5C Gaming / The Card Shop

Downtown Springfield's disabled- and veteran-owned game store, where the Magic bulk boxes get name-checked in reviews as often as the sealed wall does.

Bulk is the thing people write reviews about at 5C Gaming. The downtown Pershing Street store keeps deep bulk boxes of Magic singles out where customers can sift them, and a steady stream of Google reviews describe building whole decks out of what they dug up. It is a different pitch from the glass-case model most shops run, and it makes this a good first stop for anyone building on a budget.

The store is disabled-owned and veteran-owned, flagged LGBTQ+ friendly, wheelchair accessible, with gender-neutral restrooms and Wi-Fi — details that come up in reviews as often as the inventory does. Two named staffers, Dakota and Haden, get repeated credit for walking first-time sellers through trade-ins without making them feel out of place. The shop describes itself as a local game store dedicated to building community through shared hobbies, and the tone at the counter backs that up.

Inventory is TCG-first rather than sports. Magic: The Gathering leads in sealed, singles and bulk; Pokemon sealed product, Flesh and Blood, Star Wars: Unlimited, Dungeons & Dragons and Games Workshop share the remaining shelves alongside board games, party games and accessories. The full singles catalog is browsable and orderable through their TCGplayer Pro storefront, so you can check stock before making the trip downtown.

The play space is set up with dedicated gaming tables and reads modern and tidy rather than the cluttered-basement aesthetic some card shops lean into. Organized play and tournaments run regularly, but the schedule is published through the shop's Facebook page rather than a fixed weekly grid on the website — worth a call to 417-771-5176 if you are coming specifically for an event.

Late hours are the practical advantage. The store runs 11AM to 9PM Sunday through Thursday and stays open until 11PM on Friday and Saturday, which is later than any other trading cards Springfield destination. The Pershing Street location near the Jefferson Avenue corridor puts it within walking distance of downtown restaurants, making a Friday-night game session easy to build an evening around.