Julie Selelenk loves a challenge. Mikhael McLean loves video games. And so, Game Mania was born.
The young couple opened their Bloor Street store in the spring of 2012 after building up an inventory of new and retro video games and consoles in a booth at a nearby flea market in Toronto’s west end. “It started with a $400 loan from my dad,” Julie recalls. “Our showcases were pretty empty at first, but slowly, with patience, we reinvested what we had again and again and built things up.”
The business soon outgrew the booth, at which point the search began for a stand-alone retail location. Overcoming financial constraints and doubting landlords was a struggle, Julie says, but when a long-vacant space just east of High Park — and close to several schools — became available, the pair jumped at the opportunity.
