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OT: Are there any non-bigbox sporting goods stores anymore?

Extra Point

Heisman Winner
Aug 9, 2001
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I used to go to Effingers, Ray's Sports Shop, Millstone Sports Shop, the sports shops on Rt 22 near Round Valley, they are all gone. People used to bring their catch to sports shop like those and maybe win a prize for largest catch of the year.
 
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Man, growing up in Hunterdon County, you're talking about some of my old stomping grounds!

I know there is a place in Whitehouse Station on route 22 East, if looking for that area. Darrow's Sporting Edge. It's in the King's grocery store shopping complex. Haven't been in there in a few years though. They have a website and all.

My office is in Union County, and most of the sporting goods stores around here are sport specific.
 
Mainiero's Sports Shop-Nutley, NJ

I believe Mainiero's in Nutley is still open; I got my first-ever mitt here and my first-ever mouthpiece when I started playing football in 1988. I think hockey and lacrosse have really helped keep them going over the last 10-15 years.

Joe P.
 
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I worked at World of Sports (Kenilworth) and Cranford Sport Center during my high school & college days. I always loved the local stores. Herman's was always our enemy.
 
They're more geared towards fishing/hunting, but there's Sporting Life over on 22 in White House and Skip's Outdoors in Stockton. Round Valley Bait and Tackle had moved over into the strip mall with King Tut and the Post Office there in Lebanon, but I don't know if it's still operational.
 
Ramsey Outdoor store is still around. It has changed a lot over the years. It used to be a good size sporting goods store with an emphasis on hunting and fishing. It was very similar to Effingers. Now it has a completely high end feel. It's like a Rodeo Drive showroom. Completely high end stuff. Brands you never heard of but are astronomically expensive. I was looking for a winter coat last winter, saw a coat that looked nice. Never heard of the brand, looked at the price and it was $898. For a winter coat that seemed to be made out of the same materials as a good coat like a Northface etc. I think the Pentagon or NASA would be shocked by that
 
Is EMS still around? Not an independent shop but not really "big box."
One of the better overlanding shops in the country is in NJ surprisingly enough OK4WD in Warren County, I believe.

Not in NJ but I have one local high-end camping backcountry/shop, two local running stores, one huge outdoor sports discount outlet, a second hand gear shop and a couple manufacturer outlet shops in town. So they're in existence. Have to go to Big Box for regular team sports, tho, ha.
 
Is EMS still around? Not an independent shop but not really "big box."
One of the better overlanding shops in the country is in NJ surprisingly enough OK4WD in Warren County, I believe.

Not in NJ but I have one local high-end camping backcountry/shop, two local running stores, one huge outdoor sports discount outlet, a second hand gear shop and a couple manufacturer outlet shops in town. So they're in existence. Have to go to Big Box for regular team sports, tho, ha.
EMS has been gone for years by me. We still have Campmor a few doors down and Ramsey Outdoor. Thank god Ski Barn and Mt Everest ski shops are still around. Bonus is I have a PGA Superstore for golf.
 
Not entirely related but I've been buying my running sneakers at Fleet Feet in Montclair for years.

Truly knowledgeable staff not just some guy behind the counter. I try to avoid big box stores as much as possible
 
EMS has been gone for years by me. We still have Campmor a few doors down and Ramsey Outdoor. Thank god Ski Barn and Mt Everest ski shops are still around. Bonus is I have a PGA Superstore for golf.

Campmor is legit. Never been there, but I still order from them. That little black and white catalog was classic stuff.

I remember Princeton ski shops up that way. Went to their big Meadowlands sale one time - disappointing bait and switch!
 
After Sports Authority and Modells went out it’s been mostly Dicks Sporting Goods. They also own Golf Galaxy.
 
Is EMS still around? Not an independent shop but not really "big box."
One of the better overlanding shops in the country is in NJ surprisingly enough OK4WD in Warren County, I believe.

Not in NJ but I have one local high-end camping backcountry/shop, two local running stores, one huge outdoor sports discount outlet, a second hand gear shop and a couple manufacturer outlet shops in town. So they're in existence. Have to go to Big Box for regular team sports, tho, ha.
There is an Eastern Mountain Sports in the MarketFair Shopping Center in West Windsor.
There's an REI in the Mercer Mall in Princeton, just down the road.
Cheyenne Mountain Outfitters on 206 South at the junction with 130 in Bordentown.
I miss Harry's.
 
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There is an Eastern Mountain Sports in the MarketFair Shopping Center in West Windsor.
There's an REI in the Mercer Mall in Princeton, just down the road.
Cheyenne Mountain Outfitters on 206 South at the junction with 130 in Bordentown.
I miss Harry's.

Cool, that was one I used to go to. REI is a nice addition, but looks like it helped put Blue Ridge Mountain Sports out of business. That was a cool, little local shop
 
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Many of the ice skating rinks have pro shops. Same with indoor baseball complexes and batting cages. Three L L Bean stores—it’s Marlton,Freehold, and Paramus. Lots of places to buy canoes and kayaks around the state.
 
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In addition to Paramus, REI has stores in Marlton, East Hanover, and Princeton.

They are already out of business. They just don’t know it yet.

Amazon and Dicks are putting these small sports retailers out of biz Imo.
 
They are already out of business. They just don’t know it yet.

Amazon and Dicks are putting these small sports retailers out of biz Imo.

REI? Misquote? Not a small retailer and not getting put out of business by Amazon anytime soon. Amazon doesn't do specialty sports gear very well (Chinese knockoffs, maybe) and REI has the whole internet thing figured out ok. They could also go back to that insane lifetime warranty they had, not sure what they watered it down to now.
 
Gabe's on French St. Had any reel part you would ever need and all kinds of stuff. He was a character.
Cheap John's - got my first spinning outfit there
Hunterdon Sports Shop across from SR in Flemington mall.
Hackettstown Sport Shop on Rt# 46 by the old diner, than K-Mart on the Muskie.
Spruce Run Bait & Tackle
North Brunswick Sporting Goods - got my first 12' aluminum boat there with a Ted Williams electric motor
Greenwood Lake Sports Center - fishing, hunting and paintball. Also UHaul dealer.
Tackle and Field is still open in Wanaque.
Davis Sporting Goods is open in Sloatsburg, NY
All the old fun shops have disappeared over the years.
 
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Campmor is legit. Never been there, but I still order from them. That little black and white catalog was classic stuff.

I remember Princeton ski shops up that way. Went to their big Meadowlands sale one time - disappointing bait and switch!
Pelican, Princeton and Ski Barn were the bigger local ski stores around here. Bobby Knapp in Ridgewood used to be my go to place. Ski Barn in Paramus (a few doors away from Campmor is my place now. I think the Princeton ski store in Wayne is the Ski Barn location now. They had one on Clifton on Rt 4 as well. That’s gone. Sad to see the local businesses disappear.
 
Effingers and Herman's (Green Brook) growing up, great stores

Grand Slam in S Plainfield has a nice baseball pro shop.
Also in S Plainfield is Sportworld
 
Monkey Sports in Woodbridge is the biggest hockey store in the area and they also have lacrosse and baseball stuff. Sadly though, they have made it difficult for local pro shops at rinks to compete.
 
All the high schools in Middlesex County used to order their jerseys and equipment from Effingers. It was a great store.
My understanding is when NJ changed their bidding, Effingers could no longer compete. Losing that business was the last straw for them.
 
My understanding is when NJ changed their bidding, Effingers could no longer compete. Losing that business was the last straw for them.

That's sad. The last time I had any interaction with them was back around 1998 (when I left NJ), but they used to work with the coaches and AD at my high school to get us anything we needed, even at the very last minute.
 
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I used to go to Effingers, Ray's Sports Shop, Millstone Sports Shop, the sports shops on Rt 22 near Round Valley, they are all gone. People used to bring their catch to sports shop like those and maybe win a prize for largest catch of the year.

We love Home Field Advantage in Pompton Lakes. Just bought my son's bat there yesterday.

I grew up with Murphs in Caldwell! I remember going cup and mouthpiece shopping before every season of North Caldwell Vikings football.

Long live the downtown sport shop.
 
Hey @zappaa. What was the name of the sporting goods joint on Bloomfield Ave not far down from the Claridge Theater. Growing up it was the go to place if you needed anything sports related.
 
Is EMS still around? Not an independent shop but not really "big box."
One of the better overlanding shops in the country is in NJ surprisingly enough OK4WD in Warren County, I believe.

Not in NJ but I have one local high-end camping backcountry/shop, two local running stores, one huge outdoor sports discount outlet, a second hand gear shop and a couple manufacturer outlet shops in town. So they're in existence. Have to go to Big Box for regular team sports, tho, ha.
OK4WD in Stewartsville on rt 57. they are doing very well fortunately.
 
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Any old farts on here who played some serious hockey in 70s and 80s is aware of Paragon Sports in NY.
I think it’s still there.
We used to go in and buy Victoriaville and Titan sticks by the box at a tremendous discount.
Tacks and Supremes were half the price of what you’d pay in a skate shop
 
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Any old farts on here who played some serious hockey in 70s and 80s is aware of Paragon Sports in NY.
I think it’s still there.
We used to go in and buy Victoriaville and Titan sticks by the box at a tremendous discount.
Tacks and Supremes were half the price of what you’d pay in a skate shop
I got my first pair of skates at Gerry Cosby’s in Princeton. Probably late 80s. As a young hockey nut, I could have spent all day in there looking at gear. I remember the basement was just all sticks. It was like Heaven. I took a lot of pride in having the Cosby’s sticker on the bottom on my skates.
Years and years later I went to the NYC shop and even the used gear was more expensive than brand new on the internet. Not surprised if it didn’t last much longer.
 
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