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CJ’s Cards & Collectibles is currently working on renovations in its new downtown location and adopting a new name, The Ript Zone.
The Ript Zone is located at 132 South Wayne St. in downtown Milledgeville and sells a selection of cards, collectibles and memorabilia. The selection ranges from Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon to various Dungeons & Dragons sets and pieces to horror memorabilia.
“We found out there was more of a call for trading cards than sports collectibles and the community let me know what they wanted from our store. I’m very happy to have adapted my store and welcomed new customers,” said Christopher Jameson, owner of The Ript Zone. “So, as we switched merchandise and moved locations, changing the name felt like the next step.”
When it first opened, the store was known as CJ’s Sports Collectibles and carried primarily sports memorabilia with a few products related to Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon.
As cards and collectible merchandise became more popular, the store changed its name to CJ’s Cards & Collectibles.
However, according to Jameson, the name was too long and he felt it was time for a change to market better to his customers.
“The idea behind The Ript Zone comes from the experience of buying a new pack of cards and ripping into them,” said Jameson. “It fits our customer’s primary interests and better portrays what we now sell.”
When asked about the new location, two doors down from his previous location, Jameson stated that he desired a larger venue for event space.
“I was looking for a larger location downtown for more floor space for products and events. We are going to begin hosting a range of events including Magic the Gathering Nights, Trading Card nights, hosting Dungeons & Dragons, and more,” said Jameson. “We are hoping to become Milledgeville’s local game shop.”
The Ript Zone will have tournament nights, open tables during the day and a Dungeon Master who will lead Dungeons & Dragons nights. Due to these event additions, Jameson plans to increase open hours and transform the shop to have more tables and have additional products for snacks and drinks to enjoy while playing games.
“We will have an in-house dungeon master who will tailor campaigns so anyone can sit in at any given time. Customers may join in for one session or play through an entire campaign,” said Jameson. “We are also hoping to join the Wizards Play Network so we may be sanctioned with Wizards of the Coast to be able to host pre-release events for Magic the Gathering. To start with, events won’t be sanctioned but we will do some draft tournaments and command nights for Magic the Gathering.”
The Ript Zone hosted one of its first events in the new location during First Friday, June 2. The store was opened later for a Trading Card event and throughout the evening, collectors came in to trade cards, chat, and look at the stock available in-store.
“It’s a way to get all the collectors together to be able to share their passion and trade their cards, if interested,” said Jameson. “Our events are open to the community and are tailored to a range of different interests. Seeing people come into the store on Friday to interact with our new space and enjoy their time together made my wife, Karen Jameson, and I very happy.”
Along with the events and card merchandise, Jameson also highlighted his variety of 3D models for Dungeons & Dragons, Pokémon and more that he makes and sells himself and expressed that throughout the store, he sells some minor trading card games, like My Hero Academia, per the request of a few customers.
“While we carry more popular brands, like Pokemon, we also pride ourselves on taking requests and listening to our customers. If there is another game or franchise they are interested in, I have made special orders for individual customers or included less popular franchises to the store to cater to their wants,” said Jameson. “We want to hear what the community desires from our store and what may be good additions to our product base.”
The Ript Zone is now located at 132 South Wayne St. in downtown Milledgeville and open Tuesday - Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.