Retro video games are huge right now and the collector’s market is booming. Whether you’re looking for some good places to relive that childhood nostalgia or you’re just a purist who wants to play those old games the way they were meant to be played, you’ve probably looked through piles of old games at garage sales and searched eBay. to get your nostalgic retro fix. It can be fun to hunt for retro treasure, but there are some great local game stores that offer community and stacks of great games. In this series, we’ll showcase some of our favorite retro game stores from the Chicagoland area and beyond.
One such location is All Games at Buffalo Grove. This store has been around for ten years and has expanded from just under 800 square meters to a brand new 5000 square meter space with enough space for tournaments, table games, video games and more. We sat down with the Operations Manager and co-owner Cody Romano and talked to him about what sets Everything Games apart and even makes it a great place to hang out.
What is the origin story of Everything Games? I’d love to know more about how you got started!
Ten years ago, my father Perry and I decided to open Everything Games after seeing the need for a game store in the greater Buffalo Grove area. We wanted to provide gamers of all ages with a safe place to play and play.
Were you a gamer as a child? What kind of games have you played?
I have definitely been and always will be a gamer. I grew up playing video games and at the same time playing various trading card games such as Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! I’ve also played Warhammer, Dungeons and Dragons and board games!
How do you think Everything Games sets itself apart from your competitors?
I think we differentiate ourselves on a number of points. We are now on a site of over 5000 square meters and offer a larger play space with quality events. We also don’t try to be seen as “just a trading card store,” or video game store or board game store. We are a general game store that offers a great selection of many different types of games and titles for everyone to enjoy.
What kind of events do you do?
We are hosting events for various trading card games, such as Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Digimon, Pokémon, Flesh and Blood – and will be adding more games to the lineup. We also have a board game night on Wednesdays every week and offer Warhammer and other miniature games that can be played here as well. I recommend joining our Discord if you’re interested in joining us in any of these events – we’d love to have you!
What is the most popular event? Why do you think it is most popular?
Yu-Gi-Oh! is by far our most popular. Every Saturday we average between 35-50 players! I think it has to do with the fact that we have a welcoming environment – and we provide a quality event for everyone who plays.
Back to the store side of things, what are some of your favorite things that are on the shelves or that you want to highlight?
We have a great selection of Warhammer 40k merchandise and offer some of the best prices as well as our ever expanding selection of video games and consoles. Plus, our selection of Pokémon cards is one of the best in the Midwest!
So I know you buy games too – what’s the craziest or most bizarre thing someone tried to sell you? What’s the craziest thing you’ve actually bought?
We’ve been through some pretty crazy stuff. Someone has come in to sell two sealed starter decks of Magic: The Gathering’s alpha set – the first official set! I also had someone bring us sealed copies of Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow on the Gameboy.
What’s the rarest thing you have in the store, for sale or not?
It’s hard to pick just one thing, but I’ll say I’ve got some pretty crazy stuff and still have a few sealed Pokémon games.
What are some of your plans for the future for Everything Games? What kind of events would you like more?
I can’t go into too much detail about some of our plans, but I will say that Everything Games continues to grow and will be the best game store in Chicagoland in my opinion. Expect more card game and miniature trading events, as well: We plan to expand into ongoing video game events as well.
That sounds good! One last question: what would you say to someone who hasn’t visited yet? What do you think makes people want to visit Everything Games?
Every time someone comes to Everything Games for the first time, there is a look of awe, nostalgia and connection.
It’s amazing to see how excited people are when they first come to the store, and even more exciting when someone comes to show it to someone else so they can feel like they felt their first time.
Everything Games is a safe place for every gamer, where we want to make sure you can get the things you always wanted or give the games you no longer use a chance to bring joy back to someone.
If you want to learn more about Everything Games, check out their website or visit them in person at 404 W Half Day Rd in Buffalo Grove, IL. If you’re interested in tournaments and events, make sure to join their Discord as well or follow them on Facebook!
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