So Long, And Thanks For All The Games!

A Fond Farewell

By Marc Q

Well, we have reached a critical point in my blog posts… specifically, the point where I bid you all a very fond and heartfelt farewell.

When I was originally hired at J&J Cards & Collectibles in April of 2018, I had some vague feeling of what I would be getting into. I had worked previously at an independent coffee shop as a barista, spent a few months at a Tim Hortons working over the holiday rush, and before that I’d spent over a decade at a small research and development firm doing novel scientific work. 

I have a degree in astrophysics, and out of university I figured I could apply my scientific mind to scientific problems. Turns out I didn’t have scientific patience, and after a decade of designing optical spectroscopy instrumentation (including a few satellites), I decided to move on… and then a few short years later walked into J&Js for my very first shift! Jim, Jason, and Justin had been handling the board games for years, and they decided it was time to get a specialist.

And boom, there I was. I usually joke that most people know useful things like how to cook or do taxes, and I know board games.

It’s been a heckuva ride, folks. The highs have been very high: my colleagues, from the owners down to the newest hires, are some of the nicest, sincerest, humblest, and most amazing people I have ever met, much less worked with. Sure, none of them are perfect… Jason and I had a long talk about the Monty Hall Problem, and he still doesn’t quite get it… but man, of all the things I will miss about this job, the first are going to be the people I worked with.

The second will be the people I worked for: all of the customers that came in day after day. 99.9% of the customers at J&Js are just amazing, and it has been a joy to get the chance to engage with each and every one of you. The people that came in just once for a game for the cottage, to the regulars that came in weekly (or multiple times a week!) for their Magic, miniatures, or just to hear about the new shinies that we had on the shelves. I apologize that I don’t have the time to mention each of you here that have left an impact on me, but there are dozens of ya, and you’re amazing. Despite me leaving, I hope you’ll keep coming into the store and brightening the lives of all the staff here… trust me, we notice when people are nice and funny. We see you, we appreciate you, you rock.

It wasn’t all sunshines and rainbows, of course. The Holiday rush starts early at a game store, with stacks and stacks of new products rushing in and an equal amount rushing out. It’s long hours, an enormous amount of physical labour, and an unbelievable number of plates to keep spinning in the air to both maintain stock and to try and give everyone who comes in the best possible experience. I was often pulled in five or six different directions, trying to help everyone find the games they wanted, advise them on presents, or suggest alternatives, but there was never enough time to give everyone the attention they deserved. I did my best, but I can’t say I’ll miss those long, hard hours in the holidays.

And, honestly? It’ll be nice to not be working every Saturday. I miss sleeping in on Saturdays.

So, despite me leaving, I leave the Board Game Aisle, my domain, in capable hands. The new hires they have brought on, Zoe and Cooper, seem bright-eyed and driven to continue providing the level of customer service that has built this company over the last 30+ years. The brothers continue to diversify the offerings here, and every week there are more cool toys than ever before. And Ian (who is editing this post) is now in charge of knowing all the board games. ALL of them, Ian, not just those made by Devir or Red Raven.  (Ian: ;_p )

I believe in you. You got this.