There's Fun In Store — Local services in DeKalb Township

My fiancée and I were excited about finally being able to go to this store. We had been trying to go every time we came to Dekalb, but they were always closed when we dropped by, which was sometime in the day time. We bought a retro duo console to be able to play some old school Nintendo games, 2 games (mario/duck hunt combo for original Nintendo and Donkey King Country), 2 Original Nintendo rappers for Duck Hunt (just to have an extra one), some 3d print items and a few Mtg Commander decks, a board game, and a few other things. Overall we spent close to $500. My fiancée was excited about the console because she had been wanting to play Super Mario as it was her favorite game when she was younger. The issue we had was with the console. We were told that the guns would work with that particular console. We get home and there were no connections for the guns due to it having only super nintendo controller connections. The mario/duck hunt game wouldn't come on at all, only a black screen would appear or sometimes it would have green blocks randomly on the screen. We decided we didn't want to deal with it any longer. We had been in the store asking questions about the consoles and making sure we were getting what we wanted. I called a few days later (not even a week had passed) and spoke with a female employee. I asked if we could bring it back and get a cash refund or at least refund it back to our debit card if we brought in the receipt. The employee said yes that we could get a full cash refund on it. Told her I would be in later that week when I had a day off since I live an hour away. Moving forward to the day I brought it back, and another employee (Alex) tells me that I can only get store credit per their policy, which neither me nor my fiancée knew about. They pointed out small signs displayed but we never noticed them, nor was a return policy explained to us, even after asking if we could bring it back if we needed to for any reason. He also told us that those guns wouldn't even work with the TV we have (flat screen smart TV) and that they only work with older model TVs, which is another thing we didn't know or we wouldn't even have bought it. I told him that that I was told when I called that I could get a refund for those items. He called the owner and the owner would not allow the refund. Alex told me he told the owner that in this situation that a refund should be given since we couldn't use the items. Again, the owner would not budge. Alex spoke with the owner again and the owner said he would do half store credit and half cash, I him I would think on it because most places in this situation would give a refund, especially since i was told that I would get one. I left and took the items back with me as I had to get back to Rockford. I called back after discussing it with my fiancée and decided to do the half store credit and half cash. $90 was what we had in store credit, and I couldn't get much. Magic cards are way cheaper at a place I go to in Rockford than what this place sells them for. Most of the items I looked at were overpriced compared to other stores/websites I looked at while there. I was also told that an employee, a few days before I came in to make the return, gave a cash refund to someone that came in. The employee was talked to, but if you have policies like that in place, all employees need to know that and advise customers when they make purchases. Employees should also know the product before selling to someone, especially if the customer is asking questions. Our first experience at this shop was definitely not a good one and we will...

I like this store but unfortunately in recent months they have decided to try to rectify the Pokemon stock issues and scalper problems by collecting a cool $105 in additional sales per single pack of prismatic evolutions.

Staff directly told me that they didnt expect similar issues to be the case with the latest Journey Together pokemon set since it was a full production release. Then since day 1 of the new set release they just price the booster boxes at over a 100 dollar markup from msrp and list the new elite trainer boxes at 100.

Its reasonable in my opinion for older packs and discontinued sets to be more expensive due to market pricing and extremely limited stock. But above market pricing since day one is a depressing customer experience. To be clear, now these sealed pokemon products are being sold for significantly more than they are even worth on TCG Player.

I do value the variety of older market priced products this store keeps on hand as they defend in the replies to these review, that selection and their wonderful employee Alex earn the 1 star this rating does have. But the other 4 are lost due to them trying to fix Pokemon's supply issue with their own high demand pricing.

I know or have heard from at least a few dozen local shoppers who feel the same way about Theres Fun In Store's incredulous pricing scheme. Not all of them have written reviews. But I dont think the vocal minority that is pointed to by the owner is much of a minority.

Again, I like this store and have spent hundreds of dollars here, they do employ some wonderful people, they do have a good selection of older product at market or above market prices and for a wide variety of product lines like Pokemon, MTG, Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and much more. My poor review reflects solely my perspective and opinion on their recent choices with Pokemon during its worst stocking troubles in possibly forever. If a store is getting stock directly from The Pokemon Company and selling it for scalper prices, I think they are significantly contributing to the bigger problem. Pokemon is one of the main reasons I came to this store. These pricing decisions and restricted purchasing policies ruined my experience here as a customer and warranted the 1 star review. Hopefully I can update this into a more positive review in the future.

Update for owner reply: Thank you for your thoughtful reply, but I think a larger narrative you are piecing together from similar reviews from many others has made you gloss over some of the details of my review. I absolutely think market pricing for older releases and products is totally justified and helps provide the wide selection your store offers. I have no doubt thats what people love to see.

I think charging far above market pricing for brand new product distributed directly from Pokemon definitely helps your business mature ($$$) but ruins your business ethics in my eyes and many others.

Nobody was leaving bad reviews when you were selling old old packs for fat stacks of cash. But, the market will work itself out. I hope you are able to sell your plentiful new stock at the prices you think is justified to meet your ideal customers needs. My review simply reflects 1 opinion of 1 customer because, at these prices, I likely wont be buying any new pokemon from this store...

This store opened up in town the same year I got into the gaming hobby and it's been a wonderful experience watching the store grow along with my own interest in the hobby over the years. This is truly the best game store in the community (and there are several - all good, but TFIS is amazing). From its beginnings as a small, hole-in-the-wall franchise game store to its newer, independently owned, great location, the store has always had incredible staff, amazing selection, and a dedication to the gaming and general community that goes above and beyond!

Over the years I've been running a game night there that started out once-a-month and then grew to weekly (before Covid anyway). They also let me host game design nights and have even been supportive of game nights I've held at other locations, like other local businesses, churches, and outdoor events. I've been to the store for tournaments, trick-or-treating, and have even held Cub Scout meetings at the store!

Each year I partner with the store to run a big charity event to raise money for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, running a board game auction and a 24 hour gaming marathon. We also have a donation jar in the store year-round. Between the support of the store (both financially and logistically) and the local community we've raised thousands of dollars for charity! That wouldn't be possible without all the enthusiastic support from this store and the staff.

The store also does a ton of other community support events. Back when group gatherings were allowed they were always there, playing games with kids, giving out prizes and even gift cards, and more. They organize Pokemon events at the local library, hold events at a local historic theater, and more. When Pokemon Go was a crazy fad they extended their hours just to have water and an open location for late-night hunters to have a place to stop, often into the wee hours of the morning. They've even handed out popsicles at the end of a parade, just because it was hot out!

Without a doubt, There's Fun In Store is an amazing part of this community. And what's doubly amazing is that they manage to do all of this (and probably a ton more that I'm not aware of) while keeping prices competitive, especially on board games, cards, and accessories. If that means some exclusive items, collectibles, and rare items are a little more than I could find if I scoured the internet looking for a deal or waiting for a sale, I'm fine with that. I know my money is going to a whole lot more than just lining a rich executive's pockets.

Thank you to Phil, Emily, and all the amazing staff...