Classic Dungeons & Dragons at Dungeon Masters Guild

Shopping Vintage Board and Video Games in New Jersey

Kay TurnerDec 4, 2020

The Garden State has a particular love for gaming of all sorts. Its fame as a favorite destination for the aficionados of wagering, not only in real-life hotels but also in more recent NJ online casinos, is only a part of the story. New Jerseyans also love vintage games and socializing. Table games are very popular. There is ample choice of venues for people to get together and enjoy hours of playing in good company. There are also good shopping and trading opportunities, popular retailers where you can find lovely pre-owned vintage items or sell your own.

In 2020, the pandemic and ensuing security measures have stimulated some popular outlets to become creative. One example is Tiki Tiki in South Jersey, a spinoff of the Island Officials software business in Woodbury. They have come up with some practical ideas to help affectionate customers with social distancing. Tiki Tiki has started offering “curbside pickup”, meaning you can order and pay for your games and drive by to pick them up without getting out of your car. A shop assistant will be available, “rain or shine”, to come out and hand you the goodies following your phone call. Lockers placed outside the shop were the next step: your purchase is stored in a locker, whose code you receive upon purchase. Then you are free to come and retrieve the package whenever you want. The items on offer are also available on Tiki Tiki’s eBay account, so buying online and delivery is possible.

Now you can also buy a special gift card that will double your credits. The State of New Jersey, through the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF), has made funding available to the South Woodbury Neighborhood Preservation Program. Any gift card purchased will get matched funds from the Program until December 15, limit 3 per purchaser, while supplies last.

Another interesting provider of retro games in NJ is J2Games, with brick-and-mortar shops in Wanamassa and Clark. They have board games, card games, toys, and all sorts of stuff on offer. Their primary interest, though, is in vintage video games. J2Games was founded in 1999 by a group of avid video gamers and collectors. Today it is one of the largest retailers of video games, video game consoles, and accessories, both retro and new in America. They stock thousands of items, including everything from the early Atari systems to the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. You can also find their game-related toys, accessories, and collectibles, including Star Wars, board games, action figures, plushies, card games, and more.

Another classical shop where you can hunt for good deals in NJ is The Game Zone in Hillsdale. They have been going strong for twenty years, catering to the needs of a very diverse gaming community. Here too, you can also trade in your older games. The Game Zone is also host to a variety of card and video game tournaments. They have a monthly Officially Sanctioned Pokémon Trading Card Game Tournament on the first Saturday of every month at 6:30. The owner and one of the tourney runners are both Official Pokémon Professors. The Game Zone has also been hosting Super Smash Bros. Melee tournaments for the last few years.