Maxwell's Flea Market - A Bust

[Great Hierophant]

This weekend I decided to take a drive down to Maxwell's Flea Market. Located in an out of the way place in Boston, MA, I felt sure I would find something. After nearly getting lost twice, I came there to find a nearly useless place. Crap, crap and more crap is what they have. Of videogames I could find but two crumbs. The journey down there, going through some of the worst holes of Dorchester, was bad enough as I constantly feared a carjacking. Getting there was navigating a bitch of narrow, one-way roads. I didn't feel particularly comfortable parking my car, fearing it would be stolen before I got back. The place itself is a disorganized mess, full of dingy paths and dingier sellers. One could get robbed or raped there. Finally, I felt like an easy mark, considering I happened to dress better that most people there and paler by a not a few F-stops compared to everyone else.

[christianscott27]

maxwells is a unique flea market to say the least, very sanford and son. i used to visit it by taking the bus over to uphams corner and walking down cottage st. one morning doing that i found myself alone on a street with a pack of half a dozen hood rats, nothing happened but the tension and eye contact were like something out of a prison movie. it does put out if you dig hard enough, just this past spring i got 4 boxed 2600 games and a dreamcast arcade stick out of there. the turnover of goods is really slow so i only stop there twice a year or so.

theres always the revere flea on sundays, a used game sure shot.

[kevincure]

I found a JP Sega Saturn with a grip of games at Maxwell for twenty bucks. More importantly, Miss Jonni sells her cake at Maxwell, and it is the best damn chocolate cake around. If you didn't pick some up, no wonder you didn't enjoy the drive!

As for safety, Dorchester really isn't that bad. I was born in Fields/Savin Hill and have been to pretty much every part of the Dot. Uphams has a lot of interesting ethnic shops, Fields is essentially Little Vietnam with great Asian groceries and restaurants, the oldest standing building in Boston is a half mile north of the Andrew stop (build 1630, tours 2-4 2nd and 4th saturdays of each month I think), the JFK museum is in far north DC. The only place I've really felt unsafe is up Columbia on the way to Roxbury - there's quite a bit of violence there. The only other part of Boston I've thought was unsafe are parts of Roxbury south of City hospital (near the Goodwill). Other than that, it's pretty safe.

[Ikari Warrior]

I took a road trip a couple of years ago hitting all the Gamestops and games stores in southern Mass in one day, and I have to admit I agree about Dorchester. It was the worst area I've been to. I'm from RI and haven't done alot of traveling near Boston alone, so I had no idea. I actually had the top on my car down ( a Sebring conv. I had just bought used a few months before) and I didn't want to alert/offend anybody and put it up on the road.
I was praying to get out of there as fast a possible. Plus the Gamestop sucked, like 3/4 of the store was DVD's, most likely stolen. Not a fun time.

BTW, what else are some good stores to go to in RI and southern Mass?
I've been to Worldwide, and Bob's in Fall River, and the Gamestops are pretty much through with classic stuff, and they were my main source. I look for anything NES on

[christianscott27]

i can say without fear of self promotion...

your best boston area game source is our trademeets, bar none!

and theres one coming up ohh so soon.

see sig or events thread for details

[-hellvin-]

Heh, I've been to some ratty parts of town in Phoenix. I was once in this very shoddy thrift shop with some VERY weird characters who seemed to be a bit mentally challanged, it was kinda creepy, I got the fuck out of there. Same with Salvation Army store right down the road, I will just never go back there. And close to my area there is a road called Grand Ave that runs diagonally through all of the major streets in the phoenix/glendale area and around 67th ave there is some weird place called Grand Swap Meet or something like that and there are like 10 vendors there in this small dirt lot with a ton of broken down cars everywhere in a nearby lot. Never gone in there. Probably will get stabbed, robbed and raped.

[toddst]

I go to Maxwell's every few months when I am in the area. The turn over is slow, but I just like it there. I have found a few 2600 games there over the years.

And, kevincure, I haven't tried the cakes yet. I sort of fear food at flea markets, but I will definately get a slice next time I am there.

-Todd

[Lemmy Kilmister]

[/quote]The only other part of Boston I've thought was unsafe are parts of Roxbury south of City hospital (near the Goodwill). Other than that, it's pretty safe.[/quote]

Yeah Roxbury sure is a dump. I went to a couple of hardcore and metal shows in that area a few times and EVERY SINGLE time someone got something stolen from them. Once i came out of a building to see two guys just running down the street with a old t.v. Ahhh roxbury.

Wish i could go to the trademeet but i have no way of getting there.

[christianscott27]

Wish i could go to the trademeet but i have no way of getting there.

hmm well lemme think,

if you're anywhere near the commuter rail the trademeet is a 2 minute walk from the rail and subway station (forest hills)

or if you'd like we might be able to find somebody else coming from your neck of the woods who could rideshare.

[chadtower]

i used to visit it by taking the bus over to uphams corner and walking down cottage st. one morning doing that i found myself alone on a street with a pack of half a dozen hood rats, nothing happened but the tension and eye contact were like something out of a prison movie.

It should be noted that among white people, there are white jokes made about Christian. This just adds to the hilarious mental image I get from this anecdote. He's not just white, he's glossy.

[Lemmy Kilmister]

Wish i could go to the trademeet but i have no way of getting there.

hmm well lemme think,

if you're anywhere near the commuter rail the trademeet is a 2 minute walk from the rail and subway station (forest hills)

or if you'd like we might be able to find somebody else coming from your neck of the woods who could rideshare.

The nearest T station near me is either in wellesley or ashland. Thats not really the problem it's that i have no car right now.

I don't think i really have anything anybody would want to trade/sell. All i would have that i would get ride of is a model 2 saturn,a couple controllers for it,some games (nes,saturn,sega cd) and some loose manuals i have.

[chadtower]

I don't think i really have anything anybody would want to trade/sell. All i would have that i would get ride of is a model 2 saturn,a couple controllers for it,some games (nes,saturn,sega cd) and some loose manuals i have.

Most of the people only show up with a small amount of trade goods. Not that many show up with 2-3 bins full of stuff. It's as much about beer and gaming as it is about trading. Hell, some of the people show up with the SAME trade goods at every meet.

[christianscott27]

funny you should mention a saturn for trade, one of our regs emailed asking if i knew of anybody with one for trade or sale. thats another thing, even if you dont have a ton of trade stuff there are plenty of cheap cash deals to be had. besides you should trade with me, i'm a sure deal on any game i dont already own.

[Lemmy Kilmister]

Well if i can't get down there (which i doubt i will) i could still trade/sell that saturn to him. Who is he/she? Plus does he by any chance have any master system games?

[christianscott27]

his name is rob and he's local. i'm 99% sure he too is car-less. not sure what sorta tradebait he has but i'm sure something could be worked out.