Nostos Boutique

First stop in to this lovely shop on my trip to the Boston area. It was great, though I'm disappointed I couldn't bring any of my decks as they have a ton of events for folks to participate in (looking at their calendar anyway). As a consolation prize I did get to look through their well organized and prolific singles selection.

The coolest thing about my experience, however, was eavesdropping on the owner (I'm pretty sure) while she taught some other young women how to play Magic: the Gathering. I often feel privileged as a cisgender, white male when I walk into other comic/game shops. Typically my experience is pretty great, whereas others' experiences may vary (especially those of my girlfriend and daughter). I'm not sure if it's amazing or sad to say I recognized just how special this store was in seeing how welcome EVERYONE was, when often in stores like this that's not the case. I love my hobbies, and I love when more folks get into the same or similar hobbies because then there's just more fun to go around, and I'm glad to see this store working so hard to make it a welcoming and safe environment. Solid 5 Stars, would bring my daughter!

I have no words for how amazing this shop is!!! It one of the best mtg shops my family and I have ever been too. If I could give it one million stars it wouldn't be enough.

My favorite game store I’ve ever been to. Staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, prices are extremely fair. MTG singles are well stocked and well organized, I was able to find so much more than I expected and put together most of a deck today just going through binders for a few hours. Nostos will absolutely be my first stop whenever I’m building new decks in the future. It’s also noteworthy how wide their selection of playmats, deck boxes, sleeves, and other accessories was. Had an awesome experience today and very much looking forward to stopping by for events in the future.

Krisy is the gold-standard for game store owners. She has worked so hard to create a welcoming and beautiful shop --- and it shows! Her selection of vintage toys and games as well as MTG singles and products is fantastic and the community she has cultivated is amazing. Can't recommend this business enough 💜

Nostos is the best! It has been the most fantastic and family friendly spot for my wife and I to go shopping for magic cards and do Friday Night Magic. We are grateful to Krisy for being awesome and hosting such a wonderful gaming community.

Incredibly impressed with my first time attending a Magic the Gathering event in the store. The environment felt like it had intent and was cared for; the tables were clean, shelves tidied, bathroom was well stocked and the decor was all in place. A lot of natural light filled the room with windows on three sides. Shop owner was knowledgeable about what they had in stock and had great customer service skills. If you are in the North Shore or willing to drive for what a WPN Premium store should feel like, this is a must visit.

This place is amazing! A very cute, little hidden gem in downtown Ipswich. We went for a MTG marathon night, and we had the best time. We had everyone from newbies to beginners to experts, and Krisy was so kind and welcoming to all of us! The store is also the perfect place for anything MTG, Pokémon, or just nerdy things!

Community and staff are both beyond welcoming and pleasant. Everyone here is passionate and considerate, there isn't a better place to start if you want to pick up a hobby like Magic the Gathering.

I had the chance to draft Magic the Gathering here the other night. It is a great shop, great community, and great owner! If you get the chance to visit for an event or have someone in your life that plays Magic the Gathering I'd recommending coming here to support such a great business. Come find a new hobby and I'm looking forward to drafting next time!

In short:

Nostos Boutique is the best local game store I have ever visited. The space is bright, inventory is well organized, and there is a great selection of Magic the Gathering and Pokémon singles and sealed products. The owner, Krisy, is so welcoming and kind and the community overall makes you feel comfortable to play no matter your experience level. Thank you for building and maintaining such a wonderful place to play, socialize, and collect!

A long winded and more in-depth review:

I have been a Pokémon collector most of my life but am new to the MTG scene. I have visited many game stores in the North Shore area and have often felt judged and or spoken down to as a woman of color in the gaming community. Note: this has been my experience, however I acknowledge that this is not everyone’s experience. I was apprehensive the first time I visited Nostos Boutique but quickly realized that this was not like any other game store I have been to. Nostos defies the common stereotypes of local game stores as the space is clean, bright, and well organized. The Nostos community welcomes new players of all skill levels and the more experienced players have even helped me navigate the often complicated world of MTG. Krisy owns and operates the store like a well oiled machine. She has gone out of her way to make me feel comfortable and teach me the basics and nuances of MTG. Krisy and Tim have even helped me build my first EDH deck and have kindly let me practice my developing MTG skills through casual commander games. I greatly appreciate their generosity and the time and effort they put into teaching new MTG players. I am so happy to be a part of the Nostos community! I would encourage anyone who wants to learn about MTG to stop by and give it a try. Even if trading/playing cards are not your thing, Nostos has more to offer including vintage toys, books, board games, tote bags, candles, and stickers. I always love spending time at Nostos and am excited to continue my MTG journey here!

Excellent variety of events and product, best kept store in the area. Love the setting next to the river for spending afternoons playing cards. Incredible staff as well!

I’m lucky to live so close to my favorite game shop. Lovely people, from the customers to the staff and a cozy, riverside setting. Highly recommend visiting.

The best shop in the North Shore to play MTG and purchase cards and supplies. Krisy, the owner, has cultivated a great community for patrons and players.

The most cleanest and organized Local Game store I have ever been to in the last 15 years! The owners are super friendly, helpful and play the games that you are shopping for. There open game space is a little small, but they make up with an awesome community. A+++.

Truly the most excellent shop for trading cards, toys, games and collectables. The space is kept immaculately clean and in perfect condition. The staff are warm and helpful. Situated right next to the South Main Street bridge over the Ipswich River gives an amazing view adding to the wonderful atmosphere for playing games at one of their events. There is plenty of parking along the street. The community that attends the events at this store reflect the kind and personal connection the owners have built. A gem! 10/10.

Could this place be any more awesome?! Krisy and Timothy are incredibly kind, helpful, knowledgeable, and have tons of cool memorabilia. For anything MTG, Pokémon and D&D, they are the place you want to shop for all your card gaming needs!

Awesome game store with a really friendly owner in addition to a great selection of magic cards and various tabletop items. One of my favorite gaming places!

Awesome place to go to. In my opinion they have a good selection of singles for MTG. Lands, rare's, mythic's, commons, uncommons. Usually find what I'm looking for and if I have trouble, they are always on the ready to help and find what you're looking for. It's definitely a place to check out!

Nostros is as welcoming as it is fun. I went recently for an event and felt instantly comfortable. Chrissy was incredibly kind and helpful with everything, being especially patient with me as a beginner. I cannot recommend this place enough!

The atmosphere is very nice and the owner is super friendly. I found out about Nostos just before covid started and have been buying/playing there ever since. The “regulars” who play there are also really nice too.