Propaganda Palace

I have a love hate relationship with this place. It is a nice place to go look and in a sense is almost like a museum. But its cluttered and no, there are no prices on anything.
I travel to other cities to buy records and can still score reasonable deals. I also venture to antique shops and will do a bit online. Most stores, even in a high demand for vinyl climate, reward you for supporting their store and offer generous pricing. Not here. They are very deadset on their pricing, defending themselves instead of actually trying to get a customer.
The 2 stars are for selection alone. I think this store could do so much more, but it just doesnt seem to run like a true record/​vintage stores. No cataloging. The records are are stiffly packed together in crates, not neatly organized by artist in record sleeves like a good record store does. But the bottom line, they won’t go the extra mile to make the sale .
For records, I usually venture to Hogwild and while the selection doesnt match this place, their prices are really fair in comparrison. Otherwise, id just as soon venture to Austin or for even better finds, Houston.
For games, there are places here and just outside SA that are far fairer. The funny thing is, when you mention Propaganda at these stores, they know it very well and do not speak kindly of it.
I had one horror story and thought id venture back, but it was more of the same. So one story I have that illustrates some of the condescending that was discussed in another review: I went once and found a record I wanted. It was a commerically released used 12″. Yes, I know my stuff. I took it to the counter. The guy had to call someone else to figure out how to price it. He then insisted it was a DJ promo and therefore super rare. No, it was a commercial release with a sticker from the club that happened to play it, which would actually lower the value.
So heres the bottom line. Propaganda, you have an awesome selection, and awesome potential. Price your stuff. Catalog your merchandise and actually do a little bit for the customers venturing out your way. It takes work, but this place could really be a destination spot, but it doesn’t hold a candle to whats offered in our neighboring cities or what a real vintage store should look like. And please, dont scrunch the records in the bins like that and put some sleeves on them, especially some of those more valuable records. It doesnt look like you actually care about what you sell. If the presentation was a little better, I might just put some of my hard earned money down on some of this merchandise.

Loved the selection, hated the feeling of haggling prices, most of which we were told were almost double online of what they actually were. If they listed their prices beforehand, I wouldn’t feel ripped off (people need to make a living), but don’t lie to my face about how much games are going for online and what an amazing deal you are giving me when I can Google it and see it’s a complete lie. It’s insulting.
Otherwise, I love that it is a small business and hope it stays thriving. Personally I just feel they need to manage their inventory/​prices better.

I don’t know how people give this place anymore than 2 stars. Believe it or not eBay is the standard of buying retro gaming. I can understand being a little higher than trending prices on eBay because of convenience. Nothing in the store is priced that is something used by Flea Markets to sale you something for however much they feel that day, really shoddy way of doing things in a real business. When I walked into the gaming side, I was impressed by how much product and the quality of product they had. That should have been a red flag right there because most places I see like that are crazy overpriced. This is not a gaming store, it is more of a 800 sq ft gaming museum. You go there to see what they have and don’t buy anything. 100 dollars for a 40 to 50 dollar game in Super Smash Bros 64. 180 dollars for a fairly common Nintendo 64 which is closer to 90 to 120 everywhere else. I now can see why they have so much product because people outside of the every so often walk in that don’t do research and buy from them. I have no problem with how I was treated when I was there staff seems knowledgeable. But the pricing is in line with the highest pricing possible on ebay plus a percentage. I felt an honest review was necessary for this place after reading others. Maybe it was just pricing for me? But after reading other Unilocal reviews it’s looking like a trend. I can’t believe I am going to say this but if you want a good deal in SA go to Game Over. If you want to see a very impressive collection go check out Propaganda Palace. Trust me on this, considerably better prices exist out there.

This place is paradise for old games and vinyl. What I did not like was the guy having to research a record every time I asked for a price and pretty much making an estimate of what he though he should sell it for and most times it was too high. I am a serious vinyl hunter and frequent Austin record shops at least twice a week and those guys always have everything priced and you know exactly what you are paying for at almost every location every time. This place is cool don’t get me wrong, it has a great selection, but I don’t like to shop and ask a question the guy has to research and make up a price.

Worst record store I’ve ever been too and I have been collecting for 20+ years. None of the vinyls records were labeled or priced, the answer to how much was «bring them to the front and we will price them. «I bring the lady two Van Morrison records, she takes ten minutes googling the first album so she find an online price for comparison. She proceeds to tell me it costs $ 30…I’ve seen that same album in better condition for less than $ 15. Hopefully the place goes out of business and has a %50 off sale so that I can buy records for what they are really worth.

I’ll give them one star for being nice dudes and another for an incredible selection. Now for the downside, the prices are extremely high. I see some of the reviews saying that their prices are fair but don’t be fooled. I asked about prices (nothing is actually marked) for many different items already knowing what they go for online and everything was a huge markup. It’s fun to see everything there in front of you but do yourself a favor and just check on eBay. I guarantee you you’ll find a better price.

This place is awesome to browse at! Other than that, they are WAY overpriced!
For a copy of Mario Kart 64 you can get online for $ 35, this dude here charges $ 80!!! Second generation SNES, this guy charges $ 120! You can get them on online with cord, controllers, and games for less than $ 80!!! Seems like he looks up the prices on Amazon and doubles whatever the average prices is.
To the fellow behind the counter: I’m familiar with my retro games. Therefore, when I ask for the price on a game, I don’t need to know the whole backstory of the game, what he gameplay is, etc. If I’m unfamiliar with a game, I’ll ask, «Hmmm, what is THIS game about???» But if I ask just for a price, just tell me how much the game is! I don’t need to hear your winded explanation about the game, trying to justify your ridiculously high prices.
If you want to pay more than double the average price of a retro game, then by all means, go here. The selection is awesome and you will walk into the game section with your eyes wide open like a child.
Otherwise, if you didn’t lubricate your rear end this morning to get ready for the pain your wallet and rear end is about to go through, go visit Game Over Videogames. They have a much nicer vibe, and the staff isn’t so self righteous. Trust me, your wallet And bank account will thank you!

AJ is wonderful, and the selection of stuff here us incredible. His prices are very reasonable and fair. I love this place.

I went in here (admittedly, several months ago) and it smelled very strongly of smoke, it almost smelled like someone had been smoking inside the store, though I guess it might have been just lingering on the clothes of the three dudes that were in there. I’m not sure which dudes worked there, maybe all of them. They were all huddled together in the corner talking and nobody acknowledged me or my boyfriend entering. The selection is crazy but smoke can really damage collectibles. There were a couple items I was interested in but no prices are marked and I’m very shy so the chances of me asking are basically nonexistent. So I left. I give it an extra star for the crazy selection but otherwise…

I’m always thoroughly happy with their service. They’re super helpful. There’s a lot of reviews saying that their prices are ridiculous. But for the value and the service that they provide it’s very reasonable. Sure you could get it on eBay but you have no idea if it works and end up with a useless piece of plastic instead of a cartridge. I paid $ 15 for a transfer pack for n64 pokemon stadium. I don’t think that’s unreasonable.

they have a great selection of old skool nintendo games but theyre waaaaay overpriced. i realized theyre vintage & not easily found but cmon on! dont be ridiculous! i ended up payin $ 15 for 1 game cuz the other game i wanted was $ 30! ummmm, did they even cost that much when they 1^st came out!?! then i saw an unopened janet jackson record which had a price tag of $ 10.95 onit so i was excited about it! but when i got 2 the register he said it was $ 40 & that the price tag wasnt theirs! well wtf!?! if the price tag isnt yours then scratch it off or somethin so customers who pick it up wont think thats the actual price! duh!?!

I went down to propaganda palace after reading some of the Unilocal reviews expecting the worst; bad service, eye gouging prices, disappointment ect. SO not the case! I was greeted by PJ, super cool, laid back dude who knew his Nintendo games.
Of course the often sought after games in low commodity were around $ 40-​$ 60, but anyone that’s ever searched for them would understand why. I myself bought a Super NES, 2 controllers, adapters and 6 games (averaging $ 15 each) less than $ 240 total.
The only negative aspect I can remark on was that the games weren’t priced. Though it’s amazing what happens when you ask. ;-)
All in all system works great, met some interesting people and I will return again.

I don’t think I could recommend such a poorly run business. Nothing had price tags, and prices the prices they came up with were ridiculous.
My boyfriend spotted pokemon pearl that had a peeling sticker and an original price of $ 7.99. The guy behind the counter said that was how much they bought it for, but it was being sold for $ 30. I understand markups, but seriously? For a used game with a peeling label, I wasn’t impressed.
My suggestion, take your business elsewhere and save some money.

This place might be a decent source for retro games, but they fall down on their used records business.
While they have a decent selection of older albums (think Wings, Pat Benatar, and lots and lots of Kenny Rogers) they are completely out of touch with reality on pricing.
Firstly, they don’t tag ANYTHING. I guess that is too much like a real job, so that means you get to interrupt someone’s marathon texting session to ask them for prices. Then, after laying out for hipster-​review all of the albums you’ve chosen (maybe I don’t want the whole place to know that I am thinking about buying a copy of Slippery When Wet) they will stare for a few minutes. Turning slowly with a sage expression on their face, they will ask for almost exactly double what the record costs on Amazon. Honestly, it’s uncanny! «That $ 16 when new Civil Wars album? How about $ 30 used? I think it’s a repress, or whatever.»
Lastly, and admittedly somewhat trivially; I dislike that their crates are so full of albums that you can’t read the titles without pulling them out. It would be nice if you had a little space to decide whether a used copy of London Calling is worth $ 35.
There are definitely better options.

I love video games, especially ones I played as a child. Staying up late, glued to the controller trying to beat the latest NES, SNES, or PS1 game. Memories. I stumbled upon here while I was in the area with the wife. If you want to know how to draw customers away from your business, take a lesson from these guys. After walking in and not being greeted, I took a quick look around and I mean quick and then me and the wife turned around and walked out the door. Oh and this was on small business Saturday mind you. Didnt even get to look at the prices, just turned around and walked out. If you don’t have respect for potential customers I don’t respect you and your business.

Nice selection, but poor service, and nothing’s priced. I know some vintage games are pricey but when nothing’s priced it makes me feel like I might be over paying since I’m not a regular. Didn’t really need the excuse/​reason for the prices either.

Me and a friend went in the other day. If I can sum it up in one word, or maybe a non word?- «LOL». There are no prices on half the stuff and after awhile me and a friend quickly realized all of our questions would end in $ 40 $ 50 or $ 100… I know MJs Moonwalker is in demand especially after his death but, I got it for 40 bucks online. $ 200? LOL. Friend asked about a Vhs tape. response $ 15. The tape wasn’t rare and yeah he could get it online for 5 to 6, but what amazed me was when we asked the comatose shop worker from around the corner who peeked over and just glanced at it. LOL. There were like 300 movies on this shelf, dead guy, and none had prices! I’m sure you must be a robot with the inventory burned into your data base. This was the same situation on half to most of the games. Long story short, if you know Nothing about video games or older movies and music, try an alternative. Or if you are similar to many rappers today in which in their videos they are portrayed throwing money around in the air in night clubs «making it rain», go right in. On a positive note. There are a lot of nifty things in there, a lot of things I may have not seen in other places, But if you want the title of greatest retro game and novelty place museum, I will bow and tip my hat. But I thought a store was supposed to be selling stuff not keeping it?

I’m sorry Ash…
I think people will like Propagandas selection because they have a huge amount of retro games and systems. I saw things here I had completely forgotten about, such as old peripherals like the Nes Advantage… Wow. Also, systems I had only read about in the pages of game magazines decades ago. It truly is a sight to behold. Chances are, if you remember it these guys can deliver it. If you live in the San Antonio area I recommend paying Propaganda a visit just to take in all the «old school» they have to offer. I think I had a silly smile on my face the entire time. That is… until you ask what something costs. That’ll wipe the smile away in a split second.
Herein lies the negatives. The prices and the amount of space you have to browse around. This place is so small that I felt like I had no room to let my arms down. When I walked in with my eleven year old daughter we didn’t receive any sort of greeting at all. No hello, no how are you today… nothing, just silence. Which seemed a bit odd to me considering how small it is. Because we were practically on the clerks lap after walking into the game section.
I came here because I needed an extra saturn controller. I saw a bin which was filled with what seemed like sega branded controllers. All just tossed in there with the wires completely tangled and mixed. I figured I’d ask what a controller costs since there are no prices listed at all. The guy told me $ 10 for a three button controller, $ 20 for a six button controller. Which were for the genesis. I took a deep breath as I asked about the saturn controller after hearing the genesis controller prices, «$ 45» he says. Yea, like I said the smile practically gets slapped off of your face. Now I thought maybe there was some sort of saturn controller burning in New Mexico and that might have made these controllers in this bin the last in the Milky Way. But no, I went to Game Over that’s like 15 min. away from here and picked one up for $ 8.
I can appreciate people trying squeeze every last piece of profit from their business. But wow, this is definitely a new low (high?). I’ve been game collecting for a really long time, and was very disappointed with Propagandas prices. I know things aren’t always going to be cheap, but a $ 37 difference for a simple controller is the definition of ridiculous. I might stop by from time to time just to get my feet stepped on, and truly experience what it was like to be a kid again. You know, wanting things but not always being able to afford them.

Propaganda Palace is much like its namesake — information that is purposefully misleading or of biased nature.
There is a brilliant bit of back catalogue from original systems, through hard to track down Sega Saturn. They should have something for every aging gamer.
Records and cassettes are an Amazon storage center, rather than a legitimate record store. There are no prices, an immediate red flag for any half-​wit shopper worth his two bits. When you pluck something that strikes your fancy, the clerk will Google what the item is going for online and spew out the same number to you.
Worst part? «It’s going for $ 7 online, and $ 3 shipping and handling, so $ 10.»
Rad Google skills, mi amigo, but if I can buy a record online for the same price — and if I have Amazon Prime, for even less — why should I be in your store?
The nostalgia trip is worth a quick visit but leaves little reason for a second go-​round.

Maybe you’ve heard but I’m a gamer. I’ve played it all, from Super Mario Bros /​Duck Hunt on my NES to Gears of War 3 on my 360 but I have a special place in my heart for retro gaming. I’m an only child so let’s just say that I grew close to Lara Croft, Link and Spyro during my younger years.
Wandering around with Katy B., I happened upon Propaganda Palace on McCullough and was blown away by their massive no, wait, MASSIVE selection. I thought Game Over Videogames held the crown for retro supply but no, Propaganda is where it’s at. The first room you enter houses hundreds (possibly thousands, I’m not so good at the math stuff) of movies on VHS and the next room is where I almost shed tears of joy. Whether you’re into Genesis (you rock), Sega Saturn (you rock less), or GameGear (welcome to the cool kids club) games, they had loads and loads of it. They also sell all types of consoles and even have the all-​gold limited edition Legend of Zelda N64. This is like mecca for me, I had to stop and spend a good 20 seconds rubbing this console for the good luck that it’s bound to carry.
Propaganda Palace is indeed a magical place and I plan to go there so often, I’m thinking of just forwarding my paychecks there. I may have a problem but it’s a effin sweet problem.