Today we’d like to introduce you to Sterling Wadzinski.
Sterling, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started by working at a local comic shop. At the time, it was called Crazy Jay’s and eventually renamed to All-Star Comics. At the time I was just a kid, Jay Meadows offered me a job helping him at a comic convention booth, but I didn’t show up. I was pretty sure I blew it, but one day he walked up and said “You ready to work?” Ever since then, I worked really hard learning how to run the shop, put in orders and listen to what our customers want. I began running the day to day operations and taking on more responsibility.
Eventually, Jay had to leave the business for personal reasons and I bought his inventory and reopened as Alter Ego Comics and Games. It has been an ongoing learning experience, taking what Jay taught me and making the business my own.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The process of getting my own business running has been rewarding and challenging all at the same time. We’ve really refocused, trying to engage the gaming community we’ve built on a more rewarding level, offering more event tournaments and wider range of products to choose from. You see a lot of fluctuations in the market, certain times of the year are much busier while others slow considerably and you have to budget for that. Recent events have hit us hard, but we’ve been finding ways to keep things moving by offering drive through service, online sales streams like you see on Home Shopping Network and organizing tournaments through our Discord server.
Through it all though my employees and my customers have really stepped up for the store to show their support and lend ideas on how we can improve.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Alter Ego Comics & Games story. Tell us more about the business.
Alter Ego is a comic book and gaming supply store. We sell comics to customers, either off the shelf or through a subscription service that we offer that allows us to pull titles for the customers. Subscribers can drive up, walk in, and grab all the comics they were signed up for that week right at the front desk, which is great for those who don’t have time to pick through the shelves week to week and don’t want the hassle of keeping up with release schedules for their favorite titles.
On the gaming side of things, we focus on tabletop games, the kind that bring people together face to face at a table and encourages socializing with people who share your interests. Magic the Gathering, Dragon Ball Super CCG and more recently SRG Supershow are some of the card games that really get our customers excited for weekly tournaments. Meanwhile, we also host weekly D&D nights on Wednesdays for those who like to play together in a more cooperative/creative space. Our team of game masters gets rewarded with in store credit in exchange for running games that keep their players engaged and ready to come back week after week.
We also sell a host of the top selling board games, and customers are free to use our table space to host their board games at no charge.
We really focus on the community aspect of our store. It’s not just about getting the right product, but creating a space where people feel comfortable sitting down and making new friends and maybe even picking up a new hobby!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I’ve been very fortunate to have the support I have had to get where I am today. My father, Jim Wadzinski, has kept me in touch with many opportunities to network and advertise and even give back to the community. My mother, Sylvia Wilson, believes in me more than any sane person should believe in anyone. The regular customers that come back week after week have been so supportive in our hard times.
I’m most fortunate to have an amazing staff. Brandy Cerna, Eric Corley, Logan Peloquin and Neo Aurelius work hard for me in and out of the store. I don’t think I’d be here if I didn’t have the support they provide.
Pricing:
- Comic Subscribers get 10% off all products in the store (bags and boards included)
- New Magic The Gathering Set, Ikoria: Lair of Behemoth, preorders available for $110
Contact Info:
- Address: 2348 N Alexander Dr. Baytown, TX 77520
- Website: Alteregocomicsandgames.com
- Phone: (281) 839-7127
- Email: alteregoccg@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlterEgoCCG/
Image Credit:
Devin Spell
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