In The Dalles, Oregon, Brick City & Games is the kind of local game store where people not only come to play, but to also just be themselves. What started as a small shop focused on LEGO and video games has quickly grown into a hub that also includes trading card games, tabletop gaming, a dedicated community, and more.
At the heart of it all is Leslie, a former middle school music teacher. She brings the same passion, care, and curiosity from the classroom straight into her store. “That teacher heart never goes away,” she says, and you can feel it as soon as you walk through the door.
From Middle School Classroom to LGS
Before running a hobby shop, Leslie spent 20 years teaching. When she and her husband first opened Brick City & Games in 2023, TCGs weren’t even in the initial plan. They were focused on LEGO and video games, but after a few months they hosted community roundtables to better understand what their community wanted from this new shop.
The answer was loud and clear: Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Pokémon, Warhammer, and more. Leslie didn’t pretend to know it all, and she leaned into learning more. She hosted a Magic “town hall” where 10-12 early regulars taught her the basics, and from there she began buying cards, building inventory, and working toward growing the business.
Brick City & Games exists because The Dalles needed it. There were no hobby shops within a 25-mile radius, and Leslie wanted to create a space not just for kids, but for teens and young adults too. She wanted to create a space where everyone felt they belonged. Over time, the shop became more than just retail. It became a community hub: a place to gather, learn, play, and feel included. The “come as you are” vibe is intentional, and it’s shaped by the people who keep showing up week after week.
Community Partnerships Beyond The Brick-and-Mortar
Brick City & Games is deeply invested in their local community, and making a difference. They partner with organizations to create free, welcoming ways for families and kids to play and exist. With Wonderworks Children’s Museum, Leslie brings giant building blocks to events so kids can play.
One of the most meaningful ongoing partnerships is with the Youth Empowerment Shelter (the YES House), a safe home for teens who are unhoused or in crisis. Brick City & Games supports their weekly Magic: The Gathering programming by providing draft supplies, decks, deck boxes, promos, and cards, helping teens learn and connect in ways that don’t require a screen.
They also collaborate with the public library on camps and events, like a Star Wars Unlimited camp, and helped create a LEGO-and-pizza movie night where the community filled an entire theater to watch The LEGO Movie and build together.
Brick City & Games as a Lifeline
During a wildfire evacuation, a customer came into Brick City & Games with a request: he needed somewhere safe to store his cards. He had a small car, a cat, and nowhere to keep a collection worth tens of thousands of dollars. Leslie immediately said yes. When he wasn’t sure where he’d go next, she invited him to lunch, and soon after offered him a room in her home for him and his cat. That night, while sitting on her couch, he got the call that his house had burned down. He stayed with Leslie and her family for three weeks while he got back on his feet, and the LGS helped replace items he lost in the fire, including a Final Fantasy collector box.
TCGplayer’s In-Store Kiosk to Selling Inventory to Millions
Leslie’s path to selling on TCGplayer started with a practical problem: she didn’t want customers flipping through binder after binder just to find cards. She wanted a kiosk, and discovered TCGplayer offers an In-Store Kiosk as part of TCGplayer Pro. She became a seller on the Marketplace and quickly started leveling up with the end goal of getting a kiosk for Brick City & Games.
But once she got going, she realized selling singles online could be both sustainable and profitable, and it helped support her local community even more.
Programs like TCGplayer’s free Growth Acceleration Program (GAP) also helped Leslie sharpen operations and identify more opportunities. She is now a proud GAP graduate, TCGplayer Direct seller, TCGplayer Pro seller, and… finalist for Hobby Shop of the Year.
Hobby Shop of the Year
Being named a Hobby Shop of the Year finalist has been “an amazing affirmation” for Leslie, especially because it wasn’t something she expected. She’s proud of what Brick City & Games has built, but she’s not the kind of person who naturally seeks the spotlight. The application process itself was eye-opening, as it made her step back and realize just how much the store has accomplished in only two and a half years.
The community response was just as meaningful. People rallied, shared, encouraged, and voted. If she had to pick one thing she’s most excited about as a finalist, it’s simple: recognition. For Brick City & Games, success has always been about not just the numbers, but the impact.
Looking Ahead
Next month, Brick City Games will begin a new partnership with the Mid Columbia Senior Center to bring free family LEGO nights to the community. They’ll also support the Senior Center’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Respite Care program by hosting large LEGO Duplo build sessions during respite care time, an initiative that Leslie is especially excited about.
Words of Wisdom
For Leslie, the best business plans aren’t rigid; they’re adaptable.
Starting a store takes a vision, but it also takes the willingness to revise, learn, and keep moving forward as things change. Her advice to aspiring store owners is practical and also hopeful: plan carefully, stay flexible, and don’t stop dreaming.
“I love this community,” Leslie says, and that is abundantly clear in everything Brick City & Games does.