30 BEST OF DALLAS® 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS & RECREATION | FOOD & DRINK | SHOPPING & SERVICES | READERS’ CHOICE | CONTENTS BEST UNIQUE RECORD STORE Record Dogo 1530 Main St., Dallas instagram.com/record_dogo You wouldn’t expect to find a serious vinyl shop tucked inside a luxury hotel, but that’s exactly what makes Record Dogo work. You wouldn’t expect to find a kick-ass shop filled with vibrant TASCHEN coffee table books in that hotel either, but that’s where you can flip through the record selection, consisting of original pressings, international rarities, new imports and dance music you likely won’t stumble across at a typical crate-digging spot. Even if you don’t leave with anything, you will walk away thinking “How cool was that?” BEST COMIC STORE Titan Comics 3128 Forest Lane, Dallas titancomics.com Nestled in Webb Chapel Village, Titan Com- ics is the apotheosis of the modern comic shop. It has a large selection of comics lining its shelves from every distributor a biblio- philic geek could want and well-read staff available to help you find your next read. If you read comics regularly, you can sign up for their subscription service and save 10% on your purchases. Beyond the comics themselves, Titan Comics stocks a healthy variety of collectibles, a must for any top- tier shop. A glass case on the far wall when you enter has miniature statues on display (for that special someone in your life who desperately needs a multi-hundred dollar statue of Deadpool slicing a grenade in half) and other, smaller, trinkets can be found throughout the store, from novelty coin banks to POP! vinyl figures. It is, simply put, a haven for the pop culture obsessed. BEST COLLECTOR’S SHOP Dallas Vintage Toys 12021 S. Plano Road, Dallas dallasvintagetoys.com Some people collect, others amass. At Dallas Vintage Toys, owner Shaun Neinast has cu- rated a vast array of memorabilia from be- loved franchises such as Star Wars, Batman, Star Trek and Lord of the Rings. With some dating back to the 1960s, his selection of toys, video games, prototypes and studio models is as varied in theme as it is in price. There’s a discount section with last-minute stocking stuffers for under $10, and who needs a house when you can buy the 1979 Kenner Star Wars Boba Fett Rocket-Firing Prototype Action Figure / L-Slot AFA 80+ for only $219,000? BEST CLAW MACHINE ARCADE Nova Claw Arcade 2225 Old Denton Road, Carrollton novaclaw.com Forget the sticky-floor arcades of yesteryear. Nova Claw in Carrollton stocks its machines with only high-quality, collectible plushies and blind boxes, such as POP MART Labu- bus. Set inside a bright, Instagram-ready space glowing in blues and purples, the staff seem to actually want you to win something cool. Pair the experience with one of the boba shops nearby for a day of fun. BEST VENDING MACHINE Stan’s Blue Note 2908 Greenville Ave., Dallas stansbluenote.com There’s a lot to like about Stan’s Blue Note, including the recently remodeled restrooms. But the vending machines are a special kind of wicked. Not sure who’s supplying these things, but we’d bet they have “kink” somewhere in their username (at large). I asked a manager what was in one of the mystery items, and he said he didn’t know, but there was a rainbow racoon buttplug on the patio one day. Color us just as confused, but curious all the same. They also have ‘80s trinkets and vintage baseball cards. But no candy bars or chips. It’s not that kind of a vending machine. Provided by Dallas Vintage Toys Dallas Vintage Toys