Rare Formula

Stopped in to sell a couple of consoles and a game. Sally was amazing and her offer was great. Made…read moremy life easy. Met a couple of other customers, had a fun conversation, hopefully helped a mother and daughter out with something, and saw how perfectly Sally treated them as well. Awesome little shop, Sally was excellent, and they have a great selection of games and consoles. Definitely recommend and absolutely a small business you should support.

Waited a while to post a review, since I came in for a repair…read more When their initial repair to my PS5 didn't hold after a couple days, I took it back in. They stand by their work and fixed it again, this time with no further issues. They know their stuff, and back up their work. And considering how expensive buying new consoles is becoming, I WILL be going back for any future repairs!

The before

Showing the status and repairs

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Showing status & repairs in real time :))

Toys of the Universe

4.7(64 reviews)

1.2 mi

Awesome and friendly. Helpful and kind. Great merchandise. My family love a coming hereread more

local toy store with some gems. great selection of needohs...always. Have gone during week and…read moreweekends and they always have new things and squishys stocked.

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A part of my star wars wall.

Retro Games Plus

4.6(20 reviews)

4.8 mi

Huge selections of all game and game consoles. They also…read morehave VHS, action figures, memorabilia's, t shirts, stickers, plush toys. Good to walk down the memory lane and then realize you shouldn't have thrown that toy or game away because you see what it is now valued. Nice staff. We didn't buy anything , just browsing.

My family and I visited Retro Games Plus while in the area. They have a variety of games,…read moremerchandise, cards, collectibles, and plushies. I believe that they also buy games from people. It's a good sized store. We walked in and browsed the aisles. One of my adult kids was looking for a specific card so we asked someone working there and he kindly told us where to look. Once at checkout I spoke with the friendly person working at the register. Overall Retro Games Plus was a cool place to stop. They have friendly staff and if you like checking out game choices and merchandise this is an option.

Interior

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Cali Games

4.2(164 reviews)

6.4 mi

I'm Erik and I've been shopping here for a while. This place is literally my favorite store ever. I…read morego here all the time for the retro consoles. They have everything like Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, and more. The people are extremely nice. This is the best place to find a old console or game that works to be honest. If you are looking for things like a ps2 or a super Nes or any game console this is the place. The prices are really good too. You should go check out Cali games if you have not been before, it just feels so nice when you walk in. Its the best. :D

I'd forgotten about Cali Games. My son is on a bit of a discovery stage playing all sorts of retro…read moregames. My son was looking for a couple of 3DS games, while my daughter was looking for Tomodachi Life, which was sold out everywhere else. After trying several of the big box stores and a few of the local video games stores, we ended up at Cali Games. Cali games had everything we needed. We found a huge selection of many games; many more than any of the other stores we checked. I'll keep Cali Games in mind for future game purchases.

Front of store

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Toys vs Games

4.8(40 reviews)

3.6 mi•Wilmington

Very friendly with an amazing selection! This place is…read morepacked to the gills, with stuff! I can't recommend this plaxe enough.

The store is hella ass, crazy overpriced but they have a good selection of stuff, please do not…read moretrade your old consoles here and sell them on marketplace or eBay, fun to look at and can be good if you want to find out what exactly you want of course, and the service is fine, they are nice but a bit condescending. They do have cool stuff and will let you test them out of course.

View from entrance of store

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Game Stop

2.7(58 reviews)

3.1 mi

Shoutout gamestop to your super helpful and wonderful employee Laura at the Torrance location. The…read morebest customer experience I've had in a while in any store. Traded in my launch #ps5 and a few games and got a bunch of physical games, mostly preordered: Saros, Pokopia, Pragmata, 007 first light. Still got a little bit to spare and will pick something else up but definitely be back at the store. Also not sponsored but I am a gamestop premium member and money well spent.

We stopped in to check out a fun game for a neighbor's child. We were able to find one suitable and…read morethe child was thrilled with our choice (luckily .. lol). Good service and some good choices. Located on the corner of Hawthorne and Torrance Blvd right next Pink Berry (and near Panda Express and The Habit.

Never come to this store. You'll be disappointed.

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GameStop

3.0(44 reviews)

3.1 mi

writing to file a formal complaint regarding my experience at your Torrance store location today…read more I originally visited the Long Beach store on 4th St. looking for Resident Evil Requiem Deluxe Edition. The staff there informed me they were out of stock but confirmed that the Torrance location had 5 copies available. Based on this information, I drove 20 minutes to the Torrance store. Upon arrival, I spoke with a gentleman named John. When I asked for the game, he told me they did not have it. When I explained that the Long Beach store had specifically seen 5 copies in their system, he dismissively told me they didn't have any. He was very rude throughout the interaction. I am very disappointed with the lack of professionalism and the conflicting information provided between stores. I hope you will look into this matter. Regards,

Processed an online return and had the option to take the return in store. GameStop sent me an…read moreemail with specific instructions and with a return date by February 1, 2026 to my nearest GameStop . The lady helping process my return at this store simply told me she couldn't process my return because the stores policy is 7 days and I had past that time. She didn't try to honor her companies policy that I was following because it didn't align with her store? She gave me no solutions even after I told her the about GameStop email instructions. The store is not aligned with the brand. What a frustrating experience at this store.

Awww cute harry potter doll

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Book-Off

4.3(18 reviews)

2.8 mi

Upstairs in the Del Ami mall, right next to Macy's department store is the location of this…read moreBook-Off. The main Book-Off is downstairs. This one is their outlet store. Everything in the store is $1! They have tons of used books and movies on CD. Yes, aisles of books, movies, and used games. They also have a display in the middle of the store of anime key chains. They've been here for a while now, but not as much foot traffic upstairs at this mall as downstairs. I rarely come up here, and forgot all about it. Employees are busy stocking the shelves. But they're not too busy to stop and ring you up for your purchase. Parking: Plenty of free, shared, mall parking.

This Book-Off is defined as the clearance Book-Off in the Del Amo Mall. Yes, the Del Amo Mall does…read morehave two separate Book-Off locations. One is over by JCPenney while this one is right next-door to Macy's. The shop is on the upper level of the mall. Thus, you just have to grab the elevator, go to the far side of the mall, and there it is. Once inside, as is the case with all Book-Off locations, you will find tons and tons of books. What's unique about this location is that all of the books are only one dollar. Yes, one dollar. Every book in this store is just one dollar. And, they have some great books. Everything from sought after hardcovers by well-known authors, to tons and tons of paperback books on all subjects. Pretty much any subject, by any author, you're will find something here. Beyond just books, this Book-Off also offers tons of CDs. These CDs are also offered for only one dollar. So, if you're looking to grab some great music, this is an excellent place to do it. Just like the books they offer, they have a vast variety of CDs here. So, you'll really be able to find some great music from every genre of music that you like. Overall, this is a very self-serve style shop. You go in there, you seek out what you're looking for, you go up to the counter, you pay for it, and you're gone. It's a simple as that. Overall, if you're looking for a great book, a good CD, you're probably gonna be able to find it here.

Children's Section

Tons of Movies

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Arcade Shock

4.8(18 reviews)

5.8 mi

I was in town to visit friends recently and decided to hit up Arcade Shock because I've been…read morecontemplating modding. There are so many parts to choose from, and the gentleman who helped me gave me a lot of input from the way the parts sounded and operated. There's so much to choose from. I ended up spending over $120 in parts to replace the shaft, ball, joystick, and all the buttons on the top of the board. I bought a used stick from OfferUp, and a few of the buttons and joystick had issues with inputs. I chose buttons that are adjustable, silent, and bought a new joystick to solve an input sometimes not registering. I'd definitely consider going again when I'm in town! Cheers, and happy gaming!

So yesterday I finally got a chance to stop by ArcadeShock which is actually a retail shop in LA…read morerecommended by Rod. That place is pretty cool as they are super knowledgeable with fight sticks and buttons, and even got FC setup ready to play where I took a few jabs at some level B player in Mexico There's not many of these shops left around and for the local folks if you need any stuff or parts, I highly recommend these guys and seems very cool the dude helping us. I picked up a dozen on sanwas buttons, and was able to install it last night with some sandpaper I found in my garage to bore the holes wider and forcing the buttons in (vs using some drills, SupraWhite recommended this, smart). Zues, get your damn buttons and stix and nomore excuses Here are some pics too!

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After mod.

Sandpiper Books

4.6(100 reviews)

3.6 mi

One of the few used bookstores in the South Bay and it's nice and cozy! Selection will vary…read moredepending on what you're looking for, but I found one of the books on my TBR at a great price and had a great chat with the owner about what we were both reading. Support your local bookstore!

Great place to browse and find books of every topic imaginable high-quality great prices!!!!read more

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Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

5 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Anthony L.

0

3

6

1 year ago

Crazy store. A mix of modern, vintage, games and trading cards. I love it here. The service and hospitality is amazing. Nino's pokemon singles are great always hooking it up with deal. Would recommend 10/10 check them out read more

Matthew P.

0

1

0

1 year ago

Great selection of collectibles! Staff is very friendly! Highly recommend. The Pokémon selection is great and they have a good amount of selection. read more

Jesus P.

0

2

0

1 year ago

Love this place is cool come here at least once a week will come back with my friends and will tell other homies about this place!!!

Daniel L.

0

1

0

1 year ago

GREAT HITS COMING BACK FOR MORE. strongly recommend for others to pass by and try out their luck as well

Ian M.

0

3

0

1 year ago

Great new shop. A lot of selections. Fair prices. Not just for Pokémon but a lot more

Rare Formula - videogamestores - Updated September 2026

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4.2

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Absolutely fantastic card shop! The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and always willing to help…read morewhether you're a longtime collector or just getting started. Prices are fair, and they regularly host fun events and tournaments that create a welcoming community atmosphere. I've had nothing but positive experiences here and always leave excited to come back. Highly recommend this shop to anyone interested in collecting or playing trading card games!

How's it going SoCal, I very rarely leave reviews, much less poor ones, but I'm here with sources…read moreand times for a terrible pricing experience! I walked in with some GD04 alt arts on May 4th, at 3PM , with the set having been released on April 24th, giving singles ample time to build a selling history and stabililize. I also had a few older alt arts that have stabilized a long time ago. I had the following cards: EXRP-011, EXRP 005 , GD01-0065 LR+, GD04-068 R+, GD04-102 U+, GD04-34 LR+, GD04 002 LR+, and GD04-066 LR+ Now going off of TcgPlayer (the industry standard) , lowest verified pricing, which is significantly lower than market price or last sold, my cards are valued at $260 dollars. I was offered 100 dollars, or 110 store credit , so 38% cash, or 42% store credit , absolutely abysmal and scammer behavior. Now I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt , and offer them a chance to make things right by offering 170 dollars cash, which is 65% of the value, a very fair price Otherwise this review with sources, times, pricing accurate to the day, will be a good warning to others, and I will continue to spread the word in numerous groups about their pricing and willingness to lowball! It is very important to note that the business owner was present ! And he was consulted on this buy in, so if you guys need any more references or details don't hesitate to reach out , I'll happily walk you through every card price and what i believe is a fair value in the industry

Anime Geex

4.6

(44 reviews)

The toy store is small in scale, located in a shared plaza with limited parking spaces. They carry…read morea variety of items, such as figures and posters from popular animations, and some random selections of blind boxes.

Located in Gardena and all things anime and collectibles. This one is closer to me than the Del Amo…read morelocation. Friendly service from the guy and super helpful. I really wanted to buy so many things here but made a little purchase for myself. I bought one of the Naruto plush keychains blind box and got my favorite. The value for it was worth it. I need to come back for more!

Cardzilla Collectibles

3.8

(49 reviews)

I've been to this plaza MANY times, but I've never walked into this store until recently. And I…read moregotta say this place is messy and disorganized. Like VERY messy LOL. I tried to go an hour after they were supposed to be open, but the door was locked. I was about to drive away until I decided to give them a call. A lady picked up and said she'd be there in 5 minutes. I read the other reviews and they were right: this lady was so nice. I didn't feel pressured or anything. She was straight up a very lovely person. BUT THE PLACE WAS SO MESSY LOL. To be fair, I walked in about 2 minutes after they unlocked the doors and the lights were still off, so maybe they haven't had time to set up anything yet. But the place looked like the inside of a shed but with collectibles and cards LOL either way, despite that, I like this place and WILL come back! I came here looking for pokemon cards. No slabs. Booster packs, yes. Singles, yes. ETBs, yes.

By far, my favorite card shop. Great for Pokemon! All the other shops have switched to other TCGs…read morebut this shop always has some. They have all the other cards as well of course. Prices have remained as reasonable as possible. (All the shops have gone up, but some have gotten very unreasonable). I've always had great service here too. This shop isn't for everyone - I get that. But in a world of scalping, condescending comments, and blatant disinterest; it's refreshing to have a place like this that allows me to continue my hobby without feeling violated by pricing or employees.

Lost Planet Games

5.0

(85 reviews)

Super cool spot in a warehouse. Vast collection of figurines, especially Warhammer. Got to see…read morepeople play at a few tables too. Also big selection of MTG. The people working there today around late afternoon were very informative and helpful. Extra shout out to the gentlemen who recommended my girlfriend and I to try the Lost Caverns Ixalan for drafting. We liked the art and dinosaur theme in the set and pulled a pretty good card too!

Love this store, I'm primarily into magic the gathering and dnd. I usually stop by once every few…read moreweeks to pick up singles and this place has quickly become one of my go to for doing that. They have a good selection of cards and it's pretty rare that they don't have a card in stock. For reference I primarily buy more popular edh cards in the 2$ and up range. The pricing is fair and the cards are in good condition. Service is quick, I really have nothing to complain about. The atmosphere here is good and the people are nice. I can't speak much to the tabletop and board games section but there is a lot of stuff there covering all sorts of games. It's worth stopping by

Jaspy's Sports Cards & Collectibles

3.8

(20 reviews)

Very spacious and very clean store. Greeted immediately when I walked in. The people here are…read morereally nice. I saw their store sign while driving down the street. I'm currently in the market for a particular pokemon card and saw that they carried pokemon cards (along with base ball, foot ball, etc). I was looking for a particular one and didn't find it. But for the ones I DID see, I'd say the values for them were fairly priced. There's a lot of parking in the back. The spots are spacious too so that's a plus. I think I may find myself coming back here in the future :)

Have no issue with the inventory or atmosphere but the customer service has dropped considerably…read moresince the move. A couple of salesmen (the IG guys) are really good but just left the store and I'm not happy at all. I saw a Brady auto Jaspys had listed on eBay for 6999. I'm a high end collector so I was considering it but wanted to take a look first. I looked at all the cases and didn't see it so I asked one salesman (Hispanic with glasses) and he told me it should be in one of 2 premium showcases. Didn't try to look with me and just turned away. It wasn't there. I then asked another young guy behind the register (short hair, kinda like a bowl cut) that I had seen the card on eBay, showed him on my phone, and asked if it was in the showcases. His response, "Probably not." That's it! Nothing else. No explanation or anything. I'm sorry but if I have a customer who might potentially buy a 7K card I do much better than what I just experienced. I usually wait to post reviews when the service is bad but this was a jab followed by a right hook. Come on, man. Do better Jaspys.

8 Ball Cards Games

3.7

(39 reviews)

It's a local treasure but I'm not sure how to plug into whatever happens at the store. I don't know…read moreif they have tournaments or any other reason why people gather there. It is a fun place, but it needs a kick start and some marketing I think. If they hosted events or even food trucks I think they would have a more vibrant business. I would love to come here when an event is happening.

This place is horribly depressing inside, literally everything is behind scratched to hell glass…read morealmost no products, no service to help you buy cards that you literally can only see if someone helps you. None of the pictures on any reviews show how sad it looks inside, unfortunate. Looks more like a shop only catering to eBay and online sales. Maybe the 5 foot tall glass displays is to deter vandals but it really ruins any sort of customer experience. Stay away if you want to casually walk into this store to buy stuff. Only sells yugioh and pokemon at scalper prices. And 2022 basketball cards..

Kouhigh Toys

4.9

(44 reviews)

I've only seen them vend at conventions, so it's pretty neat to finally visit a brick and mortar…read morestore. Yes, it's mainly for blind boxes but the selection is slightly different from the Pop Mart slop that is everywhere. Yes, you'll find those, but there's also other series like Monchichi, Disney, Gloomy Bear, Mofusand, Calico Critters, etc. There's cute photo ops with their mirrors and the worker was friendly and welcomed us in. I'm not at the Dante's inferno level 4 of capitalist consumerism hell, so I was spared making a purchase, but it's a good place to stop if you are.

Cute little store that offers trade-ins. We got two blind boxes on sale and my girlfriend got both…read moreof the toys she wanted on the first try! Should definitely check it out while you're at the mall.

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4.5

(57 reviews)

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They definitely got a little bit of everything here from Pokemon, Magic, and One Piece. Some graded…read morecards on the wall not to horribly priced. Bought one Japanese pack of cards for $5. The guys working there are very knowledgeable and they do buy cards as well. Check them out I'll definitely come back to this shop.

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4.7

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