Sweet Holy Mother of Christ!!! DON"T PUT THAT IN HIS HANDS!!!…read more I hate this store with a passion. Stomping feet tantrum throwing kind of hate! This is the kind of store that every parent should avoid. Why? If you're a parent, or a kid at heart, you know exactly why I hate this store. They have every single kick ass toy under the sun...and yikes... the toys are also educational and beneficial to your child's development, and there is absolutely no way that you can walk out empty-handed. I think that my husband and I both had SUCKER stamped boldly on our foreheads. They have the full line of Melissa & Doug toys. I've never seen that many available anywhere. I am a sucker for their products. They also carry many vintage reproductions of toys that I had played with as a child. The store is neat, and easy to navigate and displayed well within your child's reach. Every shelf featured something to ooh and ahh about and brought back some really happy childhood memories. The staff? Grrr. Incredibly friendly. Too friendly, and too involved. So involved that they know how to close a deal! I would have been perfectly happy if they ignored me, because if they did, I wouldn't have spent so much money!! My son is always eager to make friends and their salesperson leapt at the opportunity. The two of them walked around like old friends, holding hands discussing the merits of various toys, while my husband and I trailed behind like hired help carrying his packages. He was in search of yet another replacement of his dancing "Puttin on the Ritz" skeleton. They didn't have it of course..but they did have a life size skeleton puzzle with all the parts named. And then that evil saleswoman..if she had a mustache and top hat...I could picture her rubbing her hands together smirking...places that box in my son's hand!!!! Pure torture I tell you! Once she did that ....it was sold! We ended up spending way more money in that store than I had anticipated....and my husband even bought a toy for himself. A vintage repro robot toy that he recognized from his youth. Besides the giant skeleton, we bought a ton of art supplies for his brand new art easel, and a magnifying glass because he wants to study bugs close up. We could barely carry all our purchases!

I went in looking for a gift for my friend's nieces. Rudest staff! Did not event greet me or offer…read moreany help of any kind. I would not recommend.

Japanese culture is the name of the game here. Yeah, you can buy most of this stuff for cheaper…read moreon-line, but where is the fun in being able to shop with your hands for all the plushies and collectibles available. They do a nice job of organizing here, and can spend a bit of time just browsing.

whoever can afford this place than you can afford to fly to. Japan, yes it's imported, in bulk the…read moremark up is robbery, no sales ever, employees get 10% off, joke

"For here Am I sitting in a tin can…read moreFar above the world Planet Earth is blue And there's nothing I can do" Au contraire, Major Tom! There is so very much to do at Playoddity! Activity sets, classes, sets for the family. It is a bit confusing as this is a large open space. Lots of fun items.

Amazing, one of a kind concept. Very unique interior and products for special gift or if you are…read morelooking for something to do with your kids. Everyone at the store is super friendly and helpful. I also heard the birthday parties are awesome, we plan to schedule one for April.

What a fantastic small business!! Allison was able to help me select wonderful learning and…read moreinteractive toys for my nephew and nieces. She asked me what their interests were and their ages. She showed me a great variety to choose from and I almost wanted to buy them all. Additionally she offered to order some STEM toys for a future gift. Highly recommend going here for the great customer service and wonderful selection.

I needed a gift for a kids birthday party and stopped in to Sage Explorers yesterday. Allison was…read moreso helpful. She pointed out several great options for a girl turning 8. She even demonstrated some games for me. They have a unique assortment of educational toys and brands that I had not seen anywhere else, including Seedling crafts and MudPuppy puzzles. They have a great selection for babies too. I picked up two items for the gift and she wrapped them beautifully. They just started doing kids birthday parties, too. I am so glad to have a toy store in town again, as I am usually grabbing a gift on the way to the party!

As a retired teacher, I now love shopping here for my grandkids. Unique gift ideas that are…read moreeducational! I would have loved a store like3 this when I was teaching. I appreciate the pleasant staff and that they wrap my gifts so beautifully. They have a FREE bookcase of used books, which is also popular.

This store is AMAZING!! So so so bittersweet that I found it as they began closing. I wish I had…read morefound it sooner but there's still so many amazing gems to be found!! Please do yourself a favor and stop in before they close for good! So sad what's happening to all the small business around.

cant say enough good things about the owner AND the store. i have been buying comics and action…read morefigures for nunerous nephews and friends kids for the past couple of years and i ALWAYS check here first. Hai is knowledgeable , passionate and never anything but polite and helpful. He never pushes anything but always remains helpful with suggestions about the merchandise. Again , I am truly ignorant of all things super hero and comic book - but Hai is always patient and good natured about it and birthdays and Christmas have been easier as a result. Highly recommended !!!

Great selection, helpful owner and great service. Got some Indy books that were signed by the…read morecreator!

This is the BEST comic store I have been to ever and the variety from comics to children's books in…read moreincredible and the prices are perfect I was able to get 6 comics for 20-30 bucks. The guy at the front counter is so helpful an his service In helping find something in the store is amazing also when you buy comics from there you can trade them in for different ones which is so nice cause I wanted to read a long series but only had enough for around 4 comics at the time so I bought the three comics and returned them so I could finish the series. Also they have action figures from marvel and I forget maybe DC. Also the quality of the comics are amazing no bends or scratches so overall this is an amazing comic store and I love going 5 stars all around a d I really hope for this business to continue.

I'm updating this as Jay's has really taken their shop to the next level. Improved store branding…read moreand decor. Increased square footage. Expansion of trades, back issue selection including plenty of wall books with keys and CGC. They carry all the associated toys, pops, statues,etc...but for me I'm there for the comics. Jay's easily has the widest selection of back issues (raw and slabbed) within an hour driving distance. Get in your car and check it out.

If you walk into FYE at Gurnee Mills, you'll notice it's like Hot Topic and a candy store had a…read morehyperactive pop culture baby. Everywhere you look, boom!!! Anime, music CDs, DVDs (yes, those still exist), t-shirts, plushies, snacks, and enough Funko Pops to make your shelves cry for mercy. You've got Keroppi and Hello Kitty winking at you from one corner, Demon Slayer staring dramatically from another.... and, of course, i had to grab those Demon Slayer glasses. Bc who doesn't want to sip juice like a true anime protagonist? In short, if your vibe is "chaotic fandom energy meets sugar rush," FYE is your temple!!!

The store manager Christian is amazing, his playlist is top tier! He's a vibe, def a dream part…read moretime job. I'll be back in the summer for an application lol. Coming back for him, he's so cool

this guy named jeff is amazing! he showed me all his trains!…read moreif you have kids that like trains this is a amazing place for them! please come here-Henry

Ron's Mundelein Hobbies is a gem. The main focus is on model railroading. Train sets, locomotives,…read moreindividual cars, buildings and materials for landscaping layouts are offered. A large selection of model cars, airplanes and ships is also on hand. Large stocks of Tamiya and Vallejo paints, cyanoacrylate and plastic glues are maintained. K&S Metal and Evergreen Plastics products are there for the scratch builder. And model rockets are also offered. That is a lot of good stuff, but what makes Ron's a gem is the service and the people working there. Stop in sometime, you will see what I mean.