Game Stores in Silver Spring, MD?

[The_Universe]

Baltimore has stores...where? I've only been able to find a Warhammer store in White Marsh...

There's also a Games Workshop in the Arundel Mills Mall...just down the hall from the Medieval Times! Ha!

 

[Bretbo]

Wow, my little (OK, not THAT little) hometown got a mention on ENWorld!

Yeah, I'm afraid Dream Wizards is your best bet. They do have a great selection, given the fact they cater to the CCG/Minis crowd. And their mechandise isn't shrink wrapped like a certain game store in VA Their site: http://www.dreamwizards.com/

There is also a comic book store in downtown SS called Alliance Comics (formerly Geppis) that has a small supply of gaming books. No wesite (that I'm aware of), address: 8317 Fenton St, Silver Spring, MD 20910. As mentioned, Barbarians no longer carries games, which is a shame because they had a LOT of material.

Welcome to the neighborhood, by the by!

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Wow, my little (OK, not THAT little) hometown got a mention on ENWorld!

Yeah, I'm afraid Dream Wizards is your best bet. They do have a great selection, given the fact they cater to the CCG/Minis crowd. And their mechandise isn't shrink wrapped like a certain game store in VA Their site: http://www.dreamwizards.com/

There is also a comic book store in downtown SS called Alliance Comics (formerly Geppis) that has a small supply of gaming books. No wesite (that I'm aware of), address: 8317 Fenton St, Silver Spring, MD 20910. As mentioned, Barbarians no longer carries games, which is a shame because they had a LOT of material.

Welcome to the neighborhood, by the by!

Thanks for the welcome!

Yay Maryland!! (if only all our stuff would just teleport into our new apartment...)

 

[elrobey]

Dream Wizards is the best in Montgomery County, AFAIK.

When I want to seriously browse I go to the Compleat Strategist in Falls Church, even though it's a haul to get over to the VA side.

Not far from Dream Wizards there is a hobby store on Rockville Pike, the name escapes me but it's in the shopping center where the Trader Joe's is. They are mostly a true hobby store (models, trains, etc) rather than a gaming store, but they do carry some RPG minis, mags, and books from a variety of publishers. I like to stop in and scavenge their markdown cart for bargains.

The Games Workshop is at "Arundel Mills" (not Ann Arundel Mall), which is up by BWI airport off the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. In the same mall there is a discount book store (I believe it's called Books-A-Million) that carries some RPG publications, mostly WOTC, often at markdown prices. There also used to be a WOTC store just a few doors down from the book store -- you could pay top dollar at the WOTC store or, for the same book, pay 10-30% less at the book store. And WOTC wonders why their stores didn't sell product. Sheesh!

Welcome to the neighborhood!

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

When I want to seriously browse I go to the Compleat Strategist in Falls Church, even though it's a haul to get over to the VA side.

*shudder* We went there once: never, ever again. *shudder*

 

[TerraDave]

Overall, there aren't as many good/large/dedicated RPG brick and mortars as you'd think there'd be in the DC area. Luckily, a lot of the major chains are harboring RPG hobbiests, and have a decent basic selection.

And there numbers are shrinking (I can think of 4 I used to go to that are now gone)...but yes the chains have picked up some slack.

 

[elrobey]

Not sure why that brings on the shudders -- I've only been there a couple of times, but the selection is better than at Dream Wizards.

Truth is, my wife has family in Norfolk and there's a gaming store there that I prefer to any in the area here!

 

[elrobey]

Do any of you work on the Hill, by the way? I do, so just curious.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Not sure why that brings on the shudders -- I've only been there a couple of times, but the selection is better than at Dream Wizards.

Truth is, my wife has family in Norfolk and there's a gaming store there that I prefer to any in the area here!

When The Universe and I first moved to the area, we went to go check out the store... it was - in a word - disgusting.

As we walked in, it stunk of mildew and old food. A quick look around revealed HEAPS of garbage (pizza boxes, a milk container, soda cans, etc) behind the counter.

The shelves bent under the weight of the books - which, while I would at times consider it a good thing - it was not there. Many of the shelves were rotting slightly due to the moisture in the air.

The lone worker in the store was - quite possibly - the most vile man I've ever seen (and smelled) in real life. He had open, weird, pussy wounds on his arm and neck - he also appeared to have stopped showering several weeks ago (the smell confirmed this notion).

Now - despite how disgusting the store was - I thought maybe the service would be good. I couldn't be more wrong! We waited 45 minutes to check out while the gross man dug around in the garbage to find his credit card machine. By the time he found it - I thought I was going to vomit the smell had gotten so bad!

And then - when I thought things couldn't get any worse - a man walks in. He is looking for a game for his son who is about to turn 10. "What a great opportunity to make a sale!" I think to myself. Eyeing the shelves, I see many board games, chess sets, and minis games that I would gladly buy for any 10 year old.

The gross man's response is, "We don't have anything for that age group. You should go somewhere else."

Now - I can tolerate almost anything for good product. But I cannot tolerate disgusting smells, rotting shelves, or week old food in combination with service so horrible.

The store had a large selection of books, true. But I would never consider going there again.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Do any of you work on the Hill, by the way? I do, so just curious.

I work off the hill with lots of people that *used* to work on the Hill. (but go to American, so know lots of people that intern/have aspirations of working on the hill...)