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ALBANY – Daniel Vanoteghem has dreamed of opening a space for gaming and “nerding out” for the last decade. On Friday, he opened the doors to The Nerd Store, an inclusive destination for local nerds and gamers.

“One of the big problems with gaming communities is that being a gamer, being a nerd, it’s been stigmatized for so long,” Vanoteghem said. “Some people have a hard time finding their communities, and I’m hoping this is a place where they can find them.”

Stepping into Vanoteghem’s store at 2610 Dawson Road, Suite 14 is like entering a different realm. Large tables offer guests a space to gather around and play their respective games. Some have built up miniatures that Vanoteghem’s mother lovingly created. A small corner is dedicated to younger “future nerds” with cushions, books and kid-friendly games.

The walls are decorated with gaming scenes and memorabilia – from Dungeons and Dragons figurines to collectible action figures that are for sale. Vanoteghem also has a slew of board games, such as retro old-school Atari, and collectibles available for purchase. He said he hopes to eventually be able to sell Legos.

Vanoteghem grew up in Leesburg. He said he fell in with the gaming crowd during college. He and his friends enjoyed playing trading card games and would travel around to shops like The Nerd Store. Each weekend he drove to Americus’ Cellar Door Comics store, which is no longer in business.

He said it is often difficult for this community to find a safe, welcoming space to play their games. Gamers make do with friends’ kitchen tables and makeshift gaming pieces. They cram 10 or more people into tiny spaces and around too small tables. Vanoteghem said it’s not uncommon for gamers in this area to travel up to an hour there and back to get to a space like The Nerd Store, which allows them room for creativity.

For the last few years, Vanoteghem has played with his friends at Alchemy Games in Sylvester, but that shop closed in the last year. Vanoteghem partnered with the former owner of the shop to open The Nerd Store.

“Earlier this year, I decided I was finally going to open up my own shop so I could run it how I wanted to run it and create a welcoming and inclusive community for all the gamers in the area,” Vanoteghem said.

He said he especially wanted a clean and inclusive space locally.

“I want it to respond to the needs and wants of the community,” Vanoteghem said. “I’m honestly more concerned about bringing people together and strengthening the gaming community, even if it’s not the most profitable way to run a business.”

He said he just wants people to come in and have fun and keep coming back year after year.

For Vanoteghem, gaming found him a community and some lifelong friends. He said the opening of this store has generated a lot of excitement among them.

He’s had The Nerd Store’s building for about a week. The store was completely empty Aug. 3 and was transformed by Friday. Vanoteghem made a post on the store’s Facebook page, calling for some help to set up his shop. The local gaming community answered.

“You typically expect two or three people to come help you, but 15 people came and helped me move Saturday,” he said.

They ran back and forth from Sylvester with trailers all day. Over the last week, he’s had people show up to help each day.

Vanoteghem said he’d like to host events for specific games. On opening night, a group will play the fantasy trading card game Magic the Gathering, starting at 7 p.m. He said it’s the game he’s most knowledgeable about, and it involves magic and possibility mixed in with resource management, deck-building and probability.

His gaming friends will travel all the way from Bainbridge and Thomasville to play Friday night.

Vanoteghem’s wife, Annie Vanoteghem, the director of education and public programming at the Albany Museum of Art, said every person needs a space where they can participate in their avenue of interest, be themselves and be around their people.

She said there’s a fun level of overlap between the teen groups she hosts at the AMA and The Nerd Store.

“Especially the kids who came to the Graphic Novels Camp; they’re looking for something like this to do with their time,” Annie Vanoteghem said.

She said it’s been great to talk with these students’ parents and let them know they have a safe, family friendly place to drop off their children to play a game.

Annie Vanoteghem said there are opportunities for partnerships between the AMA and The Nerd Store, and she and her husband have bounced around ideas of hosting Dungeons and Dragons mini figure painting or game piece building nights. The store has a rack of airbrush paints ready to be used.

“There’s a lot of appreciation for art in here,” she said of the store.

Annie Vanoteghem said she’s excited for her husband to wake up each day and have a place he’s excited to go to. She said she also is excited for The Nerd Store to give beginners, like herself, a space to learn how to game.

“We’re committed to creating a hub where everyone can come together to enjoy games, events, and endless nerdy adventures among good friends and even better vibes,” Vanoteghem said.

The store’s operating hours will be 2-6 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3 p.m.-midnight Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays. It’s free to come and play and check out the products for sale.

More information can be found on social media under “The Nerd Store.”

Staff Photo: Lucille LanniganStaff Photo: Lucille Lannigan