State College Teen Turns Passion for Card Games Into New Downtown State College Business

Just over a year after graduating from State College Area High School, a 19-year-old entrepreneur is preparing to open a new trading card, tabletop and retro gaming store in downtown State College. 

Crown Lotus Games will officially open on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 206 E. Calder Way, offering gaming products and a free space for people to play. 

The store is owned by Avery Taricani, a lifelong State College resident and 2025 State High graduate who says the idea for Crown Lotus grew out of his experience working at another local card store. 

“I started to really love interacting with people who share a similar interest with me,” Taricani said. “I eventually decided, with the resources and materials and experience that I have, that I wanted to start my own place.” 

Taricani said he has been working to open the store since April, a process that has involved everything from painting and furnishing the downtown space to purchasing inventory and navigating the legal requirements of starting a business. 

He found a location within walking distance of his apartment and said opening a business in the community where he has spent nearly his entire life made sense for him. 

“I found myself a very good deal to sell in the middle of downtown, which you know has a few downs and a lot of ups,” he said. 

Crown Lotus will initially carry products for Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering, along with accessories such as play mats, dice and card sleeves. Taricani said he plans to continue expanding the store’s inventory to include Dungeons & Dragons, Riftbound, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Flesh and Blood and Warhammer, to name a few. 

The shop will also buy products from customers, including sealed trading card products, individual cards and retro video games. 

Taricani said he will generally offer 65% of market value in cash or 75% in store credit, though he may be more selective with some products, including non-English and graded cards. He said he has heard that prices for some products in the State College area can be high and wants to keep Crown Lotus as affordable as possible. 

Another section of the store will focus on retro gaming, an area Taricani is personally excited for. He plans to allow customers to play a growing collection of consoles, including a Wii, Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox Series S. 

“Every home console you can think of is going to be here and available to use,” he said.

Taricani plans to eventually add additional Xbox and PlayStation systems. The retro gaming section will also include buying and selling video games, which Taricani said he expects to be one of the store’s primary ways of acquiring inventory. 

While Crown Lotus will sell games and collectibles, Taricani said one of his main goals is to create a place where people can gather around the interests they share. 

The store’s play space will be free, allowing customers to sit down and play Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon and other card or tabletop games without paying to use a table. 

“People will tell you a lot that it’s difficult to get into, and I have to respectfully disagree,” Taricani said. “If you find the right person or the right people that you can get into the game with, you really don’t need a lot to get into it…If someone comes in and asks me, ‘Hey, I don’t have a deck, but I want to play,’ I’ll happily let them borrow a deck, I’ll happily teach them how to play. It’s a really great experience, and I want to make that easier for people.” 

Taricani hopes eventually to hold regular casual tournaments for different card games, as well as video game tournaments. He also wants to host watch parties for major gaming events such as Summer Game Fest, Gamescom and The Game Awards and eventually become officially sponsored to host additional tournaments and events.

“Everything that I’m passionate about, I want to spread to the community,” he said.

Taricani wants Crown Lotus to appeal to experienced players while also providing an entry point for people who are curious about games but may not know how to begin. 

For newcomers, he said, the store will offer an opportunity to borrow a deck, learn the basics and play alongside someone willing to help. 

“In my experience with card games, a lot of the people are not as young as I’d expect. There’s a lot more of an adult audience, and I’d love to see more people my age,” he said. “I’m only 19. I’d love to see more people my age coming to the store…I know it’s a bit of a jump from going out of high school straight into owning a business, but let me tell you, it certainly is something. But it’s a transition that I’ve been taking pretty well.” 

Taricani has lived in State College since shortly after he was born and said he never expected to be opening a business so soon after graduating from high school. 

“I love it here in State College,” he said. “I love the atmosphere and everything like that, and I never really expected to be opening a business until relatively recently, but here we are.” 

After graduating from State High in 2025, Taricani chose not to immediately pursue college. However, he said that decision could change depending on the future of Crown Lotus. 

“Don’t get me wrong, college is great, and I’ve lived in a college town my whole life; I’m basically destined to think that college is a good opportunity, but you know, it’s not for everyone,” he said. “And, a lot of people might tell you that you need to go to college to be successful, but I mean, as of right now, I’m pretty much living proof that that’s not necessarily true…For the time being, I will not be interested in college, but maybe in the future depending on how the store does, really.” 

As opening day approaches, Taricani said he is looking forward to seeing how the community embraces the space he and his friends have spent months building. 

“I’m happy with how far I’ve come, and I’d love for more people to show up and share my interest with me,” he said. 

The store will be open from noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and from noon to midnight Saturday and Sunday. Playing space will be free and open to anyone who wants to stop in. 

Once the store officially opens, gamers and interested customers can follow Crown Lotus on Instagram for new arrivals, restocks, events and other store updates.