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Game Stores in LA?
- Thread starter Gizzard
- Start date
ergeheilalt
First Post
There are a few airports in LA, to which do you refer?
Near LAX (not really - but semi-close) is Aero Hobbies at 2918 Santa Monica Boulevard.
Near Burbank Airport is The Last Grenadier. However, don't go there. Skip it and make the drive to Pasadena for the Game Zone. Both extremely lack in customer service, but Game Zone has a better RPG collection (at least - it does compared to the last time I was at Last Grenadier). Of course, I couldn't see the inventory at the Last Grenadier because the store was closed at like 6pm or something ridiculous.
Near Burbank Airport is The Last Grenadier. However, don't go there. Skip it and make the drive to Pasadena for the Game Zone. Both extremely lack in customer service, but Game Zone has a better RPG collection (at least - it does compared to the last time I was at Last Grenadier). Of course, I couldn't see the inventory at the Last Grenadier because the store was closed at like 6pm or something ridiculous.
You can also check out the stores on this link:
http://www.strategicon.net/links_stores_ca_s.html
Just be aware that Games of Westwood already closed down about 1.5 years ago or so, and of course all the Game Keepers are gone. I'm not sure about "Flights of Fancy".
If you're flying into Burbank, use the "San Fernando Valley" links, and if you're flying into John Wayne, use the "Orange County" links.
http://www.strategicon.net/links_stores_ca_s.html
Just be aware that Games of Westwood already closed down about 1.5 years ago or so, and of course all the Game Keepers are gone. I'm not sure about "Flights of Fancy".
If you're flying into Burbank, use the "San Fernando Valley" links, and if you're flying into John Wayne, use the "Orange County" links.
Dr. Confoundo
First Post
Assuming you are coming in to LAX, the two closest game stores I can think of are the fore-mentioned Aero Hobbies in Santa Monica, and Third Planet in Torrance.
Aero Hobbies has fairly short hours, but has almost any gaming stuff you want (assuming you can find out which teetering pile of stuff it's in). It's dusty and messy, but has one of nearly everything.
Third Planet, on the other hand, is much cleaner and nicer, but they don't have nearly the selection that Aero has. They also carry comics, have an area for card/mini gaming, and have slightly longer hours.
Aero Hobbies has fairly short hours, but has almost any gaming stuff you want (assuming you can find out which teetering pile of stuff it's in). It's dusty and messy, but has one of nearly everything.
Third Planet, on the other hand, is much cleaner and nicer, but they don't have nearly the selection that Aero has. They also carry comics, have an area for card/mini gaming, and have slightly longer hours.
Tewligan
First Post
Wow - I'm moving out to L.A. in a few weeks, and this is a little disappointing. I was expecting to hear about all kinds of awesome game stores in that area when I started reading this thread. Phooey. Oh well - I'm still excited about checking out the big Games Workshop store, anyway.
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
Gizzard said:
LA as in Los Angeles, or LA as in Lower Alabama?
Tarrasque Wrangler
First Post
Or Louisiana?Olgar Shiverstone said:
To add more nonsense, I can't remember what they had in terms of games (they had SOME, as I recall, it's been 10 years) but Mile High Comics in Anaheim is worth a look. It's nerd heaven.
Last edited:
Don't get me wrong. I love living here. There are more game stores here than you'd find in smaller rural areas of the country, I think.
It's just that... it's hard to explain. When I was a kid back in the 1980s, I'd see these ads in Dragon Magazine for the Mail Order Hobby Shop and how they had an actual store in Lake Geneva, I think it was. Somewhere around there. I was living in one of the "Mountain States" at the time in an area where gaming wasn't really accepted, so our gaming materials were limited to what was carried by chain stores.
Anyway, in High School we moved here to L.A. area and I had this image of the second biggest city in the country having these huge multi-story game stores full of old treasures buried under piles of stuff that no one had bothered to look through for years. I had the same image of what the comics stores would be like.
I was sorely disappointed on both fronts, but I think that's just because of the image I had. Over the years, I've watched most of my favorite comics stores go out of businss (except Golden Apple, which I love) and the game stores dwindle.
The game stores here aren't bad - but then again, I don't have much to compare them to. My friend swears by Aero Hobbies. I've never been since it's the opposite direction of where I drive after work.
Game Zone is fine. I just find the lack of customer service a little obnoxious. But, that's common at most game stores, I heard.
It's just that... it's hard to explain. When I was a kid back in the 1980s, I'd see these ads in Dragon Magazine for the Mail Order Hobby Shop and how they had an actual store in Lake Geneva, I think it was. Somewhere around there. I was living in one of the "Mountain States" at the time in an area where gaming wasn't really accepted, so our gaming materials were limited to what was carried by chain stores.
Anyway, in High School we moved here to L.A. area and I had this image of the second biggest city in the country having these huge multi-story game stores full of old treasures buried under piles of stuff that no one had bothered to look through for years. I had the same image of what the comics stores would be like.
I was sorely disappointed on both fronts, but I think that's just because of the image I had. Over the years, I've watched most of my favorite comics stores go out of businss (except Golden Apple, which I love) and the game stores dwindle.
The game stores here aren't bad - but then again, I don't have much to compare them to. My friend swears by Aero Hobbies. I've never been since it's the opposite direction of where I drive after work.
Game Zone is fine. I just find the lack of customer service a little obnoxious. But, that's common at most game stores, I heard.
Ed Cha
Community Supporter
Tewligan said:
Yeah, I think it has a lot to do with the fact that L.A. is always nice and sunny and so people tend to spend more time outdoors rollerblading or at the beach than in a basement playing D&D. That's a bad thing.
There used to be a great hobby shop in Westwood that I used to go to as a kid with my brother. We'd take the bus all the way from the Hancock Park area to stare at lead figures and occasionally buy a module or something. There was also a place somewhere northeast of where we lived where I first saw the blue dice with the pencil attached. I don't know if they had a lot of modules though.
I actually bought most of my modules at the Brentano's bookstore in the Beverly Center. They had a surprisingly good selection back then, but not any more. I think there is a Wizards of the Coast store or something on the top floor there now, but I'm not sure. I know there are two stores in that mall that carry d20/gaming stuff, but the selection is not so great.
