I'm a new Turbografx collector. Welcome Me !

[nectarsis]

I think most of that anti-Kmart stuff had to do with it being the 80/90s. $150 Polo shirts are nowhere near as popular as they are now, in fact compared to my preppy ass most kids look...homeless, pretty much, nowadays, so I doubt there is as much fashion shaming.

For anything but clothes, tools, bikes, and electronics though I don't really get the Kmart stigma. I got most of my Transformers and King Vitamin and whatnot from them and they come from the same factory as the ones they sold at Hudsons so it's a pretty stupid line of thought, IMO.

You obviously have little/no interactions with high schoolers-mid late 20's....the "fashion" crowd is worse than ever.

[shabba]

I grew up in a bumble f*ck town in Georgia named Rome. We had a Wal-Mart and a K-Mart. Every kid knew that you NEVER, EVER shopped at K-mart, even if you actually did, and that any toy you got for xmas or b-day was from Wal-Mart or Wilbro or, if it was a video game, KB Toys. I wore a pair of blue jeans to school in 1988, so about 8th grade, and because they were so blue (f*cking blue, sooooo f*cking blue), some kids asked me about them. They were Levi's and expensive so there was no questioning my parents taste...BUT I committed the forever sin of saying they got them at "JC Penney, right across the street from K-Mart". Those mother f*ckers heard "K-Mart" and for the next 5 years, my hands never touched quality boobs.

I had a Redline bicycle in 1979, most bad ass bike in Fort Worth Texas. I left it out front of my home one day and it was stolen because 5 year olds are f*cking irresponsible. My grandmother gave the police an apt description of a "colored guy" that made off with the bike, reinforcing the stereotype in my mind of a purple colored man stealing my things. When it was not recovered, and after I had sufficiently cried my eyes out for days, my parents bought me a Mongoose. I found out years later that it was a competition bike with a 3 piece pedal set and the frame was chromoly. I sold it to a dude in Australia in 2012, all beaten up and in shitty shape, for $900 bucks. True story.

I got fat after that and started playing video games. Fat dropped off, got some pussy, ruined for life and 20 odd years later, I'm on a website devoted to video games. Jesus H.

[HailingTheThings]

I grew up in a bumble f*ck town called Rome in Georgia. We had a Wal-Mart and a K-Mart. Every kid knew that you NEVER, EVER shopped at K-mart, even if you actually did, and that any toy you got for xmas or b-day was from Wal-Mart or Wilbro or, if it was a video game, KB Toys. I wore a pair of blue jeans to school in 1988, so about 8th grade, and because they were so blue (f*cking blue, sooooo f*cking blue), some kids asked me about them. They were Levi's and expensive so there was no questioning my parents taste...BUT I committed the forever sin of saying they got them at "JC Penney, right across the street from K-Mart". Those mother f*****s heard "K-Mart" and for the next 5 years, my hands never touched quality boobs.

I had a Redline bicycle in 1979, most bad ass bike in Fort Worth Texas. I left it out front of my home one day and it was stolen because 5 year olds are f*cking irresponsible. My grandmother gave the police an apt description of a "colored guy" that made off with the bike, reinforcing the stereotype in my mind of a purple colored man stealing my things. When it was not recovered, and after I had sufficiently cried my eyes out for days, my parents bought me a Mongoose. I found out years later that it was a competition bike with a 3 piece pedal set and the frame was chromoly. I sold it to a dude in Australia in 2012, all beaten up and in shitty shape, for $900 bucks. True story.

I got fat after that and started playing video games. Fat dropped off, got some pussy, ruined for life and 20 odd years later, I'm on a website devoted to video games. Jesus H.

I might like you, just a little, though. : )

[Necromancer]

Nobody else got their games at Service Merchandise huh? Maybe that's a regional thing. I was always impressed that the games were sold next to jewelry.

One of my first exposures to the Turbob was at Service Merchandise.  I never bought anything there (they were gone by the time I got a Duo), but I played a lot of Bonk on their demo unit.

[shabba]

Nobody else got their games at Service Merchandise huh? Maybe that's a regional thing. I was always impressed that the games were sold next to jewelry.

I remember this place. We had to drive to Atlanta to one but my father bought several lenses for his Minolta camera in the late 80's at that place for good prices. I think he might have bought my original Nintendo there (but he really got it at K-Mart. That's a secret) as well as games for xmas. Neat place that got edged out by Wal-Mart/K-Mart who is now being edged out by Amazon. Funny how that goes.

Good call on Service Merchandise. I had forgotten that name completely.

[bob]

did anybody have Caldor?  i used to find games cheap there.  it was one of those stores that got the stock that didnt sell at other stores so everything was discounted.  it may have been a northeast chain.

[khyron65]

did anybody have Caldor?  i used to find games cheap there.  it was one of those stores that got the stock that didnt sell at other stores so everything was discounted.  it may have been a northeast chain.

That sounds a lot like a store we had down here in south florida called BEST

[shabba]

did anybody have Caldor?  i used to find games cheap there.  it was one of those stores that got the stock that didnt sell at other stores so everything was discounted.  it may have been a northeast chain.

That sounds a lot like a store we had down here in south florida called BEST

We had those in North Georgia as well. Another one that I had forgotten about. Wow.

[shabba]

did anybody have Caldor?  i used to find games cheap there.  it was one of those stores that got the stock that didnt sell at other stores so everything was discounted.  it may have been a northeast chain.

That sounds a lot like a store we had down here in south florida called BEST

Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, Best was headquartered right here in Richmond and died off 2 years before Service Merchandise in 1997 (which actually lasted until 2001 before croaking at the very end of the year). I never knew.

[khyron65]

did anybody have Caldor?  i used to find games cheap there.  it was one of those stores that got the stock that didnt sell at other stores so everything was discounted.  it may have been a northeast chain.

That sounds a lot like a store we had down here in south florida called BEST

Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, Best was headquartered right here in Richmond and died off 2 years before Service Merchandise in 1997 (which actually lasted until 2001 before croaking at the very end of the year). I never knew.

That is crazy. Down here a whole slew of stores just disappeared in the late 80s early 90s. BEST and Zayres where the first to go then Service Merchandise and Ames. They seemed very popular and my cheap parents went there pretty regularly so I had a lot of childhood memories of the places. Anytime someone mentions them I always have fond memories.

[csgx1]

Never got any game stuff at Service Merchandise.  I only remember the merchandise rolling off a conveyor belt and I thought it was the coolest thing ever when I was a kid. 

Also, never heard or seen Caldor stores on the west coast.

My family used to go to Macy's Clearance.  I think Macy's still has clearance centers for discount and damage furniture only.  In the '80s they used to discount everything from clothing to electronics.  I got a Sega Master System with 3d glasses from there for cheap.   

[GoldenWheels]

Loved the print  Service Merchandise catalog too. That was Toy Porn for kids (even JCP used to have a sweet glossy catalog too with games as I recall, though maybe I am thinking of Sears)

Had Caldors in CT for sure; but to me they were like K-Mart was to some of you fellas. You didn't say when you got stuff there. Or when you bought clothes at Marshalls!