Bad Wolf's Last Stand
Donation protected
5 years ago, at the height of Anime store closures, Bad Wolf opened as a last ditch effort to provide a local stop to get your anime video, manga, and merchandise needs.
While we were only able afford to keep anime for 3 years, many of our anime customers worked to build a gaming community as varied as the games that they play: from TCGs like Magic, Pokemon, and Vanguard, the 7 RPG groups playing D&D & Pathfinder, X-Wing and Armada Pilots, Warhammer Hordes, and even some board game enthusiasts.
Because of our late-opening (2pm), Bad Wolf has been a secret haven for several non-profit organizations and civic groups who utilize our facilities for meetings: the Girl Scouts, political clubs, homeschool co-ops, at-risk youth organizations, and veteran groups. We collect old cell phones for recycling to benefit active military station in combat zones, we've run gaming at MD Anderson Cancer Center for patients who were unable to leave, we've spent time working with at-risk kids and donated games to schools & libraries in their neighborhoods to help develop a "Play Place", and we started a nonprofit to help working people who have a bad-luck emergency - so they don't have to give up their jobs or homes just to receive help from someone else.
Making money has never been a major push for us; we allow outside food and drinks so players had options beyond typical game-store junk and snacks, we've frequently run large tournaments at a loss because the players asked for them, and we keep prices as low as we can while still paying the bills.
Unfortunately, it's no longer enough. When everything goes well, summers are a slow-down period. We take side jobs to help the store make ends meet. This summer, it isn't enough.
1. The old A/C in our building was installed incorrectly and died early. The new A/C is smaller, and still not installed correctly - it is too hot.
2. We expected a slow down. We did not expect to have FNMs not making, prerelease events with 1/3 -1/2 the typical attendance, and tournaments for other games to have a drop off to almost nothing. According to social media, we didn't lose our players to other stores - but to a game that can't be played at our current location.
3. Joshua has some severe medical issues. He's made light of them over the years, but he's spending too much time in the hospital to keep a job that will help cover the store's bills this summer.
4. Most of Katharine's extra income has gone toward new knock sensors, u-joints, and a tire-speed sensor on our vehicle that we must have to get to work, doctors appointments, and the store.
This gofundme is our last-ditch effort to find a way to keep the store open. Our efforts are multi-pronged
1. Get a new location. We aren't trying to go crazy, just somewhere slightly bigger, better visibility and parking, and has a WORKING A/C. This requires 3 months rent, certified Engineering plans for buildout, multiple different permits, County and City inspections, and Occupancy Permits - at a minimum.
2. A small amount of money to purchase and build more tables so we can host larger events for both TCGs and miniatures.
3. Expand retail space and products offered to include Comic Books & Comic related Merchandise, add Bad Wolf branded shirts & merchandise.
4. Replace the sign that was destroyed years ago.
Right now, we don't have any plans for Kickstarter benefits; we're asking for the bare-minimum to cover what we need to survive this summer and move. We will provide a plaque in the new location with donor names as a thank you if we manage to move. If we exceed our goal, we'll look into adding individual thank-you gifts.
While we were only able afford to keep anime for 3 years, many of our anime customers worked to build a gaming community as varied as the games that they play: from TCGs like Magic, Pokemon, and Vanguard, the 7 RPG groups playing D&D & Pathfinder, X-Wing and Armada Pilots, Warhammer Hordes, and even some board game enthusiasts.
Because of our late-opening (2pm), Bad Wolf has been a secret haven for several non-profit organizations and civic groups who utilize our facilities for meetings: the Girl Scouts, political clubs, homeschool co-ops, at-risk youth organizations, and veteran groups. We collect old cell phones for recycling to benefit active military station in combat zones, we've run gaming at MD Anderson Cancer Center for patients who were unable to leave, we've spent time working with at-risk kids and donated games to schools & libraries in their neighborhoods to help develop a "Play Place", and we started a nonprofit to help working people who have a bad-luck emergency - so they don't have to give up their jobs or homes just to receive help from someone else.
Making money has never been a major push for us; we allow outside food and drinks so players had options beyond typical game-store junk and snacks, we've frequently run large tournaments at a loss because the players asked for them, and we keep prices as low as we can while still paying the bills.
Unfortunately, it's no longer enough. When everything goes well, summers are a slow-down period. We take side jobs to help the store make ends meet. This summer, it isn't enough.
1. The old A/C in our building was installed incorrectly and died early. The new A/C is smaller, and still not installed correctly - it is too hot.
2. We expected a slow down. We did not expect to have FNMs not making, prerelease events with 1/3 -1/2 the typical attendance, and tournaments for other games to have a drop off to almost nothing. According to social media, we didn't lose our players to other stores - but to a game that can't be played at our current location.
3. Joshua has some severe medical issues. He's made light of them over the years, but he's spending too much time in the hospital to keep a job that will help cover the store's bills this summer.
4. Most of Katharine's extra income has gone toward new knock sensors, u-joints, and a tire-speed sensor on our vehicle that we must have to get to work, doctors appointments, and the store.
This gofundme is our last-ditch effort to find a way to keep the store open. Our efforts are multi-pronged
1. Get a new location. We aren't trying to go crazy, just somewhere slightly bigger, better visibility and parking, and has a WORKING A/C. This requires 3 months rent, certified Engineering plans for buildout, multiple different permits, County and City inspections, and Occupancy Permits - at a minimum.
2. A small amount of money to purchase and build more tables so we can host larger events for both TCGs and miniatures.
3. Expand retail space and products offered to include Comic Books & Comic related Merchandise, add Bad Wolf branded shirts & merchandise.
4. Replace the sign that was destroyed years ago.
Right now, we don't have any plans for Kickstarter benefits; we're asking for the bare-minimum to cover what we need to survive this summer and move. We will provide a plaque in the new location with donor names as a thank you if we manage to move. If we exceed our goal, we'll look into adding individual thank-you gifts.
Organizer
J Meauho Andrade
Organizer
Lakewood Forest, TX