FYI This is coming from someone who has a prominent online card stores through Ebay, Mercari, and…read moreTCG player. I average a minimum 200 sales a month. I walked in there yesterday to check it out since i like to check stores and see how their prices are, how their staff operates, and the basic aesthetics of said store front. Spent a lot of time in retail environments because of my mother so these things are second nature to me For starters the layout is awful like a jumbled mess. Case for pokemon cards was hidden by a shelf in the back of the store. Zero supervision. Looked to be no cameras. I could have swiped that whole case and walked out since the staff there had one guy helping customers and the rest sitting on their phones. That's something big that should be addressed and i wonder how much inventory they have actually lost due to the incompetence or ignorance of the staff as a unit. After standing back there for about 5 to 10 mins i walked out of the store unnoticed then came back in and asked for assistance. Not so much as a welcome or a see you again but hard to do that when your nose deep in what i would guess are tiktok's/reels Anyways, I figured i'd buy what looked to be 3 damaged cards before the owner started throwing stock at me he hadn't even went through/priced yet while bragging about buying collections at or under 60% and later bragging on lowballing people on binders with expensive cards. This is why people don't like card shops 90% of these guys are out to screw you and want to live on these 40%+ profit margins and thats is why places like this FAIL after 5 years but that is besides the point. looking most of the case i can tell you it was LP-/MP/HP/DMG cards all listed at NM/PSA 7/8 prices for raw cards One of the damaged cards was a 1st edition he claimed was LP. Saw the dents on the back when he pulled them out of the case. The other 2 he couldn't hide the fact were damaged. Grabbed 4 cards from his stock that hadn't made it to the case or been looked at according to him and grabbed them for way under what they should have been in that condition I definitely overpaid on the 3 damaged cards but, for me personally, isnt a big deal since i have the means to do so and i always try to buy from every card shop i come by. Overall I would not buy TCG through this shop 100%. Staff looks to be very lazy. The layout, from a retail sense, is god awful and doesn't highlight whats hot right now nor funnels customers through the store with any consistent flow. The owner isn't as knowledgeable as he seems and could definitely improve in that aspect. There is potential but its gonna take said owner not employee lazy friends who sit on their phones and employing people with tangible assets and actual skills when it comes to floor planning and stocking/organizing.

Best place to buy Pokémon cards and the people are really nice and cool video game Selectionread more

This is the first place I visit when I am in need of a book. Over the years, I have purchased books…read moreof many different genres from this independently-owned bookstore, novels ranging from popular fiction, historic fiction, mystery, fantasy, classics, romance, young adult, parenting books and children books. They sometime carry newer books, but the majority of their selection is used books. Therefore, their selection is largely dependent on what people bring in to sell. However, when they have the book I am look for or have been wanting to read it feels like I won the lottery. They can also order a copy of most books they don't have in stock. The staff is always friendly and helpful. I usually talk with the owner for 10 minutes every time I pop in, either about books he recommends or what I have recently read. I am particular fond of their two sweet dogs that are usually "working". I find the prices reasonable compared to other used bookstores. I also enjoy selling back my more popular books to them so I can get in-store credit for my next read and someone else can enjoy the book. I recommend checking out this bookstore.

Great inventory and very helpful staff. I wish this store was in my town!…read more They had a little bit of everything, but a lot of classic sci-fi and mysteries.

Once upon a time in CR if you wanted games and cards like this you had to go to separate hobby…read morestores or comic shops and you had better know exactly what you were were looking for because while the shop keeps might know their main products- games, table top figures and trading cards were not usually in their repertoire. But for the last 11 years Steve and his motley crew have been changing that in this this brightly lit well stocked gaming shop. The selection here here is well varied and fairly priced. There is a nice selection of vintage pinball machine. One nice thing about this shop is if you are looking for a gift for someone but don't know the gaming field yourself - Steve has some very approachable and knowledgeable staff that are willing and able to help get what you need and want. Especially the main store manager who is sort of like Mel Brooks Character from Spaceballs - Yogurt, the wise and powerful keeper of the "up-side" of the Schwartz. He will guide you to the up-side and right side of whatever game you want to explore.

Great staff and the prices are almost always cheaper than online. Can't recommend them enough!read more

Until about a month ago I never knew this store existed. It's been in Ely for a little while now. I…read morestopped in here with some coworkers on a Friday afternoon. Really to just browse, but I did leave with a few Christmas gifts. Very nice boutique. Well-curated with fun things from clothing and accessories to cute hostess gifts, some home decor and kitchen items. Unique things like the cactus shaped earrings and IPA beer scented soap I picked up. Prices are moderate; not any more or less than you might see at a mall. Recommend if you're in the area!

Very neat little boutique in the heart of Ely which opened in May 2016…read more On a moonlight bike ride from Cedar Rapids we noticed the lights were on in this little shop across the street from the local bar. The gentleman owner was keeping the store open after hours when he saw the large group of bike riders milling about at Odie's. Well, that garnered him at least two sales. Many small stores in small towns such as Ely look the part of someone just trying to follow their dream, with little preparation and know-how, but this shop is different. It is well decorated, with careful thought as to how merchandise should be displayed. It is not a bare bones, quickly thrown together place, ala those that are just open for the Christmas season. You know the type. They have a nice selection of clothes geared to Hawkeye fans, Cyclone fans, and bike riders as well. The clothes for cyclists are not biking clothes, rather normal shirts, etc with a cycling motif. They also had merchandise very suitable for baby showers. We made a return trip two days later to pick up a U of I jacket that my wife liked, and the woman on duty was very nice. All in all, a very nice addition to Ely.

Lots to choose from! Found beautiful things for the bathroom, living area...even the garage!read more

This store is getting a lot more stuff. Before i was driving to Coralville to shop. Today they had…read morelots of glassware and serving ware for my holiday get togethers.

Easy in and out at this one. Found the MTG card wall. Had a friendly conversation with the man that…read morechecked me out. Everything was easy to find, really cool store with lots of variety. Pretty sure my packs were retail priced, so thanks for that one :) (Not as common down in St Louis, but I don't blame the LGS...I would do the same but I won't get started on that) I'll be back for more :) Pricing was right in line with no issues there. Pricier MTG precons were right in line with TCG Market so that's aweome. I didn't come in with any big tickets in mind, so didn't effect me :) I'll be back :) Oh and I didn't pull any fire this time, but got some good staples :) It's about the visit anyways.

I checked this place out on a Friday evening, usual time for a place like this to be busy. It was…read morevery busy. I didn't walk more than a few steps before I was greeted and asked if I needed anything. I roamed for a few minutes. The owner, Rich came back to see if he could help. I let him know that I wanted to check out the mini's action, as I have never tried it before. I walked over to the Warhammer tables. I stalked the tables for a few minutes and the players talked to me about their game. In an hour, they were telling me how to play and asking me questions. The store has a great supply of times, ranging from CCG's to war games to board games. Lots of space to play and trade with other gamers. These guys made an out of towner feel right at home. Great place, a diamond in the rough.

Best framing shop in Cedar Rapids. So good that having moved out of state I still return to them,…read moredrop off the art, then come back a couple months later to pick it up. Great prices, too, which is important when you're having several pieces framed at one time, which can be costly...

Always a unique shopping experience and I never leave empty handed! The owner is THE BEST at…read moreupscaling and repurposing anything! Always great antiques but often some new unique items as well, all beautiful and cleverly merchandised!

I love this store! There is so much cool antiques and items for sale and the woman who owns this…read morestore really has an eye for display. She also has some amazing bead-work supplies. I have one problem, and it's just a personal issue I have with some stores. They had a couple cats inside their business, which I don't like, and there was cat hair EVERYWHERE. For people who don't like cats/are allergic this can really put you off stores like Alice's Wonderland or stores like it.