Paradigm Games

Paradigm Games is a card and tabletop game store at 2479 N Meridian St in Indianapolis, at the intersection of 25th Street and Meridian Avenue. It specializes in Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon, with a weekly calendar that runs five nights a week plus a Sunday Pokémon league, and a free board game library for anyone who wants to stay and play. It suits Commander players, Friday Night Magic drafters, Pokémon families and anyone with a binder or a collection to sell.

What's on the shelves

The store stocks new releases for Magic and Pokémon, from Commander decks to Pokémon ETBs, along with dice, playmats, sleeves and gift cards. A bulk singles area is open for picking through, and the full singles inventory is stocked beyond what sits on the floor. Orders for singles can be pulled and held for pickup at the next visit.

One Piece Card Game singles are bought but sealed One Piece product is not currently sold, and the store does not buy or sell Yu-Gi-Oh cards. Preorders and prerelease sign-ups run through the store.

Weekly play

The calendar centers on Magic, with a Pokémon league on Sundays and a One Piece league on Fridays.

The Sunday league buy-in starts at 2 PM, and the day is also open for trading, digging through singles boxes and promo giveaways.

Organized play and special events

Pokémon League is the store's confirmed organized-play program. Store Championships, prereleases and RCQs for Magic are scheduled as special events, and a Pokémon video game challenge runs about once a quarter, with players bringing their own Switch and the most recent Pokémon video game.

Buying cards from players

The store buys bulk, vintage singles and entire collections of Magic, Pokémon and One Piece cards. Offers start at 60% of the lowest market price for cards over $3 from verified sellers, and trade-ins taken as store credit are offered at 70%. Sealed product is bought at 50% of market value, with offers made product by product for Pokémon and Magic of all eras. Sellers who arrive with a list priced at market low get expedited service.

Most collections are evaluated while the seller waits, though larger ones can take up to 48 hours. Payment goes out within 12 hours of acceptance, and options include cash in store, store credit, PayPal, Venmo, CashApp and Zelle.

Store policies

The store is run as a family-friendly space. Youth aged 12 or younger must be accompanied by an adult at all times, whether browsing or playing in an event. Teens aged 13 and up may trade cards with one another in the store, but selling cards to one another is not permitted, and purchases of $50 or more require the youth to be 15 or older.

The store also hosts birthday parties, typically starting at $300 per day for up to 25 people.

Hours and getting there

The store sits about 3 miles north of the center of downtown Indianapolis, on the Red Line bus-rapid-transit route, with Fall Creek / Ivy Tech as the closest stop and about 12 spaces in the main lot, plus overflow parking behind the store after 5 PM.

The owners and the team

The store is owned by a husband and wife who run a digital marketing agency alongside it. The Magic side of the shop leans on long experience: one owner has played since 1994 and is a regular at Friday Night Magic, while the staff includes Standard and Booster Draft players, a Commander regular, and a Pokémon player who is usually at the Sunday league.

The local scene

Other stores within about 3 miles include Comic Book & Toy Sale (2 miles), Downtown Comics (2.4 miles), Good Games and Collectors' Den (both 2.6 miles) and Pastimes Comics and Games Booth (2.7 miles). On the show calendar, Collectors Palooza 2026 is 2 miles away and starts November 15, and Indy Sports Card Show, 8 miles out, starts November 7.