How we verify Pokémon card shops
Every shop page shows one of four levels and the date we checked it. Here is what each level means, how we check, and where the rest of our data comes from.
The four levels
Levels describe what a shop shows on its own website. They are not a review of the shop, and they can't be bought.
Sells Pokémon 688 shops · 46%
The shop's own website shows Pokémon products: a Pokémon section or product pages, Pokémon in its site map, or repeated Pokémon mentions. Some shops have Pokémon in their name.
What to do: go, but call ahead if you want a specific set.
Mentioned 59 shops · 4%
The website mentions Pokémon once or twice, but we found no Pokémon section or product pages.
What to do: call ahead and ask what is in stock.
Not confirmed 256 shops · 17%
We could read the shop's website but found no sign of Pokémon. The shop may still carry it in store.
What to do: call before you go.
Not yet verified 477 shops · 32%
We couldn't check. The shop has no website, only a social media page, its website didn't load, or it asks automated visitors not to read it.
What to do: call before you go.
How we check
We only read the shop's public website
Our checker reads public pages only, says who it is, and skips any page a shop asks robots not to read. It never logs in, buys or contacts the shop.
We look in four places
The text of the home page, its links and menus, common Pokémon pages such as /pokemon, and the site map that lists all pages.
Every check has a date
Each shop page shows when we last checked it. Levels can change, so if something looks out of date, tell us and we will check again.
Levels can't be bought
Neither claiming a listing nor any payment changes a level. If we ever add paid placements, they will be clearly labeled Sponsored.
When an owner claims a listing
We confirm the owner
We approve every claim by hand: the request has to come from an email on the shop's own domain, or we call the shop's listed phone number.
Owners keep details up to date
A claimed listing shows a Claimed by owner mark. The owner can update hours, photos, description, contacts and extras such as singles or events, and their details replace Google's.
Levels still need proof
Owners can't set their own level. They can send proof, such as Pokémon products on their website or a photo of the shelf. We check it and update the level with a new date.
Questions about our data
Where do hours, photos and ratings come from?
Hours, address and photos come from each shop's Google Business Profile, unless the owner has updated them. Star ratings, review counts, payment options and accessibility come from Google and are always labeled as Google's. They are not our reviews.
Why is GameStop not listed?
We focus on independent hobby and card shops. Large retail chains without a local owner, such as GameStop and Game X Change, are not included. Smaller local chains of hobby shops are.
Why does a shop say Open now when it is closed?
Open now is calculated from the shop's regular hours in its own time zone. It can't see holidays or one-off closures, so call ahead on holidays.
What do extra details like singles or MSRP friendly mean?
They appear only when we have a shop marked yes. A missing detail doesn't mean no, it means we don't know yet.
A shop has closed or a photo should be removed. What do I do?
Report it and we will check. We remove closed shops after confirming they have closed, and we remove photos on request.
Found a mistake?
Wrong hours, a closed shop, a photo that should go, or a level that looks off? Tell us and we will check again.
151cardshops is an independent directory. It is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Nintendo, Creatures, GAME FREAK or The Pokémon Company. Pokémon is a trademark of its owners.