Tom and April Trias purchased Spellbound Stories, located at 5 East Side Square in July of 2025. They wanted to make sure kids had a place to go to buy and trade collectible cards. And not just young kids-kids of all ages, as adults are now one of the largest groups collecting, for example, Pokemon cards.
Spellbound is a game store in Macomb that sells new and vintage comic books, Pokemon, and Magic: The Gathering trading cards, in addition to sports cards, toys, figures, dreamcatchers and posters.
And that is just the beginning.
In addition to retail sales,
Spellbound holds regular events for collectors to compete with others, learn more about the hobby and just enjoy passing the time with those who have the same interests. (See Special Schedule in box) According to Tom and April, the biggest craze right now is the return in popularity of Pokemon. (This writer’s boys were Pokemon enthusiasts in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Most of their cards I purchased at Journey.)
Pokemon was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996, inspired by his childhood love of bug collecting and the connectivity of Nintendo’s Game Boy.
Originally released as “Pocket Monsters: Red and Green” in Japan, the franchise expanded into a global phenomenon covering video games, a long-running anime, and a massive trading card game.
Pokemon is so popular right now that at 10:00 am, when the store opens, there is often a line of waiting customers. This is especially true if a new release has been advertised. Sometimes April has to diffuse situations if the cards sell out rapidly, especially if buyers have driven to Macomb from say Peoria or Keokuk. Tom states that some customers come into the store and want to buy every last one of the new cards. He sets a limit to discourage this practice as it is unfair to the individual small buyer.
Jake Derry organizes the Pokemon league and actually has hard to get certificates allowing him to do so. He wants this writer to mention that on April 8, a new video game for competitive tournaments will be released called “Pokemon Champions”.
The new game is free, accessible to play on Switch and Switch 2 (Nintendo) and also on IOS and Android (Samsung). Jake is available in the store on Saturdays. When asked what was the most expensive Pokemon card he has dealt with in sale, he remembers he appraised and helped broker a deal on a Mewtwo Star card that sold for $1600.00.
While Spellbound Stories has been on the square around three years, part of that under different ownership, several earlier stores served as inspiration. Such stores as Victrola, Journey Comic Books, The Magic Dragon, and A Boy and His Tiger all paved the way for the creation of Spellbound Stories.
Tom and April are deeply dedicated to their business and are in Macomb for the long haul. They purchased the historical Brockway House, located at 331 East Carroll Street and are making lovely upgrades such as all new siding recently.
April loves the camaraderie of the other square business owners. She, along with Alyson Sturgis, are planning a Spring Market for the square to be held on May 9, 2026.
Tom, who also writes computer software, is familiar with Macomb as he attended Edison School and later returned to Macomb (after attending high school elsewhere) and graduated from WIU with a degree in Computer Science.
April, not originally from Macomb, lived several places while growing up, being as close as Roseville.
Spellbound Stories loves the fact that Macomb has so many talented artists and craftsmen and women. The store sells some artist’s works on consignment, such as the beautiful dreamcatchers displayed in the store’s front window. Another craftsman has designed the inside of special carrying cases with protective foam to hold trading cards and accessories.
Spellbound has a special relationship with the Crafty Coop, Destination 6, and local artists such as Kim Sedgewick.
Spellbound Stories realizes that all of “this” may be unfamiliar to the older generations, they are in the planning stages of designing sessions where grandparents can come in and learn about the games and tournaments and mainly the safety of the popular hobby, parents as well.
Since many of their products are involved and have a detailed set of rules, the workers at Spellbound Stories have an area of expertise of their own.
For persons new to the pop culture of trading cards such as Pokemon or Dragon Ball Z, local enthusiast Lars Gossel will be available at the store starting April 7. Lars will serve as a teacher and trainer for those who want to learn more. The sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 3-5 and will be free of charge.
Chris and Frances Surratt, and their son John, now 17, are well-versed in the value of comic books and sports cards.
They serve as co-managers of the business and are available for advice and consultation five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday.
Chris remembers loving the thrill of opening trading card packages as a child, and hoping to “pull” that valuable card.
When his son became interested in cards around the age of 5 or 6, Chris felt the thrill return and has built a business out of his expertise. Chris and his family are from Roseville.
Beth Powell, another employee, is a specialist in Anime. Anime is a Japanese-originated style of animation featuring vibrant characters and diverse, often fantastic plots.
Beth is the facilitator of the Anime session of Friday nights and is available on Fridays and Saturdays.
The building that houses Spellbound Stories, The Randolph House, has been bought by the city of Macomb. With its ties to Abraham Lincoln, this is a wonderful decision. April and Tom plan on keeping their business where it’s at and welcome the renovations to the entire building.
They mentioned that their bathroom needs upgraded and that they hope the ceiling can be returned to the tin tiles.
They are completely positive about dealing with the new construction, especially to the front of the building which is deteriorating.
Tom and April are constantly adding new products and events to their business. There is a steady stream of customers in and out of their front door, many who they know by first names. They love this familiarity and the warm feeling of being located on a historical downtown square, and they are here to stay.
