Chameleon Comics & Cards

This shop is a must see, the doormen dressed as toy soldiers and very willing to have photo taken. The toys are amazing you could spend days in this store. The large piano is great fun.

I usually only review restaurants, but I feel wronged and so I must write a review detailing my experience and hope this helps somebody.
Just got into Yu-​Gi-​Oh TCG and I came here to buy a box of Dimension of Chaos. I was sold an opened box and was assured that the box was just opened and not tampered with.
I opened the box soon after to realize that my rares/​foils were inconsistently upside-​down or right-​side up and an inconsistent count of supers (got 7, should be 5) and ultras (got 0, should be 2). I’ve played other TCGs in the past, so I knew instantly that I was likely cheated out of my potential cards and time.
After receiving a response from the store owner, it was my mistake to assume the uneven distribution of cards was from done by the store. I continue to be bewildered by why the distribution was uneven, but I have since moved on from my anger that day and removed some of the unnecessary details from my experience that may have hurt this establishment as my experience may not have been directly responsible by them as how the owner described his take on the events that had unfolded.
What isn’t going to change is that I will forever be wary of buying trading cards at stores but that’s just now personal preference as this establishment doesn’t seem to be at fault for the error in the card rarity distribution.
Since my mood after that experience wasn’t pleasant but I appreciate the owner responding to my poor experience with some understandable reasoning, I feel a rating of 3.5 to a 4 is appropriate.
I apologize for leaving a harsh review, but I genuinely felt cheated as the last time this had happened was in Chinatown with more obvious resealing methods. (Psh. At that dinky place next to the old nebulous shop)

Greatest place in the world. I love it. I could stay there for days and look at baseball cards. It is amazing. Wow.

This place is exceptional. It’s not much to look at and they could use a new website, but the staff is truly the best – incredibly friendly, well-​informed, and always helpful. The prices are right on just about everything they carry and Chameleon has become the only place I shop for my goofy fixes.

I’ve been in here a few times and have yet to purchase anything, not for lack of trying. If you can figure out how the new comics are arranged here, please let me know. It doesn’t seem to be alphabetical or by publisher.
I’m not sure if the staff even noticed I was in the store. They seemed more interested in sharing Agents of SHIELD theories with each other than in offering me any help.
Overall, the store is cramped and the pickings are pretty slim. You’d be better off shopping at the nearby Midtown Comics location.

So there I was– walking down Maiden Lane, just trying to find the R train. I walk by a window and– wait a sec! Is that a comic book shop I’ve never been in?! Sweet!
This shop is small but sure packs a punch. I was able to pick out comics I wanted to buy within a minute. And the guys working here were available to answer all my questions, even though it seemed to be busy.
It looked like they have a great selection of vintage comics (although no Archies, boo) and a huge selection of old baseball cards. There’s also old and new toys that line the walls. And of course a nice selection of current comics and graphic novels.
I love that this little shop is still in business– it brought me back to the days when the local comic book shop was all you had.
They also offer a membership program that gives you discounts for a year. Nice!

Ive gone to many comic book shops and very few win my loyalty to come back– this store has done so. It’s a bit uncomfy for me to walk into comic shops because I am female, I know I’m not part of the normal demographic that walk in and I got odd stares for it. Not fun.
I’ve been going to this store on and off for about a year and the staff is incredibly knowledgeable on their merchandise. I’ve often been able to request recommendations when I run out of material to read and they’ve gone out their way to provide selections that reflect the criteria I request. Other (*cough* midtown *cough*) stores I’ve been to have employees who just point and mumble, barely caring to make a sale. The employees here actually make effort to help you find what you need and they’re very patient.
There’s always a friendly greeting from the staff when I walk in, and great debates about comics, movies, trading cards etc among the staff and customers, you can tell the customers have been coming to the store for years. It creates a very comfortable atmosphere to walk in.
The store, I will admit is small but they don’t waste space. Figurines hang from the walls, new releases are easily found and sports & non-​sports cards are organized to be easily sifted through. There’s multiple cashiers and staff are quick to help when you’re ready to be rung up without pressure.
I would most DEFINITELY recommend this store. It’s incredibly easy to get to with multiple train stations around but since there is currently scaffolding, it may be missed accidentally. Just zero in with your geek-​radar and you should be able to locate the large windows with great toys and statues on Maiden Lane. =)

Honestly, this shop need a lot of work overall. With so many excellent comic book and collector shops like Midtown Comics, Forbidden Planet etc it’s a surprise that this one is still open.
Service — Average, they just ignore you unless you have a question.
Selection — Very slim on the graphic novels, only mainstream, new releases for comics.
Size — On the smaller size of stores and pretty disorganized too.
Not really worth going out of your way for.

I’m not gonna hate on this place too much. It is what it is — a small comic book shop, selling very mainstream titles. You’ll probably like it if you’re more of an old school type of comic geek. They’ve got their customer base, and they’re gonna stick with what makes it work.
If you’re more into gear like Fantagraphic Books though, then don’t bother. Go to Desert Island in Brooklyn instead.
Cute collector trading card collection though.
Don’t know about you, but I think it’s still better than having yet another Starbucks on the block.

Waste of time. They have very few old books, and the ones they do have are barely accessible. They don’t even make up for it by having ALL the new releases for the week. If you have a regular store, there’s no reason to go here.

This is a old school place. Nice little shop.

I wasn’t that impressed, it was not organized and the back issues that they had were in terrible shape.
They are good if you are looking for old sports cards. They are a small comic store that is good to stop in before work because it is located in the wall st area.

THE BEST!
There’s only a handful of shops like this one left, and as tiny as they are they definitely take the cake!
Just blocks from the WTC area, it’s easy to miss this palce if you are not looking for it. Make sure you have some time to kill when you plan on going because you are going to be there a while whether you like it or not.
You can spend a half hour looking at their comics or sports cards or an hour talking to the amazing staff about anything!
They don’t just have seat filler staff at Chameleon, these guys live for this stuff and will answer any questions you need. I go here specifically for the sports cards and they always give honest answers when it comes to prices and release dates for upcoming product.
This review would be 5 stars either way, but it gets a very special 5 from me because i’ve pulled a couple of VERY rare and valuable cards from packs sold here, including a 2008 Topps Matt Ryan RC red signature, in which only 10 exist!
Chameleon is the best and i wish i could visit more often and waste money on the great stuff that have!

Helpful staff. Great conversations with their customers. They would be glad to place an order if they do not have it in their current inventory. I have been a customer for over three years and will continue being one.

I remember this store back when it was in Flushing. Since the move to Manhattan, this place continues to have excellent customer service, along with good deals. They have something for everyone. Everyone in the store is helpful. Most importantly, they will not pressure you into buying anything. I wish they had soccer cards, but this place is amazing!

I was headed down here anyways, but the 20% off trades made me punch the air with excitement. YES! I exclaimed in my head, before I realized I was talking to myself on the subway platform.
Anyways, Chameleon is small & packed with stuff. Not a good packed either — where you spin around & discover all sorts of new goodies. This place is overcrowded, with books & toys blocking other books & toys. Inventory for trades is pretty light, so I was in & out without doing any major damage to my wallet. But, if you still read actual comics, or buy old baseball cards, then you should be in good hands.

Chameleon is an unassuming little shop — it’s easy to walk past, and even if you do find it, the interior is small, crowded and kind of drab. If you’re in the market for a regular comic fix, however, Chameleon is worth your time. The staff is great, and they’ve got one of the best subscription offers (10 titles a month gets you 20% off all new material) I’ve come across since falling off (or back on?) the comics wagon. I hated giving up my old shop when my office moved downtown a few months ago, but Chameleon made that particular geek trauma all better.

Located off of Broadway in the Financial District, Chameleon Comics is in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it spot. That is, unless you’re like me and you have a sixth sense for finding geek-​related stores. Anyway, the store is very small but they’ve got a decent selection of comics, toys, & statues. This place is good for getting the latest comics and toys but I wouldn’t recommend them if you’re looking for back issues. That said, I always try to swing by when I’m in the area.