If you walk through downtown Greer any day of the week, you’ll likely see people coming in and out of a store with a small, yellow sign out front. Venture inside, and you’ll find a massive community hub, filled with laughter, conversation and most of all, games. This is Not Just Gamin’, located at 211 Trade St.
Owners Jason and Diana opened the doors to their storefront in November of 2021, just after the time of pandemic restrictions. Since then, Diana says the community has only continued to grow.
“The store has kind of taken on a life of its own,” she said. “It’s definitely going exactly the way we wanted it to go in terms of being inclusive and welcoming to everyone that walks in the door — but it’s the community of people and the staff that I feel keeps people coming back.”
As the storefront’s name foretells, Jason and Diana did not want the space to be just about coming in, buying a game and then leaving.
“It’s gaming, but it’s not,” Diana said. “There’s more that can be found here ... It’s friendships; it’s the experience. And hopefully, you feel better once you’ve left here.”
According to Diana, the community at Not Just Gamin’ really is the heartbeat of the building.
“Our community dictates what happens in the store,” Diana said. “... That’s why we have the nights that we have, and that’s why we do the events that we do — because the community asks for it.”
When Jason and Diana moved into the nearly 5,000 square foot building, they got straight to work — opening the storefront within a matter of weeks. Since then, their store, Trade Street and the Greer area at large have experienced many changes. As more people move into the Upstate, Diana says their clientele has continued to expand.
“It’s growing exponentially,” she said. “I probably meet at least a handful of people daily that are from all over the country.”
Diana herself is not an Upstate native, coming down from Baltimore, Md. Her husband, Jason, is from the Chicago area. When they came to Greer, they knew they wanted a space that was different from the gaming stores they grew up near. For Diana, that meant somewhere that was more inclusive.
“I’ve never encountered [a game store] that caters to everyone,” she said. “It’s usually one specific demographic that they focus on, forgetting that there are tons of people that are into hobbying.”
A shelf of comics at Not Just Gamin’.
And to Diana, everyone really means everyone. The store is a pet-friendly location that has had dogs, cats, lizards and even a sugar glider as part of their clientele.
In terms of events, nearly every evening at Not Just Gamin’ is abuzz with activity. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the store hosts groups playing Dungeons & Dragons, a tabletop roleplaying game. Groups can come play the roleplay card game Magic: The Gathering on Tuesdays and Fridays. Finally, they have a painting night on Thursday where customers can come in and paint miniature figures to use in their games.
Diana says that the best part of these evenings is watching everyone come together and share their hobbies with one another.
“It brings a lot of people together,” she said. “It’s common ground — no matter what, you at least have that in common.”
Not Just Gamin’ boasts many spaces where guests can hang out, get snacks and play.
The business has lots of events lined up for the year. Next month, it will be hosting a Warhammer 40K tournament. In autumn, you can find them at the Upstate Renaissance Faire in Spartanburg. This year, the fair is from September 12-14, and Not Just Gamin’ will be hosting a live Dungeons & Dragons session, in addition to selling games.
Whether your first interaction with Not Just Gamin’ is at a Ren Faire dressed in dragon wings, or if you just see their sign as you walk along Trade Street, Diana hopes that anyone who interacts with the space feels welcomed and included.
“If you find yourself in this store, you belong in this store,” she said. “[We] really wanted to build a community, and that has definitely happened … So if we can just keep that up, I would be so happy.”
Learn more about Not Just Gamin’ at their website or their Facebook page. The storefront is located at 211 Trade St.
Follow Breanna Laws on X @GreerByBreanna
