Andrew Morrow has owned the store for the past six years. Morrow, an MSU graduate, worked at the store as a student, and after he graduated, Morrow purchased the store.

Morrow said that he has been trying to sell the store for a year. Morrow attributes the closing of the store to a desire to delve further into his IT career, which he has been juggling in addition to managing the store, or to explore new career options. Morrow works approximately 70-80 hours a week between his two careers.

“Business has been steady,” Morrow said. “The store is still profitable. But it’s not enough for me to quit my other job, which was my goal when I bought the store originally. So with that goal not working out, I’ve just decided to try something different.”

Morrow said that he expects the store’s regular gamers, who play different games within the store, to find somewhere else to play or to start a game club.

“I have a feeling the gamers will stick together,” Morrow said.

Bianca Cantu, a Lansing resident, comes to the store two to three times a month, and said the proximity of the store to her home was the main reason she was a regular customer of 21st Century Comics & Games.

“It kind of sucks (that the store is closing),” Cantu said. “Most of the stores I like have just closed down.”

Cantu was a frequent customer at the former East Lansing branch of Barnes & Noble Booksellers, which closed in late 2011-, and at Wanderer’s Teahouse and Cafe, which closed a few weeks ago.

Cantu said now there is no longer much of a reason for her to come to East Lansing as much.

“A lot of places around here are closing down, which is kind of confusing since it’s a huge campus,” Cantu said.

Ray Walsh, the owner of Curious Book Shop-, 307 E. Grand River Ave., said, “There’s no one reason why a business can or can’t exist. Everyone’s just trying to do the best they can.”

Walsh, who has been selling books since 1969, has had Curious Book Shop open since 1973. The book shop, which specializes in science fiction, offers a wide array of reading material.

Walsh attributes the closing of businesses in the industry to difficult economic times.

“There are many different ways for people to buy books,” Walsh said.

Morrow still has hope that someone will buy the store over the next few days. He said that he has seen some interest from potential buyers.

“It’s been a great trip,” Morrow said. “I’m sorry to be closing it, but without a buyer, it was time to move on.”

Morrow expects to close the store in mid-June unless someone purchases the store. He said there will be various discount sales for customers leading up to the final closing.