Changing Up the Game at Serenity Hobbies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06q61umBKBE

One of the best parts of living in Oneonta is the abundance of small local business that offer a variety of consumer options to locals and visitors. From restaurants to pet stores, you can find many things by exploring downtown Oneonta along Main Street. The unique options provide convenience to consumers by being located in a central location not too far from SUNY Oneonta, Hartwick University, or other parts of Oneonta. One of the business’s that some don’t know of is Serenity Hobbies. Originally known as Technoir, Nate Roberts and Steven Howard opened the game store in September 2013 off of Main Street. Serenity Hobbies specializes in board games, card games, comics, and more. They offer a variety of services such as local area network gaming on various video game machines, card tournaments for different card games, and even computer repair to private and commercial clients.

Online advertisement for Serenity Hobbies

When asked why Mr. Roberts decided to open a game store, he had replied, “…it’s kind of a dream to come in and just play games all day, talk about games with strangers and try to sell games that they would be interested in.” “The satisfaction of them actually liking it, and it’s a challenge, but it’s something I really enjoy.”

An inside look of the comic book area.

Mr. Roberts has always wanted to own and run a game store. “I’ve always pictured myself retiring into this business and not doing it while in my prime.” Mr. Roberts plans on owning and running the business for the foreseeable future. “I could die behind that counter. I could also take a check.” Roberts responds with laughter.

Nate Roberts (left), owner, and a customer.

What sets Serenity Hobbies apart from many of the game stores in the area is the location and space of the business, as well as the services. The gaming side of the business and the retail side are separated by the layout of the shop which is unique and hard for many small businesses to achieve.

The store is located on 254 Main Street but does not hold main street class, according to Mr. Roberts. If available to do so, he would like to see that change by relocating to a bigger office space that included its own sign that hangs above the shop door for passerby’s to see.