Paradox Blog Hits Three in a Row!

Rich has just posted his third consecutive weekly blog. It's available by clicking the BLOG button at the top of the page, or by clicking this link. You should check it out and leave some feedback.

16th Anniversary Wrap-Up!

This past Saturday, we celebrated sixteen years of business. Things have changed since day one, let me tell you.

On Monday, June 13, 1993, I opened the doors for the first time. My only advertising was in a little flier that sat on the counter at some local fast food places. I had a card table for a new comic rack, about twenty boxes of back issues, a cash register I got in trade for a box of Marvel Masterpiece cards, a broken glass counter, and not much else. Our space was 10 by 10 square in the basement here at the Gardner building. The Gardner locked the doors at 6PM so that’s when we closed. Oh, and I didn’t really have any cash to make change with.

Nonetheless, our sales for the day totaled about $90. Being 23 and stupid, I was convinced that the world was mine to conquer and that if I could make that much every day, there was no stopping me. Sixteen years later, if I had a $90 day, I would seriously consider hanging myself. Oh, and of course, the biggest thing of all, we were not a game store. We sold non-sports cards.

Today, fortunately, life is a bit different. Saturday saw the successful running of 8 distinct tournaments with attendance numbers of 8+ for each one. That’s a minimum of 64 gamers, and I think a total number closer to 100. Check out all the pictures of our events and winners.

We had free birthday cake for everyone, which disappeared quickly. Of course, the bakery spelled the store name wrong, but it really wouldn’t be a Paradox event without shoddy workmanship.

I spoke to one particular comic customer, Corey Thompson, who came in to take advantage of our 16% discounts. Corey first shopped here when he was about 14. He picked up a Spider-Man issue with Venom on the cover. It was the first comic he had ever purchased and he has continued to be a customer here ever since. The coolest thing is that he has never bought a comic anywhere but at Paradox. I’ve got some other long time guys, but no one that loyal!

I would like to thank a few people in particular for making this happen for so long. Comic subscribers Corey Hoiland and Tim Ortez turned in previews the first month I was open and have been here ever since. Store manager Jon Swenson, who has been here over a decade, is the backbone of everything that happens here – if it’s done right, it’s Jon who did it since the rest of us all suck (just ask him). My great friend Jamie Woodward, without whom there wouldn’t be a store. His loyalty back in 1998 kept us open through some truly dark times. My other great friends Tom Christianson, Mike Dick, and Erik Brown who keep me sane and happy (and help pay the bills for nearly 16 years). Loyal gamers like Craig Spitzer, Jack Christopher, and Matt Serani, most of whom are here for every major game event we hold, if not every event we hold – especially Craig who rarely misses anything.

And there are thousands more of you. This is the problem with thank yous. Let me just put it this way. You are Paradox. All of you. Anyone who’s ever walked through that door and played a game or bought a comic or spent hours looking through nickel bins or quarter comics. And so many more thing over the years. I figured out a long time ago that there is one simple, guiding principle to business. No matter how good or bad you are at running a business, either there are customers walking through the door and you look like a genius or there aren’t and you feel like a moron.

I’d also like to thank both Brian Hellevang and Alex Early, the rest of our current staff. We have our days, but all things being equal, we’ve never had a more balanced, well-rounded crew.

Anyway, that’s about it. Enjoy the pictures. Enjoy the launch of our Facebook page. Get signed up there for upcoming info and such and keep up to date on our website for the next sixteen years!

Magic 2010 Preorders and Event Schedule

Preorders for Magic 2010 are available on our Gaming - Preorders page HERE!
The event schedule for both the Magic 2010 Prerelease and Launch Party are available HERE!

Congratulations Brad Nelson!

Special congratulations go out to Paradox's own Brad Nelson, who recently finished 9th Place in his first ever Pro Tour for Magic: the Gathering! Brad, who's made a name for himself on Magic Online with the user name FFfreaK, made quite the impression on the coverage team, and was featured in a number of match write-ups and videos. Links to all of Brad's coverage are available below. Congrats Brad!

Video - Pro Tour Honolulu Preview
Round 1 - Brad vs. Luis Scott-Vargas
Video - Day One Wrap-Up
Round 16 - Brad vs. Mark Glenister
Video Deck Tech - Brad Nelson's Sedraxis Aggro
Video Feature - Quick Questions
Video - Day Two Wrap-Up

Paradoxcnc.com Version 2.0

We've made some change to paradoxcnc.com to better provide you with the information you want and need. Our weekly lists of new comics and games will now be available from the menu at the top of the page, along with access to special offers, preorder deals, and previews of upcoming products. We'd love to hear what you think about the changes, good or bad, so e-mail us with your opinion.

Spring Bling

This spring, most non-FNM Magic tournaments will be part of our SPRING BLING promotion. We will be giving away the alternate art Path to Exile and Hellspark Elemental promo foils above. In each SPRING BLING event, first and second place will each get a Path to Exile. Third and fourth place will each get a Hellspark Elemental. We will also give out one copy of each card at random amongst the players who play in all the Swiss rounds. You won't want to miss these exciting promos.