Game and toy store opens in Washougal

Dave and Becky Dotson, of Washougal, are very excited to own a game, card and toy store in their hometown. The Dotsons opened Hero Support today. "It's been a work-in-progress for about 2 1/2 months," Dave said. That process included renovating the former County Communications space with new flooring and paint, and the water fountain feature outside has been repaired. "It was the right time and the right opportunity," Dave said. "The building became available for lease four or five months ago." Prior to opening Hero Support, the Dotsons have been selling games, cards and toys on the internet for 10 years. The selection of card games includes Pokemon, for all ages; Yu-Gi-Oh, for ages 11 to 16; and Magic: The Gathering, for late teens to young adults. The Dotsons are hoping to have leagues play at the store. The leagues would be sponsored by the games' manufacturers who would provide promotional cards and prizes. The Dotsons plan to poll customers about their interest in league play. Role playing games include Dungeons and Dragons, World of Warcraft and Warhammer. Hero Support also sells Heroclix, a collectible figure game, as well as mystery and puzzle games from the U.S. and Germany. Monthly subscriptions to paperbacks and comic books can be ordered through the store. There are specialty Legos sets from the 1980s, as well as more than 400 pounds of assorted Legos available to purchase in two sizes of containers. There are also action figures from Star Wars, The Simpsons, Avengers, Transformers and Spawn, as well as Tim Burton's "Tragic Toys" and "Domo" vinyl figures. Vintage figures include GI Joe. Hero Support has more than 700 Japanese anime Manga books in stock, as well as a variety of vintage and new toys including Godzilla, Care Bears and Pound Puppies. For card collectors, the store has complete trading sets such as Coca Cola and DC comics. There are also comic, card and gaming supplies such as sleeves to protect collections. Special orders are accepted. The store's space includes room for game tables. David hopes to generate interest from at least 30 people for league play and possibly expand to a back room for tournaments. He, Becky and their two daughters have been Pokemon league members since 1998. The Dotson's goals for the business include being a positive influence in the community and keeping youth entertained. "Kids can visit, get new friends and branch out into new activities," Becky said. David acknowledged it is a unique business. "I don't think there's anything like this for 30 to 40 miles," he said. Now that the improvements are completed on "E" Street and work is progressing near State Route 14, David has noticed an increase in traffic in front of the store building. "After SR-14 is completed, let's hope 'E' Street does not become like 'Radiator Springs' [along Route 66, in the movie "Cars"]," he said. "We are not retail only," David added. "We are surviving on the internet." Hero Support, 823 "E" St., is open Tuesday through Saturday, from noon to 6 p.m. For more information, call 210-7434, email hero.support@hotmail.com or visit www.facebook.com/herosupportwa.

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