Buying Equipment / in North America
Canada
Board Game Go: Located in Quebec, they ship in Canada and to the US. They sell hand-made go boards at reasonable prices (although none are currently available). They do not sell go stones. (Last updated: Mar’09)
Calendar Club: They have seasonal stores throughout Canada opened from September to January. Check their website and look for stores that sell games. They sell the
Go flat pack in a plain white rectangular box for $25 and
Deluxe Go in a yellow square box for $35. Deluxe Go is a small thick chipwood board with small plastic stones and the Go flat pack is a large folding cardstock board with the same small plastic stones. They also sell the better looking but more expensive
Pente and
Deluxe Pente with fewer stones. (Last updated: Mar’09)
Chapters: They have stores throughout Canada and the Go books most commonly found in those stores are: William Cobb's
The Book of Go, Charles Matthews'
Teach yourself Go, and the Go books by
Peter Shotwell. On their website, they also have John Fairbairn's
Invitation to Go and a few Go books from Kiseido. (Last updated: Apr'09)
Go Game Store: Located in Brampton, Ontario, they ship in Canada and to the US. It is rumoured that Toronto residents get a discount in shipping. They sell a large assortment of Chinese and Japanese go boards and stones at reasonable prices. They also sell chess sets. (RECOMMENDED) (Last updated: Mar’09)
Mind Games Express: They have stores located in and around the Greater Toronto Area and also ship items in Canada, to the US and worldwide. They sell a limited selection of go sets at reasonable prices. Their
ebay store is currently selling the Go flat pack and Deluxe Go. (Last updated: Apr’09)
Strategy Games: They have stores in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto and also ship in Canada, to the US and worldwide. They sell a surprisingly large selection of go sets at competitive prices and even sell Kiseido Go books. (RECOMMENDED) (Last updated: Mar’09)
Montreal, Quebec
Strategy Games: They sell a large selection of go sets at competitive prices and even sell Kiseido Go books. (Last updated: Mar’09)
Ottawa, Ontario
Strategy Games: They sell a large selection of go sets at competitive prices and even sell Kiseido Go books. (Last updated: Mar’09)
Toronto, Ontario
English vendors
Game and Hobby Zone: Located at 2 Bloor Street West (in the lower level of Cumberland Terrace accessible from Bloor Subway Station through the Hudson Bay Centre), Game and Hobby Zone has a small selection of Go sets at reasonable prices. (Last updated: Mar’09)
Game Trek: Located at 100 Front Street East (under the Royal York Hotel and accessible from Union Subway Station through the PATH), Game Trek has a large selection of Go sets at higher prices. (Last updated: Mar’09)
Mind Games: With a store in the
Eaton Centre and
Scarborough Town Centre, they sell a small selection of Go sets at reasonable prices including a tiny magnetic 13x13 Go board with chess on the other side for $15. (Last updated: Mar’09)
Strategy Games: Located at 701 Mount Pleasant Road (east of Yonge Street and south of Eglinton Avenue East), Strategy Games sells a surprisingly large selection of go sets at competitive prices including a vinyl roll-up Go set for $18. They even sell Kiseido Go books for about $24 and chess clocks. They also ship items in Canada, to the US and worldwide. (RECOMMENDED) (Last updated: Mar’09)
Non-English vendors (Chinatown)
- Chan Sheung Kee Book Company: Located in the heart of Chinatown at 457(?) Dundas Street West, Chan Sheung Kee sells fat medium stones in oblong containers for $10 and thin large stones in straw baskets for $40. The stones come with a cheap plastic Go sheet. They also sell dark thin Go boards with Chinese chess for $19. (Last updated: Mar’09)
- J&L Department Store: Located across the street from Chinatown Centre at 251 Spadina Avenue, J&L sells fat medium stones with a cheap plastic Go sheet in oblong containers for $8. Occasionally, they sell thin or thick Go boards with Chinese chess for $5. (RECOMMENDED) (Last updated: Mar’09)
- Sun Wa Book Store: Located in
Dragon City at 280 Spadina Avenue with both a mall entrance and street entrance, Sun Wa sells fat medium and large stones in oblong containers for $10 and $15 respectively, and thin large stones in grey containers for $20. The stones come with a cheap plastic Go sheet. (Last updated: Mar’09)
Non-English vendors (Other)
- P.A.T. Central Market: Located in Koreatown at 675 Bloor Street West, P.A.T. is currently selling a medium-sized folding Go board with Korean chess on the other side. Go stones are sold separately in unmarked boxes nearby. The board costs about $16 and the stones $11. They're located on the top shelf in the house wares aisle (C1). (RECOMMENDED) (Last updated: Mar’09)
Sanko Trading: Located at 730 Queen Street West, Sanko is selling a large folding Go board for $100, plastic stones for $50 and better stones for $100(?). Items are hidden behind the counter so you'll have to ask the cashier to see them. (Last updated: Mar’09)
Non-English vendors (Scarborough)
- CPAC Go Club: Located in First Commercial Place, Unit G18 at 4168 Finch Avenue East, CPAC founding member Dereck Fan(?) sells a large assortment of go sets from his personal collection for $30. (Last updated: Mar’09)
- Wen Hua 99 cent store: Located in Scarboro Village Mall next to Super Comics at 3280 Midland Avenue, Wen Hua sells fat medium Go stones with a cheap plastic Go sheet in oblong containers for $9. (Last updated: Mar’09)
- Grand East Books: Located in
Metro Square at 3636 Steeles Avenue East, Grand East sells unique Go stones with a paper Go sheet in boxes inside a display case for $9 (currently sold out) and thin Go boards with Chinese chess beside the display case for $6. (RECOMMENDED) (Last updated: Mar’09)
- Easy Kids: Located in the food court of
Market Village behind
Pacific Mall at 4390 Steeles Avenue East (at the northeast corner of Steeles Avenue East and Kennedy Road), Easy Kids sells fat medium stones with a cheap plastic Go sheet in oblong containers at $8. (Last updated: Mar’09)
- Far East Arts Co.: Located near the east side entrance of
Market Village behind
Pacific Mall at 4390 Steeles Avenue East (at the northeast corner of Steeles Avenue East and Kennedy Road), Far East sells fat large stones in oblong containers for $14 and fat large stones in a wooden box for $28. The stones come with a cheap plastic Go sheet. They once sold thin large stones in the straw baskets for $28 and a dark tiny magnetic, folding 19x19 Go board. (RECOMMENDED) (Last updated: Mar’09)
- Sup Book Store: Located in the International Gourmet Street plaza behind the No Frills Supermarket at 633 Silver Star Boulevard (at the southwest corner of Steeles Avenue East and Midland Avenue), Sup sells fat large stones in oblong containers for $14 and thin flat stones in the straw baskets for $28. The stones come with a cheap plastic Go sheet. They also sell thin Go boards: one 19x19 and 13x13, the other 19x19 and Chinese chess, for $7 and thick Go boards with Chinese chess for $15. (RECOMMENDED) (Last updated: Mar’09)
United States
Internet
AddAll.com will search all major online book retailers for availability and the lowest price on Go books if you can provide the name, author or, preferrably, the
ISBN. A total price per book (including estimated shipping and handling) is provided with the search results. If you specify your state, the site will also add any applicable state taxes.
Amazon.com Japan - buying directly from Japan seems to be the most economic way to buy Japanese books at the moment.
ArtOfGo at CafePress features shirts, mugs, hats, and other items with 3D raytraced Go artwork.
Asuka Go Boards Selection of Go Boards, Stones, Bowls for easy online purchase.
BoardGames.com carries an inexpensive $19.99 Go set.
ChessNGames sells beginner and affordable Go equipment, along with exclusive Korean products.
- Go4Go
Ishi Games has a selection of equipment and more (SL page:IshiGames) but it is unclear if they are active or if this is an abandoned site. This shop is not related to Ishi Press. appears defunct for go
Japan Go Imports Sells high quality Go equipment imported direct from Japan at quite reasonable prices.
- Kiseido
- Samarkand sells both equipment and books (SL page:Samarkand). This online store is owned by Janice Kim.
Shogun's Gallery offers a unique selection of antique Go equipment imported from Japan!
- Shodan Imports sells higher-end Japanese Go Equipment, including traditional handmade boards. AGA Members are eligible for a
3% discount.
- Slate and Shell
-
Toy and Game Warehouse carries some Go sets.
- Yellow Mountain Imports sells Go equipment and slate and shell from Ogawa Goishi. Their best deals are their
auctions on eBay. ChiyoDad has a series customer experience posts and links on
his manufacture.blog|
http://chiyodad.blogspot.com] (see posts from 05-12-03 to 05-12-16). He also has [photos of their
Yunnan Arts sells high-end Chinese Go Equipment. Clicking on the "products" link is currently the best way to see the equipment available.
- Yutopian sells Ing boards and stones as well as regular equipment, books, and software.
- Many game stores will carry one or more Go sets. (Game stores as in board games; often found in malls. Such as
Wizards of the Coast)
Austin, Texas
Great Hall Games Decent selection of both go books and go equipment, as well as materials for many other games.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Games People Play Decent selection of both go books and go equipment, as well as materials for many other games.
Melbourne, Florida
Japan Go Imports Small selection of very high quality go products. Unbeatable prices on clam shell & slate stones.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
San Francisco Bay Area, California
- Fun & Games (Milpitas, Great Mall of The Bay Area) sells small (estimated at 14x14 inches) wooden gobans complete with glass semi-convex stones for $19. They also carry portable sets with vinyl boards. No website. Call 408-945-5745 for more info.
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Game-a-lot in Santa Cruz carries a basic non-folding board and small stones which are flat on one side. Apparently makers of the cheaper korean glass stones have not been shipping here or to Games of Berkeley for a while.
Games of Berkeley has a considerable selection of books and gear. Their book selection vastly exceeds that of Kinokuniya Bookstore in San Francisco and includes titles from Yutopian and Slate & Shell.
Kinokuniya Bookstores is a good place to get Japanese and English Go books; mostly from Kiseido Press. Prices are at regular retail plus CA sales tax. They infrequently stock small magnetic sets. Directions to their San Francisco and San Jose branches are provided on
the Kinokuniya US map page.
Milpitas Square (South Bay/Silicon Valley) has two Chinese bookstores which carry a small inventory of portable magnetic sets, plywood gobans, and stones. Yunzi stones are sometimes sold in the bookstore on the north wing of the mall. Ask for weiqi as the retailers do not refer to the game as Go.
San Francisco Chinatown stores carry portable magnetic and non-magnetic Go sets ranging from about $20 to $40. You can also find sets of
functional single-convex glass Go stones for $4 instead of the regular $20 (about 120 irregular stones of each color - so buy two sets). Inventory and availability varies by shop. Check the stores deeper down the main street to find the best prices on everything.
San Francisco Japantown antique stores will sometimes carry used gobans in the range of about $500.
San Jose Japantown has two shops which carry basic Go equipment (full-sized folding boards, plastic Go stones and goke). Check
Nichi Bei Bussan and Kogura's (No website, call (408)294-3184).
Syracuse, New York