Visited CoreTCG for the first time and had a great experience. Darwin provided excellent customer service--he was knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely kind throughout my visit. He took the time to answer my questions and made everything easy to navigate, which I really appreciated as a first-time customer. Prices were also very fair, with some items even discounted compared to what I've seen online and at other stores. Overall, a really solid shop with great service. I'll definitely be back. read more

I came in for the first time recently and left a very negative review because I had a bad experience with customer service and was genuinely concerned about the condition/authenticity of what I purchased. After that,one of the Director's, Vigen, reached out and asked me to give the shop another shot. He was extremely kind, professional, and well spoken, and he took my concerns seriously. I went back in and had a completely different experience; Daniel was incredibly patient and helpful, and the rest of the team was friendly and quick to offer assistance as soon as I walked in. Even the employee who initially rubbed me the wrong way was polite and helpful the second time around. Most importantly, they made things right with me and I felt taken care of. I also picked up another ETB and had a great experience with it (even pulled some really nice Ultra Rare cards). I still wanted to update this publicly because I appreciate when a business actually listens and improves. Based on my second visit and how Vigen and Daniel handled everything, I'm comfortable coming back, and I plan to return soon. read more

Called this place 5 minutes before arriving and spoke to Daniel, who confirmed they had the trading cards in stock and quoted me $130 per box. I show up, and suddenly Daniel "doesn't remember" the call and refuses to honor the price. That's either extremely unprofessional or straight-up dishonest. On top of that, the attitude was rude and dismissive, like my time didn't matter at all. Don't quote prices over the phone if you're not going to stand by them. Wasted my time for nothing. Terrible customer service and zero accountability. Would not recommend. Also reporting this to the BBB. read more

Great staff. Went in because I had a pack I wasn't sure about and they help with clarification. They have a huge selection of packs, booster bundles, and etbs. I'm new to card collecting but they were really helpful here. read more

CoreTCG - Toy Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Everyone here is nice. I called on Christmas Eve to see if they had any one piece boxes. They were fast and answered my questions. Another time, they were almost closing, and again, they were nice and didn't feel rushed. read more

CoreTCG - Toy Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

The guys are great in there, super professional and helpful!! Best TCG shop ever! Price is very reasonable as well!

Great experience with CoreTCG! Vigen and the team are knowledgeable, responsive, and very professional. They offer excellent products at great prices, and they go above and beyond. Highly recommend if you're looking for a dependable TCG shop! read more

One of my go-to spots for years now. Always great prices and awesome service. Every time I go I end up buying hard to find items. 10/10 always recommend to people who are looking for a reliable spot. read more

This store is great, there is a bunch of selections, the staff are attentive, sometimes you have to wave them down as they are also busy doing something else, there are only a couple of guys behind the counter so you gotta be patient. They sell at marketplace prices, so it's quite pricey too. My only problem with this place is there is literally a tiny parking lot, parking is a hassle so I'd never stay to do a tournament.. read more

Amazing staff & Fire hits @ Core TCG! Love the family friendly environment and they have loads of gems Pokemon, One Piece, Dragonball & more!!! Definitely recommend coming here for prerelease drops & tournaments! read more

CoreTCG - One Piece Hits from Core TCG! - Toy Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Pretty surprised these guys have any bad reviews. They've been friendly since my first visit, and I actually stopped going to my other shops because their prices seem fair and consistent. As far as their pack pricing goes, I usually just look it up on their website while I'm in the store since it can get pretty crowded and I try not to take up too much time. Most of their prices are already online, which honestly adds to the consistency. I hate going into shops where you have to ask the price for every single thing you're interested in and they figure it out right in front of you. I like how they have set prices on most stuff instead of making it up as they go. There were a couple times one employee thought they were out of something, but another checked the back and found it. Other than that, I genuinely enjoy coming here. Danny and Charlie are always cool and helpful even if their Spanish is bad. read more

After being told by the stores agent via TCGplayer that I was out of luck despite repeated attempts to resolve the issue, I left a one-star review here. A higher-level representative later reached out, refunded my purchase, and went above and beyond to make things right. The original order was under $15. It really should not have been this difficult. I'm glad it's resolved, but I hope the initial agent is coached to apply common-sense discretion and given the ability to provide reasonable exceptions moving forward. read more

My fiancée stopped by this shop to pick up a few things for me. I asked over the phone if they could do a better price if I bought multiple packs. Instead of simply saying no, the employee responded that they have customers who spend $25,000 a day there. The comment felt unnecessary and dismissive. I understand businesses have pricing policies, but customer service matters. Unfortunately, based on this experience, I won't be returning. read more

| LOCATION + PARKING | Even with it being a busy and bustling Saturday morning, there was still (free) parking to be found both in the small lot located behind the building and on the surrounding streets. The location is easy to find -just look for howling rays and it's off to the left of that lol. | SELECTION | After having been to a few card shops, I can say CoreTCG is easily one of the best shops if not the best. The selection for Pokemon, MTG, One Piece, Yugioh (and a couple others I'm not sure of the names) is great! I was so shocked to see so many options lol. After getting into playing Pokemon TCG last month, I've had a lot of trouble finding cards, packs, ETBs & etc out in the wild. But walked in and immediately found everything I was looking for (which was both good and bad). | STAFF & SERVICE | There were a lot of people when my mini and I went in but we were asked by multiple different staff members if we needed anything. I really appreciated that because you could definitely tell the two of us were in need of help haha. Daniel was especially great! He was so helpful and patient while we asked a bajillion questions. He alone is honestly worth going back to CoreTCG lol. My mini was a little shy in the atmosphere (they were hosting tournaments/games so it was crowded. But Daniel made her feel just as important as everyone else there. We originally went in to pick up an online order I placed a few hours before they opened. Even though it's clearly stated on the website it's usually a 24 hour processing time, they were soooo nice and super expedited my wait time. They did it (46 cards) within 10-15mins! I was so grateful since I'm overly eager to build my decks lol. Talk about A+ service! | HIGHLIGHTS | Daniel & Jake -so friendly and welcoming that we went back twice in the same day LOLOL! The great selection & the prices! No crazy price gouging here! read more

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I came into the store a a few days ago for the pre Release of op15 got a lot of good information from one of the worker Wearing a dodger jersey very helpful and knowledgeable of the game one piece on building deck look forward to coming back to the store as a player now read more

The owner was so sweet, making sure he was able to give the local card community a chance to get to open Journey Together. He was selling them at MSRP! The man is a gem, this is my go to shop now. Prices are very fair, especially in the pokemon market right now that is so rare. There are plenty of tables to open packs and play or just hang out. It's very community friendly the staff are so helpful and never make me feel intimidated to ask questions. The vibes give read more

CoreTCG - Core TCG bags with one booster box & one ETB of Journey Together each. - Toy Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

Staff is great and always have a great selection from Pokemon, One Piece and my main game Lorcana. I drive from San Diego specifically for this store and always have what I'm looking for. Prices are fair as well in my opinion. read more

I pre-ordered OP13 boxes from them -- they billed my credit card then 3 weeks later, cancelled it because there was a difference in my billing and shipping address (without any email or phone notification) then it took me a total of 4 weeks to get my money back. Extremely shady business Update: After I submitted this review, they cancelled my refund and stole my money! I have to file a chargeback on my credit card! BBB report filed. AVOID this SCAM business. read more

CoreTCG - Toy Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Showed up Sunday at 11:15 left at 11:30 never going again. Waited in line took 5 minutes so far so good. Got to front asked an employee price of a product was told they were new couldn't help me and get back in line. Wierd he couldn't look it up but ok. Got in line again employees just talking to regulars about their plans. Waited 10 minutes and walked out. Never stopped their conversation first employee went to helping someoen they seemed to know and was able to ring them out. Seems if your not a regular u shouldn't expect service. They seemed to have good stock otherwise but never got to that point of purchasing. read more

Great staff, great product, great everything will be coming back! Genuinely so welcoming and always have what I need

I know LCS have a bad reputation for charging market, but these guys do their best to charge less than it, especially on release days. Staff is extremely helpful and patient. Might be controversial to say, but in this current market, it's really a matter of time vs money. I literally cannot afford to wait hours in line at Target just to have a chance at getting a specific product. Their single prices are extremely fair, and they often offer sales here and there. Staff are actually genuine Pokemon fans, so that's a plus. read more

This place was horrible, customer service was rude. The guy in the front was walking around asking me let me know what u need in a rude tone. Decided I wanted to get packs and asked for the price and looked up and down at me and was like hey so there 15 each. The vibe I got was they didn't even wanna be there or something like there annoyed. Let alone this people are scalpers and are charging way too much over market for some things. Never coming back to yhis trash place. Hope you guys go out of business read more

Solid spot to go pickup pokemon but make sure to negotiate. The prices are Ok. But seems like they will work with you ! Solid options for pokemon product sealed. NOT MUCH singles read more

I wanted a labubu from the "Big into Energy" collection and my husband (who goes to Core TCG often) noticed they had them. He bought me one and we joked about me pulling the Secret Labubu before I opened my box and I fact did pull the secret Labubu!! Thanks Core! :) read more

CoreTCG - The Secret Labubu I pulled from a box my husband bought me at Core TCG ‍ - Toy Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

I came here based on a recommendation from a friend, and I'm glad I did. I was gift shopping for my nephew who's really into Pokémon at the moment, and CoreTCG made finding something for him way easier than I expected. They have a massive selection of trading cards! I was helped out by Eddie, who was both patient and knowledgeable. I'm completely clueless about this stuff, and he walked me through everything. I told him how much I was looking to spend, and he showed me several Pokémon boxed sets within my price range while explaining what each one included. I know my nephew is going to be over the moon. Thank you, Core! read more

CoreTCG is hands down the best card shop I have ever been in. What makes Core different is their dedication to the player base. They not only carry product for all modern card games but put in the additional effort to cultivate an active player base through their tournaments and events. It doesn't matter if it's the hottest most profitable game, CoreTCG will support the community. Their dedication to the player extends into their excellent customer service as well. Shoutout to their front-of-house staff Darwin, Daniel, and Jake keeping things running smoothly and customers happy. These guys are knowledgeable, helpful and polite. It doesn't matter if you are a seasoned pro, a grandma buying for the first time or a literal baby, CoreTCG will treat you right and all at fair prices. All this and more is why I keep coming back. Plus they have Labubus now. read more

CoreTCG - This is my baby. They are very kid and baby friendly. - Toy Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This place seems to have forgotten about Yu-Gi-Oh. You can't even buy single packs anymore or browse singles in the glass cabinets. If you want any Yu-Gi-Oh cards, you're forced to buy booster boxes or tins. They used to carry singles packets, but decided to move away from it and focus on other products instead. On top of that, the process for asking for help is pretty disorganized. They had five employees working, but only two were actually helping customers while the other three just kept going to the back. It also feels like they mainly focus on their regulars--one guy was able to walk out, come back in, and skip the line entirely. Honestly, it was just frustrating and disappointing. read more

These guys are the best. They always take their time and answer every question I have. Specifically want to shout out Vigen, Darwin, and Daniel for always providing a personable touch to the service here. Their prices are very fair, always at or below market price for Pokemon product, which is what I come here for. I've been coming here for years, and will continue to come here! Thanks CoreTCG! read more

CoreTCG - Fusion Strike booster box - Toy Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

Core is the best shop to go to in the Pasadena Area. They have the best selection you can find, and the prices may be up there at times but it's still better then anywhere else. The gentleman at the front Darwin is always very helpful, conversational, and easy going. Every time I see him he makes the experience a great one. read more

Friendly and welcoming staff. Generous with TCG information and helpful with questions. Store is well decorated and has a fun vibe. They have an active TCG community that ranges in age from kids to adults from what I can tell. They could use a larger parking lot so heads up if there is an event there to go early. Pricing is fair for LGS and love that they limit popular items to curb scalping and provide as much inventory to as many customers as possible. Great job keep up the good work guys. Looking forward to the next time I can stop by. Maybe I'll even pull something cool from my next pack! read more

Would give 0 stars if i could. Over priced products and rude staff, the vibes were not it at all. Also rude over the phone. There's better shops in SGV with better prices and kind staff, go there instead. read more

I often come here to collect pokemon cards. What I love about this place is actually their website. Their website is the perfect place to buy singles for cheap and completing master sets. I order the cards online and it is ready for pickup the next day! When I come here, place is always packed with card players around and the ambiance is lively. Definitely worth a visit! read more

Really love this shop - I've come in with kids and watched the owner give them really great deals on Labubus, allowing them to trade cards for toys (and giving them very good prices for their cards). They do a lot of community outreach as well, including sponsoring youth sports teams. I don't know a ton about the card collecting subculture, but I do know that every interaction I've had with this store has been great! They put back into their community, which alone makes them a place I'm happy to support! read more

Great staff, amazing selection and great events for all different TCGs. Definitely highly recommend them as a one stop shop!

This shop is my go-to when purchasing Pokemon cards! They offer a ton more options, but their selection is always good. From Yu-Gi-Oh to Magic the Gathering, to Lorcana, the list goes on! I love that they are constantly getting new things, so the experience is never the same when you come into the store. The employees are the friendliest, too! Every time I have gone in, they have been very attentive to my needs. I have never felt ignored or unattended here, which is a big plus! The owners are really great people too. I went in during a new release and they were selling all their goods for retail price! It's a tough time for Collectors in this day and age, but they do a great thing for the community by offering these prices in this market. They really do care about their customers and it shows in their work ethic and their dedication to providing the best customer service to the community and collectors. I recommend anyone who's a collector to drop by here, I promise you won't regret it! read more

so I had gone in today for Mother's Day to get a few cards and packs for myself n family I first was help with a dude in a hoodie n laptop cool guy but , when I asked for the prices the rude employee at the front register with a wack haircut and bad Spanish said "I'm not going to tell you the prices , they vary so just pick one " and I was thrown off and so was my mother if you guys can do something about this please do so , because once I made an 80!$ dollar sale , he told my mother she couldn't have top loaders or sleeves , sucks to say I won't be coming here again but please fix this because I wouldn't want someone else going through this . read more

Visited for the first time this past week & CoreTCG left such a big first impression on me! I'm fairly new-ish to the TCG hobby but was recommended to this card shop by a friend & I'm glad I checked it out! Even in the Pasadena area it wasn't hard to find parking & the entrance. The storefront is really clean & spacious with a bunch of tables for customers. I was fortunate enough to buy the latest set of Pokemon cards for retail price on the day I went & the person who helped me was super kind and welcoming. With the selection of cards they had on display, I'm definitely gonna spend more time here in the future read more

Our neighborhood LGS! Very knowledgeable and kind hearted staff, who are just as excited, if not even more, when I pull a great hit from a pack! They show loyalty to their customers and are also very welcoming when new customers come in. Prices are very reasonable, and the selection is outstanding!!! my son and I won't buy cards anywhere else read more

I always love stopping by here when I'm passing by! They have a huge selection of major card games, specifically Pokémon and YuGiOh. Huge variety of single packs and boxes for a good deal. The staff is incredibly helpful no matter how busy it gets! They care about what you're purchasing, go the extra length to make a connection with you, and overall makes you feel welcome. They also have buckets of discounted items that are fun to look through. If you're a big TCG lover, this is a must-go! read more

Drove an hour after work on 9/19 to come and purchase some packs, their hours say until 8pm but they were closed by 7:40. Not coming back, why post hours if you're not gonna stick to them. Love this place but treat it like a business y'all. read more