Game Nut Entertainment

Big Iowa Street game store in Lawrence with a dedicated TCG area, Pokemon and Magic cards, sealed product, and a tournament room open seven days a week.

Game Nut's Iowa Street store is the larger of the chain's two Lawrence locations, and it feels like it. The floor is roomy and well organized, with video games, retro systems, board games, miniatures and model kits sharing space with a section set aside for trading card games. Past the shelves there's a tournament room with tables, so plenty of people come here to play as well as to shop.

For card collectors, sealed product and singles are the main draw. The store deals in Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh cards, and it runs its online storefront through TCGplayer Pro, so it's worth checking stock there before you drive over. Game Nut also buys cards, but know the numbers going in. One reviewer said the store quoted about 30 percent of market value on trade-ins, going higher for expensive cards. Several recent reviewers also noted sealed TCG priced above market, while others called card prices fair. Bring your own price checks and you'll leave happy either way.

This Lawrence card shop is a regular stop for local players because it has space to play. Between the play area, the wide product mix and the open tables, it's an easy place to crack a pack and then sit down for a game. Staff get mostly good marks for being friendly and knowing their stuff, and the store posts its event schedule on its calendar and Facebook page.

The store is open 10AM to 9PM every day of the week, so an evening stop after work or class is easy. On weekday afternoons you'll usually have more room to browse the card cases before evening play gets going. If you're coming for an event, check the schedule first, because the tournament room fills up on game nights.

You'll find it in Space M at 2329 Iowa St, on the busy retail stretch near 23rd Street, and you can call 785-856-8770 to check stock. If you also want to see Game Nut's smaller downtown store, it's only a few minutes away by car.