Canton Games — Local services in Baltimore

I love small businesses and often strive to shop locally, however after 2 attempts of shopping at Canton Games I'm feeling extremely disappointed. Today my husband I stopped in to check out some board games and purchase a gift for my nephew. We werent sure which games would better suit his needs since he is really in between that weird age range for board games (usually games are 8+ or 14+). Inevitably we decided to take our time pursuing the store to pick the right gift. While in the store, the cashier was talking to another guy (customer), having a casual conversation about magic the gathering. Usually perosnal conversation is not a big deal and doesn't bother me, but the dude working behind the register didnt even ask if we needed help or assistance in the 20-30mins we spent at the store. My husband and I spent those 20-30 minutes, walking back and forth, through the store, going back and forth between a couple of games, until we just decided we would get two. Now I totally understand that I could have easily asked the cashier for assistance, but it was difficult to get a word in edgewise because of the personal conversation he continued having. We finally chose our games and stood at the register behind the guy (customer) who was talking and the guy at the register continued to carry on conversation for abour a minute or so. It was getting extremely awkward that we werent even acknowledged. Once the guy at the register finally head motioned for the dude he was talking to to step aside, there was no personal interaction with us. He scanned our items, told us the total, and let us swipe our card. No conversation or inquiry, no "did you find everything you needed", just here's your total, and swipe your card. Once he handed us our games, there was no "thank you" or "have a nice day". My husband actually said, "yeah, have a nice day" and the dude at the register seemed taken aback and said , "oh yeah, you too." Maybe it's just my opinion, but I believe the point of going to a store is for the customer service, assistance (if its needed, which it was today), and the personal touch. It's totally more of a convenience for me to just swipe my card on amazon and have the game delivered to my house in the future; instead of having to search for parking, be treated like I'm non-existent, and be valued for only the swipe of a credit card at...

I purchased a number of items this past spring. One of the items was a hexmat used for pen and paper rpgs where one can use dry-erase markers to mark on the mat. Unfortunately, this mat was not in stock and Dan claimed he could get it in a few days from his warehouse. He put my name into his computer system and I took my remaining purchases home. He also stated that he would call me when it arrived.

The first strange thing I noticed was that I never received a phone call. No big deal, but picking up the mat kept slipping my mind.

I emailed Dan to ask if I could come in and pick up my remaining purchase, he said he had the mat in stock and I could come by. Upon arriving at the store, the cashier claimed my name was not in the system at all. Having made the rookie mistake of losing the receipt, I realized I was in trouble. Dan said they would be willing to sell me the mat AGAIN and I could come back and get my money back if I could find the receipt.

The whole transaction was dicey from the start when I never received a phone call back. I recommend finding a different game store in Baltimore if you are looking for reliable customer service and...

One of the best game stores I've been to anywhere. This is a true gamer's paradise, unlike a lot of stores which contain mostly comic books with a little section of games. The store is clean and well lit, and all of the staff and customers are always fun to be around. They usually have multiple copies of all the mainstay games and can order anything they don't have in stock.

They have fun events almost every day of the week/weekend depending on what games you like to play. I went with my wife on a Thursday night for their Android: Netrunner night, and the owner taught us how to play with his cards before we had our own. We've also been on a Saturday for open gaming and everyone there was friendly and willing to teach us new games.

This is a great place with something for everyone--whether you're a casual gamer, hardcore gamer, or even if you've never played anything before and are looking for an easy way to get into it. Canton Games is a perfect example of what American small businesses should strive for. There are game stores that are closer to where I live but I would much rather drive out of my way...