“We needed more room for the growing card industry,” said Kenneth Seelig III, owner of Champion City Games and Hobby. Card tournament and trade nights can get more than 50 people in the store at one time, he said.
“We have become a staple in our community for those who are into gaming of any kind,” Seelig said.
Champion City Games and Hobby, which has been in business since 2018, celebrated its expansion with a recent re-opening.
The business was originally called Champion City Video Games, but it began using the new name to “help explain we do more than just video games,” Seelig said, saying they offer video games, sports cards, trading card games and tabletop gaming.
The business was previously located in the space next door at 1051 N. Bechtle Ave. before they renovated and expanded into the current space at 1055 N. Bechtle Ave. in November 2021.
Champion City Games and Hobby took back and renovated the original spot at 1051 N. Bechtle Ave. to move video games to that location. Seelig now has both addresses and hopes to connect the two locations inside in the near future, he said.
Cards, including sports cards and trading card games, will be in one space with video games in the other to “give a dedicated space for a better shopping environment during large events on the card side,” Seelig said.
The store offers new and preowned video games and consoles, sports card hobby boxes and singles, trading card games singles ― including Magic: the Gathering, Pokémon, One Piece, Lorcana, etc.― and new releases and supplies.
Champion City Games and Hobby added tabletop gaming space for customers who want to play games like Warhammer and Dungeons & Dragons. They added tables for more people to sit at and more supplies to support games. The business also hosts in-store trading card game tournaments and sports card trade nights.
“The growing market for trading cards (both sports and trading card games) has demanded more space for larger events,” Seelig said.
The two locations give the business more than 5,500 square feet of space to use. The current location at 1055 N. Bechtle Ave. is 3,500-square-feet and the old one at 1051 N. Bechtle Ave. is 2,000 square feet.
In 2023, Champion City Games and Hobby also began renting a large garage area that’s connection to the store, adding roughly 1,000 square feet to store inventory.
The business is also the main sponsor for Northwestern and Springfield High School Esports teams and provide jerseys for the kids each season, Seelig said.
“As many outside businesses own and operate in Springfield, we are proud to become a community partner helping invest back into our community by bringing people together through gaming of any kind,” he said.
The store is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
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