Out-of-towner who wanted to give this rock shop some love upon my recent visit to Indianapolis. I'm…read morefrom the west coast, where it's hard to find a bona fide rock and mineral shop that isn't primarily a new age spirituality shop. Nothing against that if that's you're thing, but it usually means they only carry your typical calcites and rose quartz, usually polished. I wanted the raw, rare stuff. Well, if you want old-school and no-frills, Jox Rox is exactly that. It looks abandoned from the outside and is dirty inside. It's the smell of nature, baby! Dozens of drawers to thumb through and find specimens - check out the malawi agates! Some real gems in the cabinets as well. Picked up myself a gorgeous large vanadinite crystal and a terminated watermelon tourmaline that would have easily run me twice as much back home.

This family-run rock shop has been the rock cornerstone of central Indiana for at least 50 years…read more Second generation owners, Phil Zink and sister Deb Zink, collected rocks with their parents as young kids. Today, they are among the most knowledgable of Indiana geology in the state. Their shop is not fancy, but is packed with fossils, minerals, jewelry findings, supplies, books and much, much more. You can find specimens from all over the world. Prices are fair and Phil will take the time to educate you on just about any rock topic. The shop is also a good place to learn about rock shows and local clubs. Phil is a founding member of the Indiana Society of Paleontology. If you're into rocks, you must stop in to Jox Rocks. It's right next to the Dairy Queen on Franklin Road in a converted convenience store.

Really nice workers but Mega Evolutions ETB was resealed. Disappointing. Their prices were enticing…read morebut I'm suspecting why.

We have been shopping at Saltire for 4-5 years occasionally. My son did their Pokémon summer Camp…read moretwice and loved it. They had so many crafts and activities for those kids that weren't all the way engaged and wanting to play for long bursts of time. They were accomodating to all kids and my son really loved it. My son recently got into My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, and peaked interest playing Dungeons & Dragons. The selection of merchandise is fairly priced and they have such a wide variety. But the best part is the staff. They're so accomodating, flexible, not condescending or arrogant. They're understanding and break things down for you while remaining honest and not trying to upsell you. We recently went to an Adventure League for D&D on Wednesday nights at Saltire games and had a blast. The gentleman, Gregory, who ran it was very knowledgeable and helped me and my 11 year old as it was our first time playing D&D. Everyone in the group was kind, appropriate, and helpful. It was really a wonderful experience. I'm thankful that Satire hosts these game nights so I can grow closer with my kiddo while learning something new and fostering his imagination.

I called to see if they buy train sets and the man was friendly and said he would look at what I…read morehad. I had my Dad's set from when he was a kid and all the accessories. The shop is in a small plaza with plenty of parking. The owner was surprised at how much I had, but showed genuine interest. He took the engine and put it in the track. It ran backwards, but not forward. He said it likely needed oiled. I felt like he was fair in what he offered me for everything. It's such a niche collectible and I hope it goes to someone who really loves trains. This shop had everything you could have imagined so I would check it out if you need anything train related!

This is a great place to go if you're into trains and head to find train items. It is a specialty…read morestore with all of the parts, electrical, and scenery items you could want. The owner changed in 1999 and after talking to him, I thought he was pretty friendly. This is one of those stores which has a designated and very unique clientele. So, if you're looking for fellow train lovers and toy train experts, this is definitely the shop to go to in Indianapolis. It is a small business, but a wealth of train info can be found here that you wouldn't be able to get online on Amazon or at big toy stores.

Was in Indy and randomly decided to stop here to see what they had. A good change from the usual…read morespots and what's online. Interesting place, for sure. There's a carpet track front and center. There's an okay selection of parts, trucks, and various other related things. They are very clearly a Traxxas dealer, and they had all the models Traxxas makes. A good chunk of Traxxas parts and accessories, too. So, if you run Traxxas you'd be all set. Kid working was nice enough, but when I asked about non-Traxxas stuff he seemed out of his element. Is what it is. They had everything I wanted (a black Bronco Trx4m and some paint) so I left a happy customer.

My boyfriend and I stopped in Saturday night and were so disappointed that we were the only ones…read morewith masks on. No one was social distancing and no one even had a mask around their neck or mouth as if to pretend to follow the mandate. No one approached us to see if they could help or even offered a hello. We had to squeeze through a group of people to exit. We really like to support small, local businesses. We won't support this one after this experience, but obviously they aren't looking to serve all of their community.

They got a lotta toys here! Especially educational and child-development toys. You know, them fancy…read morekind of toys that aren't just fun but also make your kids think. I did not visit with my kids, but I know my kids would have loved this toy store. They love any kind of store where they can touch and play with the merchandise, and Toys Forever is such a place. It's very hands-on. There are toys all around that people can pick up and experience, which is very cool. Even though my children were not with me, I visited Toys Forever because I wanted to get my kids something from Muncie as a souvenir. You see, I was just passing through this fine city. My kids love things that are superlative: "The world's tallest X" or "The worl'd fastest Y." So when I saw The World's Biggest Candy Necklace near the checkout counter, I grabbed two. Done and done! The candy necklaces were a hit, as I thought they would be, and they only cost a few dollars each. There are fun things for all ages and at all price points here. The people who helped me were super friendly, and I saw that they were helping several other people find what they needed and answered questions. I love charming locally owned stores like this one.

This past weekend, I spent some time in downtown Muncie. While I'm nearly always in Muncie for…read morebusiness or a project, on this visit I actually had some time to do some exploring including checking out downtown's Toys Forever Models & Hobbies shop. Located in the historic Goddard building (originally built in 1884), Toys Forever is a locally owned hobby shop started in 2007 and launched an online presence in 2015. Examples of items carried include radio control, model railroad, plastic & scale model building, games, toys, Melissa & Doug, scientific and educational games, puzzles, and more. I found the employees to be delightful and well-informed and you could tell by kids in the shop that this is a hands-on establishment. This is in downtown Muncie with solidly available street parking and occasional parking lots. Some of the street parking does have a 2-hour limit, however, unless you park down at the Courtyard by Marriott (about 3-4 blocks away) you should be able to snag free parking. Downtown Muncie is a little hit-and-miss with accessibility - curb cuts are fine, however, some stores do have a step to get in them. This shop, however, is perfectly fine in terms of accessibility and the interior is surprisingly solid. Employees seemed very willing to assist as needed. Toys Forever definitely leans more toward classic toys/games/hobbies, with some exceptions. I've long thought about getting into trains and this story really fueled that desire. I don't live in Muncie, however, I would definitely return upon future visits and really enjoyed discovering this Muncie hidden gem.

It looks like the place is not longer open, which is unfortunate because I've been looking for a…read morelocal rc shop. Shame, because it looks like a big location.

RC Hobbies Plus is a fairly traditional mom and pop style hobby shop featuring a bit of everything…read morebut with a strong focus on RC(obviously). New RTR kits from Traxxas, Redcat, hpi, et al are available AND (astonishingly) there are unboxed examples of most models on the counter for you to touch and poke at and dream of owning, including(at time of review) 2 gas(not nitro) 1:5 Redcat trucks! They have aisles upon aisles of replacements and ups from Redcat, Traxxas, losi, team associated and some hpi. They also have RPM, Integy, Castle Creations ProLine and Robinson Racing among others. In the back you'll find a small carpet track area with a high ceiling for flying smaller items. Opposite that, a selection of used cars and trucks. I can't speak to their offerings for those who like their toys aloft suffice to say that there is at least as much space dedicated to planes and 'copters as there is cars and trucks. They're pretty nice guys who don't mind chatting with their customers but are also happy to get down to business quick if that's how you operate. Also, don't forget to grab a couple free back issues of some popular RC magazines from the bin out back when you visit. All in all RC Hobbies Plus is a really good place in Lafayette for your maintenance/upgrade needs or getting started in RC.

Been coming to The Game Preserve since before they moved into their current location, back when…read morethey were operating out of the storefront next door. Watching a good local game shop level up to a better space and somehow get even better in the process is the kind of origin story worth being loyal to. The selection here is the real deal. Puzzles, board games, TCGs, and enough variety to make you forget you came in with a specific mission. For me that mission is almost always the Magic: The Gathering singles wall, which The Game Preserve stocks with the kind of depth and organization that makes the whole experience feel less like digging through a binder at a flea market and more like consulting the Jedi Archives. Everything is where it should be, which sounds basic until you've experienced the alternative. The staff is where this place genuinely separates itself from the competition. These are not people who just work at a game store. These are people who actually play, who know the cards, who understand why you need a specific version of a specific card for a specific deck and don't make you feel like you need to explain yourself from the beginning. Case in point: on one visit a staff member helped me track down the perfect Sol Ring for my Commander deck. Not just any Sol Ring. The right one. That level of product knowledge and genuine engagement is rarer than a foil mythic and worth just as much. The rewards program is a legitimate reason to make this your regular stop if you're a frequent buyer. Points add up, the benefits are real, and it actually feels like the store wants your repeat business rather than just tolerating it. Five stars, long time customer, no plans to stop. The Force has always been strong with The Game Preserve and the new location only confirmed it.

This is such a cool games spot. You can find an assortment of board/card games (most I had no idea…read morewhat they were). They had different type of dice (up to 8 sides) and chess boards which was cool to me. Some of the games seemed a bit expensive for me though. This is a great store for people of all ages. You are bound to find something that you like. Exploring this store was definitely fun and I saw a few cool gift ideas for friends who love trying new board games. The place is well organized, clean and has some fun decor. The staff is friendly and helpful.

I've been there over a dozen times and have always had a good experience. He has a huge inventory…read moreand if you need something that isn't there, he can get it for you. What a great place. Get out there and support a local business. He's a good guy.

no stars. Went in…read moretoday to see about a replacement for a rc car my son was given for his birthday, less than a month ago and had the original receipt. The owner (Steve) stated it was an issue internally and i needed to take it apart to fix it. He offered no assistance other than referring to the manual. He obviously doesn't know how to troubleshoot an item, which is wild being the owner of a hobby car company. I don't know my way around these cars but he insisted they don't do returns and i would need to contact horizon. well i did and they won't do a return either since it wasn't bought directly from them. Would absolutely not recommend purchasing from a store that doesn't back what they sell. Especially a $200 purchase. Will no longer get business from myself or anyone i know. do better....