So here we go again.. in August I'll be traveling back to the Great White North, and wanted to know if anyone around here could tell me, in particular, what they think are the really good gaming stores in Toronto.

RPGpundit

Presuming that you are looking for RPGs, this is what I'd recommend:

The Hairy Tarantula's Yonge and Dundas-ish location has--hands down--the best selection in the city. Hell, they stock Starblazers, Burning Wheel and many of the other games you either intensely hate or love. Check out their used section if you get a chance, there's often some gold to be found.

Also nearby is 401 Games with a more limited selection but a slightly less chaotic space. 401 also has a solid range of boardgames.

Otherwise, the other Hairy Tarantula locations have more limited selections and you have the usual 'Comic-Book-Shops-with-a-few-games.'

If you are going to be more on the outskirts of the city, I believe there was a pretty decent store out in Oshawa, but I haven't been there in more than a year.

Quote from: Tipsy;390914...
The Hairy Tarantula's Yonge and Dundas-ish location has--hands down--the best selection in the city. Hell, they stock Starblazers, Burning Wheel and many of the other games you either intensely hate or love. Check out their used section if you get a chance, there's often some gold to be found.

Also nearby is 401 Games with a more limited selection but a slightly less chaotic space. 401 also has a solid range of boardgames...

Yeah, that's pretty much it.  The number of quality RPG stores in Toronto has declined dramatically since I was an undergraduate there.  Even Silver Snail used to have a pretty good selection; now it's just got WotC and WW stuff (maybe some Green Ronin).

So overall Hairy Tarantula is your best bet for RPGs (they even have some OOP stuff in the back; ask them to see their OOP selection, if you're interested) and 401 for boardgames.  

However, brace yourself before you enter the Tarantula.  It is extremely cluttered and cramped.  It has no air conditioning (which often makes things unpleasant in August, especially given the spotty hygiene of many clients and staff).  And many of people who work there painfully conform to the worst stereotypes of gamer/comic nerds.  Still, it's pretty much the only store at which I buy RPG material these days.

The time I visited Toronto a year ago or so, there was the Comic Warehouse in Brampton.  It's almost directly next to the large international airport.  (My flight was delayed for the rest of the day, in the middle of winter.  So I decided to rent out a car and checked this place out, despite the large amounts of snow).

http://www.thecomicwarehouse.com/

Both locations are almost on the same street (Dixie), about 10-15 minutes apart by car.

EDIT:  The location on Stratheran had a lot more rpg stuff.  Tons of older rpg stuff for really cheap.  The other location was inside a suburban mall, and didn't have as much rpg stuff.

God bless Drexoll Games in Vancouver and PoCo.

I should emphasize that, despite my criticisms, the Hairy Tarantula does have an excellent range of RPG products for sale, and is worth visiting.  They often have pretty good sales as well.

Also HT and 401 are only a block apart, so one can compare prices (although 401's selection of RPGs is smaller, so the same product often will not be available at both places).

Unfortunately both stores are on the southern part of Yonge Street, which is one of the crassest and tackiest parts of Toronto (yet the visitors and suburbanites seem to congregate there)...

Quote from: Akrasia;390931I should emphasize that, despite my criticisms, the Hairy Tarantula does have an excellent range of RPG products for sale, and is worth visiting.  They often have pretty good sales as well.

If one has not been to the HairyT before, it may a bit hard to find at first.  The entrance to the HairyT is across the street from a strip club called the "Zanzibar".  The HairyT store is at the top of a really narrow staircase.  Easy to miss.

For older out-of-print stuff such as 1E AD&D modules, they're going for at least 10 bucks a pop at the HairyT.  Not much of it is discounted.  The room with all the old OOP stuff was really disorganized and cramped.

The selection of rpg stuff at 401 Games seems to be a lot smaller compared to the HairyT.

(I drove to Toronto recently for business, and decided to check out the HairyT and 401 Games).

The easiest way to find the Hairy T is to look for the Swiss Chalet. Once you've found that, look around for the Hairy T placard. It should be right next door. I'll second all the comments about the Hairy T, both positive and negative. In fact, some of the staff go well beyond stereotype and into the realm of utter strangeness.

Hey what about Dueling Grounds? It used to be on Dundas West. Did it move or did it close up shop entirely?

EDIT: The other Hairy T, on Dundas West--somewhat nicer atmosphere, though with less selection--is in the Junction, a great neighbourhood. Be sure to get some Maltese baking if you go there, and check out the offices of Rue Morgue magazine.

Those are all well in good but if you want good prices go to meeplemart  their prices are excellent and if you are at all interested in miniature gaming his tables are awesome.

Another vote for Hairy Tarantula and 401 Games, in that order.  Hairy T is really the last good RPG store in downtown Toronto; 401 has scaled waaay back on new stuff that isn't 4e or Pathfinder, though it's fantastic for boardgames and CCGs if you're into those.

And yes, the staff at Hairy T are more than a little eccentric but they're also very helpful -- a major improvement from 5-6 years ago, when many of the staff were more interested in socializing (esp. when Leon wasn't in the store) than doing their jobs.

That's pretty much it in the downtown core.  Grey Region is RIP (the space is now a Pizzaiolo), and Silver Snail has only a smattering of RPG material.  Sci-Fi World on Steeles is hugely overhyped by 905ers and not worth the visit IMO, before any possible 905ers here get any ideas...

KoOS

Quote from: Benoist;390928God bless Drexoll Games in Vancouver and PoCo.

Amen.

I've actually visited Toronto many times, but I wanted to see if there was anywhere new or anywhere I hadn't heard of. So yes, I'm already familiar with the Hairy T (it was amusingly the only place in Canada where I've ever been recognized by someone as the Pundit), and with 401 games.

And yes, I agree that Vancouver's gaming stores are much better. Not just Drexoll but the other comic shop on the same street with the gaming section downstairs (where I once got over 1000 pages of palladium stuff for $14 CDN).  And Zulu Records; and Banyen Books. And Commercial Drive. And Chinatown!.... ah, fuck, why can't I visit Vancouver every time I go to Canada instead of being stuck in motherfucking Toronto?!

RPGpundit
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Quote from: RPGPundit;391068.... ah, fuck, why can't I visit Vancouver every time I go to Canada instead of being stuck in motherfucking Toronto?!...

Well, at least check out the new AGO while you're in town.  Far better than anything in Vancouver.

It has always been a mystery to me why we have so few good Gamestores in Toronto. Hairy-T is far and away the best store. I have been here 15 years and the situation has never really been any better then it is now (though I really liked the Worldhouse).

We do have a lot of neighbourhood gamestores with limited selection.

tegeus

I find the Toronto RPG community itself to be pretty disorganized for a city this size. That meetup group seems to be doing an alright job of pulling people together though.