There aren’t too many places with endless collectibles for Warhammer games and community playing sessions in the Northeast San Antonio Metrocom, Tom Colben said.

Colben is the sole proprietor of Hole in the Wall Hobbies, a table top gaming, collectible and card shop nestled at 11503 E. Loop 1604 N., Ste. 104 in Universal City.

“It’s an accidental hobby shop,” Colben said. “It was never supposed to be this big, but here we are.”

The history
Hole in the Wall Hobbies primarily offers Warhammer figures that can be customized with paint and used in games. (Andrew Creelman/Community Impact)
Hole in the Wall Hobbies primarily sells Warhammer figures that can be customized with paint and used in games. (Andrew Creelman/Community Impact)
Colben said that he has always been the “nerdy” type since he was a kid, but he wears it with pride.

As a lifelong interest in Warhammer and other table top games grew into an online eBay shop, Colben said that it kept growing to the point where he had to sell items out of rented storage lockers.


“It just kept growing constantly, I went from 4 storage lockers to 10,” Colben said.

Then, when Colben said he filled up the storage lockers entirely, he decided to open a brick and mortar store in 2023 in Universal City.

What’s special about it
Hole in the Wall Hobbies holds thousands of action figures, toys, playing cards and more. (Andrew Creelman/Community Impact)
While Hole in the Wall mainly specializes in tens of thousands of Warhammer game pieces and paint supplies, Colben said there’s much more to the shop.

There is selection of miscellaneous action figures, Pokémon cards, board games, Legos and comic books. The shop also hosts weekly events, ranging from simple demonstrations to hands-on classes and lengthy battles, stemming from Colben’s experience as a public school teacher.


“We’re teaching people how to play games and get into Warhammer,” Colben said.

These events are what Colben says make the shop feel like home—a place where people from massively different backgrounds can come together as one.

“There’s just good people here,” Colben said. “You find people that have similar interests, and I've seen so many new friendships form.”

What else?


Colben said he has plans to expand the store’s size to allow for a more organized inventory and space to play more games and host events.

Most of all, though, he said he hopes to continue growing and making connections with the Warhammer and collectible community in Northeast San Antonio and surrounding areas.

"This is your chance to relax in the world here, we know that everything else is so stressful," he said.