In Phoenix, we had a few places that were great to get games from back in the day. We had:
-BEST (already mentioned)
-Home Express (my mom worked there as a kid, and that's where she got me my first Game Boy!)
-GEMCO
-Service Merchandise
-Funcoland
-AND.... LIONEL PLAYWORLD! This place was fantastic for factory sealed Atari 2600 games, all $10 or less and a fantastic Nintendo section

I miss the old movie rental store's we used to have like Moovies.

Edit: i'm surprised no one mentioned sears yet?

The only chain I went to when I was younger was Ice Man Videogames, there's one location an hour and a bit from me still, but the one down the road from me closed years ago. Still got their business card They weren't anything special though, prices were average at best and didn't have a big selection.

I didn't realize iceman had multiple locations in the past, i figured it was just a small local store to Lindsay. They certainly subscribe to the canadian game store mentality of higher then ebay prices. I think they had a beat up snowboard kids 2 cart for 80 bucks last time i was in. But hey, sometimes i find something neat there. If you like current gen they sometimes have some good stuff. Apparently they now have a location in the downtown toronto area(though i'm not sure if its called iceman)

I remember walking to my closest Sears and going in and seeing Super Mario World set up in the display case where you can play it. I would bounce back and forth between there and Service Merchandise to play ha

Funny thing, the Hollywood Video that used to be in Champaign ended up becoming a liquor store named (wait for it...)  Hollywood Liquors!  They just changed the "video" to "Liquors".  The rest of the sign is the same.

As for my fond memories of stores gone by,

One early memory is the Service Merchandise in Terre Haute having an Atari display.  The space it was in is now a Best Buy.  I went there the other day and their dvd/cd collection was reduced dramatically.  What Happened? 

Also remember going into Children's Palace for the first time.  Surprised my dad as well, seeing wall-to-wall toys.  It's currently a Toys R Us, so it's still being used for its intended purpose.

Also miss Suncoast, Sam Goody, and Borders.  Am I the only one that still goes for the fun of finding dvds and cds out in the stores?  Granted, the internet has good bargains, but there's just times I would actually like to GO OUT to get this stuff.

Sears was right next door to Electronics Boutique and KB Toys in my mall.

I remember going to EB, then going over to Sears, laughing at the +30% prices and going back to EB/KB.

Sears was where Mom bought our games because they didn't know any better.

Oh Mom!

HOLY CRAP!!!! That brings back so many memories.

I loved how the sign gets larger by the letter, but when you actually stand underneath it, they are the same size. I remember that as a kid. It was like some sort of eye magic trick or something. Crazy. BEST was next to Target in my childhood town, and was like a poor man's Target, without the food or clothes.

This thread brings back so many memories.

SOFTWARE ETC. for life!!

True Story BJ's Wholesale Club and TJ Max were once owned by Zayre's

RETAIL TIMELINE

 

2008 - November: Steve & Barry's is filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation
2008 - December :  Woolworths UK is going out of business (UK chain formerly part of the U.S. company)
2008 - December : KB Toys is going out of business

2009 - January 2:  Goody's Family Clothing is filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation

2009 - January 6: Woolworths Group (UK) closing it's last stores
2009 - January 16: Circuit is Going out of business

2009 - January 30: Closing of the last Steve & Barry's store

2009 - February: Hechinger's website is closing down

2009 - June: closing of the last Fortunoff store 

One of my favorites was Lechmere I got so many games from that place

I best remember the one at Liberty Tree Mall. And there was going to be one at Holyoke Mall but they went out of business when they were starting to build it.

Best buy closing 50 stores? i'm betting right now one of the many seattle area eastsound locations is closing.

unfortunately 90% of these weren't anywhere near where I grew up

secondly, i think this is the wrong topic for this thread. Since it has nothing to do with collecting.

In all of the things I collect, having an orignal tag to any of these stores nearly guarantees I will buy it.

I agree. If I ever saw shrinkwrap with Electronics Boutique's name on it I'd be excited.

Perhaps someone from Indiana, Maryland or Ohio might like seeing this?

my hometown is Keene, NH also.  What a small world!

I used to buy Pokémon cards at KB Toys back then. Ah. those were the good old days. I used to go to Game Switch at Countryside Mall to get the Super Scope. but now, I lost it.

Back when I lived in New Jersey, we used to grab lumber at a store called Rickel. Didn't see it mentioned yet but may have missed it.

There was a little rental store by me called Video Villa that closed in '04. They were the best. They had movie memorabilia all over the place and at the front door was a popcorn machine with little bags you could use and eat popcorn as you walked around, the whole store smelled like it. I love renting NES and SNES games from there, they always smelled wonderful when you got them home

When they were going out of business, I bought a few great games from them. It was sad, they were really a staple in our family. When I was in elementary school, my mom would take me there after karate class on Fridays to pick out a game or a movie for the weekend.

Video Villa was also the way I found out porn existed thanks to a red light section behind a curtain in the back

http://www.retronaut.com/2011/03/...

pmub

Video Villa sounds really familiar. Was that the one in Lake Villa? I remember renting a few times as a kid in the 90s out there at a video store on a strip mall on Grand ave.

I think that was a Villa Video, which was different and a small chain in Chicagoland in the west and north 'burbs. There were a few in Schaumburg too I think and some in Lisle, Woodridge, Arlington Heights, and Crystal Lake.

The Video Villa by me in Naperville was not a chain, it was a single store... although Video Villa is a popular name for small video stores so maybe.