Newcastle Gaming Market

16/04/2026

Right then… tickets are officially live! 🎮

Newcastle Gaming Market
📍 Gateshead International Stadium
📅 Sunday 19th July 2026

You know the drill — rows of traders, stacks of retro games, hidden gems, and the kind of bargains that make you feel like you’ve just pulled off a cheat code.

Whether you’re hunting for something specific or just fancy a proper rummage, this is the one.

Don’t hang about — get your tickets sorted now before they start disappearing 😉

✨A big thanks to our Event Sponsors✨
Retro book specialists Bitmap Books 📚
Japan Shopping Service - ZenMarket - Buy Retro Games directly from Japan 🗾

Check out the comments for links to tickets, our sponsors & event 👇

28/11/2025

Japan Shopping Service - ZenMarket Black Friday “Shop Like a Ninja” sale is LIVE! 🐱‍👤

Right folks — the stealth mission begins now. If you’ve been eyeing up goodies from Japan (retro gaming bits, figures, fashion, the whole lot), ZenMarket have just dropped a belter of an offer:

💸 Service fee discounts across loads of shops!
💙 Recommended Stores: 0 JPY service fee (yep… zero. Zilch. The big donut.)
💙 Rakuten, Amazon, Rakuma, JDirect Items Shopping & more: 300 JPY service fee

It's the perfect excuse to grab that thing you’ve been “accidentally” adding to your wishlist for months. Treat yourself. Treat someone else. Tell your wallet it’s technically a saving. Win-win 😏

⏰ Shop with sneaky discounts until Dec 1, 16:00 JST
📍 Full details & ninja-shopping tips: see comments!

Go forth, shop sneakily, and may your bargains be mighty 🐱‍👤💪💥

24/10/2025

🎃 Trick or Treat… ZenMarket Style! 👻

It’s spooky season, and our amazing sponsors Japan Shopping Service - ZenMarket have got a treat for you — no tricks, just shipping discounts!

From now to Oct 31st, use code TRICKORTREAT25 at checkout for a chance to score a mystery discount on your parcel! 🕸️

💰 Discounts range from 32 JPY all the way up to 10,000 JPY!
🧛‍♂️ Every code guarantees a treat — but will you pull an S-Rank Super Saver or an E-Rank Mini Treat?
🚚 Works with all shipping methods (except surface)
🌍 Available for most destinations — full details on the site.

You can use the code up to 3 times (once per parcel), so go on… test your luck if you dare! 💀

Check it out here 👉 https://discover-en.zenmarket.jp/campaigns/shipping/halloween

13/08/2025

Remember the original ZX Spectrum? 🎨🕹️
We know a fair few of you do! 😊

It’s now the FINAL week to back the brand new Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next Issue 3 – your last chance to get your hands on this reinvented retro marvel.

The Next 3 plays ZX Spectrum games, Commodore 64 games, and more!

Ends Monday 18th August – don’t miss it:
👉 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spectrumnext/zx-spectrum-next-issue-3-0

Check out their group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/specnext/
Gamesyouloved

28/07/2025

📦 Power-Up Your Parcels with ZenMarket! 🇯🇵✨

Our good friends at Japan Shopping Service - ZenMarket have dropped a summer shipping deal that’s hotter than a SNES left in the sun ☀️🎮

From July 18th – August 7th (JST), you can get discounted international shipping with the code OBON87SHIP!
🛳️ Works with all shipping methods except AVIA_SM & Surface
🌍 Valid for most countries ZenMarket ships to
🎁 Perfect for loading up on retro treasures, Japanese exclusives, or that Gundam kit you've been eyeing…

🔗 Full details: https://discover-en.zenmarket.jp/campaigns/shipping/obon

Go on, treat your collection — it’s what summer’s for! 😎

16/07/2025

Breaking news from the legends over at Gamesyouloved – the ZX Spectrum Next Issue 3 Kickstarter preview page is now live! 🕹️

The Speccy evolves once again – this time with nods to the Sinclair QL, C64, and more. Looks like they’re really pushing the boundaries on this one 👀

Get yourself signed up and be ready for those early bird rewards when it launches! 🚀
👉 https://www.kickstarter.com/.../zx-spectrum-next-issue-3-0

ZX Spectrum Next

15/07/2025

🕹️ We’ve made the news! 🕹️

The BBC have covered the Nottingham Gaming Market in a lovely little article celebrating all things retro gaming 🎮 From pixel classics to passionate collectors, it's great to see the scene getting some love in mainstream media! 💙

Check it out here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy48w4xxg2jo

How retro gaming is helping players save money to cope with the rising cost of living.

17/06/2025

🌞✈️ Japan Shopping Service - ZenMarket Summer Shipping Sale is here! Our event sponsor ZenMarket is bringing the heat this June with BIG savings on international shipping direct from Japan! 🗾💸

📦 Whether you're after retro games, figures, or unique Japanese collectibles, now’s the perfect time to stock up and save!

🗓️ June 8–28 (JST)
💸 Use promo code SUMMER2025 at checkout
🌍 Available in most countries (exclusions apply)

💥 Shipping Discounts:
🥇 Spend over ¥24,000 = 18% off (max ¥2,000)
🥈 Spend over ¥40,000 = 24% off (max ¥3,000)
🥉 Spend over ¥85,000 = 37% off (max ¥5,000)

🔗 Full details here: https://discover-en.zenmarket.jp/campaigns/summer-sale

💬 Let us know what you're planning to order — and tag us in your hauls! 📦👇

20/05/2025

Bitmap Books have done it again...

We're super excited to shout about the launch of their brand new book, out TOMORROW – Hurt Me Plenty: The Ultimate Guide to First-Person Shooters 2003–2010! 🎯📚

From Call of Duty to Cryostasis, Halo 2 to Zeno Clash, this absolute beast of a book dives deep into the golden age of FPS – covering nearly 220 games across PC, console, handheld and even arcade! 💾🕹️

It’s the follow-up to the brilliant I’m Too Young To Die, and picks up where that left off – with big hitters, forgotten experiments, hidden gems, and a load of behind-the-scenes stories from developers behind BioShock, Portal, DOOM 3, Counter-Strike and more. 👀🔥

With 464 pages of pure nostalgia, hundreds of screenshots, and printed to Bitmap’s usual high standards, this one’s an essential for any shooter fan or retro gaming collector. 💣💾

Available from tomorrow at bitmapbooks.com, and going forward from our Bitmap Books Library at our events - remember to catch us next at Doncaster Gaming Market for your show exclusive discount, too!✨🎉

Lock and load – this one’s a must-read! 💀📚