Maryland Game Shop Snaps Up the Real Dark Crystal Prop

Most board game shops fight Amazon by stocking obscure imports and running paint nights. Paul Alexander Butler is fighting it by buying actual screen-used film props for his shop floor. The owner of Games and Stuff in Glen Burnie, Maryland has acquired the Crystal of Truth, the screen-used prop from Netflix's 2019 series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

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The Crystal sold at a Jim Henson Company anniversary auction with a listed price of $64,000 (around £48,000), and industry estimates had pegged it in the $20,000 to $30,000 range. Butler declined to share what he actually paid, noting only that he wasn't the highest bidder, just the one whose money showed up. He told Wargamer the move is part of a strategy to make his shop somewhere worth visiting in person. 'Bricks-and-mortar retail needs not only an excellent selection and customer service, but also needs to create a real experience.'

Anyone who's been to the store knows Butler isn't joking. The shop already houses a life-sized statue of Sauron and working Labyrinth-style door knockers, all themed around Butler's affection for Jim Henson's films (he has a sizeable Dark Crystal tattoo to match). He's run Games and Stuff since 2010 and bought it outright in 2017.

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The story is a fun reminder that the shops thriving right now turn themselves into destinations rather than warehouses. UK board game cafes have been edging the same way, blending retail, gaming space and themed touches that no website can replicate. A Skeksis hanging behind the till would obviously help.

If you organise meet-ups or game nights at your local shop, this is your reminder that experience beats inventory. List your store's events for free on Backseat Gamer so the gamers in your area can actually find you.

Sources: Wargamer | Games and Stuff