RF Generation Message Board

I thought it might help to say what some good stores around your area are. Also, If you find any abroad, write them down!!

I'll start off:

Video Games Etc.
4351 N. Harlem Ave.
Norridge, IL
(708)457-2260

Great selection, highly recommended! ;D

Bookmans Entertainment Exchange         
056 S Country Club Dr
Mesa, AZ 85210-4643

(480) 835-0505

Bookmans Entertainment Exchange         
8034 N 19th Ave
Phoenix, AZ
85021-5101
(602) 433-0255

Games Plus Video Game Exchange         
1216 W University Dr
Mesa, AZ 85201-5418
(480) 890-0556

Bookmans you can find some deals sometimes. Game Plus avoid at all cost. They have lots of old stuff but look everything up on Ebay for a price then seem to double it. The old owner was a nice guy and would deal for stuff not the two new kids that own the place.

Gamez
4416 Rib Mountain Drive
Wausau, WI 54401
(715) 359-7997

Great Store. Great selection of used games for every system. Excellent Prices.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johnny Cee Cards
2005 Grand Avenue
Wausau, WI 54403
(715) 843-9632

This store has a big selection of games for every system, especially the rare and hard to find games. The only problem is they know what they are worth and are not afraid to charge outrageous sums for them.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gamestop
D428 Wausau Centre
Wausau, WI 54403
(715) 848-4881

It's Gamestop.

There are a lot of GameStop's and EB's around here.

In Greenbay, WI there is Video Game Kingdom.

Discland
822 W 98th St. (just off 35W)
Minneapolis, MN 55420
(952) 884-0686

A great selection with most items nicely displayed, a knowledgeable and cooperative staff, and usually better prices than eBay.

Your are not likely to find a mint, complete copy of Final Fantasy 3 or Chrono Trigger, but their selection of systems is tough to beat.

Sticky?

Play Again Classic Video Games
5301 Everhart #P
Corpus Christi, TX 78411
361-852-5500
playagaincvg on myspace

I thought the prices were on the high end but i have apparently been spoiled by massive amounts of competing stores in Mass.

Stop in Gamers if you're ever in Omaha. The prices aren't too bad, but it depends what you want to buy. I've found A list rare games for 4 bucks (according to etler's.)  But somethign like DW4 or Contra Force is 40-50. Still, lots of great stuff, Sega CD, 3Do, Saturn, etc.

72nd & Dodge
144 & Center
84th & Giles

Otherwise I've found a few good things at a place called CD Tradepost in Council Bluffs. They actually have a 3DO w/ 4 games for $50 bucks right now. Had a NEO GEO. Some NES , SNES, N64 stuff and of course the currents.

M&M video games in clairmont calf. They have everything and tons of imports! prices are good as long as the owner isn't selling it to you. if he is there he prices every game off ebay! kind of a rip cause he get the highest store price and takes 5$ off. And we all know some of those store prices are outragous. I saw super mario, cart only once for 45$!! anyways if you ever go there DONT buy from the owner.

I can't think of any dedicated video game stores in Michigan, except for Flipside in Clawson which is really more of a music store.  It's still worth a stop now and then as they usually sell thier Atari era games on the cheap.
http://detroit.citysearch.com/profile/5116829/clawson_mi/flipside.html

But whenever I drive out to our Cleveland office, I try to stop by Video Game Connection.
http://www.videogameconnection.com/

The prices are a little high, but they have an awesome selection of games, most of which are in pretty good condition.

Any stores in Southeastern WI anyone knows of?

Are there any game stores for NES stuff in or around Connecticut & Massachussets (or any in the surroundings states)?  I'm gonna be around the east coast next week and would love to drop by a US game store or two. :)

DAMN IT!
You had to go a year AFTER i moved.

I'll see how many business cards i have left to compile a list for you.

Nothing?  Nothing?

I went to one in NY called Video Games New York...had OK prices, games were slightly expensive I would say, but they had some accessories that were cheap IMO...including a boxed Bandai Mega programmable controller for NES for $20...might be worth checking out for ppl in the area.  Located at 202 East 6th Street, NY 10003.  http://www.videogamesnewyork.com/

Console Connections
28 Church St
Shildon
Country Durham
England
DL4 1DX


Just made the 50 mile trip to check it out after reading good things about it on retrogamer.net.

Fantastic shop. Lots and lots of NES, SNES, Megadrive, Master System, PS1, PS2, Dreamcast, 2600, plus new stuff as well. I came away with some bargains including a boxed complete Street Gangs on the NES for a fiver! Chris, the guy who owns it is a really nice chap and we stood chatting for half an hour about old games and consoles.

All of the prices are either at Ebay or below levels!

Brentwood Game Exchange.
7351 Brentwood Blvd
Ste E
Brentwood, CA 94513
(925) 513-4650

the store ive collected from growing up.
regular nes games 2.99 buy 3 get 1 free.
nes games 2.99 buy 3 get 1 free

my best buy: Caltron 6 in 1 (nes) 15$
2nd best: virtual boy boxed 2 games 40$

Any one know any good retro gaming stores in Edmonton (Canada) or any areas within a couple hours drive from Edmonton? Ill be taking a trip down there in July and will have a few bucks to spend on games.

Classic Toys & Games
4728 E. State St.
Rockford, IL 61108
815-227-9400

Has wide selection of classic goodness. Also has an Ebay store...

Gamedeals Video Games
407 Columbia St.
New Westminster, BC, Canada

Cool store with lots of retro consoles and games, from coleco and Atari up to current stuff.  Fair prices and great staf

I have 2 new ones to add.

Gamerz Garage
6128 S Cass Ave
Westmont, IL 60559
Phone: (630) 719-1077
Not bad of a selection, but not great either

Half Price Books
14 Countryside Plaza
Countryside, IL 60525
708-579-1770
I went there, and it has an okay selection, especially for a used book store. Supposedly, they get new stuff all the time, so I'll definatly be going back. Prices range from great to meh.  :P

I'm going to Hilton Head, SC for a week and a half, any one know any good stores down around there?

How about Rocky Mount, NC?

Thanks.

Play N Trade
2055 Scenic Highway
Snellville, Ga
(770) 979-8493

Play n Trade
21 S. Hope Chapel Rd.
Jackson, NJ 07728
732 534 5059

Some great prices on most games, but others are pretty high.  Many consoles can be a little high, like a NGPC for $65, a DC for $75, and a mini SNES for $125.

Great knowledgeable staff, very helpful, highly recomended.

u think thats bad, Atari Jag with CD unit and 6 games for $300

anyone know any stores in toronto? or in K/W area?(kitchener/waterloo)

Seeing as from time to time people ask where they could go to find vintage games, vintage movies, and ect.. locally without going to the big name stores, I decided that an official topic should be started as some sort of a database to help those who are interested in finding these stores.

Now these stores could sell many things but I would only like to list those that sells movies, games, and even music.

I hope this helps people discover local businesses.
Please only list stores you have personally visited.
Try and go along with my format so I could update the list easier.

Name / Location
Address
What they sell
Personal Perspective


---------------------------Arizona-----------------------------------

Bookmans Entertainment Exchange (Mesa,Phoenix)2 Locations
056 S Country Club Dr (Mesa)
8034 N 19th Ave (Phoenix)
{Good Deals sometimes}


Games Plus Video Game Exchange (Mesa)
1216 W University Dr
{AVOID}





---------------------------California----------------------------------

Games For Less (Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Moorpark)
3814 South Beach Street (Santa Ana)
7184 Edinger Ave (Huntington Beach)
12038 Hertz Ave (Moorpark)
*vintage gaming/current gaming*

Luna Video Games (San Diego)
4837 Voltaire St
??

Gamedude (North Hollywood)
12104 Sherman Way
*vintage gaming*

M & M Video Games (Victorville)
15407 Anacapa Rd
??

Brentwood Game Exchange.(Brentwood)
7351 Brentwood Blvd Ste E
*vinatage gaming*
{great prices}

------------------------------Georgia---------------------------------------

Play N Trade (Snellville)
2055 Scenic Highway
??


---------------------------Illinois-------------------------------------


Slackers CD's and Games (O'Fallon, Glen Carbon)2 Locations
1266 W US Highway 20 (O'Fallon)
300 Junction Dr #117 (Glen Carbon)
??

Video Games Etc. (Norridge)
4351 N. Harlem Ave.
??
{Great Selection, highly recommended}

Classic Toys & Games (Rockford)
4728 E. State St.
*vintage gaming*
{wide selection}

Gamerz Garage (Westmont)
6128 S Cass Ave
??
{so~so}

Half Price Books (Countryside)
14 Countryside Plaza
{okay store}

Dise Replay(Bolingbrook,Bloomingdale,Downers Grove,Rockford,Hoffman Estates,Orland Park,Crest Hill,Naperville,Skokie,West Dundee)12 Locations
261 N Weber Rd (Bolingbrook)
348 W Army Trail Rd #140 (Bloomingdale)
1418 Butterfield Rd (Downers Grove)
6403 E State St (Rockford)
13 W Golf Rd (Hoffman Estates)
15024 S LaGrange Rd (Orland Park)
1701 N Larkin Ave (Crest Hill)
556 S Rt 59 (Naperville)
5455 W Touhy Ave (Skokie)
852 W Main St (West Dundee)
*vintage gaming/current gaming*
{sizeable inventory}





---------------------------Indiana-------------------------------------

McVans Video Games (Fort Wayne, Fishers, Evansville)3 Locations
2211 Maplecrest Road (Fort Wayne)
8355 East 116th Street (Fishers)
3401 Green River Road (Evansville)
*vintage gaming*

Game Exchange (Kokomo)
3712 S Reed Rd.
*vintage gaming/current gaming*

Video Palace (Hobart)
??
??

Media Madhouse (Elkhart)
30879 Old US 20
*vintage gaming*

---------------------------Michigan------------------------------------

Tops Trade Center (St Joseph)
??
*vintage gaming/current gaming*

Treasure Quest (Kalamazoo)
2922 Lovers Ln
*vintage gaming*

Flipside Records (Clawson)
41 E 14 Mile Rd
*music/vintage gaming*




---------------------------Minnesota-------------------------------------

Discland (Minneapolis)
822 W 98th St.
??
{Great Selection}


----------------------------Missouri-----------------------------------

Game Trader (Saint Charles)
2 Hawks Nest Plz
*vintage gaming/imoprts*

Trade N Games (Fenton)
1049 Gravois Rd
??

------------------------------Nebraska----------------------------------------

Gamers (Omaha)3 Locations
72nd & Dodge
144 & Center
84th & Giles
*vintage gaming*
{Fair Prices}

--------------------------New York-------------------------------------

Phoenix Game Trade (Hamburg)
??
*vintage gaming*

Video Games New York(New York)
202 East 6th Street
*vintage/current gaming*
{high prices but some decent deals}

--------------------------New Jersey------------------------------------

Digital Press Video Games (Clifton)
387 Piaget Ave.
*vintage gaming/current gaming*
{Mecha for gamers on the east coast/good prices}

Play n Trade (Jackson)
21 S. Hope Chapel Rd.
*vintage gaming*
{highly recommended}


------------------------------Ohio-----------------------------------------

Video Games Express (Grove City)
3953 Hoover Rd
??

Play It Trade It (Columbus)
4316 N High St.
??


Game Swap (Cincinnati)
4601 Eastgate Bouleward
??


Video Game Connection (Cleveland)
4824 Memphis Ave.
??

----------------------------Oregon------------------------------------

Big City Gamin (Eugene)
1288 Willamette St
*vinatge gaming*

--------------------------Pennsylvania--------------------------------

Wayne's World (Pittston, Dallas)
30 S Main St. (Pittston)
419 Memorial Hwy (Dallas)
*music cds/vintage gaming/current gaming/movies*
{descent prices but they lean towards the high end}


The Video Game Store (Wilkes-Barre, Scranton) 2 Locations
28 S Main St (Wilkes Barre)
1150 S Main St (Scranton)
*vintage gaming/current gaming/movies*
{great prices on just about everything}


--------------------------South Carolina------------------------------

Software Seconds (Columbia)
4508 Saint Andrews Rd
*vintage gaming*

----------------------------Tennessee------------------------------------

Checkouts (Columbia)
??
*vintage gaming/current gaming/music cds/movies/cards*


---------------------------------Texas------------------------------------------------

Play Again Classic Video Games (Corpus Christi)
5301 Everhart #P
??
{High Prices}

--------------------------Washington-------------------------------------

Trade A Game Incorporated (Spokane)
6813 N Division St
??

Game Exchange (Spokane)
9323 N Division St
??


----------------------------Wisconsin-------------------------------------

Gamez (Wausau)
4416 Rib Mountain Drive
??
{Great Store, Excellent Prices}

Johnny Cee Cards (Wausau)
2005 Grand Avenue
??
{Big Selection, Prices are based on market}


------------------------AROUND THE WORLD------------------------------

------------------------------Canada------------------------------------------

Gamedeals Video Games (New Westminster)
407 Columbia St. BC, Canada
*vintage gaming*
{Good prices}


-----------------------------England--------------------------------------------

Console Connections
28 Church St
Shildon
Country Durham
England
DL4 1DX
*vintage to current gaming*
{great prices}

Missouri:
Trade N Games ( Fenton )

Illinois:
Slackers CD's and Games ( O'fallon )
Slackers CD's and Games ( Glen Carbon )

Ohio

Columbus:
Video Games Express (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=video+games+express+in+grove+city+ohio&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=52.550571,118.476563&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=15&iwloc=A)
Play It Trade It (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=play+it+trade+it+in+columbus+oh&sll=39.88214,-83.069951&sspn=0.025127,0.05785&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=12&iwloc=A)

Cincinnati:
Game Swap (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=game+swap+in+cincinnati+oh&sll=40.050023,-83.02019&sspn=0.194215,0.462799&ie=UTF8&ll=39.25512,-84.395599&spn=0.39292,0.925598&t=h&z=11&iwloc=B)

Cleveland:
Video Game Connection (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=video+game+connection+in+cleveland+oh&sll=39.25512,-84.395599&sspn=0.39292,0.925598&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=12&iwloc=A)

See this thread, maybe even a merge possible:

http://www.rfgeneration.com/forum/index.php?topic=6261.0

;)

Here's a handy site I've known about for a while now:

http://retromap.net/

 :)

none in miami?

Here you go: http://retromap.net/

none in miami

Play N Trade
3380 Buford Dr, Suite F-310, Buford, Georgia, 30519
PHONE: 678.541.2111

Play N Trade
1880 Epps Bridge Parkway Suite 110 , Athens, Georgia, 30605
---------STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE--------------

Play N Trade
504 N Alafaya Trail Suite 111,
Orlando, Florida, 32832
407-482-8655

Pretty decent selection of retro games (DC back to atari) thats always changing. Prices seem set depending on the system not on how rare the game is (in most cases) and are about average ($2-4 genesis games for example)
On the downside the employees are your typical "new generation" gamer and if its not the newest most hyped game out they could care less. Which is weird because the guys at the gamestop (hype capital of the world) across the street are huge retro fans...oh well

Good idea!

Although I'm a little biased ;)

Next Level Videogames
1031 Little Gloucester Rd
Suite 2
Blackwood, NJ 08012
(at the intersection of Blackwood-Clementon and Little Gloucester Rds)

http://www.NLvideogames.com

Know any good ones in UK? Maybe I can go to one someday!  :D

Play N Trade
3309 S State St. #103
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
(801) 433-2552

Really good customer service. Been going for years and they often give good deals.
Ownership has changed twice but the service remains top quality.

The other day they went beyond duty. I bought a Saturn and they realized they didn't have a controller for it so one of the employees drove home and grabbed one from his collection and gave it to me. That is just awesome. Yesterday I bought 6 games and when he rang it up is was more than I had so he have me two of the games free.

There are not many specialty stores in my area. I avoid Gamestop like the plague because of their shitty service, quality, and prices (At least in my area). I usually pick up games at local thrift stores, pawn shops, garage sales, Craigslist ect... But when I'm looking for specific games or the impulse buy I buy from Destiny Games. Fair prices great service and very knowledgeable staff members. They have great selections from old to new systems. Anyone in the Metro Detroit area should check them out.

42134 Ford Rd
Canton, MI 48187
(734) 404-5548

http://www.destiny-games.com/Store

^ I have two of those t shirts. Like the avatar

My favorite game store, R.U. Game in south Gainesville, Fl just got better. They now are taking in and selling Atari 2600 games! The manager resisted for a long time but finally gave in i guess. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some dupes to trade in :)

I may need to have my roommate stop there on his next trip home.

If traveling in the Fayetteville - Springdale area of Arkansas, I highly recommend planning a stop at Game X Change in Springdale, Arkansas.  Everytime I have went in there I have been known to spend at least 4 hours.  This is the main headquarters for all the others and it really shows.  Hands down some of the best customer service I've ever seen and literally wall-to-wall gaming goodness.

Game X Change
104 E Robinson Ave # 104 
Springdale, AR 72764

Editing for:  Thought of another one in a town I use to visit frequently when I lived closer to the area.  While Googling shows the store to be a rental place they actually sell gaming gear.  And the prices are reasonable.  Found a complete 2600 (six-switcher) for $35 which isn't bad.  I haven't been able to visit the store in 3 years so things may have changed.

Caveman by Vintage Stock
2856 S Glenstone Ave
Springfield, MO 65804
(417) 882-2283

Worlds Game Store
South Highland Drive  Salt Lake city utah 84106
801 486 1442

HUUUUUUUGE store with a great selection. Prices are a bit steep but they offer a lot of buy 2 get one free and 10$ off.

Since it's directly related to the subject of this post, I thought I'd mention GamerSpots.com (via Duke.Togo)

It's a great idea, if you know a cool game store, LAN center, or arcade, you can add it to their database.  When you travel, check Gamer Spots to see if there are any cool spots nearby.

New game store in Gainesville, Fl called Gamers HQ.  They have locations in Belleview and Inverness Fl too.  They seem alright, dealing in Atari 2600 thru modern consoles.  I bought a copy of SimEarth for $3 on the SNES. The guy working said they also do Magic and WarHammer tournaments.  Along with R.U. Game, this makes 2 retro stores in Gainesville!

A fellow collector opened up a store in Mascotte, FL called Cybertron Video Games. He used to have a stand in the Sanford Flea Market, but rent was too high and he moved to a brick-and-mortar store. He tends to have stock of all types, and he'll be more than happy to talk to you about his Jaguar collection. ;D

Worlds Game Store
South Highland Drive  Salt Lake city utah 84106
801 486 1442

I see I called it the wrong name again. So when Youtube fixes it's editing to beng back online I will add annotations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyUB1KDpgkk

People Play Games in Chicago, TN
Borderland Games in Texarkana, TX
GameXchange in Texarkana, TX is decent
GameXchange in Little Rock, AR
GameXchange in Shreveport, LA is meh
Disc Replay in Decatur, IL

I thought my area (Ottawa, Ontario) was completely devoid of retro stores (outside of the chain stores). Then, someone in Gatineau (just across the Quebec border) opened a store devoted to retro gaming called "Jeux et Plus". The game prices were a bit high, but systems were actually pretty reasonably priced (i.e., SNES, Sega Genesis, NES, Sega Master System were all priced in the $35-50 range). And if you were willing to dig, there were some reasonable prices on games (i.e., I got a pristine CIB RoboWarrior for $5. It's not a rare game by any means but $5 for any good condition CIB NES game is pretty good).

I then saw an online advertisement for a game seller in a flea market just outside of town (Stittsville). I went there thinking it was going to be a store filled with 360 and PS3 games with 1 shelf devoted to loose NES/SNES/Genesis titles. Boy was I wrong. The store was everything I had been wishing for since starting my collection and more. It's only a 12' x 10' room but it has high ceilings and it's packed with amazing retro stuff. I've actually had better luck finding rare stuff there, than common stuff (though there is plenty common stuff there). Some of the rare stuff he has are: Bubble Bath Babes, Snow Bros, Earthbound, multiple copies of Castlevania Dracula X, etc. I know for a fact he has a CIB Vectrex (sold it to him). I think his store would be a completionist's dream. Small ticket items are often priced cheap. Big ticket items are marked at close to retail (but I haven't really seen too many that were above retail, which is good). Apparently, he also has a store in Belleville called the "P Market" where he has a lot more stock too.

I know you just pulled this from a list, but I really really cannot recommend this place. He does have a good selection of imports, but it's run by one guy who keeps odd hours, smokes in the store, and marks prices up for people he arbitrarily decides he doesn't like. He'll also glare at you the whole time you're n the shop. The place is generally a huge mess and smells awful, and because of the aforementioned smoking, there's kind of a funky patina on all the products.

A new store has opened in my small town of Keystone Heights, Fl.  Its called Games n Electronics.  The 2 guys there have been open for about 6 weeks, but still don't have prices or everything entered in their system.  Today I took some dupe n64 games to them because the other place I go to had enough copies of them already and wouldn't take anymore.  for Episode 1 Racer and 4 sports titles, I thought $6 was a fair price to give me for trade.  Then I saw what was in the locked display case.  Bomberman 2: Second Assault on N64!  I looked around a bit at other stuff talking to the guy and then "found" Bomberman again and was talking about how I loved playing this when I was younger.  How I spent who knows how many nights up to late playing with my friends..etc etc.  Unfortunately it was one of the games that hadn't been entered in their system so the guy couldn't sell it to me.  That's why they were locked up.   He doesn't seem to know to much about the value of certain games but his partner does.  I'm hoping to get a good deal on it when they get it into their system, but I have a feeling his partner is gonna ruin my big deal. 

Game Over Video Games based in Texas, as a whole, might be fairly good.  Yeah, I'm sort of going out on a limb here, but one of their Austin stores was voted “Best Video Game Store” for three years in a row by the Austin Chronicle (wow, how MANY game stores are there in Austin?!).  They've been around for seven years now, have gaming contests, an online store, accept trade-ins, etc.  They're in the following cities:

Austin
Houston
Round Rock
San Antonio
San Marcos
Sunset Valley
 
I first got to know of them when they rented a booth at a local gaming expo I usually attend every year (which was last November).  They were actively cleaning games and selling stuff.  Months later I was able to check out their store here in town (it's pretty far for me to go and I only have spotty transportation throughout the year).  Atari 2600 commons are like $1.99, which is a bit much, but other prices seem reasonable.  Everything's nicely grouped together via platform and consoles are in displays.  They have all kinds of stuff too (at the time I was there, at least), as I don't recall seeing a TI-994/a game anywhere except for back in the day when they were sold!  They sell all kinds of stuff too, like gaming t-shirts, game-related dvds, tie-in products (some kind of Pac-Man cola or something) and loose manuals and all.  I brought in several 2600 games and a boxed Vectrex game, being surprised at getting $23 store credit (although I'm sure the boxed Vectrex game helped), which I got a really cool Space Invaders shirt and several bucks back cash for that :) They also have a coin-op either Ghouls and Ghosts or Ghosts and Goblins in the back (didn't notice if it was set on free play though), along with a museum of consoles with cards telling of the system name, date released, etc.  A bit of a unique place!

Some stores also do repairs too but the Houston one didn't, at least not when I went, as I asked since I have a couple of games that need fixing.  Hopefully they'll have this fixed at some point, as well as a closer location to me.  The lady there also said it was buy three (or maybe it was only two) games and get one free day; don't know if that's every Friday or what.

I'd give the store a B overall; definitely worth looking into if you're in Texas, and they're expanding some more right now.

http://www.gameovervideogames.com/

We Got Game
1140 Riverfront Dr
Mankato, MN

https://www.facebook.com/wegotgamestore


We just got a new independent game store in town.  They carry whatever is in stock at the time, and have excellent customer service.  Their store policies are wildly different than GameStop or Game Central (a MN retro-games chain).

1)  Trade-ins are always at a set rate.  Trade for cash at 40% their sale value.  Trade for store credit at 60%.  Always.
2)  Buy-two-get-one.  Always.
3)  Try before you buy.  You can sample anything in house.  They've got a cozy setup that could even accommodate a small LAN party.

Prices aren't as steep as GameCentral (which blows ebay away), but they're certainly no garage sale or thrift store either.  Here's some of my comments (beyond the stellar store policies already mentioned).

Pros:

• New titles are automatically $5 lower than the competitor (GameStop).
• Current-gen used titles are generally cheaper.
• Stock changes frequently.
• They carry retro consoles too.  Whatever get on trade-ins.
• Rare items get featured on their daily facebook post.
• Excellent customer service and shopping experience.  Talkative employees, and OCRemix sets the mood.

Cons:

• Stock changes frequently.
• Mostly newer stock.

Just like the thrifts and pawns, you gotta check regularly if you want to dig up anything special.  Overall, its a good experience and gives me an outlet to dump some loose carts without the toil of listing them on the internet.  A

I have a small video game store at a flea market in Jacksonville, Florida. Am i allowed to invite everyone to my store? If so I'll give the info :)

Also I think ill go here this week and give an update

Play N Trade
Hope Chapel Rd.
Jackson, NJ

Nice small shop. Owner is always the only one I see there and knows his stuff. Sometimes the prices aren't always the most competitive but it's the only store (that I know of, in the county at least) that carries anything older than 2005. Pretty good selection considering that fact and it does seem to change with semi frequency.

It's 8 months later, but I wanted to second this.  I don't get out there that much since it's like a 30 minute drive, but this place is really awesome.  The owner is a really nice guy that'll gladly shoot the shit with you on top of the great selection and good prices.  I've probably bought 50+ games from these guys since the start of the year.

Don't you mean Chicago, IL?  I have been to that store and they do have an AMAZING selection.  However I found the people working there less than cool.  Most people who work at non-chain retro stores get somewhat excited and more friendly when I tell them I'm a collector.  I always try and chat with them since it almost always leads to "deals".  I did not find this to be true at this place.

Level Up Games
609 Marie Ave S
South St. Paul, MN  55075

The most important thing to me in a game store is a staff who's passionate about what they sell and knows what they're talking about. The guys who run this place embody that as well as any store I've ever been to. Prices are generally reasonable as well. They sell a good amount of board games and MtG stuff if you're into that too.

Does anyone know of any good stores around Atlanta, Georgia?

I have to recommend Arcade Gear: http://jap-sai.com/

I bought a couple PC Engine items from them when they went out and sourced for me, and everything arrived in wonderful condition. They even threw in a few handbills. If you're looking for import items from Japan, give them a shot!

Video Game Connection
300 W. Genesse St.
Lapeer, MI. 48446

There selection was great and they don't just sell Vintage like NES, SNES etc.... They sell like Odysseys and Pongs as well, I had a difficult time find stores that did... The owners are Extremely nice, always willing to help for me I was looking for the Magnavox Odyssey 200 and they didn't have one at the time and they ordered it for me and I got it for $20.

RECOMMENDED!!!

Seconded. Know the dudes who run this store. Good people.

I'll check them out if I'm around that area. It's about an hour and a half from me.

Game Vault
6307 Center St #102
Omaha, NE 68106
Phone:(402) 505-7476

Prices aren't too bad and always usually has specials going on....

The Best Gamers to go to in the Big O is:

Gamers
12995 W. Center Road
Omaha, NE 68144

Pink Gorilla Games:
4341 University Way NE
Seattle, WA
(206) 547-5790

Another location:
601 S King St
Seattle, WA
(206) 264-2434

Idaho:
A-1 Video Game Exchange
6713 W Fairview Ave  Boise, ID 83704
(208) 322-528

Kinda stinks in there, but it has a nice selection

Play N Trade
3327 N Eagle Rd  Meridian, ID 83646
(208) 895-8505

Beware the clerk "Zach" as he is a total dick. But everyone else there is very helpful!

WV, Ohio, Kentucky(Tri-state area):

Tri-State Pawn & Jewelry
4250 Winchester Avenue
Ashland, KY 41101
(606) 325-1000
http://www.go2pawn.com/

This place is awesome for last gen games. They usually have 200-300+ last gen games(CIB) out on display all for the great price of $2 :). They also have a Huntington location but its mostly newer stuff there. They charge $8 for DS, PSP, PS3, Wii, and 360 games but every time I have purchased them at least at their Huntington location clerks have charged me $7 they act like its a special but it just seems to be the unofficial price lol.


Jake's Gun & Pawn
2916 Greenup Ave
Ashland,  KY  41101

Another great pawn shop for older disc based games and the prices aren't to bad think around $3 a pop. They also have a rack of loose games/dvds by the front usually for $1 a piece with buy 5 get one free. Watch out though I've gotten some duds which were so badly damaged resurfacing couldn't save them.

East Coast Gamers
38 Robbins St.
Toms River, NJ

Place just popped up in September. It's a small place but the prices are great. Selection varies but has everything from NES to current gen so far as I can tell. I haven't gone enough yet to see how often inventory changes yet, but so far so good.

Player's Choice is near me

Player's Choice
3630 Clemmons Road #1177
Clemmons, NC 27012


they have a website too
http://www.playerschoicevideogames.com

Wargames North
313 N. Mitchell St.
Cadillac, MI. 49601

http://www.wargamesnorth.com/

They were REALLY nice and helpful...

I stopped in today and I was checking out with an Odyssey^2 game and a couple atari games and the cashier told me just to take the whole box of Atari games (30 some games)  for $5 and she threw in a Boxed Q*bert game for the Intellivision for free. Great store, I shall be a regular there now.

Delaware:

GamerDoc:

Address: 1132 Pulaski Hwy, Bear, DE 19701
Phone:(302) 836-6952

2nd & Charles:

101 Geoffrey Drive
Newark, DE 19713
302.737.4306

Don't Remember if I posted to this yet but here it goes:

Gamers - Omaha, Nebraska
72nd & Farnam - Omaha
129th & Center - Omaha
83rd & Giles - Omaha

Gamers Lincoln, Nebraska
27th & Dan Avenue - Lincoln
48th & R - Lincoln

Game Central - Omaha, NE (Prices are Somewhat High but sometimes you can snag some good games at cheap pricess)
Game Central West Road
10000 California St, Omaha, NE 68114

Game Central ***THIS IS THE BEST ONE***
3001 S 144th St, Omaha, NE 68144

R U Game? (Prices do vary there but they do sell imports)
R. U. Game?‎
5186 Southwest 34th Street
Gainesville, FL 32608

Good Online Store
Game World
http://www.gameworldweb.com/

Atari 2600 -
http://www.atari2600.com

Hyper Sonic Games and Toys
15413 1st Ave. Ct S Suite C 103
Tacoma, WA 98444

A buddy of mine just opened this store near Spanaway Lake.  Great guy, very friendly, fellow collector.  In addition to a somewhat modest selection of games (for now) he also has a pretty large selection of toys in the box, from old school G.I. Joes to Transformers and Star Wars.  If you live in or around the Tacoma area, check it out.  At the very least "like" Hyper Sonic Games on facebook.  Show him some love.

R.U. Game

Three locations in the central part of the state and a HUGE selection of all kinds of retro games AND systems and accessories (some accessories).  Including Famicom and Super Famicom games.  Among Genesis, Game Gear, NES, Super Nintendo and Game Boy they carry about 5% of modern games and the remaining 95% is all retro.

There are, however, some of the rarer systems like Atari and Neo Geo that they don't have, but what they DO have is inspected for quality.  If a game doesn't work they will exchange it without question.  And they offer a Lifetime Member Discount of 15% off on anything in the store for people who sign up for it.

Location 1:
2780 E. Fowler Ave.
Tampa, FL 33612

Location 2:
306 Brandon Town Center Mall
Brandon, FL 33511

(Located in the Brandon Town Center Mall itself.  You'd need the actual mall's address)

Location 3:
5186 Southwest 34th St.
Gainsville, FL 32608

I'll put my local store on here.. It has good points and bad points.

Gamearama in Celina, Ohio

Pros: Tons and Tons and Tons of stuff.  He has truckloads.  Had a Bubble Bobble 2 CIB.  Has a lot of rare titles.  If you are looking for a movie he will have it.

The cons: he has tons and tons and tons of stuff.  So much stuff his inventory is awful.   Prices can be steep.  Writes prices with sharpie on carts.

Definitely worth stopping in.  You could spend a whole day searching and digging.  But, you should know what you're getting into.

Hear good things about it want to visit i live like 4 hours away.

Retro Games Plus
1761 Post Road E
Westport, CT 06880
203-955-1090

AND

350 Boston Post Rd
Orange, CT 06477
203-553-9330

shamless plug since I now work here. ha
(https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1235064_507572452660424_55721144_n.jpg)

I know myself and all the other gamers in my neck of the woods are grateful for Crabmaster2000, and his brick and mortar store:

Game Quest
423 Dominion st.
Prince George, B.C.
Canada

Crabby is so nice and such a wicked guy in general, that he makes his store a great place to chill out and play games in.

He really filled in a void in our town that many, myself included, are happy about.

crabby should put up RFGeneration signs or a stack of cards with the site address at least in his store! spread the word :)

lol He fits it into conversation when applicable.

What we need is ham fisted mentions of RF Gen.  "Oh, I see you're interested in Nintendo 64.  Go to RFGeneration.com, the classic and modern video game database.  Can I interest you in a used controller as well?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_4pXusde8s

I second Retro Games Plus. Visited both locations and the prices for everything are fair. The staff love games and will talk to you about whatever you want. They also have some connections for arcade restoration.

About the one in Corpus Christi, TX I was there a lot when I lived there and I have mixed feelings about it. Some games were ok with prices, but the more popular ones were marked up outrageously ($30 for SMB/Duck Hunt) I asked about why they were so expensive and they stated "historical significance". forget that.

By that rationale, E.T. for 2600 should be worth $40 for a loose cart.

Game On
134 Front St Beaver Dam, WI 53916‎
(920) 885-9525

Small Store but fair prices. Everything from 2600 to Wii. Also has DVD's, D&D Stuff, Friday Night Magic, Etc. Just discovered this place last weekend and really enjoyed going there. I was quite impressed and plan to return for sure. The owner seemed friendly enough but was quite busy with Friday Night Magic so didn't get to talk to him much.

P.S.: They also have a really wicked Neo Geo arcade cab setup for play.

Used to go to the Gainsville store quite a bit when I lived in Gainsville, I liked it a lot but there prices can be a little high but they do have a lot of goodies there, except I wasn't about the pay $50.00 for a CIB Taboo the Sixth Sense on NES.  But they were just getting ready to open the store in Tampa so sadly I didn't get to go to the other stores before I had to move back to frigid Iowa, still hope to move back to Florida someday just not Gainsville.  More like Orlando or Melbourne/Titusville Area.

8 Bit Game World - Crossroads Mall, St Cloud MN

Didn't know whether to classify it as "good" or "bad." One time I went and talked to the clerk for about 20 minutes. Really cool guy. Next time I went it was someone else who didn't seem as friendly/sociable. Poor selection of games. It's a lot of sports games and a lot of filler. The few good games they have are very expensive. They had Super Metroid priced at $80 and were able to sell 3 copies. Hey, good for them, I'm just not willing to pay that much when I can get it on eBay for $50.

LGS Electronics - St Cloud MN

Opposite problem here. Great selection of games, although mostly on newer titles. The prices are very reasonable. The last time I went, one of the clerks was talking about using a paintball gun on anyone that tried to steal their games. That kind of turned me off. Since they double as a pawn shop, you get a lot of shady customers in there, selling their phones (probably stolen). That's a big reason I don't like to go there. I go there if I am very desperate and don't want to wait on something to come in the mail.

I'd be shocked (and delighted!) to find anyone else on this site from central Nebraska, but just in case, there are a handful of good shops I like to go to:

GameOn Video Games
5012 3rd Avenue #140
Kearney, NE 68845

Decent prices, though they tend to like to honk people on PSX RPGs a little bit.  Like some other mom & pop shops, they'll re-sell games that came to them with custom printed sleeves, so you want to watch out for that, but otherwise, they're a decent shop.  They have another location (actually, their original/primary site) in Holdredge, Nebraska, but that's quite a way off the beaten path.  They do lots of tabletop gaming stuff as well.

Game Cycle
221 N. Lincoln
Hastings, Nebraska, 68901

I've actually never been to this store, because they've only been open a couple months, but based on a conversation I had with another gamer/collector in the region, they're pretty decent.  They're a bit far from where I'm at (nearly an hour and a half), but I'll make it down there at some point.

UPDATE: Game Cycle in Hastings closed down in 2017 due to lack of sales, and all inventory was cycled back through the Grand Island location that opened up a few months later (and is still open as of February 2018):

Game Cycle
203 N Locust Street
Grand Island, NE 68801

I'm friends with the manager of the GI location, and he's a real good guy.

In the Lincoln/Omaha area, there are several shops I like.

Game Room (2 locations)
1709 O Street
Lincoln, NE

*Updated*
2701 N 27th St Suite C,
Lincoln NE

The O Street location is the original one, and is always a bit "in transition", so it always seems a bit messy and unkempt.  They have decent deals on NES, Genesis, PSX, SNES, and N64 stuff, as well as PS2, Xbox, GC, etc.  Their Saturn and DC selection is for crap, but then they have good handheld selection as well.  The O Street location is larger, has more variety and selection, though Saturn and DC are still almost nonexistent.

Gamers - multiple locations in Lincoln and Omaha

I'm not going to put addresses in, because Omaha has 3 locations, and Lincoln has 2.  Their prices are a bit high for my tastes some times, but they have okay selection overall.  Sometimes their employees are not known for having the most knowledge outside of AAA titles, despite the fact that they sell everything from Atari 2600 through current gen.  Still, I've been buying from them off and on for the last 15+ years, as I see good deals.  **UPDATE** The last couple times I was in a Gamer's store, the retro game selection was almost laughable, and the clerks they had almost no knowledge outside of current and last gen.  I wouldn't put them on the bad list yet, but consider them perhaps a last resort  if you're in the Lincoln/Omaha area.  **2018 UPDATE** Anything 32-bit and prior, you'll be lucky to find at Gamers these days.  I still occasionally stumble upon something good, but consider them more of a PS2/Xbox/GCN and above kind of vendor at this point.

Game Vault
6307 Center Street #102
Omaha, NE 68106

I've become acquainted with this store over the last year, and it's quickly become a favorite place to go each time I'm in Omaha.  They actually have a few Saturn games (that don't suck), even though they're overpriced, and their selection overall is pretty good.  They even have a handful of imports from time to time.  If you're passing through Omaha, and you've got a gaming itch, this is a good place to scratch it.  **UPDATE 2018** Unfortunately, this store has closed  :(

Ben's Game Zone
7930 Harrison Street
La Vista, NE 68128

I've not been there, but I've read that it's a great place to go.  Apparently they have good prices, and don't gouge folks for stuff.  My next trip to Omaha I fully plan to check them out.  **UPDATE** I have now visited this store several times, and have nearly always had a good experience.  Some of their PS1 stuff is overpriced for what it is, but they're probably just trying to hit market value.  I've picked up a boat-load of Game Boy games from this store, and so far the prices have been very good.  The staff have been helpful as well. ** 2018 UPDATE**  I've been to Ben's Game Zone a number of times now, and have picked up quite a few Game Boy games from them, along with a few other things, including even some inexpensive Saturn import titles.  Good place to shop, and the owner is a nice guy who is fun to talk to about games.  Some of their stuff is still overpriced, but just know what you're looking for and what market value is, and you should be able to avoid that stuff.


EDIT:  Game Cycle just opened up a location in Grand Island, NE @ 203 N. Locust Street.  It's a larger location than the Hastings, NE store, and they have way better selection.  They even have a handful of Japanese FC, SFC, and other games.  I guess the owner (7 or 8 stores total now) goes to Japan frequently to buy used Japanese retro games and brings large hauls back to the states to sell in his stores.  Makes me want a Famicom.  They currently have a Japanese copy of Duck Tales 2 for Famicom at this location  ;D

EDIT 2: Game Cycle continues to expand in Nebraska - this time they've opened a store in Columbus, NE @ 2014 23rd Street.  I haven't had the chance to go there yet, but hope to make it over there soon.  Based on the street address, since it's on the "main drag", I'm going to assume they're probably not in a very large shop location, so they probably don't have super selection, but for a small city the size of Columbus (22k) to have a retro game store, it's certainly welcome.  **2018 UPDATE**  The Columbus, NE location closed in 2017 due to lack of sales.


****2018 UPDATE****
There's another place in Omaha that I discovered during 2017, and having been there a couple times now, I can say it's worth checking out:

Pop Culture Exchange
1110 S 71st St
Omaha, NE 68106

Good store, interesting owner/clerk.  They have pretty good selection, and while some stuff is a little overpriced, they also have variety with vinyl albums and other collectibles.  I've picked up a number of things there at this point, and will definitely be going back next time I'm in Omaha.

****2018 UPDATE 2****
Game Cycle has opened a Lincoln location as of 4-23-18:

3841 S 48th St
Lincoln, NE 68506

It's a decent location (by one of the colleges), and based on my visit to the store prior to it opening up, it looks like they're going to have good selection.

I would say these would be great places to hit up if in the nj area

Gamezone
108 Broadway
Hillsdale nj 07642
2013586800

Nice size shop they go back to atari but really good selection of nes to modern.  Very good prices clean the owner is always a big help. I prefer this store cause its closer to my house and they always have something new in I don't have and is a must add to my gaming collection

Other store I would suggest no big surprise to those in the Tristan area

Digital press
387 piidget ave
Clifton nj

Big big store with a little bit of everything. Monthly get together are cool and are held at the end of each month .

How's Digital Press been lately? I know there were some issues with old vs. new crew a while back, and a lot of the older crew moved on.

Can some one compile the list of game stores by state at the top like the bad game stores thread does  would benefit us all if it was sorted by state for when we are looking for places to hit up

World-8
1057 Vermont Ave,
Los Angeles, CA 90006
http://www.world-8.com/

An incredible store.  Their stock comes in waves, but I always end up buying at least 1 thing every time I'm in there.  Nicest staff you could ever imagine. I'm new to the area and where I'm from we only have a Gamestop, so I was floored by how friendly and approachable everyone here is. I always lose track of time just talking games with these guys. They do weekly fighting game casuals every Friday too! Definitely worth a look!

Makes Cents Variety Store, corner of National Ave. & 47 St. across from the VA hospital near Miller Park.  I love this store.  Hasn't even been open a year but this guy has some great prices and has some good stuff!  Everyday is 20% if you buy $100 and he has a punch card.  For every $10 you spend you get a punch, after 10 punches you get $20 to spend in the store!

So for 100 is 10 punches or one  punch since it was one transaction over 10.00

Correct, you can get multiple punches on a purchase.  If you spend $100, he gives 20% off instead.

Retro City Games
6100 Mountain Vista St #120
Henderson, NV 89014
United States

-Amazing Customer Service
-Prices are either Ebay or below
-Owned by a really nice couple that are great to chat with

This one is still good!

According to their Facebook page, they permanently closed at the latter half of last year

I don't remember if I've posted this here or not but here is a map of all game stores in the St. Louis area.  Independent and other.


https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UaSFp8A5JwtgUxpy3Qef1ITnXbM&usp=sharing

If you're ever in the area:

Souffle dans Cassette
2325 B, Boul. Sainte-Sophie
Sainte-Sophie, Québec
J5V 2V3

https://souffledanscassette.com/en

Limited Run Games - Physical Store
107 Edinburgh S Dr #211, Cary, NC 27511
Phone: (919) 234-0001
Hours:
Monday -Thursday   Closed
Friday   12–8PM
Saturday   10AM–8PM
Sunday   11AM–6PM