I visited Evolving Realms on the last day of my trip to Honolulu while visiting from the Bay Area…read more I'm a longtime Pokémon card collector and had spent several days checking out other local card shops (Aloha, Nocturnal, etc.), all of which were welcoming experiences. Based on the strong reviews here, I decided to stop by despite the extremely windy and rainy weather, especially since the store is only open a few days a week.
Unfortunately, my experience didn't align with what's described in some of the positive reviews.
When my wife and I entered, there was no greeting, despite the store not being busy. The lady staff member remained on their phone. That alone is something I could easily overlook, since everyone has off moments, but it set the tone for what followed. I spent time browsing and identified a few cards I was interested in, noting that prices were generally above TCGPlayer market values. I fully understand that brick-and-mortar stores can price however they choose, and I'm never expecting exact market matches, but I did ask if a $27 card could be adjusted to $24 to align with TCGPlayer.
The response was a firm no, followed by comments such as "you can buy online instead" and "it's only $3 difference." Being told to shop online rubbed me the wrong way, especially considering I had made the effort to visit in person on the very last day of my trip, through rough weather, specifically to support a local store.
Wanting to understand the pricing flexibility, I then asked about another card priced at $5 that was around $1.75 on TCGPlayer. While the dollar difference was still small, the percentage markup was significant, which is why I asked.
At that point, the explanations began to feel inconsistent. I was told they weren't going to "waste time repricing cards," which didn't really address the question, and that "nobody prices at market... unless they're a vendor," which directly contradicted my experiences at other local card shops earlier that same week. I was also told pricing could be flexible "if you're buying a lot," but by then the interaction felt more tense than welcoming.
I decided it was best to thank him for his time and leave.
Separately, my wife mentioned afterward that there was a noticeable odor in the store that made her feel dizzy, which prevented her from browsing at all.
To be clear, this review isn't about expecting market pricing. Stores are absolutely entitled to set their own prices, and customers are free to buy or walk away. As a matter of fact, I had already paid above market at other Honolulu card shops earlier in the week without issue. What stood out here was the tone of the interaction and the lack of hospitality, which didn't match the welcoming, passionate "mom and pop" experience described in many other reviews.
In hindsight, I'm glad I visited this store last. Had this been my first card shop experience in Honolulu, I might have been hesitant to visit others, something that would've been unfortunate, given how positive the rest of the local card scene turned out to be.
If the store responds by saying this was simply about price, I'd encourage readers to consider the overall customer experience being described.
That said, as we were walking out, I did receive a "thank you." and I guess that alone deserves at least a star.
