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What's become of your childhood haunts?


tiger_rick

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Went past a shop last night that I used tolive in. It was called "Play-it" and it was a swap shop for games, videos and cds. No vinyl though, no-one wants that shit anymore.

Used to use it a bit for swapping games but they had a massive section of wrestling videos that my brother and I would just pore over day after day. We'd spend hours trying to choose one, we'd spend hours trying to decide which ones we could possible sacrifice on a part-ex. We loved that place. The woman who ran it was great and so nice to us but still stiffed us on the part-ex deals. We'd pay £6 for a second hand video. Take it back and she'd offer us £2, £3 on a trade. Lovely bastard. We'd still do it though just to have something new.

It's a private dental clinic now. Not nearly as fun.

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There was a computer/games shop up the road from me in Wood Green called Shekhana Computers - was quite well-known in north London. Their brand-new stuff was over-priced, but their second-hand stuff was affordable, and I had a GameGear, so they were cheaper than most. Used to go every two, three weeks, and in my mid-to-late teens I became more interested in the import stuff they had, like NeoGeo Pocket and first-sale Japanese consoles - very unusual for any shop outside Tottenham Court Road in central London.

Closed down about fifteen years ago - turned into a mini-market, now it's a poncy coffee shop.

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Abbey Discs on Abbey Street in Dublin. I used to go in there on my half days from school most Wednesdays and almost every Saturday, listening to countless records for hours and hours and spend my pocket money buying one record. The staff would give me tea and biscuits and never once minded me spending an eternity in there only to spend between 3 and 5 quid.
I still have the white label of Van Helden and Tori Amos' Professional Widow with People Hold On by Lisa Stansfield on the flipside that one of the girls in there pushed on me. Months and months before it became a thing. Then it blew up and now I absolutely fucking hate the song.

It's now a poncy coffee shop.

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Fucking Beanos in Croydon man. I spent so much time (and money) in that record shop in my early 20s... Obviously it closed down because there is no place for a three storey record shop in Croydon. No idea what's there now. I don't think there was anything there last time I passed it, which makes it all the more gutting.

Yes, I realise 20s isn't childhood, but Scott's post got me thinking about it. The actual childhood Games Workshop and comic store I used to go into both still exist I think.

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A group of my friends and I were collectors - stuff like vintage Star Wars figures mainly. There was a shop near us called Bank Of Nostalgia that had cases full of them, as well as the vehicles, boxed stuff, and loads of other memorabilia from various things. It was a treasure trove! The owner would go around the local markets and auctions gathering up stuff to sell on and we'd regularly go in after school to see if he had anything new in. I still remember the cases on the right hand side as you went in, the little handwritten price tags under each figure, and the black plastic 10% discount cards we all got as regular customers. The excitement when you spotted a character you didn't already have! Ah!

By the time I was around 11 or so he'd sadly realised that there wasn't much money in vintage collectibles and Beanie Babies were where the money was. It was goodbye to AT-ST Walkers and background aliens from Jabba's palace; hello to Beanie Babies everywhere. My sister was quite happy with this but my time had passed.

I think when the Beanie bubble burst he must have decided that was it and the shop changed entirely to just become this kitschy place for candles and scarves and tin rectangles with 1940s gravy adverts on. I haven't been in in ages.

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