06/16/2020
There's no easy way to say it, folks: White Paw's brick and mortar shop front will be closing at the end of this month.
We wish we had a lot of upbeat, inspirational messages, but we're as bummed out by the situation as we're sure our loyal customers are and we will truly miss everyone.
So what does this closure mean for us? We will also be moving out of Newark and back home to Buffalo, NY, but we hope to be back to visit often, especially once the coronavirus crisis ends. We will, however, transition to an online only shop presence, so if you want to continue to purchase from our website, that will absolutely still be an option. We have an extensive collection of cool sci fi and fantasy books, plus lots of great games which we would still love to share. And, until Newark is served by a new game shop, we will continue our relationship with WotC and game distributors to help bridge the gap so hopefully no one in Newark is without Magic products that are often hard to come by at Wal-Mart or online.
What does this mean for you?
1. Libro.fm members will have the option to continue their subscription with us, which will continue to support White Paw's online shop front. Another option would be to change your chosen bookstore to The Dog Eared Book in Palmyra, which although not Newark, is still an amazing local bookstore and they need your support too! Option 3 is to choose no designated bookstore with Libro.fm, and proceeds from your purchases will be evenly divided among all participating bookstores. We only ask that you do not switch to Amazon or other company conglomerates that sell audiobooks, as they are consistently harming independent bookstores like ours.
2. The same as above applies for ebook purchases through our online ebook shop front. You may continue to support White Paw through our shop front, or you may choose a different independent bookstore in the area from which to purchase your ebooks. You can also buy many titles directly from the publisher. Again, please choose direct or local as much as you can, as our communities thrive on local dollars staying local.
3. Any purchases of Magic the Gathering products made now or until we run out of products or giveaways are still eligible for the currently running "love your game store" promotion. (Purchases of ANY MTG product gets a FREE Reliquary Tower card (1 per person) and any purchase of a full booster box (any set!) will get a free Hanger Back Walker Godzilla promo card. Yes, a box purchase would get you both!). We also have a large number of old promo packs which we will be tossing in orders while supplies lasts.
4. If you've fallen in love with our shelves, we will be selling them for $30 each box ($20 for small size) and can arrange for them to be picked up outside our store until June 30th. Please PM or email us to arrange details.
5. Sadly, we will no longer be able to host in-person book/writing clubs. We hope our writing club can approach the library once it reopens and continue meeting to share ideas. As for our wonderful banned books club, we will coordinate with current attendees, and continue online as long as possible.
6. Any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us and ask, but please be kind. This is a rough time for all of us!
We have deeply enjoyed every moment of providing Newark with a fun place to hang out, to game, to meet new people, to read, to write, and to rock out to classical music. We hope that Newark won't have to wait too long to open a new game and bookstore, but our time here will always hold a special place in our hearts, as we hope it will in yours as well.
As a final note, we want to extend our deepest gratitude for everyone who financially supported us before and especially during this pandemic. Your purchases have kept us afloat and we will always treasure your commitment supporting small independent business.
Thank you for the games, book recommendations, infinite combos, smiles, snacks, pre-releases, Small Business Saturdays, love for Diana, donations to the Humane Society, jokes, and above all, the memories.
We will miss each and every one of you (Yes, YOU!)
With Love,
K and Graham and Diana @ White Paw
