How to Start a Board Game Club Without Going Crazy and Spending $10 Million on the Entire Collection

This is the podcast “Cat, if not me” – here we talk about business and the people who make it unique. My guest is Andrey Morozov, founder of one of the largest board game clubs in RussiaLet’s talk about how a passion for board games became a life’s work, and also about how to survive in a world where everyone is used to free-form chess.

Links to our Telegram channel and Andrey’s group in VK PairDice. You can also listen to our conversation, on the basis of which this article is written, in audio format on any suitable platform. Here.

Andrei Morozov

founder of one of the largest board game clubs in Russia “ParaDice”

Chapters:

Boost your brain without going crazy

Hi! I’m Andrey and I’m that “psycho” who has put all his money and nerves into board games. No, I don’t gather dust on the shelves and play “Imaginarium” in the evenings. I’m building a board game empire, collecting and developing a community of geeks and just those who like to play a game. My collection consists of more than a thousand games worth more than 10 million rubles. What am I doing here? Sitting in a car from 2008 and deciding how not to go bankrupt on a new batch of “Heroes of Might and Magic”)))

I can tell you that board games are not just Lotto and checkers, but much more!

How it all started

I bought my first game by accident. Remember that boring Monopoly that nobody ever wanted to play? Well, I hated that game, but one day I came across the game Business Class. It turned out that it wasn’t for sale at all! That’s when I decided to look for something similar. It all started with a simple search for “something interesting” and ended with a board game club in Voronezh and a personal collection that I could have used to buy a three-room apartment.

The first attempts to find “my” game ended with my friends refusing to play what I had bought. “Yes, Andrey, here you just have to listen to the rules, about 40 years!” they said, and then they went to play “Mafia”. But I did not give up. I started organizing “game days” at home: friends came, played, discussed, and I watched what went well and what did not. Then the kitchen became cramped and I thought: why not open my own club?

It’s easy to make money with a board game club, right?

Not really. Opening a club is not just about tables and boxes. At first I went to cafes, begged for tables and brought my board games there. The administration looked at me strangely, but allowed it. Then I found the Youth House, where they assigned us a room. At first I was happy, but then I realized that it was not so convenient. In order to hold our events in this place, we had to make a schedule of our meetings a year in advance, and that, you must admit, is not very convenient. In addition, there was a problem with tables and chairs, which were always too few. As a result, we had to temporarily move them from other rooms.

So we gathered in our local Youth House. In addition to the difficulties mentioned above, it was also quite cold there in the winter.

Eventually, either close or rent a full-fledged place. I found a place downtown, got ready — here it is, lucky you! But then it turned out that people are not willing to pay to play board games. They think it’s like chess or lotto — free and “the old fashioned way”. It was hard to convince every customer that board games are not a child’s play, but real works of art.

And so we now gather for game nights. Note, when playing board games it is necessary to cover the tables with a cloth to make it easier to pick up the cards. Without a cloth they can become unusable quite quickly.

From crisis to real club

In the second year of the new club’s work, the savings needed to maintain the work started to run out. The club was bringing in just enough money to cover rent and utilities. I started working as an IT specialist myself to help the club pull through. Along the way, I attracted new players through social networks and free evenings, showing that board games are interesting, varied and good for the brain. Gradually, a community was formed and regular visitors started to come.

But it’s one thing to put on, and another to keep. Games “broken”, elements got lost, new boxes had to be bought. And then I realized that something had to change. I collected thousands of orders from all over Russia for wholesale purchases of games and made a deal with suppliers. So we got even more games at reasonable prices and the opportunity to develop further.

Why board games?

It’s simple: board games help develop the brain, communication skills, and the ability to think strategically. And they’re also a great way to get together in person and chat. People get tired of screens, offices, work. I see it every day when they come to me. At our table you can laugh, argue, and laugh again – but it’s always about live communication.

These are the views that our guests are so happy with when they want to grab a bite to eat during the game.

I believe that board games have a great future. It is not just a hobby. It is a way to improve yourself, find new friends and even build a business. Now I would like to open more clubs in Voronezh and nearby cities, and yes, I want it to be profitable. Because if a business brings in money, it means that it is developing.

How do you open a table club without closing it within a year?

The first rule of opening a table club is: don’t open it unless you’re willing to work there 24/7.

This is not a joke. You have to create a community, get people interested, solve a lot of organizational problems and still stay in the plus.

This is the advice I gave myself when I first started:

Create a community. Without a group of enthusiasts who come to your games, the club will not survive. Attract them through social networks, hold meetings, promotions. That is important.

Control and discipline. Board games are not toys, but possessions that need to be protected. Without order and rules, games quickly become unusable.

Think of every detail. From the meeting place to the number of teapots and chairs. Yes, this is just as important as the games themselves.

Be prepared to lose money and time.The first few years are pure investment. If you like games and people, it’s worth it.

Community is the most important part of building a customer base. To build this, we regularly make trips together to nature with tents and barbecues

Financial reality of the club. How much does it cost to run a board game club?

A board game club is not just a hobby, but a full-fledged business that requires financial investments. Here are the key figures that will help you understand how the financial side of the club is structured:

Cost of games

My club has one thousand hundred board games, the total value of which is more than 10 million rubles. These are games of various complexity and genres, from the popular “Catan” and “Munchkin” to rare and collectibles.

The average price of a game ranges from 4-5 thousand rubles for standard “family” and “party games” to 20-30 thousand rubles and above for rare and collectible board games. For example, games like “Heroes of Might and Magic” or “Twilight of the Empire” can cost tens of thousands of rubles for a full edition with additions.

How to compactly hide a three-room apartment? Yes, that's right, in a few shelves in the playerlub)) — How to compactly hide a three-room apartment? Yes, that’s right, in a few shelves in the playerlub))

Monthly expenses:

Rent of the premises: about 80 thousand rubles per month. This is a standard amount for a small club in Voronezh, including rent and utilities.
Employee salaries: 30-40 thousand rubles per month. The club employs three directors, each of whom receives a fixed amount for their duties.
Purchase of new games and updating of the collection: about 10-20 thousand rubles per month. Constantly updating the range of games is necessary to maintain the interest of regular visitors and attract new ones.
Other costs: about 10,000-15,000 rubles are spent on advertising, organizing events, website support and maintaining the club’s inventory.

Club income:

Entrance fee: The main source of income is the entrance fee for the club.

The cost is 300 rubles for the whole day on weekdays and 500 rubles on weekends.

This allows people to spend as long as they want in the club and play all the available games.

Average monthly turnover: is from 150 to 200 thousand rubles. In some months this figure can reach 250 thousand rubles.
Additional sources of income: the club also receives income from organising corporate events and theme nights, renting out games and selling related products (game accessories, themed souvenirs).
Important point: the club does not yet bring net profit, but the indicators are improving every month. I believe that with the right approach it will become not only a favorite thing, but also a stable source of income.

And now what?

The club is now running steadily. I am proud that I managed to create a unique place for communication and development. We do not drink beer or discuss politics – only games and strategic plans. I have a goal – to make Voronezh the capital of board games and then expand to other cities. For now I am on my way, and the road is not always smooth. But that is what makes business interesting, right?

Thanks for reading to the end! Subscribe to our Telegram channels so as not to miss new stories about those who in business not only roll the dice, but also “move the chips”. Here you can listen to a podcast about the main character. And if you are in Voronezh, check out the club group PairDice. We play here not for life, but for fun, and we are always one player short. See you at the game – maybe you will save us from losing in the next game!