This place is huge in comparison to a lot of the other nerdy type stores I've been to. And, unlike…read moreother nerdy type stores, this one is well lit, with plenty of huge windows up front, and clean floors and empty tables with chairs for people to hump in and play together. They have a game library where you can do an all-you-can-play for $5 a head, and there's plenty of space to play it! They also have community days where you can borrow the games for free! If you're here shopping for the game nerd in your life, and you can't quite afford a full on game, they have little enamel pins and stickers and such that will be a nice little small gift for your gaming friend, while not breaking the budget. I liked that the stickers were made by a local artist, whose name was on the board where they were displayed. At $4 each for a vinyl sticker, I'd say it was a pretty decent buy for something that supports a local artist. And yes, you could buy similar themed stickers at online retailers, but those are generally a bunch of stolen art work slapped onto sticker paper and sold, or a bunch of AI garbage. These stickers looked like they'd been made by the person who was putting their name on them. They also have a private D&D type game room that you can rent to play your more involved pen and paper RPG's in. It's got a table, some chairs, and a door that closes so that you can have your privacy. We went in on a Saturday, and the place was absolutely jumping. People playing card games (Magic The Gathering I think was prominent), board games, or just having snacks and hanging out. This place is a cool spot to check out if you want the company of other gaming types without having to go spend a fortune on drinking.

RUDE staff. My daughter and I walked in and started looking around and were completely ignored. The…read morepeople who walked in after us were greeted in a polite and friendly manner. My daughter and I were the only black people in there. I don't think it was a coincidence. We were prepared to spend a fair amount of money because Pokémon merch is hard to find. But this store can kick rocks.

MANAYUNK/PHILADELPHIA: Johnny Destructo's Hero Complex is a comic book store right downtown with a…read morelarge selection of comics, graphic novels, artwork, and they even host game nights! Leashed and friendly dogs are allowed inside, but keep in mind the sensitive nature of these collectible items. A cute little shop to explore!

I've been over here for a little over 2 years. However in that time COVID has prevented me from…read morefinding my favorite spots around town. Can I still blame COVID? whatever. So I was really in the mood for some Usagi Yojimbo. I was doing some research on trades I might want. Research for me is putting it in my Amazon cart and then hoping I can find it locally. That was Friday night and the plan was to go out to find it Sunday. I just was like there has to be something closer. I started doing some research. There goes that word again. This time it meant googling and reading reviews. That lead me to this place. I read some cool stuff about the owner. He's an illustrator and makes all his own sticker/shirt designs that you can't get anywhere else. So Sunday rolled around and I went over there. Loved the set up. Nice little oldie but goodie section. Cool collectibles and some great rarities. Guy at the front desk was awesome. I spent a while in there bullshitting. He made some pretty good suggestions. I totaled it up and I could walked out of there spending $300 were I to have gotten everything I wanted in there. Luckily I did not. However I will be back. The collectable Batman '89 figure was there. I'd never seen it in person. Also it's cheaper than it is on the internet. That doesn't normally happen. I'm not into it but there was talk with another customer of board game or D&D nights in the near future. So you should check this place out. It's not huge but it has some cool stuff.

Cute store that sells Sanrio items. There was a nice selection of items here but everything was…read moreextremely expensive. I got a hello kitty binder clip and it was $18. However, it is difficult to find good quality Sanrio merch so it's a good stop if you're willing to spend some money.

Asia Crafts is a small trinket shop that mainly sells stationery, Sanrio merch, collectibles, and…read moreblind boxes. It's a great stop if you're looking for something cute or souvenir-worthy. We were hunting for Smiskis and found only two boxes, which the staff had kindly set aside behind the counter -- they were super nice and helpful about it. Just a heads-up, there's a small upcharge if you pay with a card (which is becoming more common in the area). They have a pretty large Sanrio selection and some snacks and candies too. The store is clean, well-organized, and check-out was fast and easy. It's a little on the pricey side though. While I've heard they sometimes follow customers around to prevent shoplifting, that didn't happen to me, but I can see how it might feel awkward if you're browsing slowly or being indecisive. Still, the overall experience was pleasant, and it's definitely worth a visit if you're into cute collectibles or gifts.

Amazing little Gundam and Hobby store!! They have a really nice selection of Gunpla and Gunpla…read moresupplies as well as some other model kits from both Bandai and other brands at reasonable prices. They also have a strong selection of Warhammer miniatures, accessories and supplies. The staff was friendly and helpful and the space was clean and inviting. Can't wait to go back there again!

What a great hobby shop. We were visiting Philly from out of state for the holidays, and I yelped…read morehobby stores. Only 10 miles away. I do mostly cars, but did my first gundam two months ago. The owner(I believe) was very helpful and knowledgeable. There was a large selection of gundams and other D&D style games. They have nights that are scheduled to play these games and have several huge tables to play on. The most impressive thing was the selection of paints, Tamiya and Valero, and model tools. Where we live near Nashville, there are not any hobby shops. It was great to stock up on some paints and supplies I needed, to put hands on product, not on a keyboard. If possible PLEASE stop in and support this local business, because it really is great to have a physical location to touch and browse actual product.

My experiences at the Garden has been pretty hit-and-miss. Sometimes, I find some amazing books,…read morebut other times, the selection is lackluster. You really have to sift through boxes and boxes and boxes of trash comics to find anything worth adding to your collection. Given that this is the only comic shop in the northeast, you'll find that diamond in the rough or back issue you never thought of seeing in a million years. But it's not all the time that occurs. Occasionally, I venture down to the basement to check out those dollar bins, but it's a dusty, damp, disorganized area usually packed with card game tournament attendees. The atmosphere in the basement during tournament days can leave little to be desired, including foul people, odors, and language. But then again, this IS a comic book store, so those things are to be expected The main floor features a much more organized back issue selection, but sometimes, these can be rather picked over. Pricing is usually decent, with most back issues priced at a buck with recent, newer, or exclusive backstock priced just a tad higher. There is a small new release section, but it's not as extensive as you would hope to see at a comic shop. Some wall books and sets are ridiculously overpriced, while others are genuinely affordable. The Garden really is a mystery grab bag. I pop in every couple of months, hoping to find something new, and sometimes, I'm pleasantly surprised. Most of the staff is nice, too, especially given the challenge of dealing with all that goes into running a comic/card collector shop. Over time, I've gotten to know them and have started to appreciate what they deal with each day. *Bonus Tip: Double-check the condition of anything you plan to purchase, as a lot of books tend to be bent or creased. If you're patient and willing to dig, you might find something worthwhile, just don't snatch up everything so the rest of us can at least discover something in there too

I went back to Garden Earthy Delight today because I wanted to give the store a second chance. My…read moreoriginal review was not written to hurt the business. I genuinely hoped that my concerns would bring attention to the customer experience and give management an opportunity to look deeper into how customers are being treated. When I arrived today, I was actually greeted, which I appreciated. I went to the Pokémon section and saw several high-end cards that interested me. I asked for assistance and was only allowed to look at one card at a time. I am not making assumptions about why that decision was made, but as a paying customer, I felt like I was being treated as though I could not be trusted. There were also two Philadelphia police officers present during this interaction. While looking at the cards, I asked the cashier if there was any flexibility in the prices. Anyone who follows the Pokémon market knows that card prices fluctuate, and I simply wanted to know whether there was room for negotiation. The employee did not even look at the cards or ask which cards I was interested in. Because this was one of the same concerns I mentioned in my original review, I asked if a manager could speak with me. The employee called a manager. After some time, the manager arrived and immediately told me that I was banned from the store because of my previous review. I asked why, and that was the explanation I was given. I was not allowed to purchase the cards I was interested in, and I was told to leave. What concerned me most was the way the situation was handled. The manager appeared extremely upset, pointed at me while speaking to me, and was carrying a firearm on his hip. I am not saying that carrying a firearm is itself wrong or illegal. What concerned me was the combination of his anger, the manner in which he approached me, and the fact that this was all happening publicly in front of customers and police officers over a negative review. I felt embarrassed, humiliated, singled out, and publicly made into a spectacle. I believe customers should be able to leave an honest review about their experience without being targeted or confronted in this manner when they return to the business. After I left the store, I spoke with one of the officers and asked if a report could be made regarding what had occurred. I am not going to speculate about what the officer was thinking or feeling, but the interaction was serious enough that I felt it needed to be documented. I also spoke with the owner by phone. What disappointed me was that the conversation seemed to focus more on how damaging a negative review could be to the business than on understanding what had just happened to me as a customer. A negative review should be an opportunity for a business to ask, "What happened, and how can we do better?" It should not become a reason to publicly confront or humiliate a customer. If management was unhappy with my original review, there were many professional ways to handle it. They could have called me, emailed me, or simply asked me what happened and why I felt the way I did. Instead, I was told I was banned when I came back to spend money at the store. I also want to be very clear: I am not claiming to know anyone's intentions, and I am not going to make accusations that I cannot prove. However, I felt that I was treated differently and singled out, and I believe the circumstances deserve to be investigated. I intend to exercise my legal rights to address the situation appropriately and to make sure that any available surveillance or other documentation from today's incident is preserved. Parents and customers deserve to feel comfortable and respected when they walk into a business. There are plenty of Pokémon stores in the Philadelphia area where customers can shop, ask questions, negotiate reasonably, and receive professional customer service. This experience was extremely disappointing, especially because I came back today with the intention of giving Garden Earthy Delight another chance. I hope ownership and management take a serious look at what happened--not just at my review, but at the behavior and customer-service culture that led to today's situation. A business should never be afraid of constructive criticism. The right response to criticism is to listen, investigate, and improve.

Bindlestiff has a great feel. The book shelves remind me of a Shell Silverstein sketch, all high…read moreand of many shapes and colors. The organization is minimal and that's a great thing. This volunteer lead bookstore is an adventure. I loved the variety of books from smaller publishing houses to national award winners. I got a lovey greeting card too! The book was a little steep (older paper back for $17) but I loved supporting this shop! Also they have a bathroom.

Awesome prices on books! If you need children's books this is the place to get them. They give a…read morediscount to teachers which is awesome. A great variety of genres provided.

Excellent little book shop that caters to the romantic/fiction/paranormal readers out there. Not…read moreonly do they have books they also have cute charms and mugs. For such a small store they even have a small sale section roughly 20-30% off title price. Friendly staff always there to help. Authors come by all the time to do book signing! Amazing dynamic we have here. Got me a cell phone charm, cat lover's delight, will come back again!

[Out-of-Towner Review]…read more I'm pretty sure TT told me about Cupid's Booksthop I had a moment to stop by, so I happily did! Little did I know this area was soo cute and heavily trafficked! Parking was a nightmare, but it was worth it. But the Manayunk neighborhood is adorable! So, they claim they are the "city's first brick-and-mortar romance bookstore." But I did find another that also claims this too! Regardless, I'm ALWAYS going to go to a #romancebookstore! I also happens to walk in during an #authorevent, where Lily Larkspur was signing "Merry Meet Again. Lily said if Hallmark movies were my jam, the.n I'd like her book, so obviously I got it. Signed, and all I honestly don't need any more books (WEIRD to say), so i browsed for a good, long while. But finally, I settled on a book with the edges sprayed in a soccer ball pattern -- the girly tomboy in me loves a book about my fave sport The bookstore, all 600 square feet, is extremely packed full of all romance genres that are very visibly labeled. They also have adorable merch, clothing, and tons of romance trinkets. But BY FAR are the Cockmark (bookmarks) that are so unassuming Also, just down the street is the brand new Thrillerdeplia, a horror and thriller bookstore! I didn't have a chance to swing by, but I'm adding it to my "to do" list! Philly has a limited selection findependent bookstores but Cupid is worth a visit!

This is my favorite independent book store. It's so nice to take your time looking around,…read morechecking out all of the wonderful books and other items (totes, cards, journals, etc.) they have. It's welcoming and relaxing! The staff is always friendly and willing to help with any questions you may have.

A fabulous little shop with so much to offer. I love the ways the categories were broken down- and…read morethe displays had a lot of unique genre features. We toured for a bit- hiding little treats throughout the books in the store! So go buy a book & you may find a sticker, bookmark, or word of affirmation :) The staff were wonderful too- we overheard them chatting with online buyers picking up- and they seemed to have a great operation with ordering unavailable books, so options are limiteless!