Holy Wow! Legendary collection of Jazz records for my son's collection…read more Scored today: Art Deco- Don Cherry First Light- Freddy Hubbard Hear and Now- Don Cherry Inner Space- Chick Corea Super kind store worker and always gives you an even better price than marked. Expect to spend MANY hours of your life here. :)

This place is filled top to bottom with stuff almost like a step back in time with the records…read more it's multiple floors plan on spending some time to explore

I am an old school, comic collector. I love the amount of books this store has…read more Don't get me wrong. It's not the cleanest. They had some water damage to a bunch of his boxes. In order to see them, the owner has to get things out of the way just to make sure boxes don't fall. But I love a shop like this. You have to take time to go through things. But he will have the diamonds sitting in the coal. If you are serious about buying some books he is happy to work with you!! My kind of place!!

This is one funny place. It's filled with tons of old comic boxes and stacks of comics. Very…read moredisorganized and not really able to be dug through. Many of the comics have been water damaged due to a flood. I find it hilarious the guy added 1 penny to the cover price of some back issue I bought that had some mold and water damage, but I felt sorry for this mess of a place So it's a mess though it has a nice owner and he can find some things if you know what you're looking for. It's funny someone describes this person as Gandalf though as that wasn't the case. I think people who have no idea about genres or things really are slow AF and have no idea what's real or fake and everything in between as this place is not the shire of comics. I'm surprised a place like this exists in all honesty.

TLDR: Wonderful customer service, and more than willing to educate and be patient with young (7…read moreyear old) enthusiasts to the Pokemon card hobby. Our 7 year old son is just nuts for Pokemon, but my wife and I know nothing about the cards or the game. We went in to Top Cut with our son and he had his Pokemon binder with him. One of the employees, Caleb, immediately asked us how he could help. He went through our sons entire collection, pointed out some rare cards, and educated us on some of his cards which were fake (super interesting) and some that were valuable. He was very patient with us, and helped our son pick out a few new cards for his collection. I was blown away with Caleb's knowledge of the cards. Caleb is why we will no longer go to gamestop, but to a local shop that is willing to educate us and provide fantastic customer service. We will be back, and we will also be telling others about the incredible experience.

So this is a little crazy to me, a new set got released for weiss a couple days ago and I was…read morelooking for it and low and behold I see two cases of it sitting in the back and was like YES I can get one booster box of it, I ask and he goes and checks to see if he can grab one. He tells me he couldn't sell me one because "somebody called and said to hold them for him" both cases, 48 booster boxes and all this one guys because he called and said hold them for him vs the person who literally just wants one that's already there? How is that fair to the consumer? How's that good business practice? Just really unfair still dumbfounded

When Disney Lorcana the first chapter first came out out. They were selling single packs. 3 per…read morecostumer, they said they were selling them for MSRP LOL.. $6.99 each. If you buy 24 ( a booster box) it comes out to a $30 mark up after tax. Not only do these guys think you're stupid, they scalped them and lied to their costumers when in reality these are $5.99 MSRP. I took my business to everything games in buffalo grove where they are honest with their costumers and sell they're products at MSRP and even when Disney Lorcana was still hard to get, they sold UNDER msrp.

One of the gems of belvidere. If you're interested in collectables, dnd, comics, table top games,…read moreor honestly most nerdy interests, stopping by this place is a must. The guys are always friendly, and the new artwork up looks killer, might have to swing back by and pick up one of them.

Great shop for new comics, back issues, games, toys and paperbacks. Friendly staff and great…read moreselection.

First time visiting and will definitely be back! I took my son who's getting deep into comics. We…read moregot a warm welcome and even a tour!

This store I have to say is my home away from home. After walking in 6 years ago just to look…read morearound I've made friends and have been able to play a lot of really cool games. I stop in every week to pick up my comic books and I'm always greeted with a smile and a hello from the owners. Together they have both created an atmosphere of awesome for anyone who wants to learn a new game, join and ongoing game league or just to buy a few comics. I've never found a better store to get my geek on.

I'm new and an outsider to the world of comics and gaming, but I'd never know it from the way Carla…read moreand Don treated me. My boyfriend has been a regular at the store for years, and I went with him to pick up his pull list this past weekend. There were people chatting at the counter when we came in, so Carla didn't see that I was with anyone when I entered the store. She was sure to ask me if I needed help with anything, which is a first in the slew of comic and game shops I've been to recently. The shop is set up with different rooms devoted to your interest, with comics in one wing and games in another, and more general books and collectibles merchandise in the main room where you enter. If you head to the back, you'll find space for game playing and where Don is organizing his back stock of comics. The shop on the whole is bright and colorful, and I felt totally welcome to browse. Don and Carla had a nice word for everyone who came in the store, and it was pretty clear that they have a small army of loyal customers. The outside of the store isn't much to look at - it's situated in an industrial-looking strip mall - but don't let that deter you from the checking out their cozy shop. Even if you're not a full-on geek, there are still things for you here - several of their games are great for a game night with friends.

Good little place. Owner knowledgeable and cool. Good collection of old and new stuff.read more

After two years of coming back in forth to this comic book store, I have had the privilege to see…read morehow Tryke, the manager of Comic Alley, interacts with customers of all ages. Tryke displays the enjoyment of sharing comic knowledge to all his customers and he educates them on the excitement of comic book stories. When you arrive in the lower level of this store, you may notice the number of comics, toys and misc. items crammed across limited floor space but let me tell you, this is what makes it exciting. Your eyes will wander with the possibility of a comic surprise that you discover during your visit . One advice I learned over the years is to always ask Tryke if you have any questions on comics or just looking for that one item you cannot find. You will then understand why this local comic book store and the manager who runs it will always be my stop over when visiting Lake Geneva. Support this local comic store and as you walk down the stairs to the surprise at the bottom, say hello to Tryke, take your time in wandering through the comic abyss that awaits you, and more importantly...enjoy!

This "pop culture con" was broader ranging in subject matter than the comic/sci fi convention that…read moreI went to at the Du Page County Fairgrounds last week-end...and yet I feel like it lost something by trying to cater to everyone. According to their website they are a "Comics, Toys, Gaming, SCI-FI, Legos, Stars, Anime, Horror Films, TV/MOVIE MEMORABILIA, Autographs, Super Heroes, Anime, Action Figures, Cosplay, Fantasy, Horror, Collectibles, Sports Memorabilia, Non Sports Cards, Vintage Music Memorabilia, Publishers & Artist Convention - but open to anything fan-related!" The problem is that the space isn't that big (this isn't McCormick, after all), so cutting so broad a swath in subject matter dilutes the intensity: you just get a sprinkling of this and that. Still, my friend was able to cross a Christmas gift off her list. Some prices were outlandish or we might have indulged more. There's gaming, cosplay, food (The Twisted Cookie who we saw at Vintage Garage was here too!), acrobat girls dressed like Picachu and the Powerpuff girls performing precariously in the tight lobby along with a Tom Jones (?) impersonator. Probably the biggest celebrity draw (to me) wasn't coming til Sunday: Svengoolie! Overall, for the $10 one-day entry fee, it might be worth your time to check it out if you're a bored geek. I will likely pass in the future.

A very friendly local shop with a large amount of collectibles. I love coming here when I'm looking…read moreto sell some games or cards and buying some single Pokémon cards or packs. There's a little of something for everyone here. I usually see the same staff faces and they're always helpful and welcoming. If you're a collector at any level, definitely stop by. I believe they even had a couple labubus if that's what you're looking for!

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.

Gloria runs the shop, she's very customer oriented. You've got question? She's got answers, don't…read morebe afraid to ask her.

Unprofessional business. Won't honor prices listed in store or on any other reputable market…read morepricing database. Will adjust your prices at the register based on current "for sale" listings on eBay. It does not feel like a business run to promote this hobby. Solid selection but probably because of the pricing lol