True local businesses are few and far between nowadays. Most restaurants in Ames, although locally owned, are franchises. Same goes for almost all of our stores/retailers. In Ames, we are very lucky, we get to purchase items from businesses who are owned by people who not only live in Ames — putting money back into the Ames economy by living here of course — but care about their customers too.

I’m talking about the businesses in Campustown. These businesses sell items targeted at students and at the Ames community in general. They offer us with the goods and services they know we want and do their best to provide them to us. One aspect of local businesses that national chains can’t seem to lock down is the idea of “community”. Going into a business, knowing the owner, knowing all the other shoppers and the value it adds to your experience.

One such business exists in Ames, and that business is in jeopardy of being moved and forced to close its doors. That business is Mayhem Collectibles on Lincoln Way. With many Campustown businesses, they are concerned about what will happen when the Campustown redevelopment project begins. Mayhem has been in Campustown for the last 21 years. The business sells trading cards, comic books, other collectibles and is planning on selling video games starting in April. The business employs nine people and has a second location in Des Moines. “If we weren’t in Campustown, we probably wouldn’t even be in Ames, in my opinion,” said Chris, one of the employees. You might be thinking, that’s quite a radical statement to make about the city of Ames, but he’s right.

Mayhem collectibles has something other businesses don’t have, not only do they have the standard sales floor you’d expect of a retail business, they have a separate part of their store that is a dedicated game room. Every night of the week there are card games, tournaments and other games being played. When the store closes at night, the game room stays open, and that’s where this business thrives.

Mayhem isn’t just a comic book store, it’s a community. The games aren’t just games, they’re a social event. Friday nights at Mayhem, where the game that night is “Magic the Gathering” draws out about 50 or so people. This wouldn’t be possible if they weren’t in their current location. They are right across the street from the dorms, many of their customers walk across the street to get there.

Not to mention they are on Lincoln Way where it’s easily accessible to the rest of the Ames. If they were forced to move by a certain development firm, they’d have to seriously consider where they could move, or if they’d even want to reopen to begin with.

Most of their customers would have to drive to their Des Moines location or just not go at all.

And that’s what makes Campustown so great. The idea of truly local businesses and the communities and friendships it can create.

It’s Mayhem Collectables, and it’s also so much more. It’s the perfect location with just the right mixture of demographics that allow the Iowa State experience to thrive. To the administration and to the city it may just be another way to earn tax revenue, but to many of us it’s a way of life.

It’s where we live, where we eat, where we go out on weekends. It’s where we meet friends and make friends.

It’s where memories are made and where good times are had. That is truly something we should cherish and protect.