New owner Prefer Zen's toy store…read more New name Razmataz Terrible shopping experience Poor customer service

Impressive independent toy store! Dropped in while in the area. They have the coolest things you…read moredon't see in Target or Walmart. Everything is clean, neatly stacked, and organized. Great place to get a gift card for a kid. Prices are higher than a big box store, but that's to be expected with a small independent store who does not purchase in huge volumes. Check out my photos, and then check the store out.

Great gifting options here! Kids books, activity and craft kits, kitchenware options, warm weather…read moreclothing you name it they've got it all. The service was great, Beverly the store manager helped me sort through a problem that came up and I will definitely visit again!

Beautiful store and very interesting and unique itemS all over the store. You could really spend…read morehours and hours just looking around at items, objects, stationery products, cards, stuffies, toys, candies, and sooo many other thiNgs. Prepare yourself for sensory overload of colors, creations, patterns and more!!!! If you need to purchase any kind of gift for anyone you will most liikely be able to locate something for someone here. The staff is super accommodating and friendly. If you are looking for a particular item just ask and they will present you with options and locations. My first viSit was amazing!! Worth the hour and a half drive from Western Massachusetts to get here. We shall return again in the future.

I do not yoyo, but Mr. Champion does a little. And by a little a mean, when trapped in the death…read morelabrynth and the only thing that gets us out is puzzle solving and ninja yoyo skills, you'll fair better with Mr. C than most other mortals... So clearly, knowing that he is both in need of a new yoyo and WAY too busy saving maidens in labrynths to get his own, I decided to get him one for Christmas. I don't know if you know this, but the good yoyos. The really expensive ones that a non-yoyoer would choke on after seeing the price tag (which, in all fairness, is still way less than I am willing to spend on shoes), well, they sell out. Fast. So I had a little chit chat with the folks over at YoYo Expert about my desire to purchase Ye Olde Fancy Schmancy YoYo before it sells out even though we're still, like, months away from Christmas and they helped me work out a scenario that gets Mr. Champion is yoyo, but protects me in case I screwed up in my decision making or in case he gets a break from his maiden saving labrynth duties to get his own new yoyo before Christmas. They also gave me some great advice, in general, and were super helpful all around. AND, although they don't have a storefront, they welcome visitors to check out their operation by appointment, so there may be a roadtrip in the future for the champ and me. Overall, if you're looking to buy a yoyo for yourself of someone else, I don't think you could do any better than YoYo Expert. I tried emailing a couple of other online retailers and found them to be nonresponsive and not nearly as helpful. Remember, this is an online retailer so don't go driving up to Amherst without giving them a little call first. But if you have any questions all you have to do is call them or email them at Contact@YoYoExpert.com and they'll get back to you right away. It's so rare these days to get this kind of service. I am officially a fan. (This all actually happened on September 12, but since Mr. C is also a Yelper and I don't want to give away the surprise, I couldn't post the review until after Christmas.)

Having recently taken interest in yoyoing, I ordered a yoyo (DM2) from the yoyo expert website. It…read morearrived quickly and all was well. I found myself having trouble with certain tricks and turned to customer service for help. They responded quickly to any questions that I would come up with ( I had quite a few), and I was very pleased with their service. I began to have some trouble with the bearing that came with my DM2, informed customer service, and received a new bearing at no cost within the next couple days. Bottom line? Awesome company. I refuse to buy from anyone else.

Playnow is an exploring store-full of games and though-provoking gifts for kids and adults. Why…read morehope to get that gift on time via Amazon, when you can find something fun and unique right here? If you go in when Mark is working, he will guide you to the perfect gift. You will know him by his beard of wisdom! I will say that every pick I have made here has been exclaimed with praise by the young boys in my family. Give this review a thumbs up if you try it out and find something good!

So many toys! Do all of your holiday shopping here and support local business. Great selection!!read more

There's so much stuff here it's overwhelming, yet every time I go in I walk out empty handed. A…read morelittle bit of everything, but mostly wrestling figures and items. Things are a bit over priced, and the staff seems a little distant. I believe they have a "no returns" policy. It feels more like a crowded flea market than a store.

Great place to get Comic Books, Yugioh Cards and I think they hold Tournaments too. I think is…read moreunder new management and the workers are friendly.

Been going here for some time now and I've found the price for the latest set of magic ridiculous,…read moreit's nearly double the price everywhere else I've gone. The people working there though are fantastic constantly eager and willing to help and are just plain awsome.

We had a wonderful experience going to AAA Games Arena! The store owner was extremely helpful,…read moreaccommodating and knowledgeable which brought us there TWICE on our short visit to Amherst! I highly suggest visiting AAA Games for shopping and more!

Awesome store. My kids can't wait to go back! It has a great…read morevibe, capturing the feel of toy stores when I was a kid.

One of the things that makes Northampton, well, Northampton, is Essentials. I started shopping at…read moreEssentials almost twenty years ago, and it's been a staple of my quirky life ever since. It's changed hands twice in my awareness, and just keeps getting better and better with age. This is a design-focused, design-heavy shop, and there are things I can pretty much only get AT Essentials; for instance, they've got a cut-to-custom-length ribbon bar, and some of that ribbon is vintage, and my absolute favorite is the hand-dyed silk. Also, they've got the best collection of Tintin and other European character favorites (like Barbapapa and Babar) this side of the pond. Oh, and the staff is wonderful. Knowledgable, friendly, thoughtful, and creative. Over the years, the cast of characters has changed, but it's always top-shelf. One giant boon: they've helped me put together a gift in no time, saving my bacon on numerous occasions! On a typical day, you can find stationery of all kinds, the indier the better; dishware; rubber stamps; intriguing books (think Chronicle); bath goods; bags of all shapes, sizes, and purposes; clothes and scarves; eight million things for kids, from blankies to onesies to stuffed alligators; jewelry; small home goods; special pens; DIY kits; custom furniture; large sheets of beautiful artisan paper; and a ton of things I'm forgetting. And one other thing about Essentials I am not forgetting, but which I saved for last, because it's my favorite. Essentials has an in-house design and print studio. And they also work with a select group of indie designers and printers who create everything from business cards to party invites. Here is where Colette, the current owner, really freaking shines, in my opinion. There was one thing I wanted when it came time to get married. One. Thing. That one thing was letterpress wedding invitations from Essentials. Colette took us from beautiful nebulous idea to flawlessly-executed product without ever breaking a sweat. I don't know if you've ever worked with people who are about to get married, but we are not always the most poised, cool-headed, or unflappable of people; Colette sat us down in the big comfy chairs and made sketches and phone calls, and really made our family feel like we were the only people in the entire world. Go see what I'm talking about - our invitation is probably still hanging in its golden-framed, green-paper-backed glory. Nearly four thousand miles away now, and I'm still bouncing in my chair as I look forward to my next trip to Essentials, whenever it may be.

I like this store and their merchandise. The prices are high, as the merchandise is of a high…read morequality. However their store policies are not up par with many upscale stores. We received a lovely gift of several girls garments, however we have a male child. The store manager, who did not have the courage to call us, rather made a sales associate do their work, informed us without a receipt we can not get a store credit. So wonderful Essentials, you made some money from this sale, but you lost a lot more revenue from this here shopper.