racketboy.com

Thanks, everyone. The list is really getting impressive! I'm afraid I'll go over the post character limit soon.

Would it be possible to list D-Pad in New Braunfels, Texas with a warning to avoid? It's a huge retro store that specializes in selling bad merchandise, filthy and broken hardware, inflating prices, and creating a terrible customer environment.

Flake wrote:Would it be possible to list D-Pad in New Braunfels, Texas with a warning to avoid? It's a huge retro store that specializes in selling bad merchandise, filthy and broken hardware, inflating prices, and creating a terrible customer environment.

I don't really want this to be a biased list toward or against any store, but I'll consider it. I recently had a terrible experience with an independent game store in my area called Route 66 Technologies. The prices were abysmal [$50 for a terrible-condition PS1 with no cords, controllers, or Memory Card, and $20 for any Madden game], the clerk was a total douche, and the selection was awful. Despite all this, I would have put it on the list, except it carried barely any retro games [the oldest thing in there was the aforementioned PS1].

lisalover1 wrote:

Flake wrote:Would it be possible to list D-Pad in New Braunfels, Texas with a warning to avoid? It's a huge retro store that specializes in selling bad merchandise, filthy and broken hardware, inflating prices, and creating a terrible customer environment.

I don't really want this to be a biased list toward or against any store, but I'll consider it. I recently had a terrible experience with an independent game store in my area called Route 66 Technologies. The prices were abysmal [$50 for a terrible-condition PS1 with no cords, controllers, or Memory Card, and $20 for any Madden game], the clerk was a total douche, and the selection was awful. Despite all this, I would have put it on the list, except it carried barely any retro games [the oldest thing in there was the aforementioned PS1].

I'd be down with it being on the list but as a responsible peer I'd also want to warn people. Sometimes you have to drive really far to find a retro store, especially in a state as big as Texas. D-Pad is not that kind of a store.

You could put a + for Positive and a - for Negative next to each address, every time someone comments about a particular store. Some people may have a better or worse experience then others in a purchase or sale.

CRTGAMER wrote:You could put a + for Positive and a - for Negative next to each address, every time someone comments about a particular store. Some people may have a better or worse experience then others in a purchase or sale.

That's a good idea; I think I'll do that. It is subtle, yet effective. Also, Moderators, is there a way for you to allow the first post to exceed the maximum character count, or to move a blank post immediately beneath the first one, so that the list can continue?

EDIT: I just updated the list with ratings mentioned in the thread so far. Each point designates a time when someone has clearly stated whether a shop is great or terrible. "Good", "okay", or "not great" shops aren't noteworthy enough to mark up or down, in my opinion. If you don't have any addresses to submit, you can just submit ratings of shops, if you like. But, like I said, the shop has to be notably good or notably bad to justify a rating.

Some more Illinois stores

Play N Trade
158 South Gary Avenue, Bloomingdale, Illinois 60108 (630) 893-2930
Smaller retro section compared to the Crystal Lake store, but still more than your average pawn shop.

Half Price Books
366 W Army Trail Rd, Bloomingdale, IL 60108-5601 (630) 893-8907
halfpricebooks.com
Has a whole half aisle dedicated to console games. Also carries controllers and systems.

Half Price Books
1319 N Rand Rd, Palatine, IL 60074-2922 (847) 359-8250
halfpricebooks.com
Much smaller retro section than Bloomingdale.

Maryland:

CD/Game Exchange
8236 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD
301-495-0766

CD/Game Exchange
4433 Lehigh Rd
College Park, MD
301-887-1370

I have tried the FYE in Connecticut, the retro area is about the size of a bargain bin, pretty much the only games they have are just sports games, many of the good games are behind the counter and are slightly expensive ($10 for Sonic 2? forget it!).

So yeah, I'll give it 1 out of 5

games in control (san jose) is really called gamers in control. They also recently moved to salinas but I don't know the actual address.