I've been coming here since 2018/2019. The owner is a great guy who will always take the time to…read moretalk to every customer who comes in. They have great board games, magic the gathering, and Pokémon product all for a great price. I would highly recommend coming here and checking out the store. There's a second store in DeKalb IL as well.

This store is right by my favorite laundromat, so I decided to take my son over to check it out…read more For those of you unaware (not that I'm an expert or know anything of substance about it) there's a card game called Magic (the Gathering) and people who enjoy it can play for hours on end, completely content and completely engaged. The reason we came here was that my son is learning to play Pokemon, which (if you're also unaware) is a card game with more simple rules for younger audiences to play for hours on end, completely content and completely engaged. We were hoping to find some Pokemon cards for purchase, and to see if anyone was playing. We found a small selection of Pokemon products, but were completely astonished by the overwhelming catalog of Magic cards, sets, posters, mats, and several tables with several players engaging in their favorite pastime. I commented to one of the co-owners, Justin, on how cool this place was and how I didn't know anything about Magic, but could appreciate the passion that these players had around the game. Justin politely excused himself and brought me several decks of Magic cards and handed them over! He let me know that they give out free starter packs for people who are trying to see if they like the game or not. It was just a sampling of what some call "cardboard crack", Justin told me. He invited us back to play any time, and even promised to hold the last Pokemon starter set for my son to purchase after saving his allowance. This is how you run a small business : focus on something you love, your passion... show customers how much you love it... and share it! There's a huge selection of other games and accessories, but we'll be back for the Pokemon cards, and maybe an engaging game of Magic.

I was so excited to see a new game shop open in the Gurnee area. I was not dissapointed…read more Conveniently located North of 41 off Delany in Delany Square, super easy spot to get to with tons of parking. JJ the owner was extremely welcoming and clearly loves his job. A talented maker offering unique and custom items ranging from 3D printing to laser cutting and engraving. He's also a talented painter willing to help with supply recommendations and techniques. Impressive rare collections items and knowledge of a wide range of subjects made my visit very nice. 2 large semi private gaming table areas for players and collectors. Tons of positive energy makes this stop a must for all gamers and collectors. ~5 out of 5~

My friend and I wanted to meet up to play some board games and we decided to check out True…read moreNeutral. JJ was incredibly friendly and welcoming. He offered us coffee and a table for us to play our games free of charge. At the end, my friend left a $20 tip for the hospitality.

We had driven around the square in Woodstock, determined to continue on our trip to Minneapolis,…read morewhen either my boyfriend's mom or sister noticed a little shop tucked in among the other stores. They convinced my boyfriend to make another loop around the square and park in front of the quaint shop because we had to check it out. I'm so glad they made us turn around. The Backdrop is a find that is chock full of so many other great finds. This is a gift shop that makes you want to buy a few things for yourself -- which I did. The Backdrop has cards, pillows, trinkets, jewelry, novelty books, home decor and other doo-dads a-plenty. We spent more than the five minutes we told my boyfriend we would take perusing everything. And so many of the finds were very affordable, such as the locket I got for about $15 and a print about beer for $12. The owners -- or at least I believe they are the owners -- were also great to chat with. They had actually been down to Kentucky for Kentucky Crafted, and they had a better knowledge of past Kentucky governors than I have. It was nice to talk to someone who is passionate and easy to talk to about my fave state. It's probably good that I don't live in Woodstock or else I spend way too much money at The Backdrop on a regular basis.

Learning to speak Klingon can be a daunting task. You don't want to pronounce something incorrectly…read moreand find you've just called some temperamental Klingon a butthead by accident. So you can see why it came in so handy when I happened upon this cute shop in Woodstock Square that sold a book teaching Klingon. The Backdrop is one of the more unusual home decor shops I've ever come across. I could look for hours and spend a fortune. There are a lot of unique items such as the aforementioned Klingon book (see pic), weird and creepy mounted doll heads, beeswax art, beautiful handmade jewelry, and a ton of truly unique home decor. It is probably my favorite shop in Woodstock. I feel like you can find something for everyone at this store. If issued the challenge, I dare say I could buy for everyone on my Christmas list here. I could certainly buy a bunch for myself! Items found here are moderate to pricey, but you are definitely paying for a carefully curated collection of items, and in my book, unique equals special, so I very much appreciate finding items here I can't elsewhere. Everything here is unique, even items not for sale, like foam core cutouts and painted decor (that you would never believe were made from foam core in a million years), or yard sticks mounted and used as display shelves. Inspiring is the word I would use. You can really get your creative juices flowing after a saunter through the store. You will think of all sorts of home projects with The Backdrop as the inspiration. As a graphic designer, I admire the imaginative and innovative selections and executions. As a Klingon, I demand it.

For children under 10, this is absolutely a fun store worth checking out and they will have a lot…read moreof great things for them. Me and my wife came here to shop for our niece and nephews to get an idea for Christmas even though that's about 5 months away but unfortunately you always have to think ahead to get yourself an idea. The staff here was very friendly and a store was clean and well organized throughout our entire visit. Sure, the store was a bit pricey but it featured a lot of great stuff that we thought was useful that our niece and nephew can utilize and play with for a couple of years. Overall, if you were in the area I definitely recommend to check the store!

Good amount of educational toys for all ages a little pricey but worth it employees were very…read morehelpful

My husband heard very positive things about Geek Toy Hut so we stopped in on a Sunday afternoon…read more They definitely thrive in the action figure market but also have comics, pokemon cards, funko pops, and more. We came specifically to look at funko pops which they had a decent amount of. Most were commons but priced extremely fair. The organization of them could have been a bit better. The staff members were friendly and helpful. Definitely make it a point to stop out if you're looking for collectable items!

This is a reply back to the owner's accusation. When we were there, we were the only ones in the…read morestore, weekday after school. No one was there and you and your partner didn't even say hello when we came in. And this is not the first time. The other times I ignored it, but when my kid's interest and obsession is dismissed, you'll end up with no customers. I know you have kids and wouldn't want them to be ignored, dismissed, or talked down to. My kid loved coming to this store but it's one of many, and last visit was our last. The owner has an attitude problem because one day he's all happy and acts like you're a family. And the next day he's rude and brushing off kids' questions and interests. Was very upset when my kid asked a question about some collectible products and the owner rudely brushed him off. My kid was very upset and so disappointed.

We love to visit Fox Valley Pottery. It is our favorite place to have a girls day…read more Employees are nice and very helpful. The shop is super clean, too! My only complaint is sometimes the music is too loud. The last two times I went to paint, I left with a pounding headache because of the music. Not a big deal, next time I go, I will pop a couple Tylenol before I get there!

Nice easy party atmosphere. Girls had a nice time and loved their pieces they painted! Website…read morepricing needs to be updated though. They need to work on communication. They had technical difficulties with the kiln and they were then getting backed up. I completely understand about that. But if I weren't the one reaching out for updates I would've been sitting for nearly a month waiting.

The coolest thing about this nursery is that it's actually not a nursery at all. You drive in the…read moredirt road of the nursery and can walk around, check out the plants and buy fertilizer and seeds or whatever, but smack in the middle is a huge train shop! They sell everything from Thomas the tank engine all the way up to huge garden scale trains. There are big, working O scale model trains set up inside the store and row after row of trains on the shelves and in glass display cases. They have all different styles and scales, from cheap plastic toys to brass models worth thousands. Totally cool! Bring the kids... They have a web site at staubintrains dot com

This place is great for gently used and new teacher/classroom supplies at a low price. No other…read morestore like it in the area. I make the 40 minute drive once a month to check out what Heidi has that is "new to me". I always find things, I never knew I needed. Love this store!

This teacher shop is awesome! I've gone twice in the last month and both times, books were marked…read moredown to super cheap. They have a lot of series of chapter books, as well as popular story books. They also have a decent number of games/resources for math/literacy/social studies/science. And if you're looking for something specific, you can jot it down on the form upfront with your number and she'll contact you when she gets it in! It's a bit of a drive for me since I'm in schaumburg but I'm happy to make it. If it were any closer, I'd be spending all of my money there :)