Forrest Meader stands behind the counter of his new business Mythical Market in Damariscotta on Friday, July 19. Meaders new business is a tabletop game shop selling popular card games like Magic: The Gathering and board games like Settlers of Catan. (Johnathan Riley photo)
For Forrest Meader, of Newcastle, creating a space to cultivate the tabletop gaming community in Lincoln County has always been a goal. On Saturday, July 20 when he opened the doors to his new tabletop game store Mythical Market, at 464 Main St. in Damariscotta his dream came true.
“It’s crazy that this thing that’s been in my head for 10-plus years is now happening,” he said.
The thought of owning a game store started taking shape for Meader at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle where he developed his love for the types of card and board games he is selling at the store.
Through playing those games with others, he attributes forming some of the longest standing and most meaningful friendships. Games such as the collectible, competitive trading card game Magic: The Gathering where players use strategy, spells, and monsters to defeat the other in a turn-based battle or the fantasy tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons.
“The closest friends I ever made have been people I’ve either played Magic with or played Dungeons & Dragons with,” he said. “I think it’s really important to try and facilitate that kind of community for other people too.”
While the idea has been percolating for the last decade, the creation of Meader’s game store took only five months.
Mythical Market shares the its space – as well as its owner – with Rhumbline, a company that provides cartography services and constructs geographic information system maps. Meader is the director of Rhumbline, which his brother, Ben Meader, founded in 2012. Their sister, Emily Meader, also works at the business.
Forrest Meader graduated from the University of Maine Farmington with a degree in geology, as “you can’t go to school for being a board game nerd.” However, he did find time to found a Magic: The Gathering club while attending college. His partner, Gabby Kimball, has worked in a gaming store before and has been helping out with the set up of the shop.
Meader said the store’s soft opening on Saturday “was wild” and over the course of the weekend the store saw between 60 and 70 people.
Mythical Market offers a variety of games, including Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer 40,000, Pokemon, jigsaw puzzles, and classic family board games like Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, and Connect Four.
There is a table that seats 8 to 10 people meant to be used for gaming events hosted at the store, which will range from family board game nights to more competitive play. Meader said he’s hoping to set up a schedule for soon once gets an idea of what local gaming interests are.
“Once I get my hand on the pulse of what the local hobbies are, I will definitely set a schedule of events,” he said.
In addition to cultivating the gaming community within the store, Meader is hoping to facilitate the community outside of his business’s walls. He said he’s already reaching out to other businesses to gauge interest in hosting game nights at their establishments. He is also hoping to work with local schools and the CLC YMCA.
Meader said Mythical Market’s grand opening will be happening sometime in August when his entire stock arrives, but that in the meantime, he’s open for business.
Meader is awaiting the arrival of products coming from local artists: arts and crafts is important to Meader and he’s making sure to designate space in the shop to display pieces, some game related, made by friends in the area such as dice bags and 3D printed figurines used in games like Dungeons & Dragons and Warhammer 40,000.
“Supporting local arts and crafts of my friends is a big, big motivator for me,” he said. “I think being able to sell their stuff is really awesome.”
He’s also planning on adding a mini-fridge for snacks and beverages.
The store is located at 464 Main St. in Damariscotta in Main Street Centre and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, with possible extended hours on game nights.
For more information, follow Mythical Market on Facebook and Instagram, call 314-9789, or email forrest@mythical-market.com.
The storefront of Mythical Market tabletop game store and Rhumbline cartography and GIS services at 464 Main St. in Damariscotta on Saturday, July 20. While the businesses are separate, Forrest Meader, who opened the game store, is also the director of Rhumbline, a business his brother founded. (Johnathan Riley photo)
