Phoenix Comics and Games

Phoenix Comics and Games is a combined comic shop and Magic: The Gathering store at 113 Broadway E in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. It stocks comics, graphic novels, tabletop games and Magic singles and sealed product, and it runs Magic events from competitive qualifiers to prereleases. It is open seven days a week. It suits Magic players who want a local buylist and event schedule, and comic readers who want a pull list.

What's on the shelves

Magic: The Gathering is the card game at the center of the store, with singles and sealed product both in stock. The shop also takes preorders for new sets, including the Magic Presents Star Trek lineup of play and collector booster boxes, bundles, scene boxes and Commander decks.

Beyond cards, the shelves cover comics and graphic novels from Image, Dark Horse, IDW, Marvel, DC and independent publishers, plus manga, novels, magazines, and zines and comics by local creators. Board games, role-playing games, Dungeons & Dragons miniatures, dice and card supplies fill out the tabletop side, along with pins, apparel, posters and prints. Comic readers can start a subscription (a pull list) for the titles they follow.

Buying Magic cards

The store buys Magic singles through a buylist. For cards with a market value over $3, it pays 68% of the card's value in store credit or 40% in cash. Cards under $3 pay 2% in store credit or 1% in cash, and bulk is accepted only when at least 10% of the list is cards worth more than $3. Those percentages can shift with market conditions and the store's current inventory.

The process runs in a set order. The seller submits a list online, then brings the cards in within 7 days with photo ID and two forms of contact information. The store takes 3 to 7 days to verify the cards and may adjust set, condition or quantity before sending a final written offer.

Credit is applied to the seller's account once the offer is accepted. Cash offers under $50 are paid at the register, and larger ones are paid by check, which takes 1 to 3 days to process. Declined cards are held for 90 days. Low-value cards need to be near mint to be accepted.

Events and organized play

The store runs a two-slot Standard Constructed qualifier toward competitive Magic, with preregistration open. Its biggest scheduled run is the Magic Presents Star Trek prerelease weekend, November 6 to 8, with six sealed flights.

Entry is $38 for the standard flights and $76 per team for the Two-Headed Giant flight.

Each event runs three to four rounds, and Two-Headed Giant teams build from 12 packs, one prerelease kit per player. Prizes are paid in packs by win count, from four packs for four wins down to one pack for zero or one win. A bonus draft prerelease follows on Tuesday, November 10, at 6:30 PM. Spots can sell out, so preregistration is recommended.

Food and non-alcoholic drinks are welcome inside, and sodas and snacks are sold at the store. Players who sign in through the Magic Companion app earn bonus boosters and content for their Arena account. Outside Magic, the store hosts Free RPG Day and a Summer RPG Faire that connects local game masters and storytellers with prospective players.

Store policies

Returns and exchanges are generally available within 14 days with a receipt, with refunds going back to the original form of payment. Magic sealed product and singles are the exception and are not eligible for returns or exchanges. Event tickets are refunded only as store credit, and only if requested within 48 hours of the event. Preorders for sealed Magic and other collectible product cannot be returned or exchanged more than 48 hours after the order is placed. Clearanced items are final sale, and board games cannot be opened if they are to be returned.

Getting there

The shop sits at 113 Broadway E in Capitol Hill, where parking is tight. A paid lot at Harvard & Pine is the suggested option for drivers, and park and ride is another way to reach the neighborhood.

The local scene

Capitol Hill has several other game and collectible shops close by: Gamma Ray Games is 0.3 miles away and Pink Gorilla Games Capitol Hill is 0.4 miles away. Comic Book CPR is 0.9 miles away and Golden Age Collectables is 1.2 miles away. Farther out, card shows run in the region: the Gold Star Card Show, a Halloween show, is 14.1 miles away and starts October 31. Twin Oaks Sports Cards and Collectible Shows is 21.2 miles away and also starts October 31, and the Twin Oaks Card Show follows on November 8.