exemption. David Finn, the owner…

MVP157: Cardmill - Scan. Sort. Done. - Behind the Scenes with Jonathan Domanus

Jul 08, 2025 29m

Cardmill—a compact, cost-effective card sorting device designed for everyday players and collectors of trading card games. Get a behind the scenes look at the CardMill and how Jonathan Domanus is…

MVP156: SortSwift - The Ultimate TCG Ecosystem

Jun 13, 2025 42m

Mikah, the founder of SortSwift and MTech Cave, comes onto the Manaverse Podcast to talk about his journey from running a phone repair shop to building cutting-edge tools for the collectible card…

MVP155: eBay, TCGplayer & the Syracuse Union Showdown

Jun 07, 2025 40m

In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, Douglas Johnson (DJ) and I discuss the recent turmoil surrounding TCG Player and eBay. TCG Player recently announced the closure of it's Syracuse…

MVP154: 23 Budget Friendly Marketing Strategies For Your LGS

May 28, 2025 40m

In this episode of the Manaverse podcast, we explore a variety of low-cost yet highly effective marketing strategies to help you increase the visibility and customer base of your friendly local game…

MVP153: Unlocking Media Coverage For Your Local Game Store

Apr 29, 2025 39m

In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, we sit down with Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases and expert in small business PR, to dive deep into how local game stores can harness the power of press…

MVP152: What Board Game Retail Really Looks Like in 2025

Apr 08, 2025 1h 5m

In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, I’m joined once again by Kylie Prymus, the owner of Games Unlimited in Pittsburgh — one of the oldest game stores in the U.S. We dig into the current state…

MVP151: Game Stores, Community, and Conventions – The LFG Con Origin Story

Feb 04, 2025 42m

In this episode of the Manaverse Podcast, I sit down with Dustin Staats from BGE Tabeltop and Dae from Fire & Dice to talk about their journey as local game store owners and their ambitious plans…

MVP150: The Biggest Lie in the Tabletop Games Industry

Jan 27, 2025 10m

Today’s episode is called "The Biggest Lie in the Tabletop Games Business." And that lie is some variation of this thought: "You can't be really successful or make a substantial amount of money…

MVP149: The Future of 2nd Hand Geek: Updates, Features, and Benefits for Game Stores

Sep 20, 2024 41m

In this special update episode of the Manaverse Podcast, host Tom Traplin sits down with Blake Edward Hawkey, one of the co-founders of 2nd Hand Geek. Together, they discuss the evolution of the…

MVP148: Local Game Stores Can Save The World

Aug 29, 2024 13m

How Game Stores Can Change Lives and Build CommunityIn today's episode of the Manaverse Podcast, I dive deep into a topic that's been on my mind a lot lately: the growing loneliness and division many…

MVP147: Category One Games and How Scott Church Built a Business on "Dead" TCG's

Aug 07, 2024 1h

This interview that you’re about to hear with Scott Church is fascinating. Scott is the owner of Category One Games, an online only store he started way back in the mists of time, also known as 2004.…

MVP146: Millennium Games - Building the Biggest Game Store in the USA

May 15, 2024 57m

Welcome to another episode of the Manaverse Podcast! In this episode, I sit down with Travis Severance, the co-owner of Millennium Games in Rochester, New York. Join us as we dive into Travis's…

MVP145: Manapool.com - The Marketplace for Magic Cards

Apr 23, 2024 46m

Andrew Johnson comes onto the podcast to talk about creating Manapool.com, a marketplace just for Magic cards. Learn about the hottest new marketplace for Magic players and local game store owners to…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Manaverse Podcast have?

The Manaverse Podcast has published 169 episodes since March 2015, covering topics in Business, Entrepreneurship.

Is The Manaverse Podcast still active?

The Manaverse Podcast is currently highly active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 54m.

How do I contact The Manaverse Podcast for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for The Manaverse Podcast, including email and social media links.

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