vintage gaming store displays

[jd_1138]

here are some shots of vintage gaming console displays.

 

http://www.plaidstallions.com/images/tgy3.jpg

 

Intelligent Television looks so elegant in the above pic.

 

http://www.plaidstallions.com/child.jpg

 

http://www.plaidstallions.com/toystores/gimbels2.jpg

 

A video game display made to look like a spaceship.

 

http://www.plaidstallions.com/toystores/gp1.jpg

 

"The Game Player".........note the Atari 400 in the display

 

http://www.plaidstallions.com/toystores/gp2.jpg

 

http://www.plaidstallions.com/toystores/gp3.jpg

 

http://www.plaidstallions.com/toystores/gp4.jpg

 

http://www.plaidstallions.com/toystores/gp5.jpg

 

http://www.plaidstallions.com/toystores/gp6.jpg

 

Wow! look at the above shots! I forgot how popular handheld electronic games were back then. Nowadays, people just have Nintendo DS's with different cartridges.

[IntellivisionDude]

Wow those are amazing pictures. My jaw just dropped and i'm drooling. I wish i had a time machine.

[Tubular Gearhead]

Wow! These are great, thanks for sharing! Time machine indeed!

[SlowCoder]

* drool *

I have to say that's some amazing history there. I don't know where I was, but I NEVER saw anything like that when I was a kid. We lived in Ruralsville, so we didn't get out to the malls very often.

 

Then again, my interest in video games was only passive, I believe in the mid 80's. A few of us had Ataris, but we would play for a few minutes, then we were back outside for more neighborhood mayhem.

 

I do like the time machine idea. If I had one, though, I think I'd shoot back to the early 60's and move forward from there. A lot of excitement in the next few decades, before everything starts going down the crapper.

[GKC]

Great photos. It's tough to think that a percentage of those items (I am thinking mainly the boxes but perhaps the hardware/software too) has been trashed and is no longer around

Edited November 17, 2010 by GKC

[raskar42]

This one looks like the store from 'cloak and dagger'

Edited November 18, 2010 by raskar42

[yuppicide]

AWESOME PICS! I remember those days. Stores were much cooler back then. Not some huge store with wide open aisles, but smaller stores packed with cool stuff.

 

I have pictures (sorry though they're in my head) of my Dad taking me to the indoor flea market and buying Deadly Duck. I wanted Journey Escape, though. Oh well. Anyway, I was probably 10 years old or so.. the wall in front of me was full of games for sale.

[SlowCoder]

Great photos. It's tough to think that a percentage of those items (I am thinking mainly the boxes but perhaps the hardware/software too) has been trashed and is no longer around

Likely so, son. Likely so. * consolling pat on the back *

[psquare75]

My game memories in stores are VIVID of Toys R Us with the paper tag you had to bring to the 'game window' where the crotchety old woman would saunter off out back to get you your game 10 minutes later.

[IntellivisionDude]

My game memories in stores are VIVID of Toys R Us with the paper tag you had to bring to the 'game window' where the crotchety old woman would saunter off out back to get you your game 10 minutes later.

 

I remember that. This is around the time i was getting a lot of the late release INTV Intellivision games from Toys R US.

 

I also have memories of a small store called Odd Lots that sold 2600 and Intellivision games

 

Our local Meyers sold games for about every retro system that was out at the time

 

I can recall this Toy Store at the local mall (can't recall the name, could of been KB or a store before KB). But that was where i got some of my TomyTronic Table Tops, Tron, Scramble, Pac-Man (the yellow one), Centipede (but it didn't work and we had to take it back)

 

I can't recall what games K-Mart sold. I guess that memory didn't stick. I do have a memory of messing with the TI-99 they had on display.

 

I even have a faint memory of Sears selling their versions of games, that really confused me as a kid. I only assumed the games would work on my system but wasn't sure. (of course now i know)

 

I'm trying to think really hard if there were any other stores in my area that sold games back then, but that might be it.

 

I just remembered 1 more. (I lived in a Detroit suburb Madison Heights). When we drove out somewhere around Troy or Clawson, there was a clothing store similar to a Khols, TG Max, etc. that had a wall of Intellivision and 2600 games. My mother bought me Baseball from there. I get home and the game won't fit in my system. It turned out someone stuck a 2600 cart in an Intellivision box. It had that funny M Network cart shape (which i was clueless of at the time)

 

Did Woolworths sell retro games? I remember there was a small one in a mall we went to a lot.

 

Oh i think Radio Shack sold games too, but i don't have any specific memories.

 

I think i just fried my brain remembering all that. I'm sure i'm forgetting something.

[raskar42]

This guy wants to sign you up for an extended warranty and a game informer subscription.

[psquare75]

I'm jealous of you guys. I was born in '80, so my memories of retro stuff are limited in stores.

 

Save-Rite (a local chain, now defunct) used to have the 'wall' set up like Toys R Us with the tickets.. but I remember the wall was half 2600 and half 5200 games. I remember wanting 5200 Joust, (I liked the box) but my mom said it wouldn't work because it was a 'blue game' (I was 5 or 6, cut me some slack). I ended up coming home with Demons to Diamonds.

 

I miss the Nintendo centers that had kiosks in the middle of the mall, with the display that had 15 or so push buttons to play games.

 

KB toys had bagged 2600 games hanging from a wire rack as the wing panel of an end cap for $4.99. I remember being eye level with street racer.

 

Radio Shack used to have little desks set up with a computer at each desk. I only remember TRS80s and Tandys. There was a TRS80 I think, that took MASSIVE floppy disks, inserted vertically.

 

Lechmere used to have the computer program section and I recall PC and Apple were along the back wall, with Atari and Commodore being in shorter side aisles. I got "Gunship" on one of those trips.

 

I don't recall Electronics Boutique ever having anything 'classic' but they did actually carry productive programs back then, not just games. My dad bought "StarFleet 1" from there.

[+save2600]

I totally remember the look and professionalism of those stores. We had Woolworth's, Zayre, Service Merchandise, Ben Franklin, Highland Superstores, Silo, Venture, Montgomery Ward, Sears, Circus World, Toys R Us, Kay*Bee, heck.... even the Eagle grocery store would sometimes feature end caps of Apollo and Data Age 2600 games.

 

Other thing you can't help but point out is how professional the salespeople were back then. Not only the way they dressed, but they (most) actually knew what they were talking about, had confidence and knowledge about what it is they were selling. BIG difference between then and now. I've seen the future and it sucks!

 

Thanks for posting. Plaid Stallions is an awesome site!

[IntellivisionDude]

I totally remember the look and professionalism of those stores. We had Woolworth's, Zayre, Service Merchandise, Ben Franklin, Highland Superstores, Silo, Venture, Montgomery Ward, Sears, Circus World, Toys R Us, Kay*Bee, heck.... even the Eagle grocery store would sometimes feature end caps of Apollo and Data Age 2600 games.

 

Other thing you can't help but point out is how professional the salespeople were back then. Not only the way they dressed, but they (most) actually knew what they were talking about, had confidence and knowledge about what it is they were selling. BIG difference between then and now. I've seen the future and it sucks!

 

Thanks for posting. Plaid Stallions is an awesome site!

 

Wow i forgot about Service Merchandise. We used to have their catalogs at home i'd drool over. There was this fancy robot in the back i always wanted, i think it cost $1,000. I wish i could remember the name of it. (edit, after a quick search i remembered it was called an Omnibot)

 

Circus World sounds oddly familiar.

[+save2600]

Yeah, I'm thinking Circus World and Child World were two different entities. Man, we had soooo many more choices back then. Not only of consumer goods, but of stores to shop in also. Really, really does make these times seem quite mediocre in comparison.

 

Oh and psquare75... those Nintendo islands in malls, weren't those called Capcom Centers? For some reason, I remember seeing Capcom signage all around 'em.

Edited November 18, 2010 by save2600

[BassGuitari]

There was a TRS80 I think, that took MASSIVE floppy disks, inserted vertically.

 

 

8" floppies, maybe? I didn't know any TRS-80s had 8" floppy drives.

[psquare75]

There was a TRS80 I think, that took MASSIVE floppy disks, inserted vertically.

 

 

8" floppies, maybe? I didn't know any TRS-80s had 8" floppy drives.

 

[jd_1138]

Other thing you can't help but point out is how professional the salespeople were back then. Not only the way they dressed, but they (most) actually knew what they were talking about, had confidence and knowledge about what it is they were selling. BIG difference between then and now. I've seen the future and it sucks!

 

Thanks for posting. Plaid Stallions is an awesome site!

 

You're welcome. I knew you guys would dig Plaid Stallions. I ran across it a couple of years ago. Yeah I think today's sales clerks are surly and don't want to be there, probably due to only making minimum wage with little to no bonuses. Whereas back then, they probably received bonuses for every sale. Crappy wages are no excuse to give poor service, but that's human nature I guess.

 

I remember the best toy store being King Norman's in the mall back in the 70's/early 80's. I think they were later bought out by KayBee Toy Store. I don't remember seeing any video game systems in King Norman but I'm sure they had them. We didn't get a video game system until 1984, so we didn't pay attention to video games. We shopped at K-Mart a lot back then, and I do remember seeing Atari and Commodore displays. I remember seeing a 2600/5200 and an Atari computer set up on display.

[raskar42]

my parents house was by radioshack when i was a tyke ( store still there)

 

all our computer/ handheld games/ gadgets came from there.

 

i had a trs-80 instead of an a commodore r atari and radio shack clock games instead of nintendo game and watches

we had radioshack radios and tvs and read radio shack comics

 

it was like living in an alternate universe.

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

my parents house was by radioshack when i was a tyke ( store still there)

 

all our computer/ handheld games/ gadgets came from there.

 

i had a trs-80 instead of an a commodore r atari and radio shack clock games instead of nintendo game and watches

we had radioshack radios and tvs and read radio shack comics

 

it was like living in an alternate universe.

 

 

lol

And today? Are you still buying stuff from Radioshack?

[godslabrat]

In my memories, the best place to shop was K- mart. They only dedicated one tiny corner of the store to video games, but that corner was PACKED with stuff. I spent many days drooling at KMart. The only thing better was Toys R Us, but that was an hour drive away and too high-priced for a lower-middle-class rural family. Still their selection was enormous, and even though I was prett much only allowed in the store on Christmas and my birthday, when I did go it was like visiting the damn Moon! I'd come home and tell my friends about stuff we'd only seen on tv or in comic books.

 

But yeah, for the most part, KMart was the place for games in the 80s

[+Allan]

If anyone lived near/in New York City, Macys had a very cool display for their Atari 400/800 computers. I wish I could find a picture of it. The whole area was darkened with lights under the counters from what I remember. It looked like an old-style arcade.

 

Allan

[raskar42]

[quote name='iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin' date='Thu Nov 18, 2010 11:11 AM'

lol

And today? Are you still buying stuff from Radioshack?

 

i walk over there on occasion for nostalgia, but they don't really sell their own goods anymore.

 

i did find my copy of 'radioshack electronic sea battle' (battleship) in the closet at my parents house-- still works

[jd_1138]

i walk over there on occasion for nostalgia, but they don't really sell their own goods anymore.

 

i did find my copy of 'radioshack electronic sea battle' (battleship) in the closet at my parents house-- still works

 

 

They used to have their Archer and Realistic store brands, which was good stuff, but now they carry the same stuff that you can get off of Amazon, for less money than Radio Shack. I have a friend who works there. Now, Radio Shack is a glorified cell phone retailer. They seem to make most of their salaries from commissions for selling Sprint/Verizon/AT&T contracts rather than knowing what a diode or resistor is.

 

I go there, in a pinch, if I don't want to wait for an Amazon order. And I'd rather give RS my money than Wal-Mart.

[SlowCoder]

And today? Are you still buying stuff from Radioshack?

 

Uh, I don't. Hardly. Almost never. I remember as a kid I'd go to the nearby RS after school and drool over the cool toys, robots, and even the awesome boom boxes with inbuilt b/w tvs! Man did I want one of those!

 

One of 2 things has happened since. Either the quality and coolness of their stuff has gone downhill, or I'm getting too old for cool toys.

 

Methinks I'll take opinion #1.