I'm disappointed to see how many bulk, sub-par art materials that Hobby Lobby merchandisers in…read moretheir assortments. (Chinese 130lb watercolor paper? Seriously? FYI for non-watercolors t's out there - there Re standards... 90lb, 120lb, 140lb, 300lb etc.) They run regular sales of 30-40% off, but that just makes their pricing right on average with where it should be to complete with real art supply stores like Dick Blick. Be careful at checkout, too. Even though the price is marked at X, the checker may ring you up at X + 10% because "that's what the computer charged." Here's an example of pricing: individual student quality (Staedtler) watercolor pencil marked at $1.79, I was charged $1.99. I later was at Art Coop and they carried PRO quality watercolor pencils (Derwent) for $1.60 ea. I've visited Hobby Lobby for the last time. I won't be back.

I feel a little too much like my own mother spending an hour in a store like this; a store that…read moresells "fashion bandanas," fake flowers, foam stencils, and any number of other items that could easily be called "chotckes." However! Why did I spend an hour there? First I needed a frame. They had a bunch in the right size (Target had zero in the right size.) Then I needed some markers, brushes, and paints to reclaim the tiny drop of creativity I had in my life before I went to MIT. I was SHOCKED at how good the selection was, and how cheap. Then I thought maybe I would start making a scrapbook! This store made me want to start making a scrapbook! I barely made it out without a scrapbook! AH! Still doesn't meet muster for stationery (no premium papers or notebooks), but I'll be back. I know I'll be back. **Shudder**

Focused heavily on tabletop games, I've been in a couple of times while in town. The staff has…read morealways been incredibly helpful, and particularly patient when with my kid who's still getting into TCGs. I've driven ~1hr out of my way to visit them, supporting an excellent local business that complements the CU area.

I walked through the shop. Looked like a great place to play game. Had great selection of demo…read moregames you can play before you buy. Great selection of games, miniature, paint and paint supplies. I would return if I lived in Illinois.

Every university town requires a shambly old bookstore with overflowing shelves whispering wisps of…read morearcana to all who pass its portal. This is Urbana's. My favorite thing about this particular emporium of tomes, though, is that the kindly gentleman who owns it is a dead ringer for a beloved childhood fictional character, Professor Branestawm.

The best part of used bookstores is the element of serendipity. I find books I have loved that I…read morenever knew existed, and would never have known to search for them. New bookstores, in my view, are very limited in scope -- the owner has a particular taste, majority of titles (not counting classics) have been published in the last 1-5 years, from major publishing houses, almost everything has been on the NYT besteller's list. Very little element of surprise, few hidden gems. Used bookstores have so much more serendipity, so many hidden gems, so much more variety. And Priceless Books has this element of used bookstores, but twice as much as any other used bookstore I've been to. And I've been to a lot! On every road trip, if I'm just passing through, I check out their used bookstores. This one's special. Yes, it's messy and there's piles of books on the floor blocking the path (definitely not a wheelchair friendly store). Yes, you have to crane your neck to view titles up on the shelf. Yes, the store clerk is not gregarious (but does have a twinkle in his eye). But it's worth it! I have found so many books that my here that my life feels more complete having read them, and I never would have known of them if not for this store. This can be said of many a used book store, but Priceless Books just has more of it, and it's something special.

This place is your typical gathering place for board gamers (mostly tabletop RPG). They do carry a…read moresmall selection of board games for purchase and a separate rack of games you can play before purchasing (or just for fun). They have an extensive collection of figurines and paints for games like DnD, Pathfinder, etc. as well as handbooks and various rulebooks/info books for these games. The people are super friendly! The prices of games and books here, from what I looked at, were about $10 cheaper than other stores! Also, it's open late every night for fun. Only 4 stars because it smells like microwaved leftovers.

Great store with very friendly and knowledgeable staff who are extremely welcoming! They have a…read morewide selection and will always get you what you need! The game nights they host are great, and the later hours are really great for people who work till later in the day!

Champaign is so fortunate to have a store like this! Great products, great people and great…read moreservice. Staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend to anyone who appreciates quality!

I've been in the store a couple of times to look around and was impressed with how much product…read morethey have. Then just before Christmas decided I wanted to get some high quality hifi equipment and Geoff and Ryan spent almost a whole Saturday with me auditioning different set ups until I found something that way exceeded my expectations in performance. These guys really know what they are talking about and don't just sell you the most expensive stuff they have. In fact they helped me find a pair of speakers that eventually I traded in for something 3 times the cost. We are so lucky to have such a place in our area.

I so badly wanted to like this place. My husband and I are huge fans of game/puzzle shops. However,…read morethe staff is really rude. My husband was interested in purchasing a chess set, and lifted up the top of the box to see the size of the chess pieces. The worker yanked it out of his hands and yelled at him. It's fine to tell him not to open a box (although he was in no way damaging it), but this should have been handled differently, particularly as one of the reasons people go to these stores rather than shopping online is to see what they are buying. The games and puzzles are also way over-priced. You can find them for half the price on Amazon. Apparently they also have a horrible return policy. You can return only an unopened item and only for store credit and only within a short period of time. I will never buy anything from this store again.

I went to the store in Champaign the evening of 10/3 and my friend and I were in there for almost…read morean hour. The two women who worked there were genuinely excited about various games and thus very good at selling them. There were open games all over the store so we tried a bunch out and the women recommended games based on other games we liked. It was an awesome experience and much better than buying games online! I would love it if this store had events :)

Conveniently located in downtown Champaign near the Illinois Terminal (Amtrak, MTD buses) and a…read morestone's throw from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, Exile on Main Street has a fantastic selection of new and previously loved vinyl, CDs, cassette tapes, and more. I recently met the owner, Jeff Brandt, at the store while my partner was on the hunt for Taylor Swift and Charli XCX vinyls. Jeff was immediately attentive and we struck up conversations about Taylor Swift, the positives and areas of improvement downtown Champaign could use, the area's history as a musical mecca, and much more. It was easy to see how much love and sweat equity he's put into the community and the store. An adjacent vintage store has closed but Exile regularly hosts pop-ups, underscoring its community-first vibes. When you're looking for vinyl finds, skip online, Target and chains and support institutions like Exile on Main!

This is the THE record store to visit in Champaign-Urbana. Yeah, there's Record Swap if you want…read moreused classic rock or See You Vinyl with their dozens of records, but Exile is the place to be. The store itself has an interesting layout that promotes exploration and discovery. There's a nice mix of used and new vinyl, (mostly used) CDs, and even some cassettes and VHS tapes. I'd say Exile's strengths are all things indie, major artists from the 90s onward, classic rock, and a bunch of niche stuff. I like to find reissues of 90s and 00s electronic stuff there, and they typically stock new jazz releases from Blue Note and some of the other big labels (not a huge selection, but everything they have is good). Of course, this is just my perception. You'll find each genre well represented. If you don't see what you want, the owner is happy to get it for you. He's a great guy with a deep knowledge of music. He actually has a whole section that he's selling from his personal collection, which is an interesting category. It's like a bunch of great titles that have been out of circulation for a long time. Overall, this is a fun place to find good music. Check it out.

Rad Lad Games opened when I was still in High School, and I was one of the first people to support…read morethe store. Since then, I've graduated and gone off to college, but this store is a highlight of every trip back to Illinois. Andy and his staff do great work to create a good environment. The store is always clean, has such a wide selection of games, and when you walk through those doors, you know respect is given to you, so long as you give it to everyone else in the store. That's not to mention how generous Andy is with prizing for events, frequent sales, and so much more. If you're looking for a game store in the Champaign region, my personal belief is that you will not find a better place than Rad Lad Games.

Excellent LGS, top notch experience. Hidden treasure of Mahomet. From the staff, the community,…read moreto the ownership, a great place for your family or playgroup.