CM Games - Cedar Bluff — Local services in Knoxville

READ THIS REVIEW before buying any product here. In my opinion, this is easily the worst gaming TCG store I’ve ever been to and allow me to explain why.

PRICE GOUGING: CM Games is notorious for overpricing product for virtually any TCG you are interested in. They get product from their distribution center at wholesale pricing and will then markup that product for 2 to 3 times (or more) above MSRP. They use “ TCG player” as an excuse to weaponize the local market in their favor while royally ripping people off. They over charge for sealed product while Walmart and Target sell the same exact items for MSRP (retail prices). They know that their prices are the literal definition of scalping they simply don’t care.

To make matters worse when they use TCG player they will often find the highest listed price and base their pricing off of whoever is selling that product at the highest possible markup, not median pricing.

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE: Over the years I have had the displeasure of having to interact with the management of this store and they are by far some of the most rude and condescending people I’ve ever met in my life. Do you want to buy half a dozen singles? Well be prepared to deal with a cold and irritated manager like Cooper. He will stand there impatiently while you identify which cards you want, but instead of handing you the cards to inspect he will just randomly choose whichever one he likes and place them out of reach so you can’t inspect them for condition. Who cares if you are spending hundreds of dollars, he gets to decide which cards to give you.

This isn’t an isolated event that only happened once, this has happened no less than a half dozen times over the course of the last 3 years. To be clear I have always been kind, polite, and patient every single time I’ve ever visited their store. There is no reason for their management to be so smug and downright unpleasant.

The rest of the staff is great, just not the management.

POOR QUALITY CONTROL:

While CM Games has plenty of overpriced sealed product for you to peruse, you will quickly notice a huge problem in the quality control of their singles. They maintain some of the most expensive cards ($400+) in their glass cases in excess of tens of thousands of dollars in singles alone, and yet a vast majority of them aren’t even in penny sleeves let alone top loaders. The ones that are sleeved, are so filthy that it is IMPOSSIBLE to determine quality or condition. And god forbid you actually want to grade the card and would like to inspect it, they will treat you as though you asked for their social security number and a DNA sample.

TRADE IN:

Do you want to sell your TCG collection that’s worth thousands? Well get ready to be offered pennies on the dollar. Go somewhere else, anywhere else, because these guys are notorious for offering 50% or LOWER on modern cards in NM condition. The industry standard for trade ins is 75% of the value, however dont you dare say that at CM games because they will look at you as though you are speaking another language.

This review is simply my opinion based on dozens of visits to this store over many years, but my most recent visit will be my last.

Prismatic Evolutions was just released and because I have friends with a TCG store, I know their cost is approximately $40 (likely less) per ETB or $4.44 per pack at the VERY MOST.

So what do you think CM games is charging their loyal customers for a single ETB?

$130 or $14.44 per pack! That is over 3 times MSRP, and they have the audacity to say “that’s the market price”. That is truly SHAMEFUL business practices especially when other TCG stores IN KNOXVILLE are offering their patrons product AT MSRP/retail.

I’m disgusted with CM Games management and business practices. I’m glad I won’t be wasting any more of my money at this store or any of their other locations.

But by all means, if you don’t mind setting fire to your money, and want to support a greedy retail shop selling at scalper...

Do not sell to CM Games! I messaged them through facebook after a con I saw them at in Knoxville, sent them a list doubles that my sons and I wanted to sell to fund a trip to Collect-a-con in Charlotte, they said they would be in Charlotte and to bring all the doubles on the list, around 300 cards, and they would "take care of me".

When we got to the con and found CM Games, I told one of CM's buyers that I had been in contact with Ed and that he told me to bring the singles and I had some sealed to sell as well, he went through the cards quickly, said he wanted the sealed, but he only wanted around 20-30 cards that I brought, when I said I was told by Ed to bring them all, he said he would call Ed and see if we talked. He came back and said that he would buy them all, but the ones in a big stack were all bulk (around 250 cards) and would give me bulk prices for them 25 cents each, I looked through them and saw Celebrations ETB black star promo Greninja, tons of $10+ cards and a ton of $5 plus cards, I know that the $3 and lower cards may be considered bulk, but I have never heard of $5-10 cards being sold as bulk. I showed him the Grininja and said, "this cards is $18 on TCGplayer", he said "oh did it go up" he looked it up and said "ok I'll take this one too" meaning from the bulk stack.

There may have been around 50-75 actual bulk cards, Vs and V-stars.

I told him I would just sell to someone else, he still wanted to see what sealed I brought and just didn't care in the least that I was taking my business some where else. I had mentioned specifically in the messages that I didn't want to bring anything that he wasn't interest in and was told "we will take everything you got" in the messages.

I was so embarrassed and it was such a negative experience my sons and I, so early in the con, that it honestly ruined the trip and we headed home early.

I never leave negative reviews, only ever left one, but I feel like I have to in this case, I don't want anyone to feel like we did at the con, it was humiliatingly and just horrible experience.

Sell to another vendor at the cons, tons of actual honest vendors out there, this just isn't...

My 3 sons (10-14) have gotten into TCGs especially Yu-Gi-Oh as of the last . This place is the premiere local community and is completely enhanced by the excellent team running this store. We now come to their organized events, which are family friendly and we'll organized. The Yu-Gi-Oh community here is second to none and have adopted my sons like a family of older brothers. They have helped them learn the game and also engage with them on life. I do hang out but give them their space to make friends and just enjoy the sense of community. We are blessed and thankful to have found a place and community like this. This is a direct reflection of the store and team.

We have been to other locations and always walk away realizing that CM Cedar Bluff really does a fantastic job in the way they handle things - engagement, knowledge, professionalism, and efficiency. I watch the team run several events simultaneously and it amazing me how they handle with ease and attention to detail. Plus this store is busy with normal patrons looking and buying. Tommy and Cooper have their team hopping and doing an AMAZING job.

I see a few low reviews,which seems like something personal with an axe to grind. I do see them hold people accountable but always in a professional and considerate manner. I do know that everyone I'd trying their best especially when it's packed and super busy. Plus, having to tell grown adults to clean up after themselves seems... ridiculous. Don't let those review taint your decision to try this place out for yourself. You will see that it is a place you will return to...