Childhood nostalgia meets the thrill of the hunt at local game and novelty shops in Southern Wake. Customers trade devices for decks of cards and screens for sets of LEGO, building a community of fun.
The Social Board
Grab a coffee or ice cream and enjoy social play in-store during game nights or casual meetups.
Residents already know and love the ice cream and coffee at JT’s Creamery, and as of this year, there’s even more fun and fellowship to be had inside the Fuquay-Varina storefront.
“I’m a big board game nerd. My first job was working at a board game store,” says Josh Belt, JT’s Creamery owner. “I have some of the best memories of my life sitting around a table playing.”
“Fuquay was in desperate need of a place where people can come and spend time together, not focused around a bar or restaurant — someplace that you can meet up with the community, sit down, play a board game, and catch up with friends,” he says.
Board games available for purchase at The Social Board inside JT’s Creamery.
Josh’s solution: The Social Board, a hub for board games and trading cards that shares the creamery’s space at Bengal Towne Center.
Store displays showcase popular board games like Ticket to Ride and CATAN; trading card packs of Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, and ONE PIECE; plus cases filled with notable single cards.
“We always have the newest Pokémon set in,” says Josh. In fact, the packs sell so quickly he can barely keep them in stock.
“We do board game nights every Wednesday. We highlight a game, and we have people there to teach you. We go through it with you and play a couple rounds. We have so many people showing up, wanting to learn and play,” Josh says.
Singles and new card packs have been popular since the shop opened in February, says owner Josh Belt.
The Social Board keeps a supply of board and card games at the ready for customers to use in-store anytime — even better if the games are paired with a cone of JT’s Creamery ice cream.
Weekly events include board game nights, Magic: The Gathering Commander League, and ONE PIECE.
thesocialboardhq.com
jtscreamery.com
Bricks ’n Brews
I’d venture that most of us, at some point, have played with LEGO’s ubiquitous building blocks. But to find a more enthusiastic LEGO fan than Benj Thomsen might take some looking.
Benj has celebrated birthdays with LEGO-themed parties, started a YouTube channel centered on the bricks, and remembers with regret giving away his childhood collection before he went to college.
Owner Benj Thomsen
“My wife would put on LEGO birthday parties for me, where she’d buy a bunch of LEGO sets, invite my friends and some family, and we would just eat pizza, drink beer, and build LEGO sets together,” explains Benj. “I was like, ‘It’d be sweet if there was a place where you could do this.’”
Benj thought existing stores, such as LEGO’s mall shops and Cary’s independent Bricks & Minifigs, centered on the buying experience more than the building opportunity.
“And so wanting to build more of a community space where people could come together and build LEGO — actually build it — that’s kind of the thought behind (Bricks ’n Brews), experiencing LEGO as opposed to just looking at it.”
Open since Valentine’s Day, Bricks ’n Brews moved into the old Thanks a Latte location in Holly Springs. The café still serves top-notch coffee, but added alcoholic beverages and hands-on creative play.
“We have our free play table where you can come in, grab a tray, and build whatever you can come up with with the pieces that are there. We have some rental sets, which are LEGO licensed sets that have the instructions. You build it here (while having) a drink. When you’re done, you just give it back,” explains Benj.
Bricks ’n Brews staff disassemble and sanitize creations post-construction, or customers can purchase the build to take home.
“Being able to be creative and then you’re really proud of this thing you built, and — oh — you can take it home and it doesn’t break the bank,” he explains.
The free play zone encourages imagination and creativity.
“Renting a set is the best idea,” says Kristen Klingenmaier, who visited the café with her son Quinn during school track out. “I think it would be super fun to do a date night (here) with my husband.”
A colorful wall display offers unique building bricks, where you might find the exact single piece needed to complete a custom build at home.
“It’s like a candy store where you can just come in to get bags, then you find the pieces you want, then you weigh it and pay by the pound,” says Benj.
Create a custom “minifig” from the mix-and-match display, or browse the café’s selection of unique and rare minifigures — many recognizable characters from Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings sets — available for purchase.
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- From custom mini figures to bricks in bulk, Bricks ’n Brews celebrates a shared love of LEGO and community.
bricksnbrews.com
@bricksnbrewsnc
Yellow Bird Comics
Yellow Bird Comics boasts many premiere editions and debut character appearances, including this rare first edition king-size Hulk, held by cashier Matthew White-Appel.
Russel Walker found solace within the walls of Raleigh’s longtime comic book store Foundation’s Edge, where he worked (and shopped) to relieve the intensity of a decades-long career as an Army soldier.
“Every time I went in, I felt better,” says Russel. “It became its own sort of therapy for me.”
“As I got closer to retirement (from the Army), I started spitballing the plans of what I wanted to do. I really had a passion for comics and collectibles.”
Foundation’s Edge closed in 2024, and Russel felt a “void” without it. So he jumped on a quick opportunity to acquire retail space in Fuquay-Varina and founded Yellow Bird Comics mere months after Foundation’s Edge shuttered its doors.
“My whole intent in opening the store and building our community is that we can give that same feeling, that same vibe, that I had (to others). If that helps brighten somebody’s day, if it made them feel the way I felt, then we accomplished our mission,” says Russel.
Yellow Bird Comics stocks something for everyone, from $1 reads to $300+ collector’s items.
Absolute Batman, the industry-wide bestselling series of 2025? You bet they have it. The Powerpuff Girls, based on The Cartoon Network series? They have that too, and everything in between.
“We’re really indie focused, because there’s so many independent comics out there now, and the stories are just really good,” says Russel. “Myself and the majority of my guys read all the stuff that we’re recommending.”
“Every comic book shop has a key wall,” Russel says, pointing to the vibrant stocked shelves behind the register. “This is where the comic book shops highlight their good books, if you will, those for collectors. … We like to think we have one of the best selections of bigger keys in the area.”
Owner Russel Walker
Impressive first appearance volumes, such as the first appearance of Daredevil, Wolverine, and Batgirl, are among the rare editions on display.
Comics are for anyone who enjoys imaginative stories or unique artwork, says Russel — not just collectors.
“We really like how comics give you something to look forward to every week, especially if it’s a comic that you read regularly.”
Over two years, Yellow Bird’s subscription box program has grown to more than 250 loyal customers, who receive a new comic each week, held in the store for pickup.
“I like the intimacy I have with everybody that comes in and starts a box with us,” says Russel. “I consider them family.”
yellowbirdcomics.com
@yellow_bird_comics
Lost Legacy Collectibles
Bring your collection in to buy, sell, trade, or battle. Lost Legacy hosts family trade nights every Friday with free pizza.
Rachel Stevens didn’t grow up collecting trading cards or playing Pokémon, but once she was enticed into the hobby by her husband Brian, she jumped all in. The couple’s store, Lost Legacy Collectibles, grew from one table at weekend card shows to permanent locations in Fuquay-Varina and at The Raleigh Market.
All are welcome to shop trading card packs, memorabilia, sealed sets, LEGO, and anime offerings at Lost Legacy, but it’s young collectors, in particular, who motivate Rachel to create an inviting shop that caters to families.
“I get to know every kid that comes in. I ask them about their favorite Pokémon and have them draw a picture of their favorite Pokémon. I have a full wall of the kids’ artwork. We do something special for every kid that comes in,” she says.
And come they do, with Pokémon binders looking to trade, to search through boxed collections for an elusive missing card, and to meet other enthusiasts.
“Every Friday we have family trade nights with free pizza, drinks, and some snacks. We have anywhere from 10 to 50 kids at any given time. They’re on the floors, on the tables, behind the counters,” she says with a laugh.
“My goal is to make sure that kids have a place to socialize and meet friends,” she says. And to have the opportunity to hunt down a special collector’s card.
“What makes Pokémon Pokémon is the thrill of chasing that card that you really want. We have a lot of kids opening packs and getting so excited because they pulled a very hard card.”
@lostlegacycollectibles
Triangle Area Trading Cards
Triangle Area Trading Cards stocks specialty cards for all collectors, from signed sports memorabilia to Star Wars: Unlimited.
As a kid attending a Seattle Mariners game, Adam Reynolds received his first pack of baseball cards.
“That’s what got me,” Adam says. “I fell in love with baseball cards.”
“I grew up a huge baseball fan, watching Ken Griffey Jr. and all the Mariners play. If I could collect those cards, it brought me closer to those players.”
Adam now owns Triangle Area Trading Cards in Swift Creek Shopping Center with his wife Tara — a store and gathering space that combines his love of sports cards with hugely popular TCG offerings. (TCG refers to trading card game: any specialized deck used for gameplay and collecting, such as Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering.)
Owners Adam and Tara Reynolds and Nick Steimling
“We have some of the largest weekly trade nights Wednesday through Friday. I think that’s really how we got our name out there,” says Adam.
From the start, Triangle Area Trading Cards wanted their trade nights to stand out.
Browse exclusive sports memorabilia, like this baseball autographed by Ken Griffey Jr.
“What do you do to keep people engaged? Giveaways. We offer something different every 30 minutes,” describes Adam, listing off free pizza, small card packs, store credit, prizes, and blind card flips with values up to hundreds of dollars.
“Maybe the bottom card value is 10 bucks and the high card is $300, but they’re face down. If we draw your number, you can come pick any card and flip it. You just never know. It engages the crowd. That’s been a lot of fun, a lot of cheering and interaction.”
Creating a friendly and engaged environment was paramount for the Reynoldses since the shop opened.
“What we brought to our shop is that community feeling. It’s kind of like Cheers, that place where everybody knows your name. We try to create that environment here, day in and day out,” says Tara.
“The vision when we opened the store was to be a place where you can just hang out and enjoy the hobby you love and not have any pressure to buy. You want to come play and eat your lunch with other like-minded individuals, or open packs or collect? We openly welcome anybody that wants to do that,” says Adam.
triangleatc.com
@triangleareatradingcards
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