Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Retro Game Shops on the West Coast (LA & SF)

  1. #1
    ServBot (Level 11) Cauterize's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Leeds, UK
    Posts
    3,877
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default Retro Game Shops on the West Coast (LA & SF)

    I was hoping to compile a list of decent shops stocking retro games within the West Coast region of the USA. My parents are taking a trip out to visit the area for a month shortly, stopping off at San Francisco and Los Angeles during.

    If anyone is willing to share the knowledge of some good retro game shops in this area then it would be most appreciated.

    Thanks!

    RetroCollect - PAL Rarity Guides, News, Reviews, Community & Forum
    View my Retro Game Collection: Click here
    My Trade List: Click here
    My Want List: Click here

  2. #2
    Strawberry (Level 2) pixelsnpolygons's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    United States of Camerica
    Posts
    463
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Well there was Star Games in San Francisco, but that closed I guess. There's a place I've heard is pretty decent called Phoenix Games - but it's not in San Fran, it's in the suburbs about 30-40 minutes away. It's not really in some crazy, hard to get to area and they could probably do it before getting back on the freeway to head to LA without much fuss.

    http://www.yelp.com/biz/phoenix-games-concord

  3. #3
    Great Puma (Level 12)
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Posts
    4,278
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    3
    Thanked in
    2 Posts

    Default

    Game Dude is by far the largest in the Los Angeles area. There is also Games 4 Less in Fullerton, but that's a good 30 miles south of downtown LA in what is generally very nasty traffic along the 5 Freeway. Other than that, the few mom and pop places I have visited over the years have been very disappointing.

  4. #4
    Kirby (Level 13) j_factor's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Oakland, CA (representin')
    Posts
    5,231
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by pixelsnpolygons View Post
    Well there was Star Games in San Francisco, but that closed I guess. There's a place I've heard is pretty decent called Phoenix Games - but it's not in San Fran, it's in the suburbs about 30-40 minutes away. It's not really in some crazy, hard to get to area and they could probably do it before getting back on the freeway to head to LA without much fuss.

    http://www.yelp.com/biz/phoenix-games-concord
    That's probably the best in the Bay Area. There's also 4Jays, but they're further east. I haven't been there recently, but when I used to go, the quality of their selection fluctuated a lot.

  5. #5
    Great Puma (Level 12) skaar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    #vbender
    Posts
    4,724
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    SkaarDragoon

    Default

    Isn't dp west opening soon?

    With a museum, I hear!
    <Sothy> its the internet <Sothy> who cares

    Quote Originally Posted by Daltone View Post
    This is a classic gaming site and the most active thread is a load of people wanking off to my little pony.

  6. #6
    Cherry (Level 1) tofu's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    221
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    4Jays and Phoenix games aren't too far away from each other so you can hit both if you're going to be using Highway 5. If you like scenic routes, take Old Bailey Road to go between the two. 4Jays has some really odd hours, so I'd recommend calling them before you go.

    Somewhere in the San Francisco/Bay Area there's a mini chain of stores called Space Cat. Never been there myself but it's supposed to be decent.

    Los Angeles has a bunch of stores but most are picked clean regularly. A&J Games hasn't been mentioned yet and it has a good stock of classic stuff.

  7. #7
    Kirby (Level 13) j_factor's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Oakland, CA (representin')
    Posts
    5,231
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by tofu View Post
    4Jays and Phoenix games aren't too far away from each other so you can hit both if you're going to be using Highway 5. If you like scenic routes, take Old Bailey Road to go between the two. 4Jays has some really odd hours, so I'd recommend calling them before you go.
    Space Cat is a comic store. They also sell CCG's and stuff like that, but I don't think they sell any videogames.

  8. #8
    Key (Level 9)
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Fairfield, California
    Posts
    1,847
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    2
    Thanked in
    1 Post

    Default

    be sure to check out the Goodwill stores in the area, almost always get lucky with video games at them.

  9. #9
    Alex (Level 15) InsaneDavid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Silicon Valley, USA
    Posts
    7,366
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    24
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    13
    Thanked in
    12 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by tofu View Post
    Somewhere in the San Francisco/Bay Area there's a mini chain of stores called Space Cat. Never been there myself but it's supposed to be decent.
    Quote Originally Posted by j_factor View Post
    Space Cat is a comic store. They also sell CCG's and stuff like that, but I don't think they sell any videogames.
    These days Space Cat has a pretty decent inventory of games, especially for a store that doesn't specialize in them. However they charge freaking highway robbery for every little piece of video gaming they have. Nothing like being asked to pay above eBay prices for common as dirt games. That and I don't care much for the Burbank neighborhood of San Jose.

    There really aren't that many places for indie video gaming in the Bay Area, crazy as that may seem.

    I've never had a ton of luck with thrifts here. As for the big flea markets in the area, you really need to do quite a bit of prospecting before you hit gold, but the finds are rarely spectacular. Granted I have found some killer things at smaller flea markets ($200 Pop'n Music arcade controller for $5 comes to mind) but that too is far from consistent. Even when I'm visiting family in the central valley, where I used to come away with piles of stuff for change every week, things have dropped off considerably.

    There was a guy that would go to both the flea market I would frequent in the central valley as well as the big Berryessa flea market in San Jose that I would score great finds from for something like ten years. Let's put it this way, I lived in two different locations in two different parts of the state and did business with him at two different flea markets during that time. Last year we both finally came to the realization that I pretty much had bought him out of anything he would have that I'd be interested in. Last time I went out to the flea market his door was closed the entire day - wonder if he finally closed shop.
    Last edited by InsaneDavid; 09-03-2011 at 12:32 PM.

  10. #10
    Strawberry (Level 2) Jasonbar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Irvine, CA
    Posts
    538
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    FYI, I just tried visiting Play N Trade & Game Swap in San Mateo, a found on Google Maps.

    Both are closed. :/

    Thanks,
    Jason
    Formerly known as user "Infernolab" [changed in July 2014 to match my name on all other forums]

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 12
    Last Post: 02-06-2010, 08:50 AM
  2. ne ones on west coast
    By PATMAN in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 10-05-2004, 09:55 PM
  3. West Coast Gig, East Coast Gig, What about the Midwest?
    By Gunstarhero in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 20
    Last Post: 01-29-2003, 11:09 AM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •