New game store in Fairfield already expanding

FAIRFIELD — A game store opened in Fairfield in late 2020, and it’s already expanded into a neighboring office space.

The store is known as Wanderer’s Haul, and it was started by Patrick and Kate Hetland. The shop features board games, card games, miniatures and accessories. It’s less than a block east of Central Park at 115 E. Burlington Ave. Just last week, the business expanded into the office space on the west side of its building, previously home to Stuff-A-Bear.

A contractor removed the wall that had separated the two businesses. Patrick and Kate said they and a team of volunteers spent a couple of long days cleaning the space, remodeling and moving merchandise. The expansion has doubled the size of their store, and they now occupy the entire first floor of the building.

Patrick and Kate learned in November that the owners of Stuff-A-Bear would be moving out. The building’s landlord, Andrew Busscher, reached out to the couple to ask if they were interested in moving in, and they jumped at the chance.

“We wanted more space to host more people, to have a comfortable place for people to play and to showcase our product,” Kate said.

Those products include the latest board games, role-playing games and deck building games like Magic The Gathering, one of Wanderer’s Haul’s top sellers and the game that brought Patrick and Kate together. Kate was born in Ottumwa but moved just outside Fairfield and attended Fairfield schools. Patrick moved to Fairfield when he was 15, and apart from a few stints living in Wyoming and Michigan, has remained here.

Kate and Patrick met in school, and got to know each other through their shared love of Magic The Gathering, which they played at Kobold’s Corner, a board game shop in Fairfield. That shop closed, but another board game shop came along named Finnywick’s, which was on the north side of the square. Unfortunately for the town’s gamers, Finnywick’s also had to close its doors, and by the summer of 2017, Fairfield was once again left without a game store.

Kate works at Bountiful Bakery in Fairfield, which is owned by Andrew Busscher and his wife Maya. Andrew loves games, and he mentioned to Kate that he wished someone in town would open a game store. Kate and Patrick talked it over, and decided they could make time for a game shop as a second job in addition to their other jobs.

On Dec. 12, 2020, Wanderer’s Haul opened its doors. At first, its selection was limited, but its inventory has grown and now it’s walls are stocked with merchandise. Some of its most popular games include Magic, trading card games like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh, and role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. It has painting supplies for those who like miniatures, a magazine rack and It has a stack of board games that visitors can open and start playing right there in the shop.

“It’s fun to see gamers meet each other,” Kate said.

Kate and Patrick said they’ve received help from the former game shop owners in town. Matt Hardin, who ran Kobald’s Corner, gave them advice about what worked and what didn’t work for him. Jon and Therese Gilrain, who owned Finnywick’s, donated boxes of merchandise and supplies.

The Hetlands are hopeful that, as their business grows, they will be able to devote their full energy to it, but for the moment they plan to keep their other jobs.

The business is open Friday through Monday, and it hosts special events on a regular basis, focusing on a particular game such as Magic or inviting people to bring their miniatures to paint. Find out when all the special events are occurring by following the business on its Facebook page.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com