Alternate Universes

The original Alternate Universes location — a Delaware County TCG powerhouse since 2003 with three stores across southeastern PA. Pokémon, Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments plus board games, Warhammer, and more.

Alternate Universes is one of the most established gaming store chains in southeastern Pennsylvania, and the Holmes location on MacDade Boulevard is where it all started. Founded in 2003 by Michael Coyle with the help of his family, the original AU store has grown from a single-location hobby shop into a three-store operation with locations in Holmes, Blue Bell, and additional venues — each serving as a community hub for TCG players and tabletop gamers.

The Holmes store specializes in trading card games: Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, Dragon Ball Super, Cardfight!! Vanguard, and more. Singles buying and trading is available for Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Magic, and the sealed product selection covers the latest releases alongside older sets. Beyond TCGs, the shop carries Dungeons & Dragons books and accessories, board games, Warhammer 40K models and paints, Heroclix, and other tabletop gaming products.

What makes Alternate Universes a destination rather than just a store is its event calendar. The shop holds weekly tournaments for multiple TCG systems, hosts prereleases, OTS Store Championships, Pokémon League Cups, Magic qualifiers, and special events throughout the year. Free table space is available for gaming anytime the store is open — and with hours extending to 10 PM on weekdays and 11 PM on Fridays, there's plenty of time for evening play sessions.

The community around AU is tight-knit and welcoming, with staff who are genuinely passionate about the games they sell. For competitive TCG players in Delaware County and the western suburbs, Alternate Universes is the home base.