Local Classic Gaming Stores

[mikesides]

Does anyone know of a site or post that has listings for local classic gaming stores? It would be nice to know if I am traveling to a different city what stores people recommend and what they carry. I am not interested in thrift stores so much but more along the lines of actual gaming.

[Mianrtcv]

If you look up links on this site you can find some. Aside from that, google oogle oogle.

[Pantechnicon]

Does anyone know of a site or post that has listings for local classic gaming stores? It would be nice to know if I am traveling to a different city what stores people recommend and what they carry. I am not interested in thrift stores so much but more along the lines of actual gaming.

My experience when time allows for it on travel is to just pull out the local Yellow Pages, look up "Video games", and try and visit everything that's neither an EB, Gamestop or whatever that Blockbuster chain is called. It also saves time to call ahead to find out if they carry what you're looking for e.g. "Do you have anything for Atari or older stuff like that?". If you tell them you're from out of town they'll usually be happy to give you directions from whatever hotel you're staying at. This also gives you a chance to map out something of a route, hitting the shops you want to find along the way.

I know this all sounds really obvious, but sometimes that's the best way to go. I have made some excellent finds this way in places as disparate as San Antonio, Omaha, Los Angeles and Colorado Springs.

[FantasiaWHT]

My experience when time allows for it on travel is to just pull out the local Yellow Pages, look up "Video games", and try and visit everything that's neither an EB, Gamestop or whatever that Blockbuster chain is called. It also saves time to call ahead to find out if they carry what you're looking for e.g. "Do you have anything for Atari or older stuff like that?". If you tell them you're from out of town they'll usually be happy to give you directions from whatever hotel you're staying at. This also gives you a chance to map out something of a route, hitting the shops you want to find along the way.

I know this all sounds really obvious, but sometimes that's the best way to go. I have made some excellent finds this way in places as disparate as San Antonio, Omaha, Los Angeles and Colorado Springs.

That sounds downright medieval! Finding a store using a... fown buk? What are those things called again? I don't remember how to use them

[Pantechnicon]

That sounds downright medieval! Finding a store using a... fown buk?

You'd be surprised how full of useful information they actually are.

[Fuzzball24]

Sucks around here, all we have is 4 Gamestop's (only 2 are run well) and a Gamecrazy. Oh yeah, also we have these 2 game shops that a crook runs and everybody in town knows he's a crook. *sigh*

I have one more place to check in my town, and I hope it isn't run by the same crook!

[cyberfluxor]

What Pantechnicon said is one of the best pieces of advice. I can go to many chain stores and hear people asking about places that sell older games, then getting decent directions to some local shops. Sometimes you get people working at EB and GS that also work at these indy places, although it's a rare occasion. If you get far enough to find one of these classic game stores it's then time to ask about similar indy locations and generally they're more than glad to share information. If they're not dedicated enough to the hobby you'll know upon walking in the door, in which case expect a potential negative remark asking about other stores.

Good luck though! It took me about 2yrs before I broke away from GS and EB and began really going elsewhere for the better deals.

[jackillac92]

[QUOTE=Fuzzball24;123hg

[jackillac92]

Sucks around here, all we have is 4 Gamestop's (only 2 are run well) and a Gamecrazy. Oh yeah, also we have these 2 game shops that a crook runs and everybody in town knows he's a crook]. *sigh*

I have one more place to check in my town, and I hope it isn't run by the same crook!

? but gamestop is already run by crooks?

[Barbarianoutkast85]

I have a lot of luck with www.superpages.com, just go there and look up video games, pawn shops anything to that effect. I've had a lot of luck with that website finding stores in the area, or out of the area.

[mikesides]

I was hoping for something with a little bit more customer feedback than a phone book or other such thing could provide. We have a couple of game stores in my city but one is run by a crook who takes innocent and unknowing people for everything they are worth. Sure a phone book can tell you the location but it can't tell you if it is worth the trip.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

I can understand what you're looking for. Not just a listing but a sort of feedback site for game stores and such. Probably sorted by location, and maybe ratings in a few catagories... such as price, selection, and such. A site like that would be a good thing, but I don't think one exists. We have one in downtown orlando thats run by an older husband and wife... and they sell old games that are often in filthy shape for quite a bit more than what ebay auctions go for. Ebay has hurt and helped the collectors market. You can get just about any game there, but now everyone has an online price guide, and feels everything is worth something.

[Neo Rasa]

Maybe we should all contribute store information to www.stopgamestop.com . There's a section where one can submit alternative shopping locations to the "evil empire."

[mikesides]

That's exactly what I am thinking of. It's funny though that even with eBay as their only price guide people are still trying to get insane amounts of money for their commons.

[Pantechnicon]

Maybe we should all contribute store information to www.stopgamestop.com . There's a section where one can submit alternative shopping locations to the "evil empire."

Nice. I just added three local stores to their database. Thanks for the link.

[cyberfluxor]

Maybe we should all contribute store information to www.stopgamestop.com . There's a section where one can submit alternative shopping locations to the "evil empire."

Yeah, thanks for the link! I just sent 4 stores their way, too bad I'm not sure of their hours though since I generally go mid-day Saturday's.

Anyhow, over in their forum some ex-employee posted:
http://www.stopgamestop.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3

I want this varified! Do employees really take home new games free and bring them back?! If this is so then I really won't be buying "new" games ever again from them for real. That would be some real disservice to the customers.

[FantasiaWHT]

I want this varified! Do employees really take home new games free and bring them back?! If this is so then I really won't be buying "new" games ever again from them for real. That would be some real disservice to the customers.

I know EB used to allow employees to do that. Not sure about GS.

A disservice tho? I'd trade more knowledgeable employees for the rare occasion of getting a last copy of a game that had already been played.