If you've lived in Long Beach for any length of time, you undoubtedly know of Fingerprints. After…read more30+ years, it is undoubtedly the largest music store in Long Beach, and one of the largest in SoCal. We were there for Record Store Day. Loved the special deals they offered that day and having the chance to listen to a few bands over the course of the day (and get some merch signed!). I think their old store was better for listening, since there was a clear area for the audience--in the current store, we were tucked between shelves of merchandise--but it still worked and we had no problem seeing or hearing the bands. I particularly enjoyed seeing Violet Grohl and her band that day. Dave Grohl was there, but as a member of the audience. It was fun rocking out with him to his daughter's tunes (even if he was a couple of rows away). Love the staff. Rand, one of the owners, in particular, is incredibly knowledgeable. He also does a great job of lining up events and bands. We had such a great day at Fingerprints!

I've been a Fingerprints customer since moving to Long Beach in 2023 and have loved the 4th Street…read morelocation. I've attended countless signings and performances, and I buy a vinyl there almost every month to keep growing my collection. As an LA native, I grew up going to the original Amoeba in Hollywood and continued shopping there after they moved to their current Hollywood Blvd location. I've always appreciated the events they host, and when I moved to LB, Fingerprints felt like LB's version of Amoeba because of its incredible lineup of signings and performances. Since moving to their new Bixby Knolls location, the event experience has taken a step backward. The new space isn't designed to accommodate the crowds these events attract. They proudly increase the vinyl prices for these events to pay for staffing these events while admission continues to be oversold. The result is an experience that feels more focused on maximizing attendance than ensuring fans can actually enjoy the event. I attended the Charli XCX Q&A yesterday, and the stage was so low that I couldn't see anything. Within two minutes of the event starting, I requested a refund because the room was clearly over capacity. Unless you were around 5'6" or taller, the only way to see Charli was through other people's phone screens. When I asked for a refund, the employee handing out vinyl records told me, "Well, it's a Q&A. The whole point is to listen." I respectfully disagreed. Seeing the artist is part of the experience, especially at an in-person event, but my refund request was denied. Even if the focus was solely on listening, the experience still fell short. Employee phone notifications were constantly going off and the front door opened every few minutes as employees loudly turned away customers because it was a private event, and outside street noise frequently overpowered the conversation. At times, I could hear phone notifications and traffic more clearly than Charli herself. I think Fingerprints hosts some of the best artist events and I want to see them succeed in their new location. The event setup needs to improve- a raised stage, better crowd management, clearer policies on phone usage, and limiting attendance to what the space can comfortably accommodate would go a long way toward creating an experience that matches the quality of the artists they bring in.

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.

Amazing staff! I went just to browse and see their selection of music, very diverse. Ranges from…read moreclassic oldies to punk rock and many more! Also really well priced, spanning from $4-$15 from what I saw. Talked with Sal, very mellow and easy to talk to. This establishment deserves more attention

It's a really cool little shop! Always has great music playing which gets you into the groove of…read morebuying. Good selection and great prices!

Puts all the other Bookoffs to shame... This is THE Japanese, authentic feeling Bookoff that you…read moreWANT to visit if you love anime, manga and Japanese culture. They have a $2 dollar Japanese used manga section on the right side of the store and if you're learning Japanese, this is a great motivator. I've been to Japan a few times and if you want to feel like you've stepped into a portal to Japan for a brief second, this is the place to visit, they occasionally speak in Japanese over the intercom which is a nice touch. They also have Japanese literature, magazines, games, movies, etc. This place is incredible and it's super organized. Many cool finds I've come across here including an oversized GANTZ special edition set print for a very good price. One of the girls who works here even mentioned that they can specifically order books for you and you can buy them and pick them up there for a pretty decent rate. I've only had one bad experience with one guy worker here who got mad I was looking in the storage drawers located in every aisle, but almost everyone here is very kind. I've never had any other Bookoff discourage looking through the extra storage, it was very unusual, there's also no sign that says not to do so. You will occasionally even find books straight from Kinokuniya that are brand new sealed that have been discounted here. This is THE Bookoff to go to, I would say the other Bookoffs in comparison aren't even worth visiting. If you're in the area, this is a must visit for fans of this kind of merch.

Pluses: This is probably one of the better Book Off locations. Good variety of secondhand items…read more(note - they do have a magazine section which isn't secondhand), numerous old manga, and for the record collectors, some noteworthy vinyl (not a big selection and it's predominantly Japanese pop music). The store does well as a retro game store although you may have better luck with their Little Tokyo location. This will not have the feel of a Goodwill. It's far better. Also, I came here to sell some old games dating back to PS2 era and got a decent quote. A bit surprised. NOTE - your own case may vary, and they didn't take everything. Surprisingly they didn't take some old DVD's sets I had and I didn't have many. Minuses: This isn't a retro game store and it shows. Not many old game consoles available (Hard-Off does, and I believe Hard Off, which is part of the Book Off chain, is Japan only for now). Also, be realistic with what you have. Not everything will be eligible to be resold. Many old books and old anime titles likely won't make it. Although my quote was higher than I expected they didn't take some anime I had from the early 2000s (not very popular). In short, Book Off Gardena should be a very decent place to find what you are looking for. Now I can only wish Book Off brings Hard Off to the U.S. so that we can buy old cameras!

such a cute homey feeling store! I love their variety of records and the vibe of the store is so…read morenice and inviting. the woman at the register was very nice as well!

Came in here to buy wheels for my skateboard, and the lady (Jackie) was very very rude and made me…read morefeel very unwelcomed. She looked very bothered after I purchased wheels from her business and I even asked very kindly and respectfully if she could grip my board and she complained. As I was there working on my board , a couple of teenagers came in and she changed her attitude and energy towards them and made them feel welcomed but continued to be rude towards me and even muttered to the kids badly about me . Came to the shop because it was the only area that had the wheels I was looking for so I was really stoked to come in upon entering, she was really helpful and nice. I then asked her if she can help me with my grip tape and she seemed a little bothered. I stayed at the shop to work on my board because I figured I can just swap out the wheels I purchased . I grew up going to shops and hanging out in spaces where skateboarders are welcomed, but this is the first time where I felt like a burden for staying. They had younger folks coming in hanging out at the shop and I overheard her complain about how I had over stayed my welcome. I realize that I was getting treated like I was bothering her business. I asked her if there's anyway I can bother her for back to throw in my old wheels and she seem to be bothered stating that she didn't have any extra bags and mumbled it on her breath and handed me a bag with so much annoyance that I immediately left after that. This is not the space for skaters , I recommend going else where.

I haven't been to a Book Off location in ages. It is great to see there is one here at Del Amo…read moreFashion Mall. If you are a collector, you will find lots great figurines, games, books and etc. Brings back memories of my childhood.

Ever since I first discovered the Book-Off chain in Tokyo, I have been a fan of these stores…read more Basically, they offer a whole lot of books: i.e., the name, Book-Off. But, this is not all they offer. They also offer a lot of other things, depending on the location. Just as is the case with the stores around Tokyo, each Book-Off is somewhat different in their offerings. This Book-Off is no different. Over the many years that this Book-Off has been in business, it has witnessed an evolution in what they offer for sale. When they first opened, their basic commodity was books, and music, mostly via CDs, along with some movies on VHS and DVD. They also offered various computer games. Over the years these items have changed. At this location, their primary focus has remained on books, but they have also expanded. There has been periods of time when they even offered things like musical instruments. You'd walk by, look in their front window, and they'd have guitars hanging there. I think this is the great thing about the Book-Off stores. They are each unique locations, and though they do focus on books, each store is a very unique entity onto itself, offering a unique collection of which only that particular location focuses upon. As I write this review, what they're offering is books, CDs, DVDs, PC games, some PC controllers, and a little bit of everything else. In some ways, you never really know what you're going to find here, which makes this a fun shop to look into. This business is located on the lower level of the Del Amo Mall. It's close to stores like JCPenney's. So, it's never hard to find. It's right over by the escalators for those of you who know the mall. So, if you're looking for a book, some music, maybe a PC game, or maybe something else that you never knew that they would be offering, this may be your place to find it.

Yes! Books are fun. Stop buying them online or downloading them. Go to Barnes and Noble!…read more My kid is doing the Summer Reading Program and she's so excited to get her stickers. I'm so glad Barnes does this. She can't wait to get her free book. I also like that they give you a discount at their Starbucks when you buy a book.

I have been coming to this Barnes & Noble since I was a kid and I am happy it's still around so I…read morecan now bring my LO. Our favorite part of the bookstore is probably the toy section at the back of the first level where your kid and inner kid can make their birthday wish list. The staff here is always friendly. We love all the events they host here, especially the free Lego builds.

Small store but beware that they don't sell blu ray disc only dvds. Before you go to the store make…read morea list of the dvds series/movies you want! So the owner can help you! When you buy the dvd most of them come in a plastic cover or dvd sleeves with no hard case. If you're looking for anime series just go in and turn right. Note: The anime section in the store is a small section and the rest are local dvds. Before you buy the dvds there are no English subtitles!

It is a small Japanese store selling/renting CD, DVD, video games - all video games related to…read moreJapanese (NTSC-J). It is not such a bad place. There are some retro Japanese video games from PS1/PS2/GameCube discs if anyone interested into Japanese retro stuffs. Warning: it is hard to find a parking spot though.