Hours
| Mon | 11:00–19:00 |
|---|---|
| Tue | 11:00–19:00 |
| Wed | 11:00–19:00 |
| Thu | 11:00–19:00 |
| Fri | 11:00–21:00 |
| Sat | 11:00–21:00 |
| Sun | 11:00–16:00 |
What to expect at Cardboard Collectibles
Cardboard Collectibles earns a steady 4.8★ rating across 84 reviews — a healthy indicator of a shop that takes its community seriously. Expect clean tables, accurate inventory, and staff who know the meta well enough to recommend the right product for your playstyle.
Primary game coverage at this shop is MTG and Pokémon TCG. Both receive regular booster restocking, singles inventory, and sanctioned event support — the core services that separate a dedicated LGS from a casual retailer.
As a WPN Core store, this shop runs the baseline Magic event suite — FNM, prereleases, and casual drafts with Wizards prize support.
This shop runs Pokémon League — the official casual-to-competitive onramp for Pokémon TCG. League Play is weekly, open to all ages, and earns you promo cards just for showing up. It's the ideal first visit for families introducing kids to the Pokémon TCG.
Games at this shop
Below are the trading card games we've identified as supported at this shop, each with context about how that game plays and what to look for when you visit.
Magic: The Gathering (MTG)
Magic: The Gathering, launched by Wizards of the Coast in 1993, invented the trading card game genre and remains the deepest competitive card game in the world. Every week, hundreds of thousands of players meet at local stores for Friday Night Magic, prerelease tournaments, Commander nights, and draft leagues. The game cycles through Standard-legal sets four times a year, while eternal formats like Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, and Commander sustain deep metagame conversations across decades of card design.
For Magic players, Cardboard Collectibles provides the tables, timers, and community needed to run competitive tournaments alongside the kitchen-table Commander nights that keep the format healthy.
Magic rewards deep deckbuilding, tight play-pattern memory, and metagame adaptation — more strategy chess than luck.
Event support here: Modern Horizons release events.
What to look for in this shop if you play MTG:
- Ask the store what the recent Commander meta looks like — every shop has its local deck trends.
- Check if they stock foil bulk — often the fastest way to pick up playable cards at a discount.
- See if they run prize-support draft leagues; those beat home drafts on value.
Pokémon Trading Card Game (Pokémon TCG)
Pokémon Trading Card Game, launched in 1996 by The Pokémon Company, is the most widely-recognized TCG brand on Earth. Local game stores host weekly Pokémon League play — casual games with play-for-fun prizes and a Junior-division-friendly atmosphere. Prerelease tournaments arrive a week before every new expansion. The competitive circuit runs League Challenges, League Cups, Regional Championships, and culminates in the Pokémon World Championships each summer.
At Cardboard Collectibles, Pokémon players find booster boxes, elite trainer boxes, singles for deck-building, and a Pokémon League schedule that connects the casual player to the competitive circuit.
Pokémon plays faster than Magic — games typically finish in 10-20 minutes, making it the friendliest entry point for kids and casual players.
Event support here: Regional Championship qualifier events.
What to look for in this shop if you play Pokémon TCG:
- Pokémon League earns you free promo cards just for showing up — always worth the visit.
- Singles prices vary wildly between stores; compare before buying staples.
- If you have kids, ask about Junior-division separate tables during prereleases.
Local context
With 84 public reviews, Cardboard Collectibles is the kind of shop that survives on its locals. Expect fewer strangers, more first-name staff interactions, and a slower pace than tournament-heavy venues.
At 1317 N 16th St, the shop operates as a standalone independent — character-full spaces where the staff's taste shows through the inventory curation.
Evening-friendly hours at Cardboard Collectibles make this a practical weekday destination for players who don't finish work until 6 or 7pm.
Focused coverage on MTG, Pokémon TCG suggests Cardboard Collectibles has chosen depth over breadth. Specialist shops often stock harder-to-find singles for their chosen games and support competitive-level events rather than casual-only leagues.
Plan a visit with confidence — the community vetting here is strong. Bring a deck, ask about upcoming events, and expect to leave having met at least one person you might play with again.
Frequently asked questions
Current hours are: Monday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM; Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM; Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM; Thursday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM; Friday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM; Saturday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM; Sunday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Hours may change on holidays or around major TCG release weekends. We recommend calling ahead for same-day visits.
You can reach the shop by phone at (712) 796-3069. For questions about event schedules, inventory availability, or grading services, a quick call usually gets the most accurate answer.
Yes — their website is http://www.cardboardcollectiblescb.com/. Most shop websites publish an event calendar, singles inventory search, and buylist rates. Check their site before visiting to confirm details.
Yes — Magic: The Gathering is one of the TCGs supported at this shop. You can expect sealed product (booster boxes, elite trainer boxes, starter decks), singles for deck-building, and typically event nights dedicated to MTG. Call ahead to confirm current inventory.
Yes — Pokémon Trading Card Game is one of the TCGs supported at this shop. You can expect sealed product (booster boxes, elite trainer boxes, starter decks), singles for deck-building, and typically event nights dedicated to Pokémon TCG. Call ahead to confirm current inventory.
Yes. As a Wizards Play Network-sanctioned store, this location runs FNM events. Check the shop's event calendar or call ahead to confirm this week's FNM format (Draft, Standard, Commander, Modern, etc.).
Yes. Pokémon League runs weekly here — typically a two-hour window where players of all ages come to battle, trade, and earn League promo cards. League is the official casual Pokémon TCG event; no signup fee, all ages welcome.
Trading-card shops offer two payout paths: immediate cash or shop credit with a premium multiplier. Check Cardboard Collectibles's current buylist pricing page (if published online) or ask during your visit — meta-staples fluctuate weekly, so timing matters on resale.
PSA and CGC both allow bulk-submission partnerships with retail shops. If Cardboard Collectibles participates, you can skip the mail-in paperwork entirely — drop cards off, pay the fee, and pick up graded slabs 6-12 weeks later.
Dedicated LGS venues keep play tables for sanctioned tournaments (FNM, Pokémon League, Yu-Gi-Oh OTS, Commander nights) plus open drop-in play. Table availability peaks on evenings and weekends.
Card shops are generally welcoming to players of all ages. Pokémon League sessions specifically target younger players, and prerelease weekends often include Junior-division brackets.
Parking in Council Bluffs varies by neighborhood. Strip-mall locations usually include free adjacent lots; downtown and urban-core shops may require street parking or a paid garage. Refer to the map on this page for precise address and nearby options.
Nearby card shops in Iowa
Data about this shop is aggregated from public sources (Google Places, Wizards Play Network, Pokémon Play!, and our own verification). Hours, inventory, and event schedules can change; we recommend calling ahead before traveling. Shop owners: claim this listing to update information.