Retro Madness — Local services in Bedford

Honestly every visit is something different, and I've shopped at the current location and the old. Most of the staff is friendly, engaging, and helpful; some others not so much, and on more than one occasion... Great collection of collectables, figures and games ranging all over place, which is amazing! It's so easy to lose track of time there, especially with the arcade right across the entrance. Dysfunctionally organized though. They pretty much have the store layed out by fandoms or within similar interests, but not everything is marked, usually not a problem in similar shops, but it seems like prices will vary on who you talk to or whoever happens to be around at that time, or the mood for the day. I've had issues where prices have changed because one person thought it was too low of a price compared to what some else thought or said. Or in once instance I made a bulk purchase and noticed a missing figure, went back to talk to them about it, the cashier said someone wasn't paying attention to where it was placed and it didn't work for the pricing set for the other figures, none of which were actually marked, that I was purchasing but failed to mention he wasn't going to ring me up for the item. They have these bins of unmarked items ranging from damaged figures, parts, weapons, incomplete figures, whatever...basically a grab bag of loose stuff without any pricing. Trying to buy something out of them can sometimes be difficult. Once or twice I was denied the ability to purchase something it because it belonged to a "set" but no one cared enough to bag said set together, instead bits and pieces are scattered amoungst all the drawers/bins and some parts are already damaged since they're just carelessly thrown into these said bins. At this point you would assume no one really cares enough to worry about it, up till the point of purchase. I'm not trying to slam here, it's just a weird inconsistency on visits. Still enjoy the place overall and it's nice to see what you're getting in person verses trolling eBay or whatever. Definitely come in and experience it...

I visited Retro Madness in March 2023, and my experience was fairly average. Upon entering the store, I noticed the unique decor and ambiance, which created a nostalgic atmosphere.

Retro Madness offers a decent selection of merchandise, including video games, toys, action figures, and collectibles, as they buy, sell, and trade these items. It's clear that they put some effort into curating their inventory, and the quality of the items available is satisfactory.

The store caters to a diverse clientele, with options for people of all genders and preferences. The pricing is acceptable for the majority of the items, although a few seemed a bit on the expensive side.

I did have one negative experience when a staff member became somewhat aggressive because we didn't acknowledge him upon entering the store. The employee raised his voice and repeatedly demanded acknowledgment, yelling "Acknowledge me, Acknowledge me, Acknowledge me" 3 times repeatedly... Considering it's 2023 and people can be quite unpredictable, I promptly attempted to defuse the situation by apologizing and explaining that I hadn't heard him. He tried to play it off, but the vibe was already kind of ruined and I didn't appreciate that considering I had responded with a "hello" when I first entered the store, lol.

In conclusion, I believe Retro Madness is fairly average. None of the products I discovered could be classified as 'rare,' and the prices did not strike me as exceptionally good deals. To be honest, I am confident that there is a better selection available online. The primary appeal of these brick-and-mortar locations is the customer experience, which, regrettably, did not impress me. Although the staff appeared mostly friendly and helpful, my one negative encounter left a...

Avoid this business at all costs for console repair. I walked in early May for a console repair and asked to specifically have an SSD put in, thermal paste reapplied, and to have the inside of the console cleaned/air dusted. I was cut off multiple times by the sales associate while trying to explain exactly what I wanted, and I was assured that their technicians would do everything I asked for.

May 5th they reached out stating the console was ready for pickup, which I’ll admit I did miss the message. May 20th, they reached out again, and I responded asking what exactly was done to the console to make sure the hard drive was replaced with an SSD. After a few days of no response, I asked again on May 23rd for them to confirm the work that was done to the console. They informed me that the console was still being worked on, and they would text me when finished.

May 30th, I followed up again and was met an abrupt “we will text you when it’s done.” And when I tried to confirm if they were replacing with an SSD, I received no response. June 5th I reached out stating at this point I just wanted my console back. June 27th, I went in store to pick up the console and try to figure out what had happened, and they told me they got the work order mixed up with another console. I will admit, they tried to rectify the issue when they realized what had happened, and did get the console back to the store quickly.

Today, July 2nd, I picked up my console. On the statement of work, the drive had been replaced with an HDD, and it says “general maintenance” whatever that means. I paid, not because I was satisfied with the work but because at this point it’s been two months without my console. I strongly urge anyone looking for console repair to...