The Fan Zone - Waite Park

Played in The Hobbit pre-release. First event ever, so I was very excited to participate. The first guy I played against stole the dice out of my box as I went to the bathroom. While not innately the cards shop’s fault, there’s a lack of supervision for an event, and nobody really designated to help. When I showed up there was very little explanation just pointing to sheets of printed paper and it seemed like the event was a burden to them. I had shared to the two older men at the desk I was new to these events and don’t know much beyond some basics. Again they point to a QR code that only works when you download an app (again no explanation just pointing) The employees set down the kits and walked away and I never saw them again. It was very unceremonious and I just walked out after an unexplained system matches, not sure what to think. I probably would have had a better time at a different store. I later learned from talking to a friend that there are prizes and complimentary things that nobody had stated was part of the event?

Fantastic experience! Joe went above and beyond to help me find the perfect basketball box for my collection. He was knowledgeable, patient, and took the time to understand exactly what I was looking for. The shop has a great selection, fair prices, and a welcoming atmosphere. I’ll definitely be coming back for future purchases. Thanks again!

I was very disappointed with my recent experience at The Fan Zone in Waite Park. About a week ago, I stopped in for the first time while I was in the area. I spent some time going through their bulk cards and was pleasantly surprised by both the selection and the fair bulk pricing I received from the gentleman working the counter. It was a great first impression. Because of that experience, my wife and I drove an hour and a half back yesterday specifically to spend more time building my grandson's collection. She patiently sat with me for over four hours while we sorted through hundreds of thousands of bulk cards. We ended up selecting roughly the same quantity as we had purchased the week before. Unfortunately, this visit was completely different. The gentleman behind the counter wasn't willing to offer any type of bulk pricing. Instead, the only "discount" offered was 10% off prices that were already marked higher than I expected for bulk cards. There was no willingness to negotiate or work toward a deal. When I asked about pricing, the response I received was simply, "What were you expecting?" I was expecting a fair discussion and some flexibility—not to be told only what couldn't be done. What makes this even more disappointing is that I had every intention of purchasing several thousand dollars' worth of sealed boxes after finishing with the bulk cards. I wanted to see how they treated a customer making a substantial bulk purchase before making that larger investment. I've been buying and selling sports cards for over 40 years, and I honestly can't remember another card shop being this unwilling to work with a customer on a large bulk purchase. I sincerely hope the person behind the counter wasn't the owner, because turning away a customer who was prepared to spend significantly more money over a relatively small pricing discussion doesn't seem like good business. The selection is impressive, but customer service and flexibility matter just as much. Based on my experience, I'd recommend shopping around and comparing prices before making the trip.

I asked for help pricing an item. I asked the adult at the register for help, instead of getting off his butt he told some kid to help me. Which itself wouldn't be bad if he was busy but he was literally just sitting there doing nothing. After standing at the counter where the item was stored for 10mins without any help whatsoever, I again asked the adult at the counter for help. He rolled his eyes, yelled at the poor kid, then came and helped. I ended up buying the item but not once throughout the purchase process did he apologize or seem to care in any way. No sorry, no thanks for shopping, nothing. If it wasn't for the fact the item was a gift for my brother I would have walked out. Im definitely never going back and I'd never recommend this store to anyone.

Brought 400 cards in to sell. 300 of which had top loaders. Left the cards at the shop so someone could get a price together. I didnt accept their offer and when I came to pick them up there were 0 top loaders and all my cards are laying in metal tins. I brought them there in the tins but in top loaders or wrapped tightly in bulk bags. The guy that looked at my cards from my understanding is the owner. When i went to confront him his first words were, i dont think they were in top loaders...The cards that were in the bags are now raw with no penny sleeves rolling around in the tins. The experience from start to finish was sub par. Also wrote pricing on my penny sleeves and didnt replace those.