12-08-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Man follows passion to open collectibles store in Ammanford
Kristian Poyda runs The Gamers Oasis on 22 Wind Street – a collectibles store that sells Pokémon cards, video games, comics and much more.
After beginning his business a year ago with a stall at Shoppers World, Kristian made the decision to open his own shop four months ago.
The Gamers Oasis is run by Kristian Poyda. (Image: Newsquest) Kristian said: 'This has been a lifelong passion. I collect anything, including Pokémon cards. I always wanted to do something like this since I was young, especially as there was a gap in the market here in Ammanford.
'My father passed away, so I decided to go for it. I had a go and since then things have snowballed into something bigger. I worked as a plasterer before, but this venture was always in the back of my mind.
'Before I opened this shop I was selling online and then I had a store at Shoppers World. It was a natural progression to bring the store here. But it was a bit different at first as I had to present the stuff I was selling properly.
'Carmarthen and Llanelli have shops like this, so it was wonderful to bring to Ammanford. The Pokémon card community is beginning to build here, and my plan is to upgrade to a bigger premises and make the shop even more attractive.'
The stores sells video games and a range of collectibles. (Image: Newsquest) Apart from being a place where locals can buy collectibles, Kristian prides The Gamers Oasis on its friendly atmosphere.
Kristian continued: 'There seems to be more anti-social behaviour in Ammanford but the kids who come here are good as gold. They build friend groups here and find somewhere they fit in.
'Growing up, I was a closet-geek. This business has helped me to meet like-minded people who have similar interests. I have a console set up here and my own kids come here often. I wouldn't know anything about Pokémon if it wasn't for my kids though.'
Kristian opened The Gamers Oasis on Wind Street four months ago. (Image: Newsquest) The father of two offers a service where locals can hand their Pokémon cards in to be sent off and graded, thus increasing their value, besides selling other collectibles he receives.
'I want to build a community here where people can trade cards and I can host Pokémon events. You can bond a lot over gaming. The feedback from people has been great. It's a really good feeling to do something positive for the community. This is what Ammanford needs.'
