It's the post-Halloween season and from now until December 26th stores like win the attention of…read moremany. People need fake trees, ornaments, children-sized Santa dolls, holly and mistletoe and people get it everywhere, but no one does it better than this place. It is its lot in life and while places like Hallmark sell Christmas in all forms too, it does not sell it 365 days a year - that's where Holiday Magic comes in. I had to wait to speak to the manager for 30 minutes yelpers, 30 MINUTES. He was that busy - the lines were winding around the store, almost out the door. I had to wait my turn because people buying for Christmas can get a little crazy, you know - they were staring at me all wide eyed thinking I was trying to cut in. No - I just wanted to ask the manager how he managed to stay open for the entire year. But I got my answer without having to ask him anything. This store has insane foot traffic - AND according to the man, it was a slow day! It's at the heart of Crown Center and one of the first shops people go into when they visit because it's located at the top of the escalator between the first and second floors. There has been a Christmas-themed store open at this exact location for about 20 years - so if anyone wants to run a business that is seemingly untimely 10 months out of the year - these are the people to talk to. Once it was my turn to talk with the most popular man in Crown Center - he told me that ornaments were statistically (and I don't know where he got this information) purchased randomly more than any other item. He was saying, in other words, that people with no intent to buy anything would end up forking over cash for an ornament over anything else! That's crazy! But people are crazy and it works - the crowds made it look like Christmas was tomorrow. The owner's are not against selling a few other things not under the specification of holiday merchandise. In the very front, there was a tree decorated with Halloween ornaments and Halloween napkins were on a side table next to rows and rows of other Halloween decorations (I went to the store on Halloween) and people were emptying this part of the store for last minute things. In one of their many windows, they fashioned an entire Irish Christmas display to pull people inside based on the common heredity in Kansas City (a very smart move). I've already made a promise to return to buy a few Irish ornaments I feel my collection is lacking. It's very smart of them to headline this. While talking to the owner, he revealed to me that the new Christmas store in Town Center Plaza (3 French Hens) was opened by the same person who used to manage Holiday Magic - and having been to both, I can clearly see that this store is the better of the two. It has four times the merchandise and it has more options than just trees and ornaments. It's just as pricey as 3 French Hens - but better worth your time and more suiting to a variety of holiday needs for people (remember: 3 French Hens is for a merry Johnson County Christmas while Holiday magic is for a merry Kansas City Christmas).

They sell Christmas stuff…read more That's it. Unique things true, but that's all they do. It's a good shop for that purpose.

Very helpful staff! Nice selection of witches hats. Beautiful mardi gras masks. Very reasonable…read moreprices. I also picked up a witch costume jewelery bracelet- love it! (It will blend in well with my real jewlery.) Also bought my little Princess some cute accessories.

You know those crappy pop-up Halloween shops that you occasionally see from October 1 through…read moreNovember 1? This is definitely not one of them. This is a full blown costume shop, full of wigs, masks, fabrics, props, and even rental costumes. It's become the first place I think of for any type of costume, and you can usually find something solid here. Props to the staff who, on a Saturday before Halloween, handled a jam-packed shop with aplomb. I was impressed with how friendly and helpful everyone here was. Most of the costumes and props here are priced in the expected range, with a couple things jacked up a notch. I grew up having my seamstress mom making everything for me each year, so it's a bit of an adjustment to see everything store bought. It doesn't mean it's not as good, but it would be cool to feature some local crafters or costume maestros here to give it a personalized feel.

Super nice staff here. 2 different people greeted me warmly, and another asked if I needed help. A…read morefourth person at the register was so sweet and gave me a coupon for a month free of a new movie streaming service they have that sounds a lot like Netflix- excited to try it! Even 3 days before Valentine's Day, there were still plenty of cards to choose from, and they were re-stocking more as I was there. I love that they have all different price points. You can spend 99 cents on a card or 10 dollars- or anywhere in between, and the quality is high no matter what. They also have an amazing gift section- candles, jewelry, tea, magnets, puzzles, stuffed animals, shirts, stationery, the most beautiful wrapping paper and bags, Vera Bradley items... You name it they've got it. And the candy and chocolate- such a huge selection! From single serve truffles to Jelly Belly jelly beans to popcorn to high-end chocolates, just to name a few. Love it all. Even though the store is packed with stuff, it doesn't feel messy or crowded. It's very attractively laid out and extremely clean.

Glad it is still here - we are running low on hallmark shops in KC…read more Since the tragic loss of my lovely store in PV, this has now become my Hallmark go-to store. The store is very clean and well organized. Staff is seemingly friendly...the manager is quite attentive and helpful. They don't offer helium filled balloons which is too bad...cards and balloons should come from the same store in my opinion. Really wish this place wasn't so far from home...it is not conveniently located for me but alas, it is the nearest option now that Brookside and PV have lost their Hallmark stores...hope this one isn't next!

My family decided to drive down to Leavenworth for a fun afternoon (bet Michael Vick has never said…read morethat), and this was our first stop. What a neat store! It has three floors--the second level, which is the main level, has a large collection of Banbao toys, which are like Legos but cheaper. They also had many other cool things like models, marbles, and marshmallow guns (and plenty of other things that don't start with the letter M). The top floor had more toys, such as a wall of Playmobile, some German toys, and some more neat models, including models of Leonardi da Vinci's inventions that you can put together and actually make work. There are also some toddler and preschool level toys, like pretend food and Melissa & Doug puzzles and toys that teach skills like tying shoes. The bottom level is a model train lovers dream. We love looking at model trains but absolutely aren't into making them, but it was really cool to look around and see what a model train enthusiastic world is like. Customer service is great. I think we spoke with the owners, or at least some of the main employees, and they were super nice, showing our shy children some of the toys and letting my kids try them out. It was clear that they really love toys and their customers. We left without buying anything, but we're hoping to come back soon and give them our business!

Miracle workers! We had a last minute ask from one of our kids for Christmas and Dad's came…read morethrough. We were able to pay over the phone and pick up Christmas Eve day. Great customer service!

I've challenged myself as of late to shop at local toy stores instead of the big box options, and…read moreThe Learning Tree might be the best in the area. It's pretty big, has a massive selection, and even offers a child sized door that kiddos can walk into on their own making it extra fun for them to explore. This place has been around since I was a kiddo and it still delivers. Pro tip: they will even gift wrap for you!

Some things you never outgrow, and for me, toys stores are one of them. While it's not me begging…read morefor everything I see, I know my 10 month old had a great time looking at (and tasting?) everything until we found her a new toy at The Learning Tree. I'll call out the elephant in the room and say that sometimes, yes, unfortunately for nice small businesses like these, it's easiest to order something off of Amazon and have it arrive on your doorsteps. However, there's a lot of value in supporting these local shops to offset that. For starters, they're very friendly here and help you out whenever you need anything. Secondly, you can make sure your little ones will like their toys before you pull the trigger. All those combine to also support a cool local toy store that adds to a sense of community. We found some great things for our little ones, and a few things I found to be too pricey for what they were. I think it's a nice little toy store in a family-oriented neighborhood and one we'll keep in our back pocket for gifts for sure.

This cute little boutique is situated in a shopping center across from the Shawnee library. The…read moreowners are SO kind and stock their store with unique farmhouse-like decor, candles, gifts galore, and mill valley hs, chiefs, and royals attire. If I need a birthday gift for someone, I always come here to find something and it's always a huge hit. I love the unique cards they have by the register, too. I always get compliments when I hand them out, whether it be for a birthday, thank you card, or just because. I definitely recommend checking this place out!

First time into Painted Tree and it's a great way to support local entrepreneurs. Mini stores or…read moreboutiques, small little booths with merchandise of that owner. You'll find metal work, clothes, food, ceramics of many kinds

I went to Painted Tree because I had heard Anita's Famous Rolls was selling their baked goods here…read moreafter shuttering their brick and mortar location last month. Not only did I find her product, I was a bit overwhelmed with the size of the space and the amount of makers, artists and crafters selling their wares and some vendors with unique mass produced items. With over 300 booths selling everything from small batch food items, crazy socks, chainsaw art and of course lots of KC Chiefs and Taylor Swift inspired art and clothing. This is truly a gift givers paradise. I will return here first when I need a unique gift for anyone.

A hippie crunchies dream. Fair trade, antiques, small makers and artisans. While they usually focus…read moreon jewelry there are also purses, clothes, candles, crystals, trinkets, socks and all kinds of amazing gift ideas! This store has been around for over 20 years bringing a hippie BoHo magic style to the old downtown beautiful Lees Summit. Welcome knowledgeable staff is the cherry on top. Prices range from cheap to fancy.

My favorite place to shop for unique gifts for my friends and family. The owner and employees are…read morekind and helpful. A must see when in downtown LS.