Pastimes Comics & Games

(My review has to do with the comics side of this business, so if you’re looking for a review on CGC or table top games, you’ll probably want to read someone else’s review. Anyway…)
I recently delved back into collecting comic books at the start of July, after a long 19-​year «break» (33 now, you do the math). While I tried to do some web searching to find a decent spot to jump back into the newer Marvel storylines, I ended up a bit overwhelmed.
Eric (Comics Manager) came to the rescue, though — he took the time to inform me of upcoming releases and did a great job answering any questions I had in order to find a good starting point. I think I’ve been back every week since and also signed up for a pull list with them — while their 10% discount for pull list/​subscription isn’t as large as other retailers, the difference is that you get free bag & board and the discount is also applied to other comic book purchases, aside from your list.
The comic book back issues stock is pretty good (especially for a suburban shop that utilizes the majority of its retail space for gaming), new releases are stocked as well as (or better than) some other local comic shops, and there are some nice rarities on the wall behind the couner. Unless there’s a negative change to the service or stock, I’m pretty sure Pastimes will be my go-​to local comic shop.

The only place I go for my MTG cards and supplies. They offer competitive prices, and a friendly, knowledgeable staff. I love their kiosk system. It makes large orders a breeze and allows you to easily see prices and stock, without having to ask a million questions. The rewards system they have is a nice touch, allowing you to earn points for future purchases. I recently played a prerelease event there, and was very impressed with how smooth it ran. They really had a nice setup of different prizes and games to make the event feel special. The store has grown a lot from its previous two locations and if you haven’t checked it out recently, it’s worth another look. Overall, a great card and comic shop.

A fantastic place to get collectibles, I always buy from Eric and he gives great costumer service. Place rocks!

The only place I go to for all my MTG and comic needs. Friendly staff that always is very helpfully and knowledgeable. Have multiple comic subscriptions and am very happy. New rewards program is awesome and anyone can get points just for spending money. Have played in a few events, always came out with something, and there is something to do every day of the week.

How does this place not have a wall of 1 star reviews?
This is one of the worst gaming stores in existence. Any event they plan turns to a total money-​grabbing trainwreck, the staff seem to make it a point to be clueless about the rules, and the overall atmosphere is very rude and impersonal.
I actually quit playing Magic because of how terrible this company is. If you value your sanity, physical well-​being, and overall cleanliness, I urge you to stay away from any large event pastimes hosts.
Life is better not playing at all than playing at pastimes.

This shop has underwent a major transformation in the last several months and is becoming a really awesome place to not just get games and comics, but a better place to hang out and and play. If you haven’t been in the store in the last few months, give them another shot. Staff is friendly and attentive, and there are things to do every day of the week.

I ordered from these guys online last week. After not hearing back from my inquiries about shipping my order, Zack, the manager, finally contacted me when I tried a different email address. While they were out of the card I ordered, he gave me a full explanation of how their online order system operated and described where the problem was. He issued me a full refund and sent me a couple of really nice cards I needed free of charge.
I’ve ordered a lot of cards online and have had a lot of orders canceled. No other shop has gone out of their way to let me know what happened and to make sure I would be coming back as a customer. Props to Zack and Pastimes for not acting greedy and grumpy like so many other online vendors.

Pastimes is a great place for trading card game enthusiasts only. If you play MTG or YGO, then you’re pretty much going to find what you need. The person I was talking to when I was there a couple of weeks ago, was very friendly but seemed uninterested in the card game I play (Not MTG or YGO). The prices were also quite high on the items I wanted compared to market value. Pastimes is very very popular in the MTG world and are pretty much the biggest card shop in the Chicago land area. However, I recommend that you perhaps try a smaller store for better pricing. I used to play YGO and was a regular at their regional events which were… pretty unorganized.
Yes, kids got their stuff stolen time and time again but hey, that’s their own fault. Pastimes makes an effort to prevent that kind of issue but realize some people go to these events to steal your stuff! The staff will makes convincing announcements to protect your property and if you don’t, say bye bye to your $ 400 plus deck.
All in all, it’s an ok place. Wish they negotiated with their prices better and cater to all trading card game enthusiasts. Good day.

Overall, meh…
I’ve been in a few times because my nephew is really into Magic: The Gathering. They seem to have a really good selection of MTG and other cards (Yu-​Gi-​Oh, etc) and accessories. Their prices seem to be on par. My biggest complaint with Pastimes is the service sucks. The counter staff isn’t particularly friendly or helpful. They have an elitist attitude about things too… Like they kind of scoff at having to answer low knowledge level questions… Whatever guys… Get over yourselves. You are a business that should provide basic customer service. The comic book selection didn’t seem particularly impressive. They also have some board games and other stuff. They have a large game room in the back. They are right next door to Walmart so the parking lot is always pretty crazy. I think I’d rather support a smaller store that has a more inviting feel.

This place encourages theft as they do absolutely nothing about it! I got my stuff stolen routinely as a teen. You would think they would equip their store with cameras to ward off this unscrupulous behavior! The store owner AL is too cheap and does not care to be honest as he is a terrible businessman! Seedy people, shady underdealings! Avoid like the plague. The clerks and dealers there are like used car salesmen. This place is not worthy to stay in business

The big events get a little hairy here (as they do everywhere), but the smaller and weekly events are where this place really shines. The weekly gaming groups here are great and the elbow room/​space is appreciated. The general, 20-​something yr old staff are pretty knowledgeable and inventory/​prices are decent.
Years of smelly, cramped game stores help me overlook some of the smaller issues I have with Pastimes. Be prepared to be ignored real late in the evening and this place tends to get slammed by kids when they host some larger events.
4 Stars + 1 bonus star for nostalgia reasons.

If you’re looking for just a comic book store, this place would really only get two stars, but from what I could see, they run tight operation with their card game business (probably where the real money is)
I’ve shopped on and off with Pastimes for what seems like the last 18 years, back when they were based out of Glenview and Wilmette before then. The Wilmette shop was where I’d rent rare animé (back when it was somewhat underground) and the Glenview shop was my local comic shop when I was back from college during the summers. The store was always trying to innovate with what was current, like being one of the only shops to host regular LAN parties in mid-​90s.
I haven’t been there in about five years, and boy, has it changed. For comics, you’re not going to be able to get much. Regulated to the front of the store, you’ll find six-​month old back issues with very little current. My biggest gripe about the Glenview store was that they only ordered new issues for people with pull lists and the shelf would only get leftovers. It seems likes that’s still the case, which is a shame because it doesn’t allow for people get into new titles they’re not ordering two months in advance.
But, like I said, comics doesn’t seem to be their primary focus, so if you want to pick up a random graphic novel as a gift to someone, this just might be the place, but as a comic shop it really doesn’t hold up too well today.

Dear lord, it’s still new-​ish and all, but still smells a little like a warehouse. Not as much as a month earlier when I started to come here though! Originally when I came in was to sell a couple rare magic cards, and I’m pretty sure that the guys didn’t think much of us, and probably thought they could super down-​sell us even though we knew the value from notable online sources. In fact, we did haggle a teeny bit but it wasn’t hard. They got the hint we were a couple of nerds, and one of our cards even paid for half of an entire booster box.
They have much of what you need if you’re into magic, and also some other stuff if you’re a card game junkie. Behind the counter is nice and organized as well as good looking. They also have a comic section next to their board games. The area next to it where they have all of their board games looks empty and dirty on the floor. I don’t think they mop the floors unless they look desperately miserable, and they certainly don’t dust. However, it’s spacious and they let you come in and play on their cafeteria style tables wherever you like.
The staff isn’t intrusive and the nerdy folks there that frequent to play are quiet. They have drafting weekly which I’ve yet to participate in, but because the place is so big even if you’re there during a draft you can still find a comfortable spot to play quietly and not feel awkward. There are a couple particularly friendly staff members who peek to see what you’re doing and ask if you’ve got any good cards if they see you’re opening boosters. We tend to buy at least 2 packs when we go just to feel like we’re not taking advantage of the room to play.
They’ve decorated the place with tons of large wall scrolls from different magic blocks. It’s REALLY chill there and I’m kind of glad it’s not a really busy spot to go. They must make SOME kind of profit to stay alive, but with the lack of traffic it seems like a coin flip. I do hope they stick around, as they’re the only suburban nearby hobby store in the area. It’s very hard to find as they don’t have a sign over the store and it’s tucked in next to the Walmart so tightly that you wouldn’t know it’s there unless you saw wall scrolls in the window and other posters. They’re open pretty late (10pm) which is nice if you’re looking for something to do later in the day.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about the place the first time I visited, but now I highly appreciate the place, and love coming around!

This store is horrible. I drove all the way out there from Melrose Park and they closed the store right in the middle of the day to play video games. They kicked 4 people out of the store claiming there was a «small issue». I will never go back.

Not really into comic books but I must say when I was in the store, i found Jimi to be extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I went in with a friend, and after browsing around a bit Jimi engaged me in conversation about some of the merchandise I was looking at. He was very enthusiastic about his job, and I could tell he was not just «going through the motions» like most retail employees. If you have comic book needs in the Chicago-​land area, these guys are the experts and this is the place to go!

Awesome if you’re into Magic the Gathering or any of the other card games. Comics… not so much.

This is the top hobby shop in the northwest suburbs. Specializing in comics and collectable card games. They have a large display selling singles of various games such as Yu gee yo and Magic the Gathering. They have tons of fun collectibles and accessories good place to find a unique gift.
The store is big and host many Magic the Gathering tournaments. I always hear about events for new release party’s. Most importantly if you have a pile of cards collecting dust you can bring them in and Pastimes will offer you a generally fair price for the cards they buy from you.

I’ve been to M: TG events at or run by pastimes for the last 12 years. However, if they didn’t have a monopoly in the entire Chicago area on big events, I wouldn’t have gone back after the first one.
After 12 years, these guys have learned nothing. Back in my youth, I cut them some slack as they were new to hosting big events. However, after going back recently, I felt that nostalgic feeling that no one had any idea what was going on.
The staff acts like they’re doing you a favor by helping you at all. They are lethargic and pompous, as if that could even happen at the same time!
The events are overpriced, disorganized, and stressful. At the most recent one, there weren’t enough tables to accommodate the players. Who would think to have enough tables to accommodate players?
This place is just plain aweful. If I never have to go back I won’t, and now that wizards is allowing smaller stores to have events, I might not have to!

I have been to Pastimes a couple times and I will tell you that unless you are going to play whatever collectible card game they play there, you do not matter. They do not care about any other customer. So, if you play the games they host there, more power to you. If you don’t, then you should go somewhere else.

This is a fairly big books tore witha wide variety of books and comics to choose from. It is noisy, however, so you probably wouldn’t prefer to sit here. They also have a section for sports fans which is always crowded.