Dueling Grounds

I used to go here a lot back in 2008. I remember at the time Wayne was having trouble making ends meet and was talking about either closing down or relocating to a cheaper spot. I fell on some pretty hard times, lost my apartment in the Winter, and they usually weren’t too dickish about me coming in to get warm. I met some good people and bad ones here, and I liked going there to play magic until all of my worldly possessions were stolen, including my card collection. If I were in the area again, I might stop by, but I am presently in California.

Terrific store! They seem to have expanded their selection and while tabletop seems to still be their wheelhouse, they now carry a variety of products for both tabletop and RPGing. I’m trying to get back into painting miniatures and they both Citadel and Vallejo paints (including some of the popular Citadel washes that were OOS at other gaming stores in Toronto). Not a huge space but they make the most of it. Clean, well laid out, and well-​stocked. I could hear people having fun gaming upstairs and I understand they have free space available for gaming. Close to the TTC (Dufferin Station) but if you need to park there’s street parking and as much parking as you could need at Dufferin Mall one block south.
And I’m happy to note that the service is great; the fella at the counter was helpful, offered some advice, but didn’t try a hard sell or anything.

Great shop. My sons are very into board games and we were thinking about starting to play D&D — a little blast from my past. The folks in the store were super knowledgeable but no pushy — I like that. Great selection of games too.

They have all the major types of nerd games — board, card, miniatures, and pen and paper. I’m mostly a board gamer, and 401 Games and Meeplemart always have significantly lower prices (and better selection) of board games than Dueling Grounds.

I like this store. It’s nice, well organized, and though the front door makes it look like you’re entering a bomb shelter, the store doesn’t feel like you have like so many other similar stores. There’s a big window that lets in natural sunlight. The place is kept like someone actually cares about the store and their customers. Other places should take note. These guys don’t pack their store with everything under the sun to try to please every geek but caters to a specific crowd and does it well.
Their prices are on par, at least for the items that I know the general prices of. While about 90% of their product line isn’t my cup of tea, I would gladly recommend anyone I know who is into these sorts of things to this place.
Note: It would seem that the earlier reviews are for an old location before they moved to their current one.
April challenge ²⁴⁄₃₀

I’m rather torn on Dueling Grounds. I like what they’re trying to do: considerable basement gaming space (clean, and available for free, I might add!) and well stocked shelves, but it’s wholly at odds with what seems to be their core clientele: collectible card game kids (and man-​kids).
With higher than average prices, I expect tippy-​top customer service or I’m going to shop elsewhere — I want employees who know their stuff, and at the very least greet me upon entering, bid me adieu upon departure, and make some effort during my stay to make me feel welcome, valued, and inclined to purchase.
I’ve been in a number of times, mostly to browse and once with the intention to buy, but each time I’ve come away empty-​handed. My «intention day» was foiled by a rabid pack of kids hording around the counter while two employees catered to every demand to see this or that MtG rarity — wholly excluding others patrons in the store.
I was there with three other guys, one of whom was also looking to buy but ultimately did not due to the total void of personal attention.
DG, you’re a brick and mortar store, not an online catalogue… if your intent is to just stick stuff on shelves and expect me to bite because you offer free play space, I’m sorry, but I host regular games at my home… so that’s not a draw for me. Step up the service portion of your store, and learn to diversify beyond the (admittedly very demanding) CCG crowd.
Finally of note: DG is clean, spacious, and well organized, qualities many game stores lack. They have a wide selection of product on hand (as the FTR noted), and all-​in-​all have a lot of things going for them. Service is the sticking point, however, and with game stores it’s pretty much the only thing that matters to me. Hook me with good service and my wallet is yours to abuse at your leisure.

Dueling Grounds’ new location on Bloor between Lansdowne and Dufferin (just behind the Pizza Pizza) is a huge improvement over their old location on Dundas Street West. The retail area of the new location is brightly lit, spacious, and features a great selection of specialist hobby and collectible games that’s tough to beat. The prices they charge are definitely on the high side but it’s one of those game stores that is among the more likely to have something in stock instead of the «safe» brands and a promise to special order anything you want. I’m much more apt to buy something from a store that has it on its shelf when I walk in and Dueling Grounds is definitely in this category. That being said, they will special order for you if your tastes are ultra-​specialized.
The best feature, however, of the new Dueling Grounds location is the in-​store gaming area in the basement. Unlike its previous location, the basement at the new Dueling Grounds is gigantic with high ceilings and bright lighting. There is easily enough room for three groups of people to be playing wargames on a 4′ by 6′ gaming table with a dozen others playing board or card games. While it is still a basement it’s clean, roomy, and won’t fill your lungs with mold!
The only rule you should know going in is that there is no outside food or drinks allowed in the gaming area and this is strictly from a concern over waste management. Pop is for sale inside the store for $ 1 per can.