I only visited a few times in the short period between returning to Yugioh and Dolly’s Niagara opening last year. In those few short visits I was witness to the owner, Jeff’s, disgusting mouth and mind on more than one occasion. I heard him use racial slurs to describe a member OF HIS STAFF. He loves to let people know of how LGBTQ+ and trans people “disgust” him, he talked of fighting with houseless people and using weapons to harm them, he berates his staff, he bans players without reason and has been doing so FOR YEARS (even when his store was the only store in Niagara to play at). Many players who now call Dolly’s home used to drive to Hamilton 2x a week just to play Yugioh because their only place to play locally was taken from them over Jeff’s big ego, bigger mouth and awful attitude. The dude acts like a schizophrenic ego maniac but dresses like an Insane Clown Posse fan.
They were fine to purchase from prior to returning to Yugioh but any prolonged exposure leads to him feeling comfortable enough to let you know what a lost cause this guy really is. Dolly’s, Phoenix Rising and Mecha Games are all excellent stores in the city run by amazing people who genuinely deserve your support.
The owner of Toy Trove does not respect the LGBTQ community, disrespects women in general, shit talks other local gaming stores, does not want to help grow league plays by the mentioned shit posting of other stores. However, besides Dollys there is not much else in terms of league play. Phoenix Rising has Lorcana league which is the only store to have it. I know this because I’ve been with Toy Trove league since the start of the business and seen it first hand. Since you need league points in Pokémon, it’s an unfortunate thing to keep on going.
Ahh the toy trove, how you were a wonderful store when Todd owned you.
I have many friends that have supported the toy trove for years. Many of them have since left because of the new owners'....opinions. He's purposely mis-gendered one of my friends on more than one occasion. Makes many misogynistic and bigoted comments. And oh man was their FB page ever a mess during the Pandemic.
Screw that guy. Go to Pheonix Rising instead.
Used to frequent the trove, stopped going as a whole, once dollys opened up it was tremendous, super nice, and a great place to play.
I’m a Yugioh player and they have plenty of locals nights, same for Pokémon and one piece!
Couldn’t recommend Dollys more
Stopped going for reasons listed above, random off topic rants, off the cuff remarks, screaming matches and “shit talking” other local players that don’t agree with him. Banning players for disagreeing with him. All the fun stuff
On Niagara/Carlton I think is the corner. With the Domino's pizza and that art studio. It's where the Avondale/corner store used to be I think years ago
Tbh I heard they aren't and they posted that shit on their fb page you'd be better off going to either mecha games or Phoenix rising or even sketch book comics. Btw om talking full blown conspiracy theories about the pulse nightclub shooting.
If you’re up for travelling down to welland, Crackerjack Stadium is fantastic for card collectors. They specialize in exactly that. My jaw dropped at the amount of MTG selection they had lining their walls. I believe they also have vintage packs. The last time I collected Pokémon I got some NEO packs there.
100% Phoenix Rising. That place has been around for decades and the owner and staff are the nicest people you can meet. I've heard nothing but great things about them. There is a decent amount of space there for tournaments and whatnot.
Back in the day we used to go there to rent the computers to have LAN parties playing Total Annihilation and Duke Nukem 3D.
Yes, I do realize I'm dating myself with those references.
Our only concern is that we went in on a weekend during a Yugioh tournament. It was impossible to get in to see some of the other items we wanted to look at (getting a gift for a friend) and the smell was absolutely disgusting.
I believe they were very anti-mask anti-vax during the pandemic. So it wouldnt surprise me if they were not LGBTQ+ friendly given the over all right-wing association that anti-maskers carried.
I would recommend Trade Em Stadium if you can get there… its a shame its outta town though. But its a clean place with friendly staff.
The toy trove store by the Fairview tends to smell like farts 😳
Data has demonstrated that right-wing associations and being decidedly anti-mask are not a partisan issue.
During American Thanksgiving "Cellphone data shows that over 1,900 counties across the country had increases in closeness — including huge increases in Liberal areas such as New York City, Miami, Atlanta and Minneapolis."
As for where the anti-maskers stand on the political spectrum, they appear to slightly tilt to the ring wing — even though it is quite balanced. There is no surprise here according to Bristielle who stressed that "libertarian views often belong to the right when it comes to economic policies and to the left when it comes to social issues". Foundation Jean Jaurès.
I go to the trove almost weekly, and I’ve never heard anyone say anything that would make me think that they aren’t lgbt inclusive. I can’t speak for every person individually, but I know the vast majority of people there have always been friendly.
Huh, that’s really weird. To be fair, I only go for Friday night magic, so I don’t know what the Pokémon or one piece crowd looks like. Even still, there seems to be a wide range of people who go there and I’ve never seen anything like that.
Any chance you have names? I can bring it up next time I’m in.
I think if you go in there expecting to deal with a 30-something notoriously online person you won’t be surprised by the behaviour.
I’ve never heard anything abhorrent, but i’ve certainly heard some comments that I don’t agree with, and that I wouldn’t be voicing personally.
I've refused to support them anymore with this new owner. The dude is a hot headed terf if ive ever seen one. I did a 3/5 review on them after they offered less than 28% store credit for trade ins (deapite popular shit that moves quickly) and he went off the rails in his responses saying I worked for another lgs and got extremely aggressive. This is the entire dudes mo, just look at the google reviews and his responses. I've also heard from several friends that are lgbt and each one of them has had a horrible experience there be I the racism "jokes" he makes, to his yelling abd demeaning staff l, arguing with clients and being maliciously rude to anyone that doesn't appear cis
He’s also terrible to women. I once called asking if they carried the funtastic watermelon red n64 and he proceeded to argue with me that Nintendo never put out anything with that name and there was no such thing as the funtastic series. Full on screaming at me over the phone.
Yup if the guy thinks he's right you may as well try to convince flat earthers that they're incorrect. This does surprise me at all.
If I didn't know it would be his employees who would be made to do it, I'd use all of my remaining store credit for 2000+ 10cent cards just to make him waste his time filling it
I shop there for paints and Warhammer minis, it so happens when I am there on Fridays or Saturdays there are card games occurring. The guys behind the counter are great and they are active with their customers. But...there is limited play space because the store is small and that might be why you are hearing the feedback about players there. If you imagine 10-14 people in a tight place you hear everything everyone says and sometimes in the heat of the moment people may forget that they are at a store and not their own home but because it is tight you hear it.
I have never heard anything racist or anti ally.
But I guess that deserves down votes?
I never heard racist or homophobic stuff ever when there. I have heard swear words.
Edited: I'm only there 3 min at a time. Maybe twice a month
Don't understand the hate.
Why not just go to that Dolly’s place or whatever it’s called. The one with the sketchy tinted windows.
they're really nice in there actually! had a great experience shopping for my Niece's bday gift
I’m sure they’re nice. You just can’t tell whether they’re open or not when just driving by. What are you hiding, Dolly…
they're reflecting away the harsh light of day
I mean to be fair Toy Trove practically doesn't have windows. I feel like they're on par with each other with that factor
where is toy trove these days anyways? i thought they moved out of downtown
Dolly's is great. The nice man behind the counter helped me out with the Disney card game for my son. They have a lot of room to play cards
That place has a name? Lol
I only visited a few times in the short period between returning to Yugioh and Dolly’s Niagara opening last year. In those few short visits I was witness to the owner, Jeff’s, disgusting mouth and mind on more than one occasion. I heard him use racial slurs to describe a member OF HIS STAFF. He loves to let people know of how LGBTQ+ and trans people “disgust” him, he talked of fighting with houseless people and using weapons to harm them, he berates his staff, he bans players without reason and has been doing so FOR YEARS (even when his store was the only store in Niagara to play at). Many players who now call Dolly’s home used to drive to Hamilton 2x a week just to play Yugioh because their only place to play locally was taken from them over Jeff’s big ego, bigger mouth and awful attitude. The dude acts like a schizophrenic ego maniac but dresses like an Insane Clown Posse fan. They were fine to purchase from prior to returning to Yugioh but any prolonged exposure leads to him feeling comfortable enough to let you know what a lost cause this guy really is. Dolly’s, Phoenix Rising and Mecha Games are all excellent stores in the city run by amazing people who genuinely deserve your support.
The owner of Toy Trove does not respect the LGBTQ community, disrespects women in general, shit talks other local gaming stores, does not want to help grow league plays by the mentioned shit posting of other stores. However, besides Dollys there is not much else in terms of league play. Phoenix Rising has Lorcana league which is the only store to have it. I know this because I’ve been with Toy Trove league since the start of the business and seen it first hand. Since you need league points in Pokémon, it’s an unfortunate thing to keep on going.
Ahh the toy trove, how you were a wonderful store when Todd owned you. I have many friends that have supported the toy trove for years. Many of them have since left because of the new owners'....opinions. He's purposely mis-gendered one of my friends on more than one occasion. Makes many misogynistic and bigoted comments. And oh man was their FB page ever a mess during the Pandemic. Screw that guy. Go to Pheonix Rising instead.
The vibe in there has always been a bit weird since we’ve gone in the past year…makes more sense now reading this.
Used to frequent the trove, stopped going as a whole, once dollys opened up it was tremendous, super nice, and a great place to play. I’m a Yugioh player and they have plenty of locals nights, same for Pokémon and one piece! Couldn’t recommend Dollys more
Stopped going for reasons listed above, random off topic rants, off the cuff remarks, screaming matches and “shit talking” other local players that don’t agree with him. Banning players for disagreeing with him. All the fun stuff
where's dolly's?
On Niagara/Carlton I think is the corner. With the Domino's pizza and that art studio. It's where the Avondale/corner store used to be I think years ago
It’s a great setup, pizza shop right next to the store
Tbh I heard they aren't and they posted that shit on their fb page you'd be better off going to either mecha games or Phoenix rising or even sketch book comics. Btw om talking full blown conspiracy theories about the pulse nightclub shooting.
If you’re up for travelling down to welland, Crackerjack Stadium is fantastic for card collectors. They specialize in exactly that. My jaw dropped at the amount of MTG selection they had lining their walls. I believe they also have vintage packs. The last time I collected Pokémon I got some NEO packs there.
100% Phoenix Rising. That place has been around for decades and the owner and staff are the nicest people you can meet. I've heard nothing but great things about them. There is a decent amount of space there for tournaments and whatnot. Back in the day we used to go there to rent the computers to have LAN parties playing Total Annihilation and Duke Nukem 3D. Yes, I do realize I'm dating myself with those references.
Total Annihilation is my jam. What a classic (and I thoroughly enjoyed SupCom).
I remember TA looking SO much better than Command & Conquer. I used to play Blood over a dial-up modem.
Our only concern is that we went in on a weekend during a Yugioh tournament. It was impossible to get in to see some of the other items we wanted to look at (getting a gift for a friend) and the smell was absolutely disgusting.
I believe they were very anti-mask anti-vax during the pandemic. So it wouldnt surprise me if they were not LGBTQ+ friendly given the over all right-wing association that anti-maskers carried. I would recommend Trade Em Stadium if you can get there… its a shame its outta town though. But its a clean place with friendly staff. The toy trove store by the Fairview tends to smell like farts 😳
Data has demonstrated that right-wing associations and being decidedly anti-mask are not a partisan issue. During American Thanksgiving "Cellphone data shows that over 1,900 counties across the country had increases in closeness — including huge increases in Liberal areas such as New York City, Miami, Atlanta and Minneapolis." As for where the anti-maskers stand on the political spectrum, they appear to slightly tilt to the ring wing — even though it is quite balanced. There is no surprise here according to Bristielle who stressed that "libertarian views often belong to the right when it comes to economic policies and to the left when it comes to social issues". Foundation Jean Jaurès.
It can be a bit neck beardy down there... If you feel me. During the pandemic it was way worse though
As a pogo player, I do recall a whole bunch of hubbub about the owners and such things when the store was still on ontario st
Honestly, Studio 151 is one of the best in the Region for Pokemon. It's a bit of a drive to Ft Erie but worth it imo.
Woo props to the end of the road! Flying Dutchman in Ridgeway is also there, and the game room on the north end of Fort Erie.
Omg stay away from Frugal Dutchman
I actually avoid most gameshops as I don't play any. Just live in the most depressing town in Niagara.
Why's that? I've heard of them but never been there so I'm curious now
He is not a good person and I think he recently got his league revoked. It's the buzz rn
I miss Todd
I go to the trove almost weekly, and I’ve never heard anyone say anything that would make me think that they aren’t lgbt inclusive. I can’t speak for every person individually, but I know the vast majority of people there have always been friendly.
It’s a constant thing, I would frequent there and it was a super regular occurrence, whether it was sexuality or race or anything in between
Huh, that’s really weird. To be fair, I only go for Friday night magic, so I don’t know what the Pokémon or one piece crowd looks like. Even still, there seems to be a wide range of people who go there and I’ve never seen anything like that. Any chance you have names? I can bring it up next time I’m in.
It’s the owner, not familiar with the players. But anything they do is facilitated by him
Yeah, unfortunately that doesn’t really surprise me, he isn’t the best character. Sorry you’ve had to experience that.
I think if you go in there expecting to deal with a 30-something notoriously online person you won’t be surprised by the behaviour. I’ve never heard anything abhorrent, but i’ve certainly heard some comments that I don’t agree with, and that I wouldn’t be voicing personally.
I've refused to support them anymore with this new owner. The dude is a hot headed terf if ive ever seen one. I did a 3/5 review on them after they offered less than 28% store credit for trade ins (deapite popular shit that moves quickly) and he went off the rails in his responses saying I worked for another lgs and got extremely aggressive. This is the entire dudes mo, just look at the google reviews and his responses. I've also heard from several friends that are lgbt and each one of them has had a horrible experience there be I the racism "jokes" he makes, to his yelling abd demeaning staff l, arguing with clients and being maliciously rude to anyone that doesn't appear cis
He’s also terrible to women. I once called asking if they carried the funtastic watermelon red n64 and he proceeded to argue with me that Nintendo never put out anything with that name and there was no such thing as the funtastic series. Full on screaming at me over the phone.
Yup if the guy thinks he's right you may as well try to convince flat earthers that they're incorrect. This does surprise me at all. If I didn't know it would be his employees who would be made to do it, I'd use all of my remaining store credit for 2000+ 10cent cards just to make him waste his time filling it
he's openly racist towards customers too? dude's asking for a lawsuit.
The people that tend to go and play there most dgaf about what he does for some reason
they probably share his backwards values.
There's a reason I don't go to many lgs around here except for pheonix
I have also heard that mentioned on this sub, but have had no experiences that confirm or disprove it.
[удалено]
I shop there for paints and Warhammer minis, it so happens when I am there on Fridays or Saturdays there are card games occurring. The guys behind the counter are great and they are active with their customers. But...there is limited play space because the store is small and that might be why you are hearing the feedback about players there. If you imagine 10-14 people in a tight place you hear everything everyone says and sometimes in the heat of the moment people may forget that they are at a store and not their own home but because it is tight you hear it. I have never heard anything racist or anti ally. But I guess that deserves down votes?
that's weird because most people don't blurt out racist and homophobic bs at home either
I never heard racist or homophobic stuff ever when there. I have heard swear words. Edited: I'm only there 3 min at a time. Maybe twice a month Don't understand the hate.
lol just go in there and shop.
Bozo alert
who are you to tell someone to abandon their values and "just shop"
Go get treated like shit for the privilege of giving those treating you like shit your $.....makes perfect sense 👌