They had one piece and no pokemon. Retail at $12 / pack which is insane, but I just wanted to open…read moresome. Staff were super nice.

I've been going to Gator Games and Hobby in San Mateo for a while now, and it's been my go-to spot…read morefor card collecting. They carry a really wide selection--everything from Pokémon and sports cards to Warhammer 3000 figures and other card game essentials. It's definitely a convenient one-stop shop if you're into multiple hobbies. They also host game days, which is a nice touch. Depending on the card game, you can usually find matches going on and a community of players to connect with, which adds to the overall experience.

I like this place for pokemon cards! They have a bunch of individual packs along with sets. Pricing…read morewas good or comparable to tcg. They don't have a contract with bandai yet so I got the one piece cards elsewhere else. They also have a ton of magic cards upfront. This is definitely one of the larger and newer stores in the peninsula. The staff here are super nice and patient, esp when I couldn't make up my mind on what to grab.

This experience happened around October 2025, and I'm just now getting around to posting about it…read more I've been here a couple of times before and had pretty solid experiences, which is why this visit stood out in a disappointing way. I originally started coming here because they have a large selection of Pokémon cards, which is definitely a plus. On this visit, I came in with a friend, and we were both excited to browse. When we first walked in, the employee helping us was fine--friendly enough and doing his job. When we were ready to check out, he called over someone he referred to as the "Pokémon specialist." That person didn't come over right away, so the original employee continued helping us. Midway through the checkout process, the other guy finally stepped in to take over. This is where things started to feel off. He only looked at maybe two of the cards and then began typing numbers into his calculator without explaining what he was pricing or showing me how he was calculating the total. I was just watching him enter numbers with no transparency. He gave me a total that was over $100, which didn't sound right. Earlier, when I walked into the store, I specifically asked if they price match TCG online prices, and both employees--including him--said yes. One of the cards I wanted was $10 online, but the sticker price in-store said $15. When I pointed that out and mentioned the online price, he simply responded, "That's the sticker price," without checking or acknowledging the earlier price-match conversation. That felt frustrating and inconsistent. I told him I didn't want that card anymore, and he adjusted the total down to around $90. When I was about to pay, I asked if I could use Venmo. He said yes, but instead of explaining the process, he just stood there. I had to ask how to send the payment and what their Venmo was, and only then did he pull out a piece of paper with the account information. The interaction felt awkward and unprofessional. He was also kind of slamming the cards on the counter while calculating the total, which didn't sit well with me considering these are collectible items. After we left, my friend and I both agreed the whole interaction just felt off. Like I said, I've had good experiences here before, which makes this one more disappointing. They have a great Pokémon selection, but this last visit left a sour taste in my mouth and made me hesitant about coming back or recommending to my friends.

I called in to place preorders on a couple of MTG x FF decks on Feb 19th and whoever picked up the…read morecall said they would write down my name and orders for when they set up the pre-order list up. Everything cool, right? Well, it turns out, no. I came in today since I was in the area to double check if I was on the list and was not. They completely forgot to add me in and the list was so long, it was highly unlikely I would get the decks I pre-ordered. They told me it would be best to go to another shop to order and was not at all apologetic about the mishap. In fact, there were no apologies made. I really wanted to support a local card shop but the lack of accountability and the poor customer service makes it very difficult to do so. I won't be back.

An okay stop for tabletop games and minis, but nothing that really wowed me. The selection is…read moredecent, and you'll find the popular titles and basics you'd expect, of course. Staff were polite and professional, but the energy felt pretty flat, which made the visit less engaging. It's fine if you're already in the area and need a specific item, but not a destination I'd go out of my way for.

I'm here to give a shout out to Akiba HQ for bringing an interesting store to downtown San Mateo…read morethat isnt another boba tea shop or noodle restaurant. They've been open since the summer, but I don't I notice them getting much foot traffic, probably due to lack of visibility, parking, or publicity. Tucked along 3rd Ave & Railroad Ave, fans of Japanese anime, gundam, manga, die cast, models, and figurines will find their heavenly spot. This store is jam packed with lots of toys & collectibles & cute display figures, ranging from robots, to monsters to buxom Japanese girls reminiscent of the Akihabara prefecture in downtown Tokyo. They have pre-made figurines, build & paint yourself models, plushies, cards, charms, candies, and keychains. They also sell the necessary quality paints, brushes, and tools to build & perfect your own models. The layout of the store is nice, with one side holding most of the kits available, alongside with nice displays of accessories, toys, model building supplies, a counter, and candy & souvenirs. The other side of the store is like a Japanese anime/manga museum & display! It is one continuous LONG showcase that is well lit, clean, and organized, if some of the most amazing figurines thst you can build (and/or buy). Lots of eye candy here thst I cannot even describe in words, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. This store is fun, whether you are into collecting, building, or, just like me, browsing, learning, and gawking. Some reminded me of my childhood watching action cartoons & reading comic books. Others just wowed me with their attention to detail, design, and colors. It is indeed like a candy store here, but the candy is Japanese figurines. I plan to go back soon to buy some kits to see if I can recall & relive my childhood and build up some nice models. Downtown San Mateo is having some sort of retail resurgence for stores other than food or drink, and Akiba HQ, alongside with Nakoko, Clawsome, and Fanloli are leading the charge. With the departure of Talbots and B Street Books, it's nice to have another type of retail store here to browse, shop, and relive memories (or make new ones) in between dinner, movies, and bar hopping. Akiba HQ also has locations in Hayward & Davis, but we are lucky to get one here in San Mateo! Now, you don't have to go to Japantown or Tokyo to get your figurine fix, it's literally right here all in one, tiny, jam-packed store!

If you like anime blind boxes, figures, Gundam, and plushies this place will be heaven! The store…read moreis on the smaller side but still stuffed to the brim with so much merchandise. They had a lot of popular series such as: Hunter x Hunter, Sakamoto Days, Dan Dan Dan, Haikyu, Blue Lock etc. I got two Sakamoto Days blind boxes and they were $11-$13 each which I expected. They have a lot of tsum tsums and small figures in the blind boxes. Also +1000 stars for having Ace Attorney displayed on their return policy! I suspect I will be dropping a lot of money over the months at this store. I really like cute blind boxes and they had a lot of them that I would have been happy with getting any of the choices on the box!

Electronics and hobby stores are becoming more and more rare. It's unfair to compare with the days…read moreof Radio Shack, Circuit City or even Fry's because they just don't exist, and their demise has been for reasons most shoppers can figure out - especially whose who review places like Jameco and then say "I'll just go to Amazon next time." One less sale to a brick and mortar store. One less interaction with a human who can answer a question IRL and IRT. One missed opportunity to see and touch product for yourself. Sure you might get a sour reply. Or an agent who doesn't know a picofarad from a PC board. You might also get damaged deliveries from Amazon. Sure the return process is relatively painless, but the time spent is less productive than hammering out whatever issue it is with the store. I bought two Arduino kits from Amazon. One was damaged and couldn't be used so I searched for replacements and looked at Jameco. Their site yielded pages of replacements and alternatives. Between the selection and the descriptions, I was able to what I was looking for a a few things I didn't know I needed. Kind of like browsing at Fry's. Yes, they have minimum quantity purchases for many items. Yes, your browsing is going to be mostly online. When I went to pick up my items, the display area was basically the lobby. The person at the desk could answer some questions and "a guy in the back" could provide more detail. This is what it takes to maintain a physical retail presence for many specialty shops these days. I learned of Anchor from someone else, and I'll visit that store one day. But it's twice as far from me as Jameco, and Jameco delivered what I needed.

Purchased power supply. If failed in 2 weeks. They will not refund. I have to purchase a second…read moreone and hope it works. Damn useless. This was response from them. Hi Ben, We cannot do refund on power supply it only goes for repair. Thanks Rohani Singh Customer Service Rep 650.802.1541 / 800.831.4242 rsingh@jameco.com

This store is located at a great Plaza, you can shop and grab coffee nearby. They have food spots…read moreas well and a big ole target and there is plenty of parking . The store is well organized and they have good customer service.

For various reasons, I didn't shop at Hobby Lobby for the longest time, but the disappearance of…read moreJoAnne's Fabrics leaves no other local place to shop for fabric. Since going in for sewing projects, I've slowly fallen in love with all of the other wonders inside this amazing store. I swear they have everything! The other day I needed to repair a piece of jewelry and found a whole department in HL with anything needed to make rings, necklaces, bracelets and more, all at great prices. They have gorgeous wall art and fun trinkets for the backyard and garden. Need art supplies? They've got you covered. Honestly, they have things that I didn't even know existed. I could walk around for hours marveling at the vastness of this store and all of its hidden secrets. The biggest learning curve was figuring out the alternating discounts throughout the store. Don't pay full price for anything there because it'll likely go on sale the following week. Download the app so that you don't get confused. Hobby Lobby has it all. No, seriously. Go see for yourself.

If you like Funko Pops, this is your place…read more Seems to have a lot of stuffed animals, Gunko Pops, and high-end weirder Japanese builds with robots that I've never heard of or weird Anime builds. It's better than having an empty space, but this place is pricey, and there was only one associate when I went. She was at the counter, so don't expect much help here.

Cute pop culture store in San Mateo Hillsdale Mall! Lots of merchandise from anime shirts, plush…read moreanimals, figurines, playing cards, and more. Wide selection to find gifts for a friend who's into anime.

Super pleasant owner, Tony, who showed me around his shop. Great selection of sports memorabilia…read moreis available at all price points. Highly recommended. I hope to shop here again soon.

Had them frame some autographed jerseys to put in my Man Cave / Gym. The prices were competitive…read moreand they sat down with me to choose background colors, frame options, and materials. Took them only a week or so and the end product looks great. I will 100% be coming back to them for any future jersey framing needs.

I've gone to Lefty's twice this week (and have called them three times) just for Yugioh Rarity…read moreCollection V (such a great set btw). On Monday, I called to reserve a box of RA05, and the older gentleman there was kind enough to hold it for me. Came by and bought it, and was in and out of the door. I actually pulled the overframe Super Polymerization. I felt so good about pulling that, I called them again the next day to reserve another box. The lady that picked up let me know they were running low on RA05, but let me know I'd be able to purchase it before the end of the day as she reserved it for me. Sick. So I came by, got the box and six loose booster packs... and pulled a Starlight overframe Shooting Quasar Dragon. I gave the box to my homie, and he wasn't so lucky with his pulls, unfortunately. I haven't been to Lefty's since 2022 (when The Grand Creators and Ghosts from the Past 2 were out), but I intend on returning for new YGO releases. Love their vibe and the pricing on RA05 was pretty fair. I plan to be back again!

First time checking this spot out and great selection of everything from sports, pokemon, and etc…read more I bought a few 151 pokemon packs and prismatics. Pulled a gold card off a prismatic and that was pretty awesome. Value on the pokemon is was above msrp so just an fyi. Friendly staff that let you choose the packs you wanted in the pile. Im eyeing one of the sf giants legends signed ball for the future!

What a funny store…read more The employee said they've been here for a year, but I've never noticed it. Great place for unique gifts like sushi socks or Japanese plush animals. Discount section in the back. They sell jewelry, though limited in the front. Mostly horoscope or Moon themed.

I went in there with my kids (who always get me to buy things for them) and was greeted…read moregenerically. I was hoping to purchase a utensil set for them, but nowhere on the packaging did it say what was inside the case. I couldn't tell if it was chopsticks and a spoon, a fork and a spoon, or all three. The item was already unsealed, so I reopened it to take a look and got rudely scolded by the person working there. None of us wanted to shop there anymore and left. If you don't want people to open the item, you need to display what is inside or have descriptions nearby. Salespeople should not scorn you for trying to figure it out. There are also nicer ways of asking someone not to do something, so that they still want to come back.