Gamer’s Haven boasts new site, faithful clientele

At the Gamer’s Haven, science-fiction and fantasy realms collide in epic skirmishes on a daily basis – often late into the night and fueled by imagination and assorted energy drinks.

Walking past the sales counter and rows of for-sale collectibles, featuring tuned-up models of heavily armored space marines, orcs and other fictionalized characters and strategy games, and through the room-dividing turrets crafted in the mold of a castle, the space opens up into a series of battlefields. There are grass-covered hillsides, desert villages, ancient fortresses and any combination thereof, with players prepping for war in a variety of far-off universes.

The new store is in the Harbor Ridge Plaza on Seltice Way in Post Falls.

“This is a store for gamers, by gamers,” explained employee Bob Kelley as gaming fans milled about, some shopping, others talking and a few hunched over their model soldiers working in quiet concentration.

The business, which opened in mid-February, specializes in miniature games, collectible card games and role-playing games. Some of the more popular matches pit players against each other in the strategy-based series Warhammer 40K, WarMachine and Hordes. Glass cases house Magic: The Gathering gear, and an assortment of polyhedron dice can be found on the counter, while model-building supplies and paints fill out the rest of the 800-square-foot sales area.

Most of the action takes place in the back of the 2,000-square-foot hangout. The Gamer’s Haven, as the name suggests, is more than a supply point – it’s a hangout for gamers. League competitions, painting classes and open-gaming sessions are held throughout the week, and, to make it more comfortable for those marathon sittings and tournaments, new office chairs line the tables where games are played, a snack machine can be found in the back, and several fast-food joints are within walking distance.

In trying to find a site close to Lake City and Post Falls fans as well as Spokane gamers, owner Chris Skinner said they were trying to split the difference.

“We’re sort of re-establishing the place,” Skinner said. “So far it’s been way, way better than expected. Bob (Kelley) already had an installed and supportive fan base. He was sort of the introduction because he raised a lot of these guys through the years and introduced many of them to the games.”

For Kelley, who was approached by Skinner and some other investors last year about reopening the new shop represents a return to the original business he founded in Coeur d’Alene almost a decade ago. The original Gamer’s Haven was destroyed along with several other structures by a 2008 fire, shortly after Kelley sold it to another owner. During the seven-year period he owned the East Sherman Avenue shop, he played an instrumental role in building fan bases in the area.

After hearing that the building was engulfed in flames, Kelley and his family ran down to take in the heart-wrenching scene.

“We watched it burn for six hours. Watching all that stuff – and especially for those business owners and people who lived in the apartments – it was tragic,” he recalled. “So many friends were made in that shop. I even know couples who were married who met at that shop. It was such a hub for the community. It was something pretty unique, pretty special.”

In between selling the old business and opening the new place, Kelley, who said he hopes to become part-owner of the business once it goes through the process of becoming a limited liability company, worked as a cabinet manufacturer and as a security surveillance monitor. Throughout the hiatus from the gaming store, he held frequent game nights with friends in his garage.

Since the opening, Kelley and Skinner have watched the clientele steadily increase, primarily through word of mouth from customers, many of whom helped set up the interior. Once former fans started hearing about the store’s Post Falls rebirth, “people came flocking,” Kelley said. “You could easily say I picked up where I left off.”

The allure of the strategy games lies in rewards for strategists, outmaneuvering opponents and winning matches. But the games also reward artists by offering a blank canvas in plastic or metal miniatures. Some hobbyists spend hours posing and modifying the models and applying detailed paint designs – there are prizes for the best-painted armies – and never play the game.

“We’re the boys that never grew up,” Kelley said with a smile. “There’s also a lot of camaraderie, lots of friendships that are made here. I feel fortunate because this is what I love doing for a living. It’s great to be back.”