Western Massachusetts Gamers - how many?

[megamania]

Southern Vermont about 45 minutes from Bershire Mall.

We used to have a strong game group here but life happens. Most are now parents which cut game time down to near nothing or completely out.

Is Virtual Reality still in Springfield? I have not visited the area in about 5 years besides Bershire mall but with BOTH K-B Toys (not the warehouse) and Walden Books closing, I suspect I won't visit that area any time soon.


What of Imagine That Bookstore? Had stores in Pittsfield and North Adams. The first comicbook stores I ever visited.

 

[Jeysie]

Is Virtual Reality still in Springfield? I have not visited the area in about 5 years besides Berkshire mall but with BOTH K-B Toys (not the warehouse) and Walden Books closing, I suspect I won't visit that area any time soon.

Virtual Reality? I don't recall it off-hand, but if you know where in Springfield it was, it might come to me.

And, the Waldenbooks at the Berkshire Mall is closing? Meh. The one at the Holyoke Mall doesn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon...

What of Imagine That Bookstore? Had stores in Pittsfield and North Adams. The first comicbook stores I ever visited.

The Imagine That bookstore in Pittsfield closed a few years ago, sadly. Quite a few of the books and comics on my shelves came from that store over the years of my life, so I was really bummed when I went there during a visit back to the city and found it was unexpectedly gone.

I didn't even know there was a branch in North Adams, so I can't vouch for that one.

Peace & Luv, Liz

 

[megamania]

Funny how my memory works-


By the bus station and I bought CRISIS #4 there back in....1984 I guess.

Ah well.

Bit of a go but the owner of Gamers Grotto in Bennington VT is beginning to carry DnD books along with DDM. It is on main street across from Community College of Vermont (CCV). If you find yourselves north of your border come and visit. Maybe I'll get him him to be a game store yet.

 

[Jeysie]

If you mean the Peter Pan/PVTA station, then no... I can't recall anything that looked like a gaming/hobby store in that area in the seven years I've been here.

Though now you have me curious... I ought to go look around tomorrow before I go shopping just to make sure I haven't missed it all this time. But, I don't think so.

There did used to be an old-style arcade in the vicinity, but they closed up shop a while ago, and I can't recall what the name was off-hand. *sheepish look*

Peace & Luv, Liz

 

[megamania]

Being that this was over 20 years ago it may have closed long ago. I only went to that one once. My mother was getting glasses or something. I mainly remember how cyked I was seeing the newest issue of Crisis and my mother bought it for me. I would have been about 13-14 then. Looooong ago.


When I think about it, Virtual Reality (comics/DnD and Manga) was Pittsfield. I remember going going south from VT 7 and making a left that brought us there. This was about ten years ago.


It was a love / hate thing for me. Loved the store but it was hard on my wallet.

 

[Jeysie]

Ahh. That I can't help you with, then. I remember a number of comic, hobby, and indie game shops from my youth, but most of them have since closed, and the rest I no longer know if they're there or not.

I got into D&D after I'd already moved to Springfield, but I loved comics and board games as a kid. I remember there used to be a hobby store on North St. where you could buy marbles, dice of all shapes and sizes, hobby kit parts for trains, planes, and automobiles, indie games like Cosmic Encounter and Cosmic Wimpout, etc... but alas, it's long gone. Pity.

There also used to be (and quite possibly still is, for all I know) a game/comic store out on Elm St. towards the Lenox line, but I no longer recall the name of it. Fantasy something, maybe?

I couldn't tell you if there was anything by the bus station in Pittsfield, though, because I've only been out there once... and it's more or less just an overblown wall in the middle of a field, IIRC. The public transit buses mainly pick up and drop off at Park Square (which, perversly, is actually a rotary, not a square). Maybe there was something out in the now-mostly-abandoned Ames plaza... *rambles on in a quasi-nostalgic stream-of-consciousness*

Peace & Luv, Liz

 

[The_Warlock]

I haven't been down to the downtown of Springfield in quite a while...I'll assume that Tin Soldier closed. Great gaming and miniatures store between the river and the Old SIS building (Center Square). I bought some of my first minis there. The old guy who ran it was a quiet but helpful sort.

Fond memories...

 

[megamania]

They used to come to Carnage in the Mountains every year.

I don't remember them coming to the last con I went to about 4 years ago.