Play 'N Trade stores?

[todesengel]

There's a PnT out in Kenner, LA that I go to occasionally, really nice staff and the prices for retro games aren't too bad, paid like $8 for Shadow Run on SNES and Genesis games usually don't go over $5. They're selection is really small and doesn't change up too much though. There's also a PnT in Gretna, LA but I haven't been to that one yet.

[Press_Start]

Huh, i should be going to west caldwell soon, since it's near me. Hopefully it's good, how much are their SNES games that are more on the poular side? Super Metroid, DKC's, MMX's, etc.

It depends. When it comes to the more popular titles, they're pricing stay in step with places like Digital Press but the b2g1 coupon makes it tempting. You can get a hot deal with games leaning on the obscure side. (i.e. SNES Sunsetriders for $3)

Interesting note: A Gamestop opened across the street recently and the owner tells me the employees there frequently come over just to check out the retro section. Maybe they're working for the wrong people? ;)

[MarioMania]

I been to the one in San Mateo, I got 2 Controllers there

But Castlevania STON is like $40 there..How much is it at other stores??

[Doonzmore]

Their prices seem fair, although I have walked out of there empty handed on more than one occasion, I think I've had some good finds:

Nes
Hook-3
Karnov boxed-3
Castequest boxed-4
Jurassic Park-5

Genesis
Pebble Beach Golf Links complete-1

[Gavica]

Today I went for the first time to a play N Trade, and the prices were even worse than gamestop.

Armored Core 4 is 9.99 at GS and 19.99 at TnP

Metal gear for nes was somethig like 25

gimme a break.

[Brianvgplayer]

How is the Play N Trade in Lusby, MD?

There doesn't seem to be a lot of older game stores selling older games near Edgewater and the closest one I know about is Power Gamer in Glen Burnie, which has very odd prices.

[BetaWolf47]

But Castlevania STON is like $40 there..How much is it at other stores??
Green or black label?

[MarioMania]

GH version..

Anyword about P n T open up in Vallejo

[jwlowry]

I wish a Play N Trade would open near me, there's not many places around here with anything retro (Triad area of NC). You can find a nauseating number of Gamestop stores around here though.

[BetaWolf47]

GH version..
Bad price. I saw it for $19.99 at my hometown PnT.

[Unleaded Logic]

The one here near me (Crystal Lake, IL) is great! Great prices on retro stuff and a large selection. I've picked up many gems from there and the staff is great too!

[Doonzmore]

Had an interesting experience at one just yesterday. Went there with my brother and two friends and the employee asked us if we collected games as it had been the second time we visited the store that day (there were other game stores to visit so we didn't want to put all our eggs in one basket).

We gave him a modest "yea, kinda" response and he begins telling us about all these rarities he has in a vault out back. Curious I ask him such as, and he tells us he has all 4 Dragon Warriors complete and they're worth 200 together. That figure sounded about right to me (does that sound like a good price to anyone else here?) but I didn't understand how he planned to sell them if they were kept in a secret vault that he acted like he was reluctant to tell us about.

Further intrigued I asked if he had any other rare Nes games in the vault and he replies "in the vault". So to be more clear I said, "besides RPG's?" and taking us for the uninformed and says "those are the most the valuable games on the Nes". I could have riddled off 10-20 games that were more valuable but to what purpose?

Anywho, I don't know if other PlaynTrades do this but at the counter there's a glass case that contains their "rare stuff". The employee tells us everything in here is no cheaper than 20 dollars. In the vault are such rarities as Super Punch Out for 30 and Bubble Bobble for 20 (both loose). My friend tells him he recently purchased SPO at a game store nearby for 15 but had to return it because it was defective. The employee gives the idiotic reply "you should have traded it in here, you only would have lose 2 bucks".

I told my friend he's confusing rarity with value and not to listen to him.

Here's the juicy conclusion. My brother finds a copy of Night Into Dreams for the Saturn marked at 4.99. It was the cheapest saturn game they had in there and having been aware of its popularity he decided to pick it up. The employee tells my brother he just got a steal because someone put the wrong sticker on it. He was reluctant to honor it, but he had to do it. Later we overhear him asking a fellow employee who put the sticker on and when she admitted to it he says "that's a 60 dollar game I just sold him for 5 bucks".

Sweet sweet justice.

[Icarus Moonsight]

The store over by Lake Conroe down here is about the same. They might as well keep some of their glass case games in a vault, though they don't actually, considering the prices they stamp on them. While they will put a $25 sticker on a loose Dragon Warrior and glass case it, they are just as likely to sticker something obscure and valuable for $5 and put it out on the wall-o-crap.

Got a Mega Key 2 for $5 because of this, while they had a Genesis Game Genie in the case for $20. It's best to just act stupid and agree with whatever BS they spout while taking them cheap for whatever you can. If they suspect that you know more than them, they will eventually do some research. Acting stupid and giving them positive reinforcement will be more beneficial to you in the long run.

I have (thankfully) found an indy store I like much better than the remaining PnT stores, but it's a ~2hr drive one-way. So I only get out there once in a while. They actually run their store like they're invested in a place of business *gasp* and not like a mini-clique hangout where they collectively hoard their nerdgold and talk shit all day.

[joshnickerson]

While they will put a $25 sticker on a loose Dragon Warrior and glass case it, they are just as likely to sticker something obscure and valuable for $5 and put it out on the wall-o-crap.

This is true. I picked up a copy of Mighty Final Fight for $5 a couple weeks ago from my PnT while they've got a loose copy of Donkey Kong Classics (with half the sticker missing no less) in the glass case for $20.

And NiGHTS is NOT a $60 game, not by a long shot.
http://www.digitpress.com/DP/cmf/game.cmf?gameid=12540

[Steve W]

I've been to that Lake Conroe location. I didn't find anything worth buying, other than new Atari 2600 power supplies. So... where is that little indie store you're talking about? I don't go through Houston all that often, but I'd like to know where a good store is next time I go through.

There was a Play N' Trade in Beaumont, TX, but it's apparently closed now. I only managed to visit that location once, and I didn't find much. I did buy a European Mega Drive multicart for a buck. The store was pretty nice, it's a shame it's gone.

[AWinterFuneral]

My ex gf and her family bought in to the franchise and opened their own store. The first dude pretty much summed it up. Her store was a few aisles of recent games and system, with a class case next to the register with a decent junk of older games and systems. It's not a bad store but there are better ones out there, especially stores that specialize only in retro gaming. I could be wrong though, I've only seen one Play 'N Trade, and I'm sure all stores are different. Wouldn't hurt checking em out.

[Darko]

I went by my local one today and picked up Snowboard Kids for $10 and Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete (with box, maps, manual, artbook, all discs in mint condition + the strategy guide) for $50. I've had great luck at mine. They actually have a copy of Ogre Battle Limited for $50 right now, but it doesn't have the booklet.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I've been to that Lake Conroe location. I didn't find anything worth buying, other than new Atari 2600 power supplies. So... where is that little indie store you're talking about? I don't go through Houston all that often, but I'd like to know where a good store is next time I go through.

There was a Play N' Trade in Beaumont, TX, but it's apparently closed now. I only managed to visit that location once, and I didn't find much. I did buy a European Mega Drive multicart for a buck. The store was pretty nice, it's a shame it's gone.

The indy store is in Friendswood, it's called Player1 Video Games.

101 W Parkwood Ave STE C
281-992-GAME

It's not super great, but it's the best place in the Houston metro that I know of.

[MarioMania]

:( The San Mateo Store Closed up on Sunday...

I only have Planet Mix to go when I go to my friends house

[binici]

The main corporate office in Cypress, CA is great!

Usually they have blow out sales for new games or old games.

Just the other week, I bought Metroid: Other M for $9.99 NEW!

[Steve W]

The indy store is in Friendswood, it's called Player1 Video Games.

101 W Parkwood Ave STE C
281-992-GAME

It's not super great, but it's the best place in the Houston metro that I know of.

I've been meaning to go down there at some point on my way through town, but the last time I went to south Louisiana I ended up bypassing Houston altogether. I want to try the place out for myself eventually. And while I'm in town, I'll hit the single remaining Wyatt's Cafeteria left in existence, near downtown. But I never have a reason to go to Houston.


The Play N' Trade in Sulphur, LA closed earlier this year, apparently. The one in Lafayette, LA moved locations without updating their address on the company website, which was annoying. And the one up in Monroe, LA got sick and tired of Play N' Trade and paying a fortune for a license and never getting any help from the company when they needed it, so they dropped the name and went independent. Makes sense, since they've already established themselves in the community.

I talked to several game store people recently, and none of them had much good to say about the Play N' Trade company. Apparently they've had problems in the past and the surviving locations were strong enough to stick it out. Who knows how long they'll stay in business.

[Dore]

The Play N Trade in my town is AWESOME. Picked up a complete boxed copy of Microsurgeon on the Inty for...2 BUCKS. Seriously! Granville, the guy that runs it, is incredibly nice, and he has the right philosophy about things (customers first, money second, basically). It's WAY across town from me, so I don't get there too often, but it's always a great experience.

[SpaceHarrier]

The Play N Trade near me used to have some decent Playstation/Saturn era stuff a couple years ago, but at inflated prices. Now they don't even have that. Just some dirty Genesis carts and the usual Gamestop-quality junk.

[Icarus Moonsight]

The PnT corporate people's strong suit seems to be collecting franchise fees and checks, rather than building a brand and doing anything that requires even marginal effort. None of their stores I've been to have succeeded, even the one that could have.

[Steve W]

The PnT corporate people's strong suit seems to be collecting franchise fees and checks, rather than building a brand and doing anything that requires even marginal effort.

I've talked to several game store owners who said the same thing. Either store owners who used to be Play N' Trade franchisees, or those who researched it and talked to current branch owners and figured out it wasn't the right company for them.

[Steve W]

Sadly, the Play N' Trade in Arlington, TX is no more. I stopped by this afternoon to find signs on the windows stating they had closed their doors last month. It's a shame, they were always nice to deal with and I would usually find some retro game there. It's just not a good time for Dallas/Fort Worth area game stores it looks like. Maybe it's oversaturation in the market, but then most Play N' Trade stores I've known are out of business too.

How long until the new location up in Plano, TX will shut down, I wonder?

[spongerob]

Never been to one. I don't think we have them in Canada.

We do have a couple stores in Calgary called "Video Game Trader" and I think the legal name is "Video Game Trader of Canada" or some such. They have an incredible selection, with some extremely rare stuff to brand new modern games and consoles. It's been around for over 20 years I believe, and I bought my SNES there before they were available in Canada. They have almost every rare game or console you can think of, and the place is loaded with cool swag and trinkets and just anything gamers would love.

The downside? The prices are batshit crazy. The markup is ridiculous and just makes you go home and appreciate the internet that much more. I want to support stores like this but when they're charging an extra 5 to 10 bucks for new games compared to Gamestop and other places, it's hard to justify purchasing there. They'll also charge whacked out prices for classics that while expensive, aren't that expensive. IE; Super Mario RPG was something like $110 and Xenogears black label was around $120. No thanks, eat me. I'll go on eBay and pay half that.

Also, they advertise the ability to obtain any game for you, it would just take them a week or two. I'd imagine years ago this was a hell of a service, but I grew up and realized their trick is they'll scour the internet, buy it, and mark it up 50-70%. They really still operate like it's 1996 and we're all still ignorant to how this whole thing works. They will also straight up lie about the rarity of a game. I've seen games that are slightly hard to find locally, but are 20 bucks online, have stickers saying "$90 - VERY RARE!" on them and I just roll my eyes. It's hard to sympathize with liars.

Also, if anyone is in AB and knows of the Video Game Trader on center st, be warned that the owner is quite unscrupulous and isn't above lying or shady business practice to make a buck. It's a shame, it's such a cool store. The one in Forest Lawn isn't as stocked and looks newer, and has some bleh pricing too, but they don't seem as shady. Even though they're in the ghetto.

If anyone's in Calgary, definitely check out Disc X-change, also in Forest Lawn on 17th. They're on Amazon under DiscX. Insanely good prices there for a local store. The selection varies but I was very pleasantly surprised when I visited and now regularly go back.

[8bitgamer]

Sadly, the Play N' Trade in Arlington, TX is no more. I stopped by this afternoon to find signs on the windows stating they had closed their doors last month. It's a shame, they were always nice to deal with and I would usually find some retro game there. It's just not a good time for Dallas/Fort Worth area game stores it looks like. Maybe it's oversaturation in the market, but then most Play N' Trade stores I've known are out of business too.

How long until the new location up in Plano, TX will shut down, I wonder?

Bummer. I picked up quite a few things there myself and always had pleasant dealings with them.

[DigitalSpace]

The PnT corporate people's strong suit seems to be collecting franchise fees and checks, rather than building a brand and doing anything that requires even marginal effort. None of their stores I've been to have succeeded, even the one that could have.

Yep, that seems to be the case. Back in 2008, it seemed like they were a few years away from being able to give GameStop some much-needed serious competition. Too bad they can't get their act together.

All of the Portland-area stores (they had at least 6 around here) closed in 2009. Oh well, I scored some cheap NES uncommons and got some Game Boy, SNES, and Dreamcast stuff off of my want list at reasonable prices.

[spongerob]

^That's just typical of many small time companies who franchise our their name. They attract suckers who sign a contract they probably shouldn't and boom-they've got you. You're at their mercy. Advertising is totally up to the company, not you. You rely on them for stock and it's more often than not a breach of contract to dig up and sell stuff you acquire on your own. I could go on and on.

In the end, they'll do whatever it takes to get a quick buck and when they feel the company going under, they'll position themselves to be acquired, take the cash, and either live happy or rinse and repeat. It's a sad process. Moral of the story: be very weary of what store you choose to franchise out.

[BetaWolf47]

I've got a location that's been around since 2008 that I keep worrying is going to go under. However, every time I check, it's still there. I got quite a few valuable games there, including Dragon Force, Albert Odyssey, Saturn Bomberman, and PSO 1 & 2 Plus. Every used game is on sale now though, so it looks like it might be in a pinch. It'll be a sad day if that happens.

[spongerob]

^Capitalism breeds Walmarts. It's like I've always said, nowadays everything in life becomes one of them (a Walmart). It's sad. I hope your store lands on it's feet.

[BuckNutty]

The one right off of campus must have just closed. I was down there a month ago and it was there. Went down last weekend and the shop was empty. I never checked it out :(

[ownerizer]

I hit the one in Plano a few months ago, and wasn't all that impressed. At least it was well lit, unlike my previous experience. But they had very little in the way of 'classic' gaming. Unless you consider the N64 'classic'. The owner said it was because he hadn't been open all that long, and he was hoping someone would bring in some good stuff. Since there's Movie Trading Company stores all over the Dallas/Fort Worth area buying classic games too, plus those who just eBay everything, I don't think they'll get much any time soon.

MTC is pretty crazy about their prices. I mean, business is business and dealing locally with a face to face transaction has its advantages, but $10 for Tetris on the NES. Really!?

[ownerizer]

I hit the one in Plano a few months ago, and wasn't all that impressed. At least it was well lit, unlike my previous experience. But they had very little in the way of 'classic' gaming. Unless you consider the N64 'classic'. The owner said it was because he hadn't been open all that long, and he was hoping someone would bring in some good stuff. Since there's Movie Trading Company stores all over the Dallas/Fort Worth area buying classic games too, plus those who just eBay everything, I don't think they'll get much any time soon.

My experience with Movie Trading Company has not been fun. Their prices are a joke, except if I'm looking for something specific (picked up Golgo 13 for $3) but they want $10 for a copy of Tetris. Really?!

[Suikoman444]

Huh, there's apparently one in Dublin, a few miles from me, that I'll have to check out. Problem is that I'm spoiled by the local small chain of stores and the prices, selection, and overall friendliness.

[Oobgarm]

I think the one near me in Milford is going to be closing up soon. Their stock almost never changes, their prices are really no better or worse than the GameStop up the street, and their classic stuff is virtually non-existent. I've grabbed a few good deals from there, but I think most of them were games the owner snagged at a flea market or something similar.

I've noted their trade in prices, which are atrocious. Saw a guy bring in a huge pile of games for 360 and PS3...older titles but no sports. Guy offered him less than $10 for 20+ games. He even told the customer "I have to make money on these", which just reeks of unprofessionalism and maybe even a hint of desperation.

Add in the clueless staff of 2 other people, poor attitudes, and disinterest unless you're buying something, and you have a recipe for disaster.

[BetaWolf47]

The stock hasn't really changed at mine lately either. I go in and it's always the same NES, SNES, Genesis, and N64 games. There was a recent time where I went in and they had a few new things, but it was mostly common games like Gradius and Earthworm Jim which got snatched up pretty quickly. Their modern selection is slim compared to Gamestop's. I'd like to support the lesser company, but every time I go in, I see almost nothing of interest.

By the way, is it just me, or do PnT stores have the best stock during their first month of business?

[ownerizer]

The indy store is in Friendswood, it's called Player1 Video Games.

101 W Parkwood Ave STE C
281-992-GAME

It's not super great, but it's the best place in the Houston metro that I know of.

I would drive down from Dallas to check it out. Only in December though, Houston is miserably hot.

[8bitgamer]

[QUOTE=By the way, is it just me, or do PnT stores have the best stock during their first month of business?[/QUOTE]

That's certainly how the one in Arlington, TX was.

[The 1 2 P]

I never even got to go to the one down here before they closed. One day I called them to get their address and a few months later they were closed. This was a few years ago.

[FoxNtd]

By the way, is it just me, or do PnT stores have the best stock during their first month of business?

You're exactly right. I was aware of a new location opening up and I know some of the higher staff in the area; I went to the new location in the first week and there was a decent selection of items across different consoles. The manager who was starting that store collected these items herself to populate the retro section. Seems like this NEVER happens again for the lifetime of the store. Even the one that's hanging in there close to me, the manage told me, they rely on customer trade-ins 100% to provide retro stock.

I guess the only reason they make an effort before opening is so that they can attract people and keep them coming back when they're new. It's not appealing if the retro section is EMPTY because you can't have trade-ins until you're already open for business.... :|

Oh, by the way... that store didn't even make it one year I don't think. Closed now. I asked about it... their retro supply was utter rubbish after opening.

[FxMercenary]

I kept my local PNT going for a couple years. I would buy lots on eBay, usually included zeldas, metroids, contras etc... I would take them into the store and trade them in, and keep what I was after in the lot. I know i broke even, and could have profited if i re-sold the games on eBay, but I wanted the store to last.

Every time I came in they were excited because they could then call customers waiting for a copy of zelda or mario 3. Traded in a bunch of old repaired consoles too, to keep their customers coming in.

Apparently they couldn't buy or sell on eBay, and relied entirely on trade-ins.

When they closed up in 2010 after the economy just wouldn't let up, the owner called me into the store, and sold me a bunch of games like Suikoden II and some other rare RPGs that were priced at the same level of eBay for 75% off for keeping the common classics rolling in for 3 years.

I miss that store a lot, found many gems there. :bawling:

Its not always about getting a good deal, if you like the store and the people, and enjoy the thrill of finding something local, break even sometimes instead of going to the bay.

[Steve W]

That was the shame about the store in Arlington, TX, it had really good people who'd always recognize me. But there's two GameStops in the mall they're in front of, and across the street was a Movie Trading Company that also sells modern games and has a crazy large retro game section.

I was talking to the owner of the FX Game Exchange store over in Plano, TX about all the Play N' Trades dying off, and he told me about how he considered getting a license from them until he read through all the massive amounts of paperwork for it and saw that the company is big on hidden fees. Apparently they nickel and dime licensees to death.


By the way, is it just me, or do PnT stores have the best stock during their first month of business?

Considering the recently opened store in Plano, TX had damn near nothing in stock when it opened, I hope for their sake that won't go against them (but I secretly know it will).

[Steve W]

I was driving down Beltline Road in Irving, TX tonight, and I noticed just a slight bit north of Irving Mall on the east side of the street - a glowing Play N' Trade store sign. I walked up and noticed that they aren't open yet, the many people moving around inside are assembling racks and displays and stocking shelves. No sign on the door stating when they were planning on opening. Again, I want to have hope for them, but there's a GameStop inside the mall along with a Console Game Exchange store, two GameStops within a quarter of a mile outside the mall, and a Movie Trading Company. They're in for a rough time, competition wise. GameXchange was a few miles away and they died off less than a year after opening. I really hope they do well, but it looks like that area is already saturated.

[joshnickerson]

My local Play N' Trade closed down earlier this year, only to be reborn as an independent shop. I've been supporting them as much as I can, pre-ordering games from them, though their retro selection is still lacking. There have been several game stores that have opened and closed in my area over the past five years, so I'm hoping they manage to stick around. They do have a pretty good location; right across the street from the college dorms, and next door to a Papa John's, so maybe they'll do alright. :)

[MarioMania]

I blame this on all the Gamestop's

[CRTGAMER]

Anyone who has not been to a Play N Trade should check them out. Gamestop needs the competition to keep them in check. Unlike Gamestop, at Play N Trade the disc based games are usually complete! They do not toss PS2 cases out!

I found a great deal at Play N Trade recently. Would you believe this?

Metroid Trilogy - $39.99

Same price new or used, Gamestop sells used and incomplete copies for $69.99, EBay will cost you around eighty bucks!


http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=30455&p=513209#p513209 (http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=30455&p=513209#p513209)

Metroid Trilogy had a limited run and will not have a Nintendo Selects repressing. Get this game while you can, the price will just keep going up! I got lucky to get a very pristine copy, no smudges on the disc and all the books are crisp with no finger prints! The pages opened just like a brand new book, even the Registration card is here. I swear it looks brand new and looks to be restickered with a used price label.

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/download/file.php?id=5764

[VertigoProcess]

Anyone who has not been to a Play N Trade should check them out. Gamestop needs the competition to keep them in check. Unlike Gamestop, at Play N Trade the disc based games are usually complete! They do not toss PS2 cases out!

I found a great deal at Play N Trade recently. Would you believe this?

Metroid Trilogy - $39.99

Same price new or used, Gamestop sells used and incomplete copies for $69.99, EBay will cost you around eighty bucks!

Got my copy for ten bucks new... gotta love target clearance...

[CRTGAMER]

Got my copy for ten bucks new... gotta love target clearance...

Good for you, but does not help one looking for Metroid Trilogy TODAY. The price I posted is what Play N Trade is currently selling the game at. A point that its good to visit Play N Trade, sometimes you might find a bargain.

[VertigoProcess]

Good for you, but does not help one looking for Metroid Trilogy TODAY. The price I posted is what Play N Trade is currently selling the game at. A point that its good to visit Play N Trade, sometimes you might find a bargain.

Chill man I was just sharing... I wasn't trying to say that p&t didn't have a good price for it...

[jesusjones]

Hey all, been a while since I've posted anything, but this thread was interesting to me. There were 2 PnT's on the south side of the Twin Cities for a while, but both lasted at most 2 years before folding. I talked to the manager of one of them a couple of days ago, and evidently that one closed due to the owner basically losing interest in anything to do with the store after the first year of operation.

Regardless, they seem to have a very limited shelf life.

[VertigoProcess]

Hey all, been a while since I've posted anything, but this thread was interesting to me. There were 2 PnT's on the south side of the Twin Cities for a while, but both lasted at most 2 years before folding. I talked to the manager of one of them a couple of days ago, and evidently that one closed due to the owner basically losing interest in anything to do with the store after the first year of operation.

Regardless, they seem to have a very limited shelf life.

I've only recently heard of p&t but I hear more of people saying they open then close right away then anything else... I actually heard one open by me, I guess I should check um out before they close, haha

[MachineGex]

The two P&T stores that were in Colorado Springs closed. The one closed last year, and the other closed about 4-6 months ago. Luckily a new independant store opened and has some nice classic games.

[Flashback2012]

I thought about stopping by the one in our area (the one Oob was referring to) this weekend on my way to get my Roy Rogers fix (which I am overdue for). The last time I was in there it felt like a waste of time and the stock had not changed since the last time I was in there. :|

[VertigoProcess]

I thought about stopping by the one in our area (the one Oob was referring to) this weekend on my way to get my Roy Rogers fix (which I am overdue for). The last time I was in there it felt like a waste of time and the stock had not changed since the last time I was in there. :|

I haven't had roy rogers in like 10 years! There use to be one next to my house but then when evil mcgrossness bought them out it turned into one of them... so pissed about that... where you live that still has um?

[Flashback2012]

I haven't had roy rogers in like 10 years! There use to be one next to my house but then when evil mcgrossness bought them out it turned into one of them... so pissed about that... where you live that still has um?

I live in the Cincinnati Metropolitan area. The lone Roy Rogers in the area is on the other side of the interstate loop. I have NO idea where the next closest Roy Rogers is. I did stop at one years ago on my way home from Syracuse and I noted a few others besides the one I ate at on the I-90 expressway.

[xelement5x]

The two P&T stores that were in Colorado Springs closed. The one closed last year, and the other closed about 4-6 months ago. Luckily a new independant store opened and has some nice classic games.

I'm in Colorado Springs as well, I remember talking with the owner about why he was closing down and he was giving some pretty good deals on the stock near the end. If you don't mind me asking, what new independent game store are you talking about? I haven't seen any new shops recently :(

[SpaceHarrier]

Well, I checked in on the Play 'N Trade closest to me today.. it's an empty unit now. Not that I'm surprised, 6 months ago when I stopped in there was nothing much to look at.

[black_towr]

I only have 1 play n trade within 20 miles of me.

[BetaWolf47]

Well, my local Play N Trade just bit the dust. It's a shame, because it was an awesome location. The staff was knowledgeable and approachable, and the selection was decent most of the time. I'm sad to see it go. I got some of my best finds in the wild from there, including Saturn Bomberman, two Working Designs Saturn titles, and PSO Episode 1 & 2 Plus for GameCube. All were $4.99, although some with discounts. I also got some good commons there, too, like Mega Man 3 and 4. Another DP member told me he found Action 52 for dirt cheap there, in good condition.

RIP Naples PnT.

[Steve W]

That's one thing that I've always found, the people working in Play N' Trade stores always seem to know what they're talking about, in comparison to GameStop employees who show off their ignorance every time they speak. I've never left a Play N' Trade store and thought, "I'll never shop there again".

This thread just reminded me to drive by the new Irving, TX location to see if they're open yet. Fingers crossed that they'll have some good stuff there (although I don't have much to spend, I ended up having my tires replaced this afternoon).

Edit: I just came back from there, they are open and have been for a week. They don't have any pre-NES era games which bums me out a bit, but they do have a decent selection of SNES games including stuff like Secret of Mana, Legend of Gaia, and Breath of Fire I and II on their loose cartridge shelf. A decent selection of NES games too, along with N64 (although I didn't bother looking through them) and a small selection of PS1 titles. No Dreamcast, the only Sega stuff they had were some Genesis commons, most of which they kept in a drawer behind the counter (!). It's a pretty nice little store, apparently run by an Indian family who's entire genetic line were working in the shop when I visited. It was a bit crowded behind the counter. :)

[MachineGex]

I'm in Colorado Springs as well, I remember talking with the owner about why he was closing down and he was giving some pretty good deals on the stock near the end. If you don't mind me asking, what new independent game store are you talking about? I haven't seen any new shops recently :(

The guy who runs the Game Shop inside at the Flea Market opened a store down in Widefield(I think just off of main st.).

Also, have you checked out the store in Monument? It is run by a couple of really nice guys. Both stores are well worth checking out. I have grabbed a ton of stuff from both of them. If you go to Monument, tell them Tom sent ya!

[Steve W]

I'm dragging this thread back from the depths to ask anybody if they still have a Play N' Trade around them. I ask because all the locations in my area recently closed down. We've had several over the years, they usually don't last more than a couple years, although the one in Flower Mound seemed seemed fairly stable. The Play N' Trade website seems to be down, it makes me wonder if they've gone belly-up. I know they've kind of screwed over their licensors over the years, making them either go out of business or go independent. I wonder if they've finally driven everybody away from them.

[Bloodreign]

I'm dragging this thread back from the depths to ask anybody if they still have a Play N' Trade around them. I ask because all the locations in my area recently closed down. We've had several over the years, they usually don't last more than a couple years, although the one in Flower Mound seemed seemed fairly stable. The Play N' Trade website seems to be down, it makes me wonder if they've gone belly-up. I know they've kind of screwed over their licensors over the years, making them either go out of business or go independent. I wonder if they've finally driven everybody away from them.

The Play N Trade in my area is still very much alive and doing good businesswise. It's also locally owned by a young man, which helps as he enjoys doing business. He almost sold it awhile back to go back to college, but backed out of it.

[Niku-Sama]

Both of the ones around here have closed, their face book page is still being updated but theres still seems to be some lacking

https://www.facebook.com/pntcorp

their wiki page seems to state 116 stores operated, I highly doubt that's the case though
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play_N_Trade

I remember them having problems not long ago, it wouldn't surprise me if its half that now

some interesting info from 2012:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/playntradefranchiseinc/328989-0.html

franchise fee $30k every 5 years (5 year franchise term) shitty in house inventory and not a lot of tools provided to run the place, I can see why they close after 5 years

[Greg2600]

There are very few left around NJ/NYC. The corporate website www.playntrade.com (http://www.playntrade.com/) is down. Like Bloodreign said it's really about ownership/management, like any small business. The one's I've seen did little more than tournaments though. They didn't get enough traffic to stock their shelves with used games, so there was often little there. But if you wanted to make your own game store, just put your own name on it. No reason to franchise with them.

One nearest me, which closed, did have a decent used selection, but they also had a ridiculous abundance of scratched discs, and their POS system was a disaster. I was shocked one day to find a great stack of Gamecube and PS2 and PS1 games at pretty low prices. Prime titles like Zelda, Resident Evil, etc. I got home, and nearly every single disc was heavily scratched, and often froze. I did not want to take the chance, so I brought all of them back, and asked if they could be resurfaced? The owner or whoever was too cheap to get their disc resurfacing machine fixed. The guys working there said the machine had been either broken or out of supplies for weeks. So I returned all of them, which sucked because I had gotten Wind Waker and Metal Gear Solid for Gamecube for like $12 each!

The last time I went there, the cashier messed something up, and was unable to undo it on their register. They had their whole staff there that day, and nobody could fix it. Their support hotline was a waste, because it put them in queue forever. The Point of Sale software had to be from the 90's Funcoland. I work in that realm on the support side, I was stunned they were still using such crap. After waiting there for over an HOUR, I finally decided to call my credit card company and have the charge disputed/stopped. As horrible as Gamestop can be, at least you know what you get when you step into there.

[Tanooki]

I remember the one location that was in San Diego was shut down as I was told a year or so ago. Good riddance too as the management were incomprehensibly bad businessmen and idiots. Their idea of sustaining the store amounted to creating large digital databases of customers who had want lists and any of the games people wanted came in they'd go down the list and give them first dibs. Ultimately if you didn't get on a waiting list and wait for months/years for an item it would never hit the store shelves for the public. I went in every few months or so when I went down south when I lived there and after seeing nothing but super commons, licensed filler, and sports trash I asked and was told about that and asked if I wanted on the list (which I didn't.) I never went back.

[Daria]

I really liked the two Play n Trade's we had around here but they both disapeared a few yews ago. Their stock wasn't great but they had good prices and I always managed to find sonething worth buying when I stopped in.

[JSoup]

There used to be three not far from me. The first one just never got it's shit together. The manager was nice, the one staffer was nice, but the store was always a mess. No shelves up, empty display cases, shipping boxes everything. For months. The second one was run by a really pushy guy, which drove people away. He sold it to someone else, who moved it a few blocks away, making the third store. That one was good, but it had a lot of wasted space. It's still there, just not called Play 'N Trade anymore.

[Greg2600]

I remember the one location that was in San Diego was shut down as I was told a year or so ago. Good riddance too as the management were incomprehensibly bad businessmen and idiots. Their idea of sustaining the store amounted to creating large digital databases of customers who had want lists and any of the games people wanted came in they'd go down the list and give them first dibs. Ultimately if you didn't get on a waiting list and wait for months/years for an item it would never hit the store shelves for the public. I went in every few months or so when I went down south when I lived there and after seeing nothing but super commons, licensed filler, and sports trash I asked and was told about that and asked if I wanted on the list (which I didn't.) I never went back.

ROFL! That kind of crap is what mom and pop video rental stores did back in the 80's, before the chain stores. You'd put your name on a list of videos, and maybe 2 months later your turn would come up.

[Steve W]

It's still there, just not called Play 'N Trade anymore.
There was a Play N' Trade in my sister's town of Monroe, Louisiana for years, and apparently they couldn't keep up with corporate's yearly sales increases and rising license fees, so they were forced to drop them and go indie, turning into Game Mechanix (now two locations). I like hitting that place when I go through town, they don't often have what I'm looking for but they're always nice. I had bought an Atari 2600 at a thrift store with no joysticks, so I went there to see if they had any. They had two, badly abused with the rubber joystick covers missing. He didn't think they were worth selling, so he gave them to me. That was cool of him.

There were at one time four in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, they've all vanished. It didn't help that all but one was in a decent high traffic location, they all seemed to be in odd little nooks and crannies in strip malls that they could afford to rent rather than someplace high profile. There actually used to be a few little indie shops here and there, they've all died off. The GameXchange chain tends to be a cheaper license and they also more often than not open up in small towns rather than big cities. That company must be run pretty well, because it's very rare that a GameXchange store closes.

[Tupin]

What was the process of licensing the Play N Trade name? There was only one ever near me and it closed years ago. I remember it though. Pretty well maintained, he rearranged the store a lot, it had decent prices...don't know why it went under.

[Steve W]

I visited the Play N' Trade down in Lafayette, Louisiana yesterday. It still has the name attached, even though the corporate branch went bankrupt. Apparently the owner of that location had it in his contract that he had the option to open up three locations, so he's opened up another store in Carencro, LA. At some point somebody at the company put his store's phone number down as the corporate headquarters, and the very few people still operating Play N' Trade stores keep calling him up like he has the ability to fix anything.

So, what's happened to the corporation? Do store owners have to license the name any more? I was only able to talk to the assistant manager at the Lafayette store, I don't really know anything about what's left of the company. When the owner of that location opened up a second store, it had a Play N' Trade sign on the building, so I would imagine he'd have to get that from somewhere, some corporate entity that's still sort-of in charge. Anybody know what's going on with them? Are there any other locations still open?

[gbpxl]

There was a Play N Trade in Naples FL circa 2008. no idea what became of it. very clean store, nice layout, fair prices