Bye Bye Special Reserve

[SharkAttack]

Aww man! I noticed the store in Basildon has had the shutters down but didn't realise it was in such a bad way!

http://www.specialreserve.com/

http://www.mcvuk.com/newsitem.php?id=607

This is week old news but it's sad IMO. I used to get cheap PC parts from them, the cheapest PC games and DS titles. THey were the first ever company I bought games from other than in the shops (mail order catalogue order of Aladdin on the Megadrive).

The sad thing is I guess that in recent times I didn't even think of them when ordering PC games, didn't even check the prices!

Oh well RIP.

[yosai]

****, thats my ?20 xbox360 pre-order gone then.

->Open Spoiler<-

joking

[thebuddahman]

Aww man! I noticed the store in Basildon has had the shutters down but didn't realise it was in such a bad way!

http://www.specialreserve.com/

http://www.mcvuk.com/newsitem.php?id=607

This is week old news but it's sad IMO. I used to get cheap PC parts from them, the cheapest PC games and DS titles. THey were the first ever company I bought games from other than in the shops (mail order catalogue order of Aladdin on the Megadrive).

The sad thing is I guess that in recent times I didn't even think of them when ordering PC games, didn't even check the prices!

Oh well RIP.

I had a feeling this would happen to be honest. I remember the days of when they had adverts everywhere in nearly all of the N64/PS mags and they seemed to be doing well. I even joined their club and got Turok Rage Wars and Body Harvest as free gifts

Since then though it seems to have gone tits up for them...less adverts....less of their name being mentioned on forums etc...it was inevitable. I believe they couldn't really compete in today's internet market, the competition is just too strong.

As you say too SharkAttack, their PC Parts were great value and I used to read their monthly magazine with great excitement

[angelx]

Wow, these peeps were around for as long as I can remember & yeppers good value, but its going to be a hassle for anyone who ordered recently...

[Leon Retro]

I bought my Dreamcast from them in launch week and they gave me quite a good deal. The shop I used was the Egham branch and it was a nice pleasant shop to be in.

This is quite sad news- videogaming will miss them!

[SubparMario]

Used to mail-order stuff from them years ago. Their network of websites were horrible to browse though. No great loss.

[ascender]

I used to use them to buy my Amiga games from when I was livig up in the Highlands. They were a really small outfit then and I remember the small, black and white catalogues they used to produce.

Sad to see them go just because of that really.

[Spatial]

I used to use them for mail order all the time back in the day. Plus I used to make good use of their store in Bristol when I was there.

Shame to see them go but unsuprising when you think of how cut throat the game retail trade has become.

[babs]

My endearing memory was of ordering a Quickshot Python (remember those?) stick for the Megadrive, as it was all I could afford despite my drooling over the arcade power stick.

But lo, the postman did arrive, and with him the miraculous bounty of ... an Arcade Power Stick! Some picking and packing monkey must have got it wrong but to me it was heaven-sent.

[SuperDanX]

Im suprised they stayed in business for as long as they did.

[Darwock]

Yep, my first ever mail order was also from them, probably when I was 12 or so - Bloodwych for the ZX Spectrum.

[VR46]

I was a member there for about the last 8 years, they were alot cheaper than GAME 5 years ago and it was worth ordering from them/visiting one of their shops. Upminster store closed six months ago, that was the start of the final decline I guess.

Went to their Head Office for a Buyers job interview 4 years ago, it was a big setup.
Did have a bit of a place in my heart as it was the first gaming site forum I spent any considerable time on.

Feel sorry for the people whose cash they took for pre-orders though.

[Darwock]

Speaking of the forums, did they go down too? If so, it means there's nothing left to contain all those fanboy muppets! they're going to spread all over the net!

[VR46]

yep, www.ukchatforums.com has gone also.

www.freeola.com is still going for the domain/broadband side of the business though.

[Super Monkey Balls]

They were the first ever company I bought games from other than in the shops

Me too. Ten years ago their service was second to none. All went downhill after that kid started Gameplay though and you can't really feel sorry for a business that didn't change with the times enough to keep up.