The Game Shoppe — Local services in Bellevue

This is a difficult review for me due to two things:

The shop itself is amazing - I have gone to other game shops similar to this one not only in Bellevue/Omaha Metro, but around quite a bit of the Midwest and West Coast; the selection of games and frankly astounding selection of minis, terrain, buildings, and more is amazing! Overall, I also have played D&D for over a decade, and have dabbled in Warhammer & Gloomhaven as well.

This being said, the only thing that put me “off” is the customer service. Compared to other game shops, I feel more heckled to a degree at this shop; being called “kids” once is a little off-putting, but continuously being called “kids” or “kiddos” feels a tad disrespectful - at that point, why not just ask my name? (Trust me, I understand it’s a game store and it’s meant for fun and entertainment, but regardless.) Secondly, interjecting in conversations is not okay - especially if I am talking to someone I came with and is not directed at anyone else.

I had originally planned to buy some things and/or continue to come back as well as tell my D&D group(s) about this shop, but I don’t want them to have the same latter experience I had. Having worked in customer facing roles for well over a decade, I understand the customer service aspect and the want to deliver fantastic customer service - but this...

Everytime I walk into The Game Shoppe I have a wonderful experience thanks to fantastic customer service provided by the knowledgeable and friendly staff here.

The environment here is clean and welcoming, including an area to purchase items and games as well as an area to play and socialize with others sharing your interests. The inventory is incredible and opened my eyes to all the different kinds of games out there. Any question I had about a game was answered quickly and to the point. They gave me recommendations for new games based on what games I had played before and even on how I played them. It blew my mind.

I first came in looking for Mancala and walked out with a free starter deck of Magic the Gathering. They offered me a demo game to understand the basics of it at the small cost of one high five. I tried to talk them down, but they stood firm. I couldn't take the lesson at the time and had to take a rain check. After taking the raincheck from one staff member, I came back a few days later to find he wasn't working that shift. No problem! Another staff member, John, sat down with me and gave me the demo enthusiastically and thoroughly. The service was, and is, to be defined as professional and...

Bottom Line Up Front: Trading cards are extremely overpriced, see edit (Written 2 weeks later)

My kids recently got into trading Pokémon cards and I bought them several fusion strike booster boxes. The Game Shoppes retail was $180 per box unless you signed up for their in store rewards program, bumping the price down to $145. For comparisons, Dragons Lair in Omaha sells the same Fusion Strike box for $120, POKENE, $95 and simulator prices can be found on Amazon, roughly $95.

To end on a positive note, they have an amazing selection on board and card games.

Update

I don't wan't to remove the initial post because the follow up comment by the owner may not make sense. After longer exposure to the card market, I realized the Game Shoppe's prices will never be able to complete with the larger chains prices. It may seem like a common understanding, but being new to the hobby and quick to assess, is a recipe for leaving a bad and unjust review. The store has the best selection of games in the Omaha region and is...