Retro Shops In Dublin

floodser14

HI. Just wondering if anybody knows a good place {places} to buy retro games such as dreamcast, gamecube, game boy advance, and the likes. Or maybe carboot sales, theres a place in town but the selection is very limited, cheers....

Myrddin

floodser14 wrote: »

HI. Just wondering if anybody knows a good place {places} to buy retro games such as dreamcast, gamecube, game boy advance, and the likes. Or maybe carboot sales, theres a place in town but the selection is very limited, cheers....

Generally adverts.ie will be the man. The "retro" shops love money too much, & the charity stuff/boot sales is hit & miss.

floodser14

i remember years ago the carboots were class for getting random games and consoles. i dnt know if there still going though....... any1 know of any?

pdbhp

floodser14 wrote: »

HI. Just wondering if anybody knows a good place {places} to buy retro games such as dreamcast, gamecube, game boy advance, and the likes. Or maybe carboot sales, theres a place in town but the selection is very limited, cheers....

Xtra deal in the Square Tallaght had loads of Gameboy advance games on the weekend they're probably gone now since I bought most of them as they were only €1 each.
Car boot sales is where I get most of my retro games etc. now but it requires a lot of trawling through crap to find gold...

djimi

There used to be a place under a DART bridge on I think Talbot St; is that still there?

When I was in LA a few years ago there was a big video store across from our house which I was wandering around in, went behind a door and it was like Alladins cave; big room full of retro games! Id say I spent more time in that room than I did anywhere else for the rest of the holiday! I wish Dublin had places like that...

o1s1n

djimi wrote: »

There used to be a place under a DART bridge on I think Talbot St; is that still there?

.

I think it was called Gamesworld. Long gone anyway

Myrddin

o1s1n wrote: »

I think it was called Gamesworld. Long gone anyway

Is it gone ha? I got my boxed Ocarina of Time there (typically in tattered Irish condition) MANY years ago.

o1s1n

Yep it's gone a while.

I only ever bought one game in there. A boxed Japanese Snes racing import called Big Run. Think it was only about a tenner.

I can remember the price of the things in the window being really expensive.

Myrddin

I've a vague memory of thinking the things were mad dear there too...although that was around the time of my re-interest in Retro, so wasnt fully up on prices.

justbrian

That shop was fine if you liked unboxed games, they used to do some grand Saturn games unboxed back in the day.

Myrddin

I've a hard time living with unboxed carts - unboxed cd's, unless rare, make me gag a little.

justbrian

EnterNow wrote: »

I've a hard time living with unboxed carts - unboxed cd's, unless rare, make me gag a little.

I don't mind for games I only want to play. For games I want to collect more so than play or ever intend to resell, (for example picking up a bargain of a game I already have) I need them boxed.

CiDeRmAn

I used to nip up there from Gamesworld on my lunch break, the shop was called gamezone and owned by the brother of the chap who still runs bookmart and gamesexchange.
It had some nice stuff but overpriced.
Cheaper than Mr Calculator though, very expensive import shop off grafton st.

o1s1n

GameZONE..that was it!

Is it wrong that I still laugh every time I read 'gamesexchange'?

CiDeRmAn

No, thats fine, we all did it.
Gamesexchange, snigger snigger.....

Retr0gamer

I remember they had a copy of the greatest hits version of Final Fantasy Tactics there for 80 irish pounds. Was wondering if anyone was stupid enough to buy it since I got it for 15 pounds online at the time.

CiDeRmAn

I knew people who bought jap PS and N64s in Mr Calculator and got fleeced, but they had pots of cash and deserved it, or rather daddys credit card deserved it, me, no I'm not bitter at all, what would give you that impression?
I didn't even know you did impressions!

bugs

Worked in gamezone while i was in college. Bit of a dark/dirty place but it suited the whole import/retro element.

You'd be amazed at the prices people paid for stuff, especially years ago when the internet sales weren't nearly as used as they are today.
Any game (especially during the ps1 era) which hadn't gotten a domestic PAL release could easily be sold for silly money, chrono cross, xenogears etc.

Beyond that, an unboxed snes mariokart got a 25 punt price tag and it'd generally sell within the hour.
Helped alot that we got quite a few employees from electronics boutique and game coming down, who would in turn tell customers in their stores to come down to gamezone when looking for older or more obscure stuff.

mattyflynn

so are any of these shops still open? ive heard about gamsexchange a few times and ill be in dub at the weekend....still open or what?

CiDeRmAn

Well, Bookmart and GameSexChange is still there.
Gameszone is long gone, now a internet cafe, I think, there under the railway bridge.
Gameworld went and sold out and changed it's name, can't think of it's new title now, I believe they're doing rather well

mattyflynn

cheers for reply! will have a look at those two places.are they beside eachother on talbot st?

o1s1n

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

GameSexChange

>teeheehee<

mattyflynn wrote: »

cheers for reply! will have a look at those two places.are they beside eachother on talbot st?

Yep they are. It's the one shop (I think? Can't say I've ever paid any notice to the book section) Only problem with it is the prices are a bit on the high side

Atavan-Halen

And the selection a bit on the crap side. Still might pick up something though. Ask if they have any loose carts. I asked there once but there was the older guy with long hair who was a bit confused as to what I was asking for and just pointed at the N64 games.

justbrian

atavan-halen wrote: »

And the selection a bit on the crap side. Still might pick up something though. Ask if they have any loose carts. I asked there once but there was the older guy with long hair who was a bit confused as to what I was asking for and just pointed at the N64 games.

Yes they sell unboxed stuff still. Under the counter. Not a great selection but ok.

Gunmonkey

If Gamezone is the one under the DART bridge with all the game art on the front but not been open for several years, I have been there once. Went with my brother and his friend, who bought a dingy copy of OoT for £30. I was pissed as I wanted to get it....but found it on sale new in Virgin for the same price just after

Atavan-Halen

justbrian wrote: »

Yes they sell unboxed stuff still. Under the counter. Not a great selection but ok.

What are the prices like for the unboxed stuff?

justbrian

atavan-halen wrote: »

What are the prices like for the unboxed stuff?

Depends on the game/format. 4 or 5 quid average. Not cheap, but not too expensive either. I got unboxed James Pond: robocod for MD for 4 for example.

Atavan-Halen

Hmm that's not bad I suppose. Would depend on the games though.

nickydistance

Games Exchange is so overpriced. Was in there yesterday and saw Sabrina The Teenage Witch for 17 and a boxed Ecco the Dolphin for 25!!!!!

o1s1n

Yeah I was going to pick up a copy of Alex Kidd the last time I was in there. They wanted €20. No thanks!

Atavan-Halen

Sabrina for €17?! I hope you snapped up that bargain

Chaotic_Forces

It's not too bad at all TBH. I think he pays about 5-10 euro for PS1 games with a box.

alandel2001

Chaotic_Forces wrote: »

It's not too bad at all TBH. I think he pays about 5-10 euro for PS1 games with a box.

I've been in there a few times looking around, and it is my first port of call if I ever have any DVDs to get rid of, because the prices he pays are pretty good. However, the prices he tries to sell stuff at are ridiculous. Never mind the games, the DVDs are priced at three times what they're worth. And he has stock in there that has been knocking around for years precisely because no one wants to pay 25 euro for a Dreamcast game with a broken case.

I didn't realise the guy who owned Gamezone was related. I always thought there was some connection between the two shops. Weird that they set up in such close proximity to each other. Remeber looking around in there when I was younger. The staff always seemed pretty cool.

I actually did my transition year work experience in Gamesworld, and worked with Michael Neary, who I thought was pretty sound.He is in the upper offices now that they've sold out. It still remains my favourite job. I remember loving it so much that I worked through my lunch hour a lot, and at the end I got to buy an N64 at the price it was traded for.

I remember also being in GameSexChange years ago and it having a very different lay out, with the counter at the front of the shop, and it seemed much narrower too. Picked up a few dingy NES carts on one occasion. Anyone remember the shop when it looked like this?

Augmerson

alandel2001 wrote: »

Anyone remember the shop when it looked like this?

No although I was passing by the place for years. They had a fire or smoke damage I think.

CiDeRmAn

alandel2001 wrote: »

I actually did my transition year work experience in Gamesworld, and worked with Michael Neary, who I thought was pretty sound.He is in the upper offices now that they've sold out. #

The man, the legend, just remember not to steal, or he will hunt you down like he's a GameStop sponsored terminator!
I still bump into him in GS from time to time, a gentleman!

alandel2001 wrote: »

and at the end I got to buy an N64 at the price it was traded for.

Wow, you must have been a good boy!

What year was it?
I worked in both the Abbey and Liffey st stores between 96 and 00, just wondered if I bumped into you, Peter was the name I went by in those days!

alandel2001

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

The man, the legend, just remember not to steal, or he will hunt you down like he's a GameStop sponsored terminator!

Now that you mention it, I actually remember hearing the story about him legging it down the road aafter some guys who were shoplifting. Can imagine him doing the T-1000 face while running.

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

What year was it?
I worked in both the Abbey and Liffey st stores between 96 and 00, just wondered if I bumped into you, Peter was the name I went by in those days!

Alan is my name. I was there in 1997 for my work experience, mostly in Liffey Street. I worked with another work experience guy who got sent from the Liffey Street shop to the Abbey Street one for a "long stand" and didn't get the joke until he had been standing there for about 15 minutes. Good times.

I remember one of the guys who worked there had a lot of knowledge of old arcade games. Tall guy, possibly had reddish hair. Wouldn't be yourself by any chance?

o1s1n

alandel2001 wrote: »

I remember one of the guys who worked there had a lot of knowledge of old arcade games. Tall guy, possibly had reddish hair. Wouldn't be yourself by any chance?

If that wasn't Ciderman then he must have a clone.

alandel2001

o1s1n wrote: »

If that wasn't Ciderman then he must have a clone.

Could be the T-1000 at work again.

Balasubbie

alandel2001 wrote: »

I've been in there a few times looking around, and it is my first port of call if I ever have any DVDs to get rid of, because the prices he pays are pretty good. However, the prices he tries to sell stuff at are ridiculous. Never mind the games, the DVDs are priced at three times what they're worth. And he has stock in there that has been knocking around for years precisely because no one wants to pay 25 euro for a Dreamcast game with a broken case.

I didn't realise the guy who owned Gamezone was related. I always thought there was some connection between the two shops. Weird that they set up in such close proximity to each other. Remeber looking around in there when I was younger. The staff always seemed pretty cool.

I actually did my transition year work experience in Gamesworld, and worked with Michael Neary, who I thought was pretty sound.He is in the upper offices now that they've sold out. It still remains my favourite job. I remember loving it so much that I worked through my lunch hour a lot, and at the end I got to buy an N64 at the price it was traded for.

I remember also being in GameSexChange years ago and it having a very different lay out, with the counter at the front of the shop, and it seemed much narrower too. Picked up a few dingy NES carts on one occasion. Anyone remember the shop when it looked like this?

As far as I could gather, the guys that own (and owned) Gamezone/Gamexchange were twins (they still would be, obviously).
You're spot on about the layout mind, mate and I spent hours upon hours hanging around between 'Zone and 'Exchange on Saturdays. They used to sell games a wee while before their general release too, got a copy of Pokemon Silver there, a good while before its general PAL release.

alandel2001

Balasubbie wrote: »

As far as I could gather, the guys that own (and owned) Gamezone/Gamexchange were twins (they still would be, obviously).
You're spot on about the layout mind, mate and I spent hours upon hours hanging around between 'Zone and 'Exchange on Saturdays. They used to sell games a wee while before their general release too, got a copy of Pokemon Silver there, a good while before its general PAL release.

Wonder what the other twin ended up doing after his shop closed? Also, how did that conversation go?

Twin 1: "Hey bro, I'm setting up a shop in Talbot Street"
Twin 2: "Yeah, me too"
Twin 1: "Mam, Dave is copying me again"
Mother: "Dave, don't steal your brother's ideas"
Dave: "But it was my idea first"
Mother: "You two boys play nice now"
Twin 1 and Dave: "Fine"

Seriously, who thinks it's ok to set up two games shops within 100 metres of each other? No wonder one of them failed. Still, they were great shops for me while they lasted. I remember being in Gamezone while the guys who worked in the shop played Killer Instinct. I thought that game was so cool. So young and naive.

Balasubbie, I don't remember getting any games there before release dates. In fact, I probably wouldn't have known what the release dates were, so maybe I did. Remember the second hand games being quite expensive though.

Balasubbie

alandel2001 wrote: »

Balasubbie, I don't remember getting any games there before release dates. In fact, I probably wouldn't have known what the release dates were, so maybe I did. Remember the second hand games being quite expensive though.

Gamezone was the gamestore, while Gamexchange (or Book Mart, depending on what signy you're reading) was a used book store, that dealt in video games (still is), as the market for tatty auld copies of Texts + Test 2 would be rather limited I imagine and mo'fos gotta diversify their revenue streams (hence your dialogue comes into effect( sidenote: six years of business classes, and that's the first time the phrase "diversify revenue streams" came in anywhere near useful)

I don't think their pre-release sales were legitimate, mind. I recall having to ask at the counter for one in Gamezone, and the process being a little hush-hush. Still, if memory serves me correct, there was a little sign on the window reading:

Pokemon Gold + Silver on sale here.

Gamexchange always had the same two guys hanging at counter. The clerk and his mate, with the mate bringing in his Jap-import games from home, to brag about at the counter to all us N64-lovin' plebs. Eventually this got rather tedious, and we resolved to taking the mickey, hence:

"Here look, I got FF 8"

"Oh that one? have it, got it months ago"

"No, no, you couldn't have, not this one, it says 8, Ei-gh-ta"

Then pause, and watch his face go beetroot.*

Mind, came back to bite us on the arse slightly, at a Pokemon mini-convention in the Omni Centre, Santry.

*This works at Gamestop also, when you can detect a clerk getting a horn
at the prospect of selling you a game. Do those guys get a commission?
I do suspect, considering the enthusiasm in which they attempt to flog various bits of Wii shovelware.

alandel2001

Balasubbie wrote: »

Gamezone was the gamestore, while Gamexchange (or Book Mart, depending on what signy you're reading) was a used book store, that dealt in video games (still is), as the market for tatty auld copies of Texts + Test 2 would be rather limited I imagine and mo'fos gotta diversify their revenue streams (hence your dialogue comes into effect( sidenote: six years of business classes, and that's the first time the phrase "diversify revenue streams" came in anywhere near useful)

I don't think their pre-release sales were legitimate, mind. I recall having to ask at the counter for one in Gamezone, and the process being a little hush-hush. Still, if memory serves me correct, there was a little sign on the window reading:

Pokemon Gold + Silver on sale here.

Gamexchange always had the same two guys hanging at counter. The clerk and his mate, with the mate bringing in his Jap-import games from home, to brag about at the counter to all us N64-lovin' plebs. Eventually this got rather tedious, and we resolved to taking the mickey, hence:

"Here look, I got FF 8"

"Oh that one? have it, got it months ago"

"No, no, you couldn't have, not this one, it says 8, Ei-gh-ta"

Then pause, and watch his face go beetroot.*

Mind, came back to bite us on the arse slightly, at a Pokemon mini-convention in the Omni Centre, Santry.

*This works at Gamestop also, when you can detect a clerk getting a horn
at the prospect of selling you a game. Do those guys get a commission?
I do suspect, considering the enthusiasm in which they attempt to flog various bits of Wii shovelware.

Lol, the guy in bookmart has diversified his revenue stream so much that I'm not sure what the shop is anymore. Last time I was in there he had a coffee machine, trying to sell coffees to people on their way to work.

Remember them playing some weird games alright. It actually put me off going in, cos it seemed a bit cliqueish.

Think I was at that same Pokemon "convention" in Omni. That was the one where they were loading Mew onto your Pokemon cartridge, right? I was so addicted to that game. I caught them all, so I did

Balasubbie

alandel2001 wrote: »

Lol, the guy in bookmart has diversified his revenue stream so much that I'm not sure what the shop is anymore. Last time I was in there he had a coffee machine, trying to sell coffees to people on their way to work.

Remember them playing some weird games alright. It actually put me off going in, cos it seemed a bit cliqueish.

Think I was at that same Pokemon "convention" in Omni. That was the one where they were loading Mew onto your Pokemon cartridge, right? I was so addicted to that game. I caught them all, so I did

That's the one indeed. I agree on the cliqueish note, mind being a young chav, you tend not to notice these things.

cedomination

I was also at that pokemon thing in the omni, glad someone else remembers it

bugs

Balasubbie wrote: »

As far as I could gather, the guys that own (and owned) Gamezone/Gamexchange were twins (they still would be, obviously).
You're spot on about the layout mind, mate and I spent hours upon hours hanging around between 'Zone and 'Exchange on Saturdays. They used to sell games a wee while before their general release too, got a copy of Pokemon Silver there, a good while before its general PAL release.

They weren't twins, just brothers. Simon (the owner of gamezone) has since moved to australia.
Some early release games came from the distributors and shouldn't have been sold early, which lead to some unpleasantness with the distributors.
Other games (particularily the dreamcast stuff) came from individuals working where they were pressed in finglas liberating some from the production line. Hence MSR about 2 weeks before release date......

CiDeRmAn

alandel2001 wrote: »

Tall guy, possibly had reddish hair. Wouldn't be yourself by any chance?

That was me, happy days!

At least the description wasn't "tall guy, reddish hair, manky beard, bad breath and a passion for causing small animals pain".

Good times.
The guy to have sent you for a long stand was probably Eddie, he had a special relationship with some of the young people who worked there, and by special relationship, read couldn't stand them!

SirLemonhead

Is that new shop in Dublin, The Rage (?) open all week? any idea what the hours are? Fancy checking it out but don't want to appear when it might be closed.. I think I heard it isn't always open?

Atavan-Halen

It's open on Saturday anyway. No idea about other days or closing times, sorry!

landsleaving

Tuesday to Sunday, around 11 to 7 according to facebook.

SirLemonhead

Thanks!

readyletsgo

GameSexchange is rubbish on Talbot st, every time I go in he just has loads of ps2/xbox1/DC/MD games that have not moved in years now, for €15 or more each! I think if he had a good look on the net/ebay and got real prices for the fifa etc games he would clear them pretty quick indeed and be able to get some new retro games in we want to see.
Lol I have to stop going into GameSexchange, it makes me so angry every time, although I did get that zelda collectors edition for €20 a few months ago and sold it on for a tidy profit lol, I want it again but to many fakes on ebay as far as i can see.

Also why is Twilight Princess for gamecube so god darn expensive on ebay, €80!? yeah right!