Cardhaven Games

Cardhaven Games is a card and game store at 1111 McKenzie Ave in Bellingham, Washington. It carries singles in five trading card games (Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Flesh and Blood, Disney Lorcana and One Piece Card Game), buys collections across the counter, and runs a Magic draft program with a clearly set structure. The store also has a lounge side with food, drinks and day passes, which makes it more than a place to pick up cards.

What's on the shelves

Singles are the core of the stock, sorted by game: Pokémon, Magic, Flesh and Blood, Lorcana and One Piece. The Pokémon selection includes cards from the Mega Evolution era, from inexpensive promos up to special illustration rares. Singles are sold by condition, with holofoil cards graded from Near Mint down to Damaged. Sealed Magic, Pokémon and Flesh and Blood product is also sold.

Selling your cards

The store buys Pokémon, Magic, One Piece and Riftbound singles, graded slabs and sealed product, along with video games and video game consoles. Payouts are split between cash and store credit.

Not every staff member can buy a collection on the spot, so larger collections and some smaller ones are left with the store along with an intake form, and a collection the store does not accept is subject to an appraisal charge of $25 per hour that the buyer can waive at their discretion.

Magic drafts and house rules

Draft registration opens at the announced time, and pack 1 begins 15 minutes later. Late players are not admitted unless they gave advance notice in writing. Each player buys four packs: three are drafted and one goes into the prize pool. Players may bring their own pack for the prize pool, but every pack actually drafted with must be bought in the store.

Drafts run as a three-round Swiss with 50-minute rounds. Prize packs are shared among the 3-0 and 2-1 players, and a foil promo pack goes to each 3-0 player.

The proxy rules for Magic are strict about what counts. Counterfeits, meaning any card made to look indistinguishable from a genuine Magic card, are not allowed. Proxies must be clearly different from or marked as distinct from a real card, and must be recognizable as the card they stand in for in unsanctioned play. Proxies cannot be bought or sold in the store. The exception is the store's cEDH tournaments, where an unlimited number of proxies may be used. These rules can change at any time and are subject to employee discretion.

Memberships and returns

Two $10 monthly memberships are offered, both renewing automatically and cancellable at any time.

• Cardhaven Membership gives 5% off singles and 10% off sealed Magic, Pokémon and Flesh and Blood products, in the store and online, plus $2 off canned beverages (Rainier excepted). It also includes access to a members-only channel, and the sealed-product discount can have rare exceptions.
• 1-Up Lounge Membership gives happy hour pricing at all times ($2 off food and drink), free game changes within reason at the bartender's discretion, and one free day pass per month.

Customer-initiated returns carry a 25% restocking fee.

The local scene

Cardhaven sits in a part of Bellingham with several other game stores. Moon Base Games and Comics is on the same block, and Games Workshop is about 0.1 miles away. Comics Place is about 2.3 miles off, and Aegis Games and Dark Tower Games are each about 2.5 miles away.

Who it suits

Cardhaven fits players of the five supported card games who want a deep singles case, Magic drafters who like a defined format with prize packs, and sellers with Pokémon, Magic or One Piece collections who prefer to deal in person. The lounge memberships make it a reasonable regular stop for people who plan to stay and play.