A Dying Dream

In 2018, I came up with the idea to start my own business centered around geeks and nerds like me. As Toys R Us died, I wondered where I would go to buy the fun things in life: collectible action figures, stuffed animals, LEGOS, video games, and so on. While it’s true that I was already buying most of that online, I only resorted to sites like Amazon due to the lack of having a Toys R Us nearby. That, and the selection of available items.

I wanted a place where adults could buy toys and games without being judged. Where parents could share their love of LEGOS with their children. I wanted a place that sold the odd stuff you can’t find anywhere else, like Edgar Allen Poe plush dolls, scientific toys, video game themed Monopoly, and so much more. Then I realized I should create the place, and in 2019, Addicted Geeks was born.

I started the business with just basic computer repair since that was something I was already equipped to handle. Unfortunately, people are reluctant to pay a stranger to fix their PC, so I moved on to dropshipping. I opened the website in September of 2020 with a large collection of items dropshipping from overseas. That too didn’t work, with products arriving late (or never at all) and merchandise quality being questionable or outright lies.

I am a firm believer in standing behind what you sell, so I started to build an inventory to ship out from my home, allowing me to check the quality of each product and ensure they are delivered on time. The business has operated this way ever since, with the exception of apparel and a few other items that are from a print-on-demand supplier. Of course I checked the quality of these items before listing them and proudly wear my company’s t-shirts on a regular basis.

Business was slow at first, with most sales being friends or family. It started to pick up in the fall of 2021, one year after I opened the website. In 2022, I had a few good months, even turning a profit over the holiday season, but unexpected expenses hampered my profits for the year. I had hoped to attend a local comic convention as a vendor and only decided not to after calculating the money I would need to invest in equipment, supplies, and table fees from the event organizers. In September 2022, I did attend a local vendor event at the Lebanon Valley Mall, but barely broke even — foot traffic in…