Metro Entertainment

Downtown Santa Barbara's long-running comic and game shop, with Pokemon packs, raw and graded singles, MTG and Yu-Gi-Oh gear just off State Street.

Half a block off State Street on West Anapamu, Metro Entertainment has been a fixture of downtown Santa Barbara's geek scene for years. The store is packed tight with comics, graphic novels, manga, toys, board games and role-playing books, and it rewards anyone willing to spend time digging through the racks and cases.

Trading cards have become a major draw. Pokemon is the headline: sealed booster packs and boxes, plus raw and graded singles in the display cases, with vintage and modern eras both represented. Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh product round out the card selection, so it covers most of what you'd want from a Santa Barbara card shop without having to leave downtown. The staff will also appraise and buy Pokemon collections, though they price cards at market value, so bring realistic expectations if you're selling.

Metro also runs a regular in-store games schedule, including beginner-friendly Dungeons & Dragons sessions, and it's a longtime participant in Free Comic Book Day, when the line can stretch down the sidewalk. Comic readers can set up a pull list for new weekly releases, and the shop occasionally hosts artist and creator signings.

Hours are 11AM-9PM on Monday, Friday and Saturday, and 11AM-7PM Tuesday through Thursday and on Sunday, so the later nights line up with game events. Street parking downtown can be tight on weekends, but several public city lots sit within a few blocks, and the shop is an easy walk from the rest of State Street's shops and restaurants. If you're after Pokemon cards in Santa Barbara, it's worth calling ahead about specific singles or new releases, since popular sets move quickly here. Collectors visiting from out of town will find it a worthwhile detour between the beach and the Funk Zone.