This place is filled top to bottom with stuff almost like a step back in time with the records…read more it's multiple floors plan on spending some time to explore

I love this place. Nick and team are great to work with, prices are reasonable and the selection…read morehas to be the best on the planet.

I am an old school, comic collector. I love the amount of books this store has…read more Don't get me wrong. It's not the cleanest. They had some water damage to a bunch of his boxes. In order to see them, the owner has to get things out of the way just to make sure boxes don't fall. But I love a shop like this. You have to take time to go through things. But he will have the diamonds sitting in the coal. If you are serious about buying some books he is happy to work with you!! My kind of place!!

This is one funny place. It's filled with tons of old comic boxes and stacks of comics. Very…read moredisorganized and not really able to be dug through. Many of the comics have been water damaged due to a flood. I find it hilarious the guy added 1 penny to the cover price of some back issue I bought that had some mold and water damage, but I felt sorry for this mess of a place So it's a mess though it has a nice owner and he can find some things if you know what you're looking for. It's funny someone describes this person as Gandalf though as that wasn't the case. I think people who have no idea about genres or things really are slow AF and have no idea what's real or fake and everything in between as this place is not the shire of comics. I'm surprised a place like this exists in all honesty.

This place was odd. The comics aren't filed beyond letter. Meaning that Superman title you're…read morelooking for could be anywhere among the "S" bins. Low prices; but almost more effort than it's worth to find anything. Seems like it may want to focus more on its magna and card game side than its comics side.

Imagine if WhatNot had a physical store, this would be the perfect embodiment!…read more 1) Buying/Selling Single Cards When you buy a card, they'll sell you the card at market price based on TCGplayer. But they charge you for the price of the highest price and best condition card. My gripe is, they sold me cards at MINT condition pricing, but the cards were at best LP or P condition. It's hard to see the blemishes at the store, because the lighting is so drab. And of course, once you buy the card, automatic no refunds My heart sank as I was examining my newly purchased cards, prepping to send them to PSA, and suddenly noticing bends in the corner and creases in the center of the cards When selling a card, they will bring the card to the back room for better inspection, obviously a room with better lighting. Because we all know that the lighting in the lobby is dim on purpose. Then they'll try to lowball you by telling you that the card is "not mint" and has random damages here and there. Which then, they'll only offer you half the amount of the lowest asking price (not considering the condition of the card in TCG, ex. offer you half the price of a Heavily played condition card, while the card you brought was Near Mint) 2) Staff They employ younger staff, probably demographic of college students. These kids were nice. They were doing the best they can with customer service. Some of them do show that they are struggling a bit with standard operations, but i can't really fault them for that. The managers however are NOT pleasant. Caleb seems like he is there more to chat and halfheartedly do the work. I saw him often, but i don't think he's the owner. Anyway the dude rips me off with the extremely inflated "market pricing" and looks me in the eye as i'm paying overpriced and damaged cards. Then he acts like the victim when I refuse to sell my pristine cards at such a lowball offer. And the funniest thing is, while peering at the selection at the card counter, the dude was patting himself on the back and openly bragging about he he was able to nickel and dime a desperate seller out of extremely japanese pokemon cards. But then again, acted like the victim when he can't lowball you. Wow....just wow.... There the other manager, dude with rough hair and glasses. Not bald, like Caleb. At first he seemed nice, but he tries to channel Caleb's toxic practice and act all tough. 3) Online Purchases I ordered some items online before ever visiting the physical store. Boy howdy, they sent me damaged boxes that I preordered. Though, yes I understand that the the physical store may not have been the ones directly handling the online order and probably operates from a separate warehouse. So I'm not faulting the store for that, but just understand that even the online experience was no good either. All i can wish is the best for them, but i'm certainly not coming back. They insist on price matching TCGplayer, but ironically TCGplayer offers better customer service, cards that are actually mint condition, and accountability.

When Disney Lorcana the first chapter first came out out. They were selling single packs. 3 per…read morecostumer, they said they were selling them for MSRP LOL.. $6.99 each. If you buy 24 ( a booster box) it comes out to a $30 mark up after tax. Not only do these guys think you're stupid, they scalped them and lied to their costumers when in reality these are $5.99 MSRP. I took my business to everything games in buffalo grove where they are honest with their costumers and sell they're products at MSRP and even when Disney Lorcana was still hard to get, they sold UNDER msrp.

One of the gems of belvidere. If you're interested in collectables, dnd, comics, table top games,…read moreor honestly most nerdy interests, stopping by this place is a must. The guys are always friendly, and the new artwork up looks killer, might have to swing back by and pick up one of them.

Great shop for new comics, back issues, games, toys and paperbacks. Friendly staff and great…read moreselection.

First time visiting and will definitely be back! I took my son who's getting deep into comics. We…read moregot a warm welcome and even a tour!

This store I have to say is my home away from home. After walking in 6 years ago just to look…read morearound I've made friends and have been able to play a lot of really cool games. I stop in every week to pick up my comic books and I'm always greeted with a smile and a hello from the owners. Together they have both created an atmosphere of awesome for anyone who wants to learn a new game, join and ongoing game league or just to buy a few comics. I've never found a better store to get my geek on.

I'm new and an outsider to the world of comics and gaming, but I'd never know it from the way Carla…read moreand Don treated me. My boyfriend has been a regular at the store for years, and I went with him to pick up his pull list this past weekend. There were people chatting at the counter when we came in, so Carla didn't see that I was with anyone when I entered the store. She was sure to ask me if I needed help with anything, which is a first in the slew of comic and game shops I've been to recently. The shop is set up with different rooms devoted to your interest, with comics in one wing and games in another, and more general books and collectibles merchandise in the main room where you enter. If you head to the back, you'll find space for game playing and where Don is organizing his back stock of comics. The shop on the whole is bright and colorful, and I felt totally welcome to browse. Don and Carla had a nice word for everyone who came in the store, and it was pretty clear that they have a small army of loyal customers. The outside of the store isn't much to look at - it's situated in an industrial-looking strip mall - but don't let that deter you from the checking out their cozy shop. Even if you're not a full-on geek, there are still things for you here - several of their games are great for a game night with friends.

Good little place. Owner knowledgeable and cool. Good collection of old and new stuff.read more

After two years of coming back in forth to this comic book store, I have had the privilege to see…read morehow Tryke, the manager of Comic Alley, interacts with customers of all ages. Tryke displays the enjoyment of sharing comic knowledge to all his customers and he educates them on the excitement of comic book stories. When you arrive in the lower level of this store, you may notice the number of comics, toys and misc. items crammed across limited floor space but let me tell you, this is what makes it exciting. Your eyes will wander with the possibility of a comic surprise that you discover during your visit . One advice I learned over the years is to always ask Tryke if you have any questions on comics or just looking for that one item you cannot find. You will then understand why this local comic book store and the manager who runs it will always be my stop over when visiting Lake Geneva. Support this local comic store and as you walk down the stairs to the surprise at the bottom, say hello to Tryke, take your time in wandering through the comic abyss that awaits you, and more importantly...enjoy!

This "pop culture con" was broader ranging in subject matter than the comic/sci fi convention that…read moreI went to at the Du Page County Fairgrounds last week-end...and yet I feel like it lost something by trying to cater to everyone. According to their website they are a "Comics, Toys, Gaming, SCI-FI, Legos, Stars, Anime, Horror Films, TV/MOVIE MEMORABILIA, Autographs, Super Heroes, Anime, Action Figures, Cosplay, Fantasy, Horror, Collectibles, Sports Memorabilia, Non Sports Cards, Vintage Music Memorabilia, Publishers & Artist Convention - but open to anything fan-related!" The problem is that the space isn't that big (this isn't McCormick, after all), so cutting so broad a swath in subject matter dilutes the intensity: you just get a sprinkling of this and that. Still, my friend was able to cross a Christmas gift off her list. Some prices were outlandish or we might have indulged more. There's gaming, cosplay, food (The Twisted Cookie who we saw at Vintage Garage was here too!), acrobat girls dressed like Picachu and the Powerpuff girls performing precariously in the tight lobby along with a Tom Jones (?) impersonator. Probably the biggest celebrity draw (to me) wasn't coming til Sunday: Svengoolie! Overall, for the $10 one-day entry fee, it might be worth your time to check it out if you're a bored geek. I will likely pass in the future.

The Collector's Kid has an online shop through WhatNot as well as a brick & mortar store in St…read moreCharles. The inside is very well organized and has a bit of everything (toys, cards, funko pops, etc). I visited to look at their funko pop selection and was thoroughly impressed by their variety of pops and quantity of selection. They had pops ranging from sports, tv shows, marvel, disney, anime, horror, and more. Most items were commons but they had some more rare, graded, and signed items near the main counter. The pricing was a little above market value but it's always cool to see certain pops in person. They were running a "buy two, get one free" on pops under $50 which helps on pricing!

This place is exactly what's wrong with many collecting hobbies. Yea, the selection here is pretty…read moregood. That's mostly because the prices are terrible--worse than eBay and Facebook marketplace scalpers. Case in point: there's a pokemon illustrated set that just came out. It's $17. You can still get lucky at retailers and it'll be restocked. Here, just 2 days after launch, they're selling for $50. Just nuts. I guess it's clear this isn't a "card shop," it's a scalpers storefront. Don't go here looking for Lorcana--guessing the margins are too low. Except for their singles, which they sell for $2-4....crazy pricing for Lorcana. Anyways, i won't be back. Will have to continue my search for a card shop that's ethical and somewhat reasonable. --------- Edit in response to business reply: 1) i agree conversation could go a long way. But when your pricing on a brand new Pokémon set (which doesn't have a set market yet) is already 3x MSRP, what productive conversation can happen? It's just a straight up gouge. I'm not naive to expect to get everything at MSRP, but i think 3x markup 2 days post launch is unreasonable. 2) i did ask about Lorcana. I was told you "don't carry much" and "didn't have any right now." 3) you seem to be implying that you're aware prices are high and can then be negotiated lower. If that's how you want to do it that's your prerogative, just understand that's offputting for new customers. It's hard to want to establish a relationship and have a conversation when the first impression is being taken advantage of. And when your response to pricing questions is "well the hobby is thriving!" I don't think that's off base.

This is a great little shop for the collectible card gamer. The staff at Robin's Nest is very good…read moreto first time gamers and they've arranged for plenty of opportunities for Magic, Pokemon and YuGiOh players to get together and play in sanctioned events. Also an excellent local resource for single cards. All that's keeping this store from achieving a 5-star rating is their store hours which aren't conducive to people who work during the week - we're only really able to shop on Friday Nights and Saturdays. Also, strict policies keep away kids trying to sell cards and people who aren't there to participate in tournaments, so if you're going to just watch, forget it. Plan to spend the $5 whether you have a tournament deck to play or not.

Unprofessional business. Won't honor prices listed in store or on any other reputable market…read morepricing database. Will adjust your prices at the register based on current "for sale" listings on eBay. It does not feel like a business run to promote this hobby. Solid selection but probably because of the pricing lol