The ULTIMATE Minnesota Geek Guide to Black Friday and Small Business Saturday 2024

Planning to start your winter holiday shopping, support local geek businesses, or just take advantage of some amazing deals this weekend? Well, we’ve done all the legwork for you and are happy to provide your ultimate Minnesota geek guide to Black Friday and Small Business Saturday! We’ve arranged all of the businesses into categories and featured what sorts of bargains and specials they’re offering this year right under their address, complete with a Google Maps link to make life easy.

We’re taking a pause from the Twin Cities Geek Holiday Toy & Book Drive this year, but all of the awesome stores below have been participating donation locations in the past, and we can’t recommend them highly enough. This is a great weekend to support these local businesses who have been contributing to our community for years!

Art and Craft Supply Stores

Now is a great time to stock up on craft, cosplay, and art supplies from some awesome local businesses that will help you find exactly what you need—or something perfect for those special someones on your gift list!

Knit & Bolt
2833 Johnson St. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418 (Map Link)
(612) 788-1180

Specials on Black Friday:

• Buy 1, get 1 70% off sale

Specials on Small Business Saturday:

• Special gift with every purchase

Wet Paint
684 Grand Ave.
St Paul, MN 55105 (Map Link)
(651) 698-6431

Specials on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday:

• Many, many discounts in the holiday catalog will be available

Event on Small Business Saturday:

• Local Author Celebration + Book Signing

Games, Toys, and Comics Establishments

Whether you’re shopping for your kids, your significant other(s), your siblings, your friends, or yourself, Minnesota’s wealth of local game, toy, and comics shops are sure to have what you need. You don’t want to miss the amazing discounts that so many of them are offering.

Brickmania GHQ
1618 Central Ave., Suite 110
Minneapolis, MN 55413 (Map Link)
(612) 584-3627

Specials on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday:

• Free Black Ops Friday Brick with purchase of $75 or more (while supplies last)
• Free M202 Flash with purchase of $250 or more (while supplies last or until 12/5, whichever comes first)
• Free Black Ops ARV with purchase of $1000 or more (online and in store while supplies last or until 12/5, whichever comes first)

Gift certificates qualify for free gifts only when they are redeemed for physical goods; digital purchases (instructions, etc.) are ineligible. The ongoing free 2025 wall calendar promo will also continue in store and online while supplies last.

Dreamers Vault Games
14332 Burnhaven Dr.
Burnsville, MN 55306 (Map Link)
(952) 895-1989

and

Dreamers Vault Games
11591 Theatre Dr. N
Champlin, MN 55316 (Map Link)
(763) 506-0303

and

Dreamers Vault Games
4701 Hiawatha Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55406 (Map Link)
(612) 724-4543

and

Dreamers Vault Games
1143 Larpenteur Ave W
Roseville, MN 55113 (Map Link)
(651) 330-7859

and

Dreamers Vault Games
207 13th Ave. S
South St. Paul, MN 55075 (Map Link)
(651) 200-4374

and

Dreamers Vault Games
3015 Utah Ave. S
St. Louis Park, MN 55426 (Map Link)
(952) 938-8163

Specials on Black Friday weekend (Friday through Sunday):

• 20% off collectible card singles department
• 25% any trade paperback product type
• 20% off Lorcana
• 20% off Pokémon Elite Trainers
• Buy 1 board game, get one 50% off
• Buy 1 Gundam model kit, get one 50% off
• Buy 1 Black Library book, get one free
• Buy 5 dice sets, get the 6th free
• Get a free can of primer with any purchase over $100 of Miniature Games (one per customer)
• Every D&D or Pathfinder book purchase gets you a free Gnome Wizard or Bullywug miniature (one per customer)
• Back-issue comics $0.25

Fragmented Nostalgia
Maplewood Mall
3001 White Bear Ave. N
Maplewood, MN 55109 (Map Link)
(920) 889-6430

Specials on Black Friday:

• Two $25 plush for $40
• Buy two blind boxes, get one free
• Spend over $150, get 20% off your order

Offers are not combinable, some exclusions apply. Please ask an associate for details!

Galaxy Games 
1095 Diffley Rd.
Eagan, MN 55123 (Map Link)
(651) 797-2670

Specials on Black Friday weekend (Friday through Sunday):

• Spend $100, get $10 for use on another visit; spend $250, get $30 in store credit; or spend $500, get $80 in store credit (excludes TCG products or clearance items but does include board games, RPG books and supplies, accessories, and Galaxy Games’ flash sale table, which will have a selection of newer or more popular games for 40% off MSRP)
• Freshly restocked clearance table with increasing discounts off MSRP—50% Friday, 60% Saturday, and 70% Sunday (features board games, TCG products, and RPG books)
• For every trading card game in stock, spending $100 or more will get you a free pack of Dragon Shield 100-count sleeves (One Piece, Digimon, Universus, Dragon Ball, Magic: The Gathering, Star Wars: Unlimited, Lorcana—mix and match!)
• Spend $75 or more on Magic: The Gathering product and receive an amazing new fancy pin! (Yes, spending $100 on Magic will get you a pack of sleeves and the pin, while supplies last!)

The store is also open extended hours on Friday (noon–10:00 p.m.) and Saturday (10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.).

The Gamers Den
140 Buchanan St. N #142
Cambridge, MN 55008 (Map Link)
(763) 689-5370

Specials on Black Friday weekend (Friday through Sunday):

• Special offers through the online store—see discounts in cart

Games By James (Roseville)
327 Rosedale Center #652
Roseville, MN 55113 (Map Link)
(651) 636-0701

and

Games By James (Bloomington)
Mall of America
358 East Broadway
Bloomington, MN 55425 (Map Link)
(952) 854-4747

and

Games By James (Edina)
2510 Southdale Center
Edina, MN 55435 (Map Link)
(952) 925-9656

and

Games by James (St. Cloud)
Crossroads Center
4101 W Division St
St Cloud, MN 56301 (Map Link)
(320) 253-1571

and

Games By James (Minnetonka)
Ridgedale Center
12401 Wayzata Blvd., Level 2
Minnetonka, MN 55305 (Map Link)
(952) 545-6616

Specials on Black Friday weekend (Friday through Sunday):

• Free first-tier gift with any purchase of $50 or more
• Free second-tier gift with any purchase of $100 or more

Items available as free gifts may vary by day and/or by store.

Heroic Goods and Games 
3458 Minnehaha Ave.
Minneapolis MN 55406 (Map Link)
(612) 200-9354

Specials on Black Friday weekend (Friday through Sunday):

• D20 sale: Roll the D20 for 10% to 20% off your entire purchase

Hot Comics & Collectibles (Richfield)
26 W 66th St.
Richfield, MN 55423 (Map Link)
(612) 798-3936

and

Hot Comics & Collectibles (Minneapolis)
4400 Osseo Rd.
Minneapolis, MN 55412 (Map Link)
(763) 593-1223

and

Hot Comics & Collectibles (Jordan)
224 Broadway St. S
Jordan, MN 55352 (Map Link)
(952) 492-7870

Specials on Black Friday weekend (Friday through Monday):

• Storewide 50% off sale*
• All non-wall bin back issues are $1

*Excludes sideshow products, hot toys, supplies, new this week books, new and sealed card products, and consignment items

Hub Hobby (Little Canada)
82 Minnesota Ave.
Little Canada, MN 55117 (Map Link)
(651) 490-1675

and

Hub Hobby (Richfield)
6410 Penn Ave. S
Richfield, MN 55423 (Map Link)
(612) 866-9575

Specials on Black Friday weekend (Friday through Sunday):

• 20% off many items in the store, including board games, puzzles, Playmobil, Gravitrax sets, Lorcana, Savox servos, Voyager RC sailboats, Creart paint kits, advent calendars, and more
• Free gift with any LEGO purchase
• Other deals as announced on Hub Hobby social media and in store

Issues Needed Comics
15465 Cedar Ave. S #160
Apple Valley, MN 55124 (Map Link)
(952) 683-9339

Specials on Black Friday weekend (Friday through Sunday):

• Thousands of new $1 comics
• Hundreds of trade paperback and hardcovers on sale for $5 and $10
• Deeply discounted omnibuses
• $5 Funko Pops
• Discounted action figures and toys
• 30% off boxed back issues and bundles
• New wall books
• Other deals to be announced

Level Up Games
120 2nd St. E
Hastings, MN 55033 (Map Link)
(651) 346-1631

and

Level Up Games
1425 LaSalle Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55403 (Map Link)
(612) 315-3945

and

Level Up Games
2493 7th St. W
St Paul, MN 55116 (Map Link)
(612) 528-8681

Specials on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday:

• Spend $100 in store and receive a $20 gift card for a future purchase (cannot be combined with our loyalty program or store credit)

Lodestone Coffee and Games
10982 Cedar Lake Rd.
Minnetonka, MN 55305 (Map Link)
(952) 657-5226

In-store specials on Black Friday weekend (Friday through Monday):

• 20% off wall case singles
• 10% off all other Magic: The Gathering singles
• 20% off Magic sealed product
• 20% off new and used board games
• Spend $25, get 2 Lodestone dice
• Spend $150, get a Lodestone playmat with new art by Brea Hanson
• $5 Chandra’s cinnamon hazelnut latte

Each freebie only triggers once per customer, while supplies last.

Online specials on Black Friday weekend (Friday through Monday):

• 10% off Magic: The Gathering singles with code STRIKEITRICH10

Mischief Toy Store
818 Grand Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105 (Map Link)
(651) 493-3307

Specials on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday:

• 20% off online gift package orders
• In-store deals to be announced

You can also donate to the store’s holiday drive!

Punch-Out Gaming
828 Lake St S
Forest Lake, MN 55025 (Map Link)
(651) 464-9820

Specials on Black Friday:

• Buy a PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, or Xbox One and get a $50 gift card
• 50% off video games under $30, canvas prints, Pokémon LEDs and crystal balls, wall clocks, and sports card singles (excluding display case)
• 25% off card accessories, candles, mugs, and tumblers
• 10% off all video game systems, Magic and Pokémon singles, sealed Yu-Gi-Oh!, Digimon, Dragon Ball, and Pokémon (excludes Pokémon booster boxes)
• Buy 1, get 1 on coasters
• Buy 1 plush, get 1 50% off
• Other deals to be announced

Store credit cannot be used on sale items.

Red 6 Games 
1326 Grand Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105 (Map Link)
(651) 690-4628

Specials on Black Friday weekend (Friday through Sunday):

• Spend $100, get $10 in store credit*
• Spend $250, get $30 in store credit*
• Spend $500, get $80 in store credit*
• Spend $100+ on sealed TCGs and get a free box of sleeves from DragonShield or Katana
• Clearance, used, and scratch-and-dent games discounted heavily over the weekend.
• New release: Fromage
• Hot restocks: Wyrmspan, Slay the Spire, Flamecraft

*Does not include TCGs

Source Comics and Games
2057 Snelling Ave. N
Roseville, MN 55113 (Map Link)
(651) 645-0386

Specials on Black Friday weekend (Friday through Sunday):

• Provide a monetary donation to the local food shelf at the register and receive a 10% discount off your purchase, or 20% if you have an Adventure Club Card (excludes specialty art and statues, vintage toys, sodas, card tournament entry fees, and a few other items already at the lowest price possible)

The store is not accepting canned food donations.

Tower Games
3920 Nicollet Ave. #150
Minneapolis, MN 55409 (Map Link)
(612) 823-4477

Specials on Black Friday weekend (Friday through Monday):

• For every $100 you spend (before tax), get a $10 gift card

Games, toys, and comics stores that don’t have anything special planned for this weekend but deserve your business all year round include:

All Systems Go Games and Movies
1519 NE Central Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55413 (Map Link)
(612) 331-0028

Bricks & Minifigs Minnetonka
12909 Ridgedale Dr.
Minnetonka, MN (Map Link)
(952) 666-5916

Comic Book College
1430 County Road C West
Roseville, MN 55113 (Map Link)
(612) 822-2309

Steamship Games
711 W Lake St.
Minneapolis, MN 55408 (Map Link)
(612) 844-1011

Bookstores

What would an ultimate geek shopping guide be without bookstores? Sorely lacking, that’s what. The stores below are past participants of the Twin Cities Geek Holiday Toy & Book Drive, but we have an entire separate guide for all of the independent bookstores throughout Minnesota—and it is huge! Click here to check out the Black Friday/Small Business Saturday bookstore guide.

Cream & Amber
1605 Mainstreet
Hopkins, MN 55343 (Map Link)
(952) 595-5640

Specials on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday:

• 20% off all online orders
• 25% off any items in the holiday catalog (through December 10)
• $1 book sale
• Pop-up vendors
• Featured Cream & Amber merch
• Holiday cookies
• Winter drink specials

Red Balloon Bookshop
891 Grand Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105 (Map Link)

Specials on Small Business Saturday:

• Spend $100 or more and get a Red Balloon 40th anniversary poster or anniversary sticker packet while supplies last
• Small treats and special coloring sheets for customers
• The store is collecting book donations for the Ain Dah Yung Center and Women’s Advocates

Other Local Purveyors

You can’t go wrong with these local geek-owned-and-operated establishments!

Duck Duck Coffee
1830 E 38th St.
Minneapolis, MN 55407 (Map Link)

No specials advertised, but they’re open, so stop in for some caffeine and donate to their coat drive!

Electric Fetus
2000 4th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55404 (Map Link)
(612) 870-9300

Specials on Black Friday:

• Record Store Day Black Friday exclusive releases (the store opens at 9:00 a.m. Friday and will start handing out Record Store Day line numbers at 8:00)

Specials on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday:

• 20% off almost everything storewide

Free Geek Twin Cities
2537 25th Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55406 (Map Link)
(612) 223-5967

No specials advertised, but the thrift store will be open, and there are always fun treasures in there!

Sunshine Pet Grooming
205 Lewis St S Ste 107
Shakopee, MN 55379 (Map Link)
(833) 662-0010

Specials on Black Friday weekend (Friday through Sunday):

• 25% off collars and leashes
• 25% off Remmy’s Kitchen and Firm Up! products
• 20% off all toys
• 10% off treats
• Buy 1, get 1 free on Super Food Sticks