Even as a kid, Eugene local Samuel Craig remembered going to one of the city’s oldest card shops, Addictive Behaviors. Located in downtown Eugene, Addictive Behaviors opened in the early 2000s as trading-card games — such as Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! — began to increase in popularity.
The interior of the store is filled with glass cases containing neatly arranged cards, trading card deck boxes, an assortment of colorful dice and other game accessories, along with a separate room loaded with long tables, perfect for playing your favorite trading card games.
“I remember being shook a little bit because there were so many people,” Craig said, when reflecting on his first experience playing in a Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament held at Addictive Behaviors.
For Craig, playing in a large group consisting of mostly strangers seemed like a daunting task, but his anxiety subsided when he told fellow tournament entrants it was his first time competing at this location.
“Everyone there was super welcoming and friendly as soon as I said it was my first tournament,” Craig said. “The staff kind of on-boarded me quickly and were very excited to have me, just as excited as I was to be there.”
The experience and connection between the employees of Addictive Behaviors and patrons only grew as Craig and many others began to attend tournaments more frequently.
“A lot of the staff knew me on a first name basis when I was going there all the time and even knew the types of things I was wanting to purchase,” Craig said. “I think that’s what really sets it apart. Some of the other card shops don’t really have staff members that realize the importance of the players, which are primarily keeping these shops in business.”
This view of Addictive Behaviors’ prioritization on community and atmosphere is not exclusive to Craig, but is shared by employees such as Ryan Forrester, who has been working at the shop for just under four years.
Forrester began as an attendee at the shop’s local Magic: The Gathering tournaments and quickly became invested in helping build the community he appreciated so much. Applying for a position felt like a no-brainer as a way to help members of the Eugene card game community with elements like deck building and finding people to practice with.
“We have a really good community of local players. And, honestly, Eugene’s scene has some of the friendliest players I’ve come across,” Forrester said.
Another great aspect about Addictive Behaviors is their massive selection of Magic: The Gathering cards, which Forrester believes can be matched by only a few stores in the state.
But, while the Magic: The Gathering scene is beginning to thrive once again at Addictive Behaviors, communities such as the Yu-Gi-Oh! Community is slowly tapering off.
“The thing I liked most about Addictive Behaviors was the people, and with so many gone it just ain’t the same,” tournament attendee and long-time customer Nathan Straley said. “You never realize how important you are until somebody you’ve only said two words to comes up and tells you you’re a nice guy at locals [tournaments]. Probably when that first happened is when I wanted to start making sure locals were inclusive for everyone.”
Straley, just like Forrester and Craig, believes experiences like these are what have driven Addictive Behaviors to being one of the most popular and successful card shops in Eugene, even with COVID-19’s clear impact on business.
Returning back to normalcy will hopefully start to further community growth once again, as the store looks forward to starting up pre-COVID events such as Pokémon tournaments and the Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League in the near future.
Addictive Behaviors is open 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday.
Behind the front desks stand knowledgeable gamers and fellow collectors, ready to answer any questions you may have or assist you with your unique needs. Featuring an abundance of games, gaming tools, and collectables, Addictive Behaviors is a one-stop shop for anybody looking for their newest trading card deck, gaming partner, or figurine. (Sam Henry // The Daily Emerald)
