From the left: Matt Clairoux and Brandon Elsabbagh are pictured in their newly opened store, Video Game Mansion located at 31 Main Street North in Chesterville. Thompson Goddard Photo

CHESTERVILLE – From the simplistic to complex, video games have evolved over the past decades to be a form of entertainment for people of all ages.  On June 1, Video Game Mansion, located at 31 Main Street North in Chesterville opened for business, providing an opportunity to view a wide selection of games, accessories and geeky collectables.

Owned and operated by Matt Clairoux and Brandon Elsabbagh, the store is currently open on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They noted how “we will most likely add more hours” in the future.  This could include opening in the evenings of the online auction which is held on their Facebook page every second Friday.

“We buy, sell and trade anything video game related to newer generations, and we also offer some video game repairs” explained Clairoux, with Elsabbagh mentioning their store offers a selection of “gaming related items such as toys, plush, collectibles, cards and more.”

While this is their first physical storefront, they have many years experience in customer service gained from being vendors at conventions and flea markets, coupled with a long-standing deep interest and knowledge in the field of gaming.  They noted how an advantage of having a physical storefront is the ability to “source new stock by offering to pay cash for customers unwanted video games or offering store credit.”  The opportunity of being able to see the condition of the merchandise is one advantage a storefront has over an online store.

Elsabbagh noted one of the advantages of working in this field is they are able to meet and converse with people who share a common interest. “We pride ourselves on being able to hunt down hard to find items and help fellow collectors check them off their list.” said Elsabbagh.

One of the enjoyable things about running your own business is “being able to have in person interactions and to communicate with people face to face.” said Clairoux.  He noted how in this business it is important “to build a relationship with your customers”

They mentioned one of the big challenges associated with opening a new store is establishing, attracting new customers locally and letting the public know the store is open. “Luckily we both already have a great customer base in the Ottawa area and with Matt being previously in Morrisburg.” said Elsabbagh, before continuing how “Doing something that you love and attracting customers to buy the product you love is the easy part.”

When asked about advice for someone considering starting a business, they said “Just do it, if it’s something you’re passionate about and you’re willing to put the full effort in then do it.  It’s a lot of hard work but very rewarding.  We are strong believers in you’ll never know unless you try.”

“We are happy to be part of the Chesterville community, North Dundas in general and have received nothing but positive feedback and wishes from everyone since our first inquiry post on Facebook in January.  We thank everyone who came out to our opening weekend and supported us. We look forward to being part of your community and want to be involved. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Video Game Mansion!”

 

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