#topshelffun

Sometimes simply talking to someone is enough to realize how passionate they are about something. Listening to William Faust, owner of Top Shelf Fun, talk about why he decided to get professionally involved in the gaming industry, gives the clear impression that he loves gaming. Starting with his active Kickstarter campaign for the Meepillow, Faust hopes to transform his affection for games into a company that can launch his career, and offer up something to the gaming community at large.

Faust’s Meepillows come in several colors, and share the same shape as the small game pieces found in many modern board games called “meeples.” This is the first of what Top Shelf Games hopes to be a number of different plush based products. Backers have already helped the campaign exceed their original funding goal by over 200%, with just over a week left remaining in the Kickstarter. Faust was more than happy to share his personal geek levels when we sat down and spoke with him about his current project, and future goals.

Same Room Gaming: This project is supposed to lay the foundation of your company which will presumably go on to create other tabletop themed items. If Meepillows fulfill your hopes, what sorts of other products could supporters potentially expect from Top Shelf Fun?

William Faust: Meepillows will definitely be my flagship product as I build this new brand. The obvious answer is that I would like to expand the color selection. Colors like orange, pink, and white are often requested, but I would love to try something different like plaids as well! A more interesting answer is that I would love to go even bigger if possible. The current Meepillow is 15" tall, but could you imagine relaxing on a Meepillow the size of a bean bag? It all comes down to costs though. And I learned a lot from this Kickstarter and that shipping costs can make or break a project. I will just have to stay diligent and find better and more efficient ways to make these products a reality!

A far more personal reason is that I have been working on numerous board and card game ideas for years. I would love to finally be in a position where I can publish them. I have prototypes for some, others I'm working out in my head, while plenty are just fleeting thoughts like tears in rain.

Finally, I have some additional board game themed plush ideas that I can't speak about at the moment. I know teasers like that are fist-shakingly annoying, but now that I am a business owner I feel like I need to get them out of my system! Even with all that I want to accomplish, I will always remember none of this would be possible without the support of the board game community through Kickstarter.

SRG: Why did you choose Meepillows as your introductory project to begin this business? How did you and your team decide on going forward with Meepillows?

WF: Sometimes I try to put the cart before the horse. What this means is about a year ago I started taking classes, getting loan information, writing a business plan and put an obscene amount of time and energy into opening the first board game cafe in Philadelphia. Then I realized that the scope I had envisioned was far beyond the reality of the situation (the money situation). I made the hard decision to take a couple steps back and start smaller. I realized that I need to build up to that point in smaller, and more realistic increments. So, I started with an idea I had that I felt would make a good first step - the Meepillow! I thought if I could get this off the ground first, I could build and reinvest. Build and reinvest. Eventually one day I would be at a point where I could open a board game cafe on my own. I would be able to move my company into Phase 2 - similar to the Marvel cinematic universe strategy.

SRG: What was the best geeky themed piece of memorabilia you've ever bought or received?

WF: I would like to say that is easy, but you're talking to a human being that had a collection of over 1500 unopened action figures at one point. I've since gotten help and channeled my energy into board games, but at least I get to open them and play with them. I still have a small, yet respectable collection of action figures, but at some point you need to trim it down before you create a fire hazard.

For my wedding my best friends Rob and Maggie (who are the stars of the Meepillow Kickstarter video) surprised me with actual plane wreckage from the TV show Lost that they won at auction. I was stunned. We are all huge fans of the show and they bought it for us as a wedding gift. I have to imagine that is one of the most unique wedding presents ever given. So, it gloriously sits aloft my bookcase that is filled with a Dharma bus-sized amount of Lost memorabilia.

SRG: What drove you to the gaming industry in this particular capacity?

WF: Oddly enough, I've been working in the video game industry for over 15 years. I work for a video game distributor that wholesales video game software, hardware and accessories to video game stores nationwide. Of course, I elbowed my way into bringing board game products in as well! But, I have always been a gamer since my first video game system, the Odyssey 2. That's way back when I was a kid and thought KC Munchkin was the pinnacle of graphics and storytelling.

From then I was hooked and always had to have the newest system. I've played more video games than I can even remember over the years and have the reflexes to prove it. But when I went to college I started experimenting with CCG. For me it was a little different - CCG came in the form of a Customizable Card Game from Decipher called the Star Wars. From there it was a VERY slippery slope down the rabbit hole into my current board game collection of over 400 games. So, as my love of board games grew, so did my desire to be a part of the industry beyond a consumer. As I stated in my Kickstarter I truly believe that this hobby has made me a better person and I have met some of the nicest, coolest, friendliest people you could ever hope to know. Why would anyone not want to be a part of it?

SRG: It seems like many members of your company are close friends and family, what has it been like to have their support while you start up this company?

WF: Currently, I am the only actual member of Top Shelf Fun, but my wife and friends have donated a lot of their time and talents to help make my company successful. It's cliché to say, but I truly couldn't have done it without them. Forget everything they did that is tangible and you can touch and see - which is a lot. But all the love and support from the very beginning was unquestionable. I said, "I want to start my own company and try to make my own way in life." They all immediately said, "Do it! How can I help?"

It doesn't get much better than that.

End.