You knew Hargrave, too? I didn't even know he lived in the area!
I really liked the Hargrave books; they had some very clever ideas. My old copies have somehow vanished over the years, so recently I bought a set of reprints (from an outfit that seemed to have legitimate rights to the books).
I really miss that game store, though. There's nothing like it where I live now, and I imagine that it's getting harder and harder for a game store like that to survive nowadays.
Back then I dropped quite a bit of money at that place. During the second half of my senior year at Novato High I was just "phoning it in" as far as school work was concerned (colleges already applied for, so no need to worry about the 2nd semester grades). I remember sitting in class, zoning out, just counting the minutes until the school day ended so that my friends and I could buzz over to Games and Things, pick up something new, and spend the rest of the afternoon campaigning...
I knew Mike Murray who managed that store- through a mutual friend. Mike was also a hardcore model railroader with a *stunning* large scale trestle in his back yard. Sadly- Mike is no longer with us, he passed a couple of years ago.
Funny you should mention Dave Hargrave. When he lived in Concord, I knew him as well. He was making the occasional appearance at a gaming store there- and GMed a Micro Armor campaign, believe it or not. It was really creative, a post-apocalyptic mini-continent divided into small countries, and you'd have to send units exploring to 'find' things that were left there. Fun stuff.
So it really was called Games and Things... Glad to know that my memory isn't always faulty. Thanks for the information!
Nickpeck, very sorry to hear about your friend's passing. It's quite likely that I met both of you at one time or another, given the amount of time I spent at that store. At least a couple of times a week, right after classes were over, my friends and I would drive from Novato High School to your shop.
It really was a nice game store, too; not only to buy stuff but just to hang around in. The staff there were knowledgable about gaming and didn't hesitate to make recommendations or answer questions. One thing that was especially nice was that you guys carried not just the standard D&D merchandise, but plenty of other systems and add-ons too: I remember buying the Hargrave books (Arduin Grimoire, etc.), an interesting system called Chivalry & Sorcery, and Traveller (great game, black box with the red lettering). Many thanks to you, Darrell, and the rest of the staff for running such a neat store.
I remember that store was great because I was inventing a board game as a fun project for an astronomy class at College of Marin, and I need some cool game pieces which they had. The other reason why I am posting though, I was taken aback about the passing of Darrell Hyde. His father was one of my father's best all time friend and coworker. His dad tirelessly helped my dad with his election as Muni Judge around 1970. Darrell was 4 years younger than me, and I just remember an active happy kid back in the 70's. So sorry to hear this news, + my condolonces to you as his good friend.
I worked at Games and Things through high school and my first year at college, so I remember it very well. It was part of a very small chain of toy stores - there was Toy World in Corte Madera town center, I think another Toy World somewhere else, and another Games and Things in Fashion Island, down in San Mateo.
We sold a combination of general interest games: chess, checkers, Trivial Pursuit, Uno, Yahtzee, that type of thing, as well as console-based video games, like the Atari 2600 and Intellivision. But the main thing I loved about the store was all the role playing game materials we sold. Dungeons and Dragons dice, lead figures, rule books, game modules, magazines, and so forth. It was a nerd paradise.
The store manager was named Mike Murray, and the assistant manager was a dear friend of mine named Darrell Hyde. Sadly, Darrell passed last year in his mid-40's, due to complications from the flu. I don't remember when the store shut down - it must have been in the late 80's or early 90's, but I have many, many fond memories of working there.
Those two places (Marin Brewing Co and 24Hr Nautilus) draw a blank with me too. I used to shop fairly often at Fry's/Save Mart. They had things I coudn't find elsewhere. And they had a salad bar, which most stores didn't have at the time. Good place to get food prior to hiking or a picnic. I was surprised that Lucky's couldn't make a go of it there. But by that time Mollie Stone's was in Greenbrae, and I think people started going there. I heard that the people in the Condos and Apartments were promised there would always be a place in Larkspur Landing for them to shop for groceries. The last owners talked about putting a convenience store, but I don't think anyone wanted that.
Yeah, I used to have many an after work Friday night dinner at Acupulco. Too old for the crowd at Baxters though.
Does anyone remember what was in the spaces where Marin Brewing Company and 24 Hour Fitness (24 Hour Nautilus) are now ?
They both arrived in 1989-1990 and I just don't recall those spaces before that.
That"s over ten years those buildings were already there, so someone must recall what was in them.
I go to that gym and I miss The Maui Juice Company (MBC expanded into the space right behind the current Thai place, which was Roadrunner Burrito and before that, I think Blue Chip Cookies and/or Unknown Jerome's).
I also liked the Acapulco space and is anyone young enough to have danced at Baxter's next door ?
I remember the Firehouse BBQ where Togo's is but never tried it.
I was always surprised how busy Fry's / Save Mart Supermarket was when there was so little neighborhood to support it, in fact only a few of the residential that is behind it was built then.
I sure miss the Original Larkspur Landing, where there were little shops and it was a fun place to go. I was older in the 1980s and my favorite places were the Clean Well Lighted Place bookstore and the Good Earth Restaurant. Over the years things changed some. There was a Yet Wah and Scomas there. Also the Sushi place, and the Mexican take out place. The little shops had interesting items, jewelry, clothing, picture frames. I can't remember them all now. Sometime in the 80s they started having music in the plaza on Friday evenings in Summer. Saw some great groups there. People would bring food or buy take-out from the restaurants, and have a great mellow end of the work week. At some point the plaza was re paved and they took out the old boardwalk sections. That was also the end of the little fishing boy fountain. They put in a new fountain to make it look more Mediterranean. Then New People bought the place in the mid 90s, and they put out the businesses little by little. Yet Wah went, Good Earth restaurant went, Clean Well Lighted went. Even a coffee shop that had lots of business. They chose their own restaurants, and put the rest of the space for offices. Boring to go to now. So I hope the Newest Owners will bring back some of the old ambiance.
Ah, polyhedra dice... I got my first set at that game store too. The place was kind of small, but it was packed with good stuff for gamers. I bought way too many lead figures there (still got 'em somewhere in the basement), and all of the Dave Hargrave dungeonmastering books. Geez, that place ate up my allowance almost every week.
Kind of sorry to hear about the new ownership of the area, but at least what they're going to do there sounds interesting.
It was in the main shopping mall area in Larkspur Landing, facing the inner court as I recall. We used to go to The Good Earth and a Chinese restaurant the name of which I can't recall. And also A Clean Well Lighted Place For Books was a popular stop.
From the S.F. Chronicle in Jan.:
"A Santa Monica real estate company has purchased the Larkspur Landing shopping center for $65 million and plans to reposition the aging Marin County property as an open-air market with independent stores and public areas."
I remember that store because it was the first place that I ever saw one of those multi-sided dice for D&D. Can't remember the name but I do remember looking around in there at all the interesting gamer accoutrements. As I recall it was kind of a small space they were in.
I can't remember the name of it! I think it was something like "Games and Glass" or "Games and Things". They had all sorts of board games, and of course lots of Dungeons and Dragons stuff.
I spent many an hour after school hanging out there instead of doing my homework... :cool:
Does anyone remember this game store? I don't even remember if it was a chain or not.
