The Gamesmen

The Gamesmen is an Australian family retail business focused on video games, consoles, tabletop games, toys, and associated hobby products. Based in Penshurst, New South Wales, the business began in 1982 under the name “The Gamesman,” when founder Angelo Cusumano Sr. sold video games at markets around Sydney and later at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. This market-based origin preceded the opening of a permanent shop on Bonds Road in Riverwood. The retailer subsequently moved to Forest Road in Penshurst, where its principal store is based. The business developed during a period when video games were moving from a specialist hobby into mainstream home entertainment. In addition to selling new games and hardware, The Gamesmen became associated with a broad product mix spanning console systems, physical software, toys, board games, trading-card and tabletop products, and retro gaming merchandise. Its retail identity has therefore combined contemporary game retail with enthusiast-oriented collecting and hobby culture. The Gamesmen began producing printed catalogues for mail-order customers in 1990. These catalogues provided a way to reach customers beyond the immediate area and documented the retailer’s changing range over several decades. In 2017, the company published a digital archive of its historical catalogues on its website, reinforcing its connection with video-game history and retail nostalgia. The retailer was an early participant in Australian online commerce. It launched its website on 18 July 1996 and has been described as the first Australian retailer to sell video games online. This online presence complemented the physical store rather than replacing it, allowing The Gamesmen to serve customers interested in both current releases and harder-to-find older products. A distinctive feature of the Penshurst store is the Retro Video Game Museum, a small permanent display area containing vintage consoles, other gaming hardware, games, and historical store displays. The museum gives the retailer an archival and community dimension beyond ordinary product sales, presenting gaming history within an operating retail environment. The company’s history also includes a serious tragedy. Angelo Cusumano Sr. died after being shot during an attempted robbery at the store on 21 December 1995. Despite this event, the business continued operating and remained a recognizable specialist gaming retailer in Australia. The Gamesmen marked its fortieth anniversary on 2 September 2022. Its present positioning combines specialist retail, online sales, physical-store service, retro-gaming heritage, and a broad selection of games and toys.

The Gamesmen was established in Australia in 1982 by Angelo Cusumano Sr. The business initially operated through local markets around Sydney, where Cusumano sold video games, and later through a presence at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. This early trading activity led to the opening of a permanent retail store on Bonds Road in Riverwood. The business later relocated to Forest Road in Penshurst, New South Wales, which became its established retail base. Originally styled “The Gamesman,” the retailer developed as video games became an increasingly important part of home entertainment. Its range expanded beyond video-game software to include consoles, hardware, accessories, toys, board games, tabletop products, and other hobby merchandise. The combination of contemporary releases and enthusiast products helped it occupy a specialist position within Australian retail. In 1990, The Gamesmen began producing physical catalogues for mail-order customers. The catalogue program extended the company’s reach beyond its store and created a record of its changing product assortment. In 2017, the retailer placed an archive of its historical catalogues online, turning part of its commercial history into a publicly accessible resource. The business entered online retail at an early stage. Its website launched on 18 July 1996, and The Gamesmen has been identified as the first Australian retailer to sell video games online. This made the company an early example of an Australian specialist retailer integrating a physical store with internet-based sales. The company’s history was marked by the death of its founder. On 21 December 1995, Angelo Cusumano Sr. was shot during an attempted robbery at the store and died as a result. The retailer continued after the tragedy and remained active as a gaming and toy business. The Penshurst premises also developed a heritage role through the Retro Video Game Museum, a permanent in-store display featuring older consoles, hardware, games, and historical store displays. The museum reflects The Gamesmen’s long association with gaming culture and gives customers access to material that would not normally be part of a conventional retail presentation. On 2 September 2022, The Gamesmen celebrated its fortieth anniversary. Its documented development—from market selling, to a permanent Sydney-area store, to catalogue mail order, early online retail, and an in-store retro museum—illustrates the evolution of a specialist Australian games retailer across several generations of gaming technology.

• 2022

  Fortieth anniversary

  [1]The Gamesmenen.wikipedia.org

  The Gamesmen celebrates 40 years of operation on 2 September.

• 2017

  Historical catalogue archive is published

  [1]The Gamesmenen.wikipedia.org

  An online archive of the retailer’s older catalogues is published.

• 1996

  Online retail launches

  [1]The Gamesmenen.wikipedia.org

  The Gamesmen launches its website on 18 July and begins selling video games online.

• 1995

  Founder dies during attempted robbery

  [1]The Gamesmenen.wikipedia.org

  Angelo Cusumano Sr. is fatally shot during an attempted robbery at the store on 21 December.

• 1990

  Printed mail-order catalogues begin

  [1]The Gamesmenen.wikipedia.org

  The retailer starts producing physical catalogues for customers ordering products by mail.

• 1982

  The Gamesmen is founded

  [1]The Gamesmenen.wikipedia.org

  Angelo Cusumano Sr. begins selling video games around Sydney, including at local markets and the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

A specialist Australian gaming and toy retailer combining current video-game products with tabletop games, toys, online sales, and retro-gaming heritage.

• Video-game software · 1982

  Video games

  The Gamesmen’s core assortment consists of video games for home and portable gaming platforms. The retailer’s history began with video-game sales at Sydney-area markets and later developed into store and online distribution. Its range has included contemporary releases as well as older titles associated with the company’s retro-gaming focus.

• Consumer electronics · 1982

  Consoles and gaming hardware

  The retailer sells gaming consoles and related hardware, including products represented in its broader video-game and retro-gaming ranges. Hardware is also central to the Retro Video Game Museum, which displays older consoles and other equipment as part of the company’s historical presentation.

• Tabletop and board games

  Tabletop games

  Tabletop games form a major part of The Gamesmen’s product identity alongside electronic games. The category includes board games and other tabletop-oriented products sold through the retailer’s physical and online operations.

• Toys and hobbies

  Toys and hobby products

  The Gamesmen also operates as a toy and hobby retailer. Its assortment extends beyond games to toys, collectibles, and related enthusiast merchandise, supporting a broader family and hobby retail proposition.

• In-store heritage display

  Retro Video Game Museum

  The Retro Video Game Museum is a small permanent display inside The Gamesmen. It presents retro consoles, other gaming hardware, games, and historical store displays, linking the retailer’s commercial operation with the history of video games and its own long-standing presence in the sector.

• 2017

  Digitisation of historic cataloguesStrategy

  Background

  The company had produced printed mail-order catalogues since 1990, creating a substantial record of its retail history.

  Action taken

  The Gamesmen published a digital archive of its older catalogues on its website.

  Aftermath

  The archive preserved and shared material documenting the retailer’s evolution and product ranges.

  Source

• 1996

  Move into online video-game retailStrategy

  Background

  The Gamesmen had operated through physical retail and mail-order catalogues before the growth of mainstream internet commerce.

  Action taken

  The retailer launched a website on 18 July 1996 and began selling video games online.

  Aftermath

  The move established The Gamesmen as an early Australian online video-game retailer and extended its reach beyond its physical store.

  Source

1. 1The Gamesmenen.wikipedia.org