At first glance, A&J Games may look like just another, ordinary store amongst many others in a strip mall. In actuality it’s a treasure trove full of hidden gems awaiting to be unearthed.
There’s games, systems, and accessories everywhere the eye can see. Up high, down low, in cabinets, on countertops, along walls, even in crates. But, as any collector knows, you sometimes have to crawl, scoot, tip-toe, duck, balance and reach in order to find that rare item you wish to obtain.
Although they have a tremendous amount of inventory on display, there’s always more to be had in the back. So, rule of thumb when shopping there is, if you don’t see what you’re looking for, ask.
As with many independent stores, A&J is manned by only two people; the owner (Gary) and his employee who does repairs (& helps out front). One or both are always present which means they know their inventory and regular customers like the back of their hand. They also are extremely informed about the game industry and are quite interesting to talk to, especially about rare finds.
One of the most unique things about A&J is that they carry individual maps, graphs, instruction booklets, cover art, and boxes for tons of games. This is an extraordinary help to collectors who just need that one missing piece to make their collectible game CIB.
A&J is also an incredible resource for last gen accessories such as PS2 network adapters, XB360 decorative faceplates, XB360 wireless controller charging kits, Wii controllers, XB360 DVD remotes, and PS2 memory cards. And, not only do they have these items on hand (which is a miracle in and of itself), but they’re original brand name and new in box.
If you’re in the Los Angeles area, I encourage you to give A&J Games a try. The store’s not only a great resource for all things last gen and retro, but also a nice place to hang out with other customers and talk video games for a while.
For those planning to visit the store, here’s a list of their general offerings and what distinguishes them from the rest.
NOTE:
Pricing/Inventory currently in the store could vary from what’s mentioned in the article. This information is from our visit in June 2017.
Offerings
Buy/Sell
Video Games
Video Game Systems
Gaming Accessories
Strategy Guides
Instruction Booklets
Cover Art & Boxes
Maps & Graphs
Pokémon & Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards
Disc Repair
System Repair
Standouts
They’ve been in business over 20 years- They know their stuff!
The twosome running the store (Owner, Gary & his employee) are knowledgeable and interesting to talk to.
A great place to hang out with customers and talk video games.
They have massive quantities of used retro, last gen, and current gen systems for sale. If you can’t find it, ask! They may have it in the back.
Tons of Atari, Sega Genesis, Dreamcast, Sega CD, Genesis 32X, Sega Saturn, & Turbo Grafx 16 games.
A nice selection of valuable PS1 games.
Large variety of PS2, XBox, and XB360 games.
Nice deals on cartridge only GBA games – (Several were in the $3-5 range).
They carry some hard to find last gen accessories, many original brand name and new in box.
They sell instruction booklets, cover art, boxes, & maps/graphs individually which means that you can buy the piece you need to make that collectible game complete.
They offer system repairs.
They have a Rob the Robot to greet you on the way inside.
In addition
You can purchase via mail if you live out of town per their website. (Call for details)
Location
11132 Palms Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034
310-390-5440