GRcade

Cuttooth wrote:Fond memories of going to The Gadget Shop in the Whitgift Centre and never buying anything.

Yeah, this was pretty much my experience of the one in Kingston, everything was awesome but completely pointless.

4 things I remember from such shops:

- A blue electricity light (like a lava lamp, but you put your hand up to it and the lightning effects all direct to it)
- This metal square bed of 'nails' thing, where you press your hand (or other body part) into it and your handprint is visible from the other side
- Singing fish/lobsters
- Swinging steel balls that knock into it each other. Every CEO office still needs one of these on the desk.

Don’t forget the naughty section tucked away at the back with the Boob mugs and jelly Willy’s

I totally don't remember that section. Clearly I am too pure.

ITSMILNER wrote:Don’t forget the naughty section tucked away at the back with the Boob mugs and jelly Willy’s

And the rubber ducks with the massive knobs on the underside.

Chocolate-Milk wrote:

ITSMILNER wrote:Don’t forget the naughty section tucked away at the back with the Boob mugs and jelly Willy’s

And the rubber ducks with the massive knobs on the underside.

And the 12" strap ons that came with a free bottle of ultra sensitive lube.

Wait, what shop are we talking about?

Godzilla wrote:Some positive business news...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54599300

Geek Retreat: Retailer of 'all things geeky' to open 100 new shops

Never been to their Newcastle store but will pop in next time I'm in Town.

I went into the Newcastle one once and decided never again.

Geek Retreat going out on this scale is basically a form of gentrification targeting local game stores and hobby shops, so I'm not particularly enthusiastic about it. Take Bournemouth, for example: there are two excellent such shops already, both with significant product overlaps to this, and dedicated followings of their own. The market isn't really big enough for a third; the community of people who're into this (card games like Magic, Pokemon, tabletop game players like Warhammer etc) already has to split attention and relatively limited income between the two stores. But now a third one is opening in the main shopping area, with a more limited product line and more aggressive market strategies. GR's philosophy is that game shops are usually run by hobbyists who aren't particularly good business people, but all that means is that bland, uninteresting shops staffed by non specialists are going to become the norm. I won't be going out of my way to support these.

Wrathy, is this your Charizard card?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-54507760

Ironhide wrote:Wrathy, is this your Charizard card?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-54507760

It's close! I have a different artwork, which is also going through a huge spike (1000% increase in the last fortnight).

Pokemon cards have gone absolutely off the charts because Logan Paul, Logic, and some other rich kid youtubers have created an unprecedented surge of new money into the hobby for collecting. It's an incredible time to be in the hobby - unfortunately I backed the wrong horse because nobody predicted this any time soon, so I'm not making huge amounts off it, but a lot of people are doing very well indeed out of it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54635810

Gap considers closing its UK stores

If they go it'll certainly leave a .... ,... Gap in the market. For really generic clothes.

Godzilla wrote:https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54635810

Gap considers closing its UK stores

If they go it'll certainly leave a .... ,... Gap in the market. For really generic clothes.

I hear Johnson is going to get a deal with them to open some Banana Republics.

I don't recall having ever been in one. For some reason I associate them with '90s US Mom Jeans'...whether that's in an any way correct assumption or not I don't know!

KK wrote:I don't recall having ever been in one. For some reason I associate them with '90s US Mom Jeans'...whether that's in an any way correct assumption or not I don't know!

You used to buy a lot of stuff from GAP, it's got that clean cut 90's vibe in my head so that checks out.

GAP always struck as just another over priced generic high street fashion brand. You appeared to be paying for nothing more than a logo.

No one at my school would ever be seen in something from GAP as the undisputed truth was that it stood for 'Gay And Proud'.

Don't think I've ever even noticed it still existing since leaving school.

Oblomov Boblomov wrote:No one at my school would ever be seen in something from GAP as the undisputed truth was that it stood for 'Gay And Proud'.

Don't think I've ever even noticed it still existing since leaving school.

Yeah, same at our school

I like Gap. Their t-shirts and jeans are good quality with a good fit, and they're not all that expensive. Never bought anything with the massive GAP logo on. Would be a shame to see its shops close, but that being said, I'm not sure I've ever bought anything from them in-store. Maybe I've just lived and shopped in places that happen to not have one, but I don't see them around that much at all. I'd be disappointed if they disappeared from online, but job losses aside, I wouldn't miss them from the high street.

Tomous wrote:

Oblomov Boblomov wrote:No one at my school would ever be seen in something from GAP as the undisputed truth was that it stood for 'Gay And Proud'.

Don't think I've ever even noticed it still existing since leaving school.

Yeah, same at our school

I heard that at my school but people were just like, "Meh, whatever."

Yeah I've got no real issue with GAP, never bought a huge amount there but the things I have picked up were always good fit and quality.