The Control Lab – Video Games, Electronics & Repair

Goleta, United States

4.9

Open now

14 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 805-394-8257
Website:
www.thecontrollab.com
Address:
5860 Hollister Ave Ste C, Goleta, CA, 93117
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
320 ftHollister & Orange
420 ftHollister & Nectarine
630 ftHollister & Pine
Categories:
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Map

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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
No
Accepts Bitcoin
Yes
Parking
Valet, Street, Private Lot, Validated
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Dogs Allowed
Yes

Today

Today 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Goleta) 4:01 PM Friday, May 23, 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Retro and new video game /​system repair and sales, Computer system repair and sales

History

Established in 2013.

by Chris Silva as a community based performance art project

Meet the Business Owner

George D.

Business Owner

Being a wizard of all things tech and gaming, George is the keystone to the Control Lab.

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George D. says,

«Excellent alternative resource for retro gaming!»

Vicinity

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14 reviews of The Control Lab – Video Games, Electronics & Repair

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Goleta, CA
Control.
George is the owner. He is a great, and will answer your questions with wisdom and grace. I walked in once and he immediately helped me. Competitive pricing and great conversation, who could go anywhere else for their N64/​SNES/​nes/​Genesis etc needs? You are welcome here.
Place rating: 4
Atascadero, CA
Verry cool place with a huge selection of NES and SNES games. When I went there, I bought contra on the NES and I loved it. The manager is cool, the selection of games are awesome, might not have great prices but is still a game store I’d really recommend to get games at.
Place rating: 5
Fullerton, CA
I came here to buy a ds lite the other day, and what stood out to me most at this store is the wonderful customer service. The owner/​employee who I spoke to was incredibly helpful and nice, and let me know I could have a discount by checking in through Unilocal.I was seriously being a difficult customer, since I didn’t know if I was willing to throw down $ 50 in one go. However, he was very patient while I thought about it in the store.
Support your local video game stores!
Place rating: 5
Goleta, CA
Great place! Wish I had found it sooner. There are so many fun things here that it’s fun just to go and browse. My buddy and I got a Game Boy Micro for a really decent price and Advance Wars 2!
They even had one of those Panasonic Qs! (The GameCube thing with a DVD player).
Will definitely be returning soon!
Place rating: 5
Carpinteria, CA
George is very knowledgable and polite. He cleans the products and let’s you try them out before leaving the store. Glad i found this hidden gem.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
He helped me out with a computer emergency and got me exactly what I needed. Excellent place
Place rating: 5
Goleta, CA
The Control Lab is awesome! My kids love it! Gaming can be really expensive but the Control Lab is extremely affordable! They have a great selection of all kinds of games & systems like Nintendo, PlayStation, Wii, Xbox. They take trade in’s and have a super selection of vintage items especially Pokemon! They offer items that can’t be purchased at any stores in town. Chris and his staff are fantastic! My kids love to barter with them. It’s a Goodland secret rare! Located behind the Family discount store in Old Town Goleta the store is a little hard to find if you haven’t been before. Go check it out! Parents won’t be dissapointed! Great value for your money!
Place rating: 5
Santa Barbara, CA
My fiancée and I had just got home from Gamestop after buying some wii games to find that or dog had chewed up the sensor bar cable. We called them 20 minutes before they were closing and they had a couple in stock (no store in town had one) and they said they would stay open for us to come get it. When I got there, the manager was really nice, and was happy to show me all the amazing and rare items they had as a wave of gaming nostalgia swept over me. I ended up picking up a classic controller (which no store in town had either) and fawning over their Nintendo 64 collection. Super cool store, incredible selection, super cool owners and operators, will be back.
Place rating: 5
Charlottesville, VA
OK so I initially had no interest in entering «The Thrift Store» because I hate shopping for clothes in general but my cousin has a knack for it so i followed her in. Little did I know this is not a clothing shop but a 90s VIDEO GAME SHOP (!!!) with lots of other super cool nostalgia stuff. Super score. I’m a big fan of N64 and walked away with a new copy of Mario 64 which I’d been searching for FOREVER. Chris (the guy who owns the shop) even tested the game out to make sure it was in working condition. If you’re a nintendo or sega fan or just loved video games in the 90s this place is geek heaven. I just wish i lived in Goleta so I could come back more often… sign… this place was so cool.
Place rating: 5
Santa Barbara, CA
Chris is super helpful. The prices are good. And it’s a really neat space for the community and UCSB because it has a focus on art and features local/​student artists periodically. I love that there’s an option for art students at UCSB to show somewhere other than a gallery space on campus. It’s also full of useful (and weird) stuff so it’s my go-​to if I need to pick something up for a project. Overall, convenient and fun to visit.
Place rating: 5
Goleta, CA
Very impressed by the selection of vinyl and especially impressed by the selection of old school gaming items. Really cool place and the owner’s really chill.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
The Thrift Store is one of Goleta’s new hidden gems! They always have an eclectic assortment of things for sale, and incredibly reasonable prices too. Chris is super down to earth, willing to haggle, and always helpful and informative. I’m really looking forward to their art gallery program as well… great things to come!
Place rating: 5
Santa Barbara, CA
I went into the store to look for jewelry displays and found a treasure trove of items. Chris has an eclectic collection of most everything you can think of. He has a very personalized approach and is ready to help you with any questions you may have about any item in his store. You couldn’t ask for a nicer and more friendly guy who REALLY knows his business and, best part of all, prices things to sell! Great new store! It’s off Magnolia behind the Family .99 store on Hollister. Go check it out.
Place rating: 5
Modesto, CA
Great family business. The owners were really friendly and guided me through my ebay transaction that I ended up picking up. They have alot of great selections in store. The location is a bit hidden away towards the back of their building but its worth a stop.