The Stadium

I've visited this store many times in the past, having been a regular for years of tournaments. Life happened, and after some time away, I’ve recently come back to play again. It’s clear that hosting quality, readily available tournaments across the popular card games is still a major focus of the store, and I respect that. While I can see some differences in how the store is run these days, I still think it's a fantastic place to shop if you're looking for popular sealed TCG products. For example, as of the most recent Pokémon release (at the time of writing), they had plenty in stock... though at a relatively high markup. I don’t blame the store for this, as they want to maintain stock and attract customers and Pokémon is insanely popular right now. The pricing is still within a reasonable range compared to other local card shops. They also carry a surprisingly wide selection of Dragon Shield sleeves for both Japanese-sized and Standard-sized cards, which is a big plus in my book. My only real complaint is the lack of price tags on many items. I’m sure there’s a reason for this, but I’m not sure what it would be. Lastly, while most of the employees offer great customer service, there are a couple who could be much better. If you're looking to play in tournaments locally in the Bay Area, this is without a doubt the place to go.

As someone who has been learning MTG, this store has been very patient with me, even my first few visits when I was nearly non-verbal and anytime I ask a dumb question about Magic. Buying cards from them has been pretty easy; however, the card search on their website is a bit slow. They have warmly welcomed me to play FNM at their store and the patrons are very friendly as well. If time permits, I hope to return for more gaming sessions.