I love this place. The couple who owns it are super nice and helpful. Great selection of Pokémon…read morecards, Gundam, even Vanguard and Weiss Schwartz! Very reasonable prices and selection. They also have sports cards from also every sport. Highly recommended!

IF YOUR A NEW PLAYER STAY AWAY. Mixed feelings about this place mostly bad. Events are well priced,…read moreand food is sometimes included. I've been to Dean's dugout occasionally for magic the gathering events, and have found myself frustrated multiple times with round times going over because judge/owner doesn't pay attention. I am prompted to leave this review tonight because of an experience I had taking my new friend to a magic the gathering pre-release. My friend was completely new to the game and I asked his opponents before each round if it was all right to intervene and help him remember triggers, explain what cards do, etc. everything was quite nice up until the second round, his opponents were kind and patient, helping him find a love for the game. The judge approached us after the second round to explain to me that I wasn't allowed to intervene with another game. I kindly explained to him that his opponents were completely fine with my intervention. After going back-and-forth for a few minutes, we were kicked out of the event. I went to go talk to the owner to get a second opinion on the matter. He proceeded to yell at us to get out of the store and make a scene in front of all of the players. I never remembered Friday night Magic being so uptight. I wish I could go back 5 to 10 years when new players were invited, not screamed at. WILL NOT BE COMING BACK AGAIN. Very strange and sad to see a store run like this.

Great hobby shop one of the last good ones left. Always helpful always has stock. Sad to see all…read morethe people who lack basic life skills complain. They have always 100% supported,taught and given good advice. I'll always shop at leisure hours. There's no better place in Chicagoland. For the cry baby's if you can't read a manual and locate a part number don't buy a remote controlled car. Teach the kids some life skills and have them build a parts list and know the components. Prices always can't match online stores either. There's a price to pay for getting it today vs waiting on shipping they have bills to pay and rent for a store front with more overhead.

Huge hobby shop of your wet dreams, but the prices are dry. Fun place to peruse the huge hobbysread more

I asked about a light kit for my mini maxx. Without me asking the owner opened the kit to show me…read morehow easy to install it was. He said if I had any issues he would install it for me. After watching a video I realized it was more than I wanted so I brought it back. He would not provide a service ticked saying they were not that organized. So I tried to return a brand new item I didn't even open and was told to take a hike. This is after only 3 days with my receipt.

It's a chill environment and they have a decent selection of Gunpla model kits. Employees are…read morefriendly and it's cool to watch the RC track whenever people are on it.

My main issue with this place is the hours. People with money to spend who want to stop by after…read morework can't get there before 5 or 6.

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.

Gary was very helpful. Popped the axle right back in when we had broken it. Highly recommend for…read moreknowledge, internet can be misleading for RC!

The store was nicely stocked, and an associate was very helpful helping me find a sprcific model…read morepaint color.

Absolutely awesome hobby shop. Has everything you could ever want or need. Brian the owner is the…read moreone person who knows if anything that you would need in the RC plane world is available and where. It's a little shop in the center of town in Leonore. Best RC everything selection in most of Illinois. Stop by you won't regret it.

We took a day trip to Chicago for my girlfriend's birthday to check out some Pokémon shops, and…read morethis ended up being one of our favorites so far. It's easily one of the best spots we've found for both Pokémon and One Piece cards. Aleah and Haley were super friendly and welcoming, and Ari was incredibly helpful when I had questions. The pricing is pretty much in line with most card shops for both sealed products and singles, but what really stood out was the overall experience. They have a ton of variety to choose from, and the atmosphere made it a great visit. On top of that, the staff even gave us some free merch for my girlfriend's birthday, which was such an awesome and thoughtful touch. We'll definitely be coming back soon! EDIT: We stopped by CardPop again before heading up to Chicago, and even though it was a different staff this time, we had the same great experience. The customer service was outstanding once again. Everyone was friendly, welcoming, and communicated exceptionally well. We had the pleasure of meeting James and Bryce, and both were incredibly helpful and easy to talk to. It's clear that the team takes pride in providing a great experience for their customers. Keep up the fantastic work! We truly appreciate how well you always take care of us whenever we visit. Looking forward to stopping by again soon.

Great place had a huge selection of Pokémon, which is exactly what I was looking for! Gavin was…read moresuper knowledgeable and helped me find exactly what I was looking for. I was a bit out of my price range but the quality was worth it. I need highly recommend this place

Let's start with a side note-- this is my 100th Yelp review! How exciting! I wanted to save it for…read moresomeplace that was unique and spoke to me. Well, this place fits the bill well. Now, onto the review... It's worth the long drive to Dekalb for a chance to stop into The Gaming Goat. A gem in the historic downtown area of Dekalb, this is a store you must check out when you're in the area. They stock a variety of fun, creative, unique, wacky and intelligent board games that you won't see in big chain stores. Seeing these games in person is a huge benefit to gamers, because you get a better feel for these independently produced games. The interior is pretty nice and there's plenty of space inside to browse or play, if you're there for an event. Besides the large stock of board games, they also offer a good number of events. What stood out to me when I was in there last was their Pokemon League. (They're big on Pokemon and even- at the time of this writing- let you pick a small Pokemon figure up free of charge if you check in to the shop and show them the offer. Sadly, I forgot to pick up my 'check in' Pokemon. Next time!) They also had a Family Game Night on their calendar-- If I lived closer, I would totally check it out! It seems like a great way to spend a few hours with the family. The Gaming Goat goes out of its way to make you feel appreciated, going so far as to have free water bottles out during large town events like Corn Fest. Going the extra mile like that definitely makes The Gaming Goat stand out among other gaming stores. If you're in the area, give this place a looksie!

This store has always had a great selection of products including rarities that are in high demand.read more