The local used game store is run by idiots!

[Diosoth]

Store: Game Insane
Location: Lawrenceburg IN

I gave the store a list of 3 DS games to keep an eye out for, in case anyone traded them in, hoping I could buy them used. I have an Acekard, but I wanted the games for my collection anyway.

Instead, they "choose" to order them brand new, without asking me first. Special customer order, no input from the customer. I told them YESTERDAY when I was in that I didn't have the money to drop on 2 brand new $20-apiece DS games. And today I get a phone call from the store that the games are in, despite that.

First off, why would I pay extra for brand new games? I can buy them used and probably save between $10-$15. Second, they clearly violated the order given by the customer and tried their best to entrap me into paying for an item that I didn't ask for. Third, they basically ignored me when I told them "I don't have the money for them right now."

Given that this store is also a "ripoff" used outlet- paying $1 or less for vintage games and then pricing based on the average Amazon/eBay price, I can safely say I have lost all will to ever set foot in that store again. I don't care if they have the only professional disc buffing machine in this area, I can drive to another city. Which is the trend I've noticed... they inflate their prices on much used stuff so that it would cost the same to purchase form them as it would be to pay gas costs and go to the "nearest" Gamestop.

To top it off, I dropped my VG Pocket Caplet and broke the screen. This day is off to a fine start...

[tofu]

Dude, I just called that guy on Monday!

I got a tip through PM to call this store about carrying a product.

Owner's reply: "i aint got time for all that!"
Hung up.

[thom_m]

Geez, nice guy, huh? Pissing off customers AND potential business partners. Now THAT's entrepreneurship. Diosoth, are they still after you, trying to sell the damn games by all means?

Anyway, I always tell you guys: that's better than nothing. There isn't one single used games store in Brazil, as far as I know (and believe me, I looked)...:(

[Rickstilwell1]

That's terrible.

My nearest local game store is Monster Gaming in Burien, Washington. He will carry anything he gets in and gives you more fair deals when you trade items rather than buying with money or selling for money. He does base prices off ebay but usually drops the price a little bit lower than the ebay price. He checks ebay just to see how common the game is at the moment.

The only thing that gripes me about it is his customer service skills. There will be a number of people in there at once wanting to check out things. He will let people interrupt rather than talking to one person in a line at a time. Actually there are no lines. It's really a mess of who is more up front getting the most attention first. It may be just because he knows me, but I swear sometimes it takes a looong time for him to check out my stuff and finally give me a value for it. Or for him to get up and get the games I said I wanted to buy.

I think next time I go in I will show him about this site so he can just go by the rarity numbers instead of ebay.

Other than slow service, I will say it is a very good store. I enjoy going there whether I actually buy anything or not because he's got a lot of cool stuff. I found a ton of games there that I still don't have

[Rev. Link]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on here. I know the guys that run Game Insane! Hell, I helped them put the place together, in some ways. They're good guys, they wouldn't do you wrong. Diosoth, I guarantee you that there was a miscommunication somewhere along the line and they thought you asked them to order those games in. They order stuff for people all the time, myself included. I bet you they're sitting around right now griping about the guy who ordered the DS games and then changed his mind, as would be their perspective of this incident.

And I don't want to hear any complaints about "ripoff stores". Do you know what it takes to run a mom and pop game store and keep it profitable? I do, after being there with these guys while they got their store off the ground. Mom and pops like Game Insane might make $2-3 off of any new game sales. All their profit comes from used. They can't afford to give what people like us would consider "fair" trade value. And honestly, they shouldn't have to. Your only choices are to sell your games to Gamestop (who aren't gonna give you any better prices) or sell them yourself online or in a yard sale, both of which require time, and sometimes shipping and seller fees. Most people consider it to be worth the cost just to sell it to a game store and be done with it.

Tofu: Can I ask, what exactly were you trying to get them to carry in there store? No matter what it was, though, I can also pretty much guarantee you that the response was more than "i aint got time for all that!" I worked with the owners of this store for two years at a different job. They're professionals, they know how to handle their customers, and there's no way they would have just blown you off in that way. You must be exaggerating the situation.

[megasdkirby]

And I don't want to hear any complaints about "ripoff stores". Do you know what it takes to run a mom and pop game store and keep it profitable? I do, after being there with these guys while they got their store off the ground. Mom and pops like Game Insane might make $2-3 off of any new game sales. All their profit comes from used. They can't afford to give what people like us would consider "fair" trade value.

I have to agree, however there are times in which a store (any store) can shoot themselves in the foot for trying to price something too high. $50 for a copy of Combat or SMB/DH.

After a few months, the store in question dies, all because of their pricing.

I've seen great stores around my area die unfairly all because of this. A little more research would have saved them from their own fate.

[tofu]

Tofu: Can I ask, what exactly were you trying to get them to carry in there store? No matter what it was, though, I can also pretty much guarantee you that the response was more than "i aint got time for all that!" I worked with the owners of this store for two years at a different job. They're professionals, they know how to handle their customers, and there's no way they would have just blown you off in that way. You must be exaggerating the situation.

Getting blown off is normal in my profession, it was pretty much a cold call after all, but I'm not exaggerating when I say they said "I ain't got time for all that" and hanging up.

I'm not offended but it did leave me saying "hello? hello?" for a few moments.

Edit: I guess I should add that I was only assuming it was the owner, really could have been anybody who answers the phone.

[Rev. Link]

Getting blown off is normal in my profession, it was pretty much a cold call after all, but I'm not exaggerating when I say they said "I ain't got time for all that" and hanging up.

I'm not offended but it did leave me saying "hello? hello?" for a few moments.

Edit: I guess I should add that I was only assuming it was the owner, really could have been anybody who answers the phone.

If that really is the reply you got on the phone, then I would definitely say it wasn't one of the owners. There's no way either of them would ever treat a customer like that, or even someone trying to sell them on something.

[Ed Oscuro]

I don't see this from Disoth's perspective. Even without hearing the other side of the story, it's pretty silly to expect a store to get games in at such a slim margin just for your benefit, especially games for a current system that's only been out a few years. If they can order them new, they'd probably do better than .

It's also above and beyond what I consider to be normal service to keep tabs of three games at $30 for just one customer. I can appreciate trying to save gas and time for driving to the place regularly, but I would only expect that kind of treatment if I were making a substantial purchase from a place, or if I had GOOD RELATIONS with them. i.e. not going on the Internet and calling them dunces for the world and their friends to see.

Can't pay $60 for three games? :sob:


If that really is the reply you got on the phone, then I would definitely say it wasn't one of the owners.
From what I can tell, it sort of sounded like the OP has been calling people asking them to call the store randomly. I would expect such calls to be treated as time-wasters and cranks.

[thom_m]

And I don't want to hear any complaints about "ripoff stores". Do you know what it takes to run a mom and pop game store and keep it profitable? I do, after being there with these guys while they got their store off the ground. Mom and pops like Game Insane might make $2-3 off of any new game sales. All their profit comes from used. They can't afford to give what people like us would consider "fair" trade value. And honestly, they shouldn't have to.

Well, although we don't have used game stores here, we did have a little used book and cds one in my home town. I always made good deals with them when they started; sold cds for a good price, and saw them for sale some days later for a reasonable profit margin. They were doing pretty good working this way, and their business was growing considerably.

Time went by, they opened new stores...and things changed. Once they were big and established, they started paying really low prices for everything, and double the selling prices they used to practice. Today, they have five stores, and are pretty much the only place to go if you need to sell some used books or discs in that town. Customer service got worse and worse, and the once really cool guys who own the place now treat you like they're doing this huuuuge favor in dealing with you.

Hey, that's free market, I know. What bothers me is that, back when they were "fair", they were growing anyway. A lot. The first two stores had a pleasant atmosphere, people were nice. I loved to hang around there; I met new bands and writers from stuff I bougth/traded there - and I wasn't the only one. Now, while they sure have a good business - since there's stuff you can't find but used -, they don't have the satisfied and regular customer base they used to. But they do have a lot of money.

I obviously can't say it's the case here; I don't know these guys, I've never been to their store. But I felt the need to mention that, sometimes, there ARE "ripoff stores". And it's sad when it happens.

Sorry about the long rant! I now it's silly, but it really gets to me everytime I remember that.

[Gameguy]

And I don't want to hear any complaints about "ripoff stores". Do you know what it takes to run a mom and pop game store and keep it profitable? I do, after being there with these guys while they got their store off the ground. Mom and pops like Game Insane might make $2-3 off of any new game sales. All their profit comes from used. They can't afford to give what people like us would consider "fair" trade value. And honestly, they shouldn't have to. Your only choices are to sell your games to Gamestop (who aren't gonna give you any better prices) or sell them yourself online or in a yard sale, both of which require time, and sometimes shipping and seller fees. Most people consider it to be worth the cost just to sell it to a game store and be done with it.
I too would like to have my main income come solely from selling used games, but most people won't buy the games I have for extreme amounts so I can't do that. Would I be able to start selling off loose NES commons for $20 each if I explained to people that I needed that much so I could live off of it? That would be kind of nice. IMO the best stores would need to have lots of traffic so stuff would always be selling and there would always be stuff traded in, and everything would be priced somewhat cheap. Instead of selling 3 games for $20 profit each, it would be better to sell 20 games for $5 profit each.

There's an independent game store near me, I haven't been there in several years as the owner is a jerk. Before I knew much about games I ended up buying a loose copy of Excite Bike for $40 that had a beat up label, as well as plenty of commons for $20 each or more(loose Elevator Action was also $40 "because that's a really rare game"). This was a few years ago(maybe 2001), not back when the console was still current. I never went to garage sales or thrift stores back then so I really didn't know any better. I've seen the owner knowingly buy stolen games from people and then denied buying the games when EB Games employees came in asking about them because they just had some games stolen from their store. This guy makes most of his money with newer games and rentals, but keeps the older games in stock for ridiculous amounts so his store has a big selection. I don't support all business owners just because they're independent.

[xDerekRx]

Mom and Pop stores are all basically going to Ebay prices these days. Everyone has a computer. Hard to not.

I have 4-5 mom and pop places within reasonable distance and Im lucky one of them, just one, doesnt know how to use a computer and prices way low and certain rare items. But you really cant expect more than just 1 store once in a great while to not start giving you the Ebay prices.

[makaar]

Pre-Played in Madison, Wisconsin is typically a good store to go to. I wouldn't say its mom-and-pop but its a smaller business...they have a location on each side of town and generally sell strategy guides (1996-current) for around $5 each. NES games I've seen go for $0.99 for a ton if they can't sell them and if they get enough of a console they will have big sales for $2.99 - $5.99 each...so I've had good dealings with them.

[Haoie]

They're free to charge what they want, and you're free to go elsewhere.

Welcome to capitalism.

[Trade-N-Games]

Edit: I will keep track of wanted games for customers but never order in a few new shipping alone would eat profit up. And for special order I ask for money down.

Look if we " MOM & POP" stores dont keep our prices in line with online sellers like Ebay and such the resellers will just come in and buy all cheap stuff and flip it online. and also if we dont know that its worth X amount and offer to little for x game the customer will take it to another store who offered more. I try to off up good Cash and better trades than most of the other stores along with great customer service and it has worked very well for me the last 7 years even with 10 other stores in 25 miles of me.

[Rev. Link]

I too would like to have my main income come solely from selling used games, but most people won't buy the games I have for extreme amounts so I can't do that. Would I be able to start selling off loose NES commons for $20 each if I explained to people that I needed that much so I could live off of it? That would be kind of nice. IMO the best stores would need to have lots of traffic so stuff would always be selling and there would always be stuff traded in, and everything would be priced somewhat cheap. Instead of selling 3 games for $20 profit each, it would be better to sell 20 games for $5 profit each.

There's an independent game store near me, I haven't been there in several years as the owner is a jerk. Before I knew much about games I ended up buying a loose copy of Excite Bike for $40 that had a beat up label, as well as plenty of commons for $20 each or more(loose Elevator Action was also $40 "because that's a really rare game"). This was a few years ago(maybe 2001), not back when the console was still current. I never went to garage sales or thrift stores back then so I really didn't know any better. I've seen the owner knowingly buy stolen games from people and then denied buying the games when EB Games employees came in asking about them because they just had some games stolen from their store. This guy makes most of his money with newer games and rentals, but keeps the older games in stock for ridiculous amounts so his store has a big selection. I don't support all business owners just because they're independent.

In my eagerness to defend my friends and their business, I may have spoken a little too quickly. Let me elaborate. When a store is selling common games for outrageous prices, like your $40 Excitebike example, yes, that is a ripoff. And there are stores like that, I've been to them myself. And I never come back, either. But that wasn't really what I was talking about when I said I was sick of hearing complaints about ripoff stores.

What I meant was all the folks who complain, "I sold them a game for $2 and they turn around and sell it for $9!" You hear that a lot, mostly from people who have no idea how the used game business actually works. These are the kind of complaints I was, well, complaining about. Small game stores just can't afford to only make $2-3 off of their used game sales.

I understand for people like us, collectors who know what stuff is worth, that this can be frustrating. But people like us need to understand that places like that aren't really for us. If we want to sell our stuff, we need to handle it ourselves, take the time to put it online somewhere and get what we know it goes for. That, or we can accept that used stores are providing us the convenience of dumping off our unwanted games without that kind of hassle, but at the cost of our profit. You always have the option of doing it yourself. Nobody forces anyone to sell to a used store.

Oh, and Trade-N-Games, I just bought 5 used NES games from your online store. They came really quickly and all looked great. Thanks a lot! I'm at 698 now! :)

[TheDomesticInstitution]

I have to chime in.

I've been to a lot of these Mom-n-Pop stores, and it seems like they want to price above ebay. I wouldn't have a problem if I wanted a game and could find it in a local store for an ebay price. But that's not the case. I know that I can find the legend of zelda for less that $15 online, and if I were to walk into a store and see it for $30... well I'm likely to never go in there again. From experience, these small stores are more likely than not to charge above ebay prices for classic games.

[Atarileaf]

$89 for a Genesis 2 with power supply, RF, and one controller - no games.

This from a local "Mom and Pop" near me. Yea, I'll pay $89 for a Genny 2 when most thrift stores can't give those things away. That inch thick layer of dust wasn't a good enough clue I guess.

[Enigmus]

$89 for a Genesis 2 with power supply, RF, and one controller - no games.

This from a local "Mom and Pop" near me. Yea, I'll pay $89 for a Genny 2 when most thrift stores can't give those things away. That inch thick layer of dust wasn't a good enough clue I guess.

Tell me about it. The thrift store in my town hasn't had a Genesis for 4 years, but they DO have a lot of NESes and PSXes for $25 dollars each, with NES games as common as SMB/DH for $4! And I remember when they were $2 each! All it is for Game Boy (which just turned 20) is Game Boys without grey faceplates for the SAME PRICE as the NESes and PSXes, and they once told me they threw out a Jaguar because it had problems with the power supply! THE POWER SUPPLY! They're too stupid to tell them to go to Radio Shack and find an equivalent, and all that's left is a unsold RF adapter. That, and all the PSX and PC games are all crap, and it's ALL A BIG RIP! I now officially hate the economy from now until the recession ends due to them because they're selling systems from 1985 and 1995 for $25 and they're stupid enough to throw out a Jaguar due to the power suppy being broken, that, and they're probably passing off NES games to 50 to 60 year olds because they think an old grey chunk of a cartridge is going to fit into the disc slot of the persons' grandkids' Wii! :texaschain: AAAAARGH!

[tubeway]

There's a comic store near me that charges absurd prices for their video games. They have a really nice selection, covering pretty much every platform. But the prices are all above eBay averages... for instance, Magic Knight Rayearth for Saturn is like $75.

Thing is, if the games weren't selling at a rate that at least made it worth their while, they would probably lower the prices. The average joe looking to relive childhood memories and pick up an NES or Genesis with some of his favorite old games probably hasn't researched the current prices and may think nothing of spending $10 minimum for super common NES carts. You also have to consider that there are a lot of people out there that have a lot of money to burn and don't really care about saving a few bucks when it comes to convenience and immediacy.

[Garry Shandling]

Gary Shandling

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Gary Shandling

Fuck me, I'm out.

[GameDeals.ca]

Well, although we don't have used game stores here, we did have a little used book and cds one in my home town. I always made good deals with them when they started; sold cds for a good price, and saw them for sale some days later for a reasonable profit margin. They were doing pretty good working this way, and their business was growing considerably.

Time went by, they opened new stores...and things changed. Once they were big and established, they started paying really low prices for everything, and double the selling prices they used to practice.

While our selling prices have only gone down, I have noticed that as my business gets bigger I'm paying less for the games and I'd like to tell you why. When the store is smaller it needs the games, if you don't have a Secret of Mana in stock, you'll pay a fair price to get it, but when you have 5 of them at some point you need to start paying less. I see a lot of stores getting flooded with games so the buying price while it may seem low, is a way of managing inventory so you don't end up with 50 Gamecubes lying around.

As for the eBay comment earlier, I agree with the earlier point about re-sellers. If we sold under eBay we would sell all the good titles to re-sellers who just flip it online and be left with the crap.

I've always tried to keep my buying/selling prices fair and considering how much we've grown in 3 years I have to be doing something right.

Oh, and the cold call thing... I'm not sure what you were selling, but seriously... we business owners get a ton of cold calls all the time and it gets very frustrating when some jackass on the phone wants you to switch Credit Card providers, supply you with paper, or save you money on your phone/Internet account when you have customers lined up... it's possible you got them at a bad time. Try an email or call again, they will probably be more receptive.

[bangtango]

One of these days, a person is going to start a thread of this nature here about an "idiot" shop owner and the owner of the store will turn out to be a DP member and fire off a rebuttal.

[Cmosfm]

One of these days, a person is going to start a thread of this nature here about an "idiot" shop owner and the owner of the store will turn out to be a DP member and fire off a rebuttal.

Had that happen on another forum, turned out to be a particular higher-up employee I was bitching about and his friend directed him to the post. He admitted that he had a tendency to be a dick sometimes, apologized, and has been as nice as ever since I've been in the store after that.

[tofu]

Oh, and the cold call thing... I'm not sure what you were selling, but seriously... we business owners get a ton of cold calls all the time and it gets very frustrating when some jackass on the phone wants you to switch Credit Card providers, supply you with paper, or save you money on your phone/Internet account when you have customers lined up... it's possible you got them at a bad time. Try an email or call again, they will probably be more receptive.

Funny you say that. I'll be calling you sometime next week.

I'm Paul from Hyperkin.

[SegaAges]

Had that happen on another forum, turned out to be a particular higher-up employee I was bitching about and his friend directed him to the post. He admitted that he had a tendency to be a dick sometimes, apologized, and has been as nice as ever since I've been in the store after that.

Tell me about it. One time I was bitching about twingalaxies on here, and then Walter Day himself came on and posted.

Boy, did I feel like an ass. A little different than you, but it was very awkward for me

[emceelokey]

Almost all of the independent games stores around me have shut down other than "Game Repair". Game Repair is a scam though and is probably a facade for a money laundering rig. One store named "Game Over" opened probably about two years ago and shut down in lat 2008. Oddly enough, one of the employees of "Game Over" was a former employee of "Game Repair" and both of the stores might have actually been connected. The dude was a dick though. When I worked for Gamestop, he would trade in all the shit he couldn't sell at Game Repair and buy anime boxed sets and then try to return the anime boxed sets. Total piece of shit. I actually only went into Game Over once and saw that dude there and also saw an import of Soul Calibur II for Game Cube going for $50. SCII was already at least 3 years old, and that's for the U.S. release and they were trying to pull that BS! I was not suprised it closed down and was pretty much expecting it.

[Rev. Link]

I don't know if anyone cares anymore, but as this thread is still active I'll go ahead and post anyway.

I stopped in at Game Insane on Saturday. Didn't get to talk to either of the owners as they weren't there, but did talk to one of the employees. There's only a few people there, and I know them all. Anyway, I asked him about the Diosoth's situation. He remembered him coming in, and told me that he had asked for a few DS games, one of which wasn't even out yet. When told that they could order new copies in if he wanted, I'm told that Diosoth said that was fine. New or used was fine with him. And yes, they were upset that someone had ordered in new games and then refused to come pick them up.

Now, it may be bad internet ettiquette to basically call Diosoth out like this, but honestly, I care a lot more about sticking up for my friends and their business than I do the feelings of one random internet stranger.

[Sailorneorune]

I've got a local store that prices many of the "rare" items (anything made by Square or Atlus) right around Amazon prices - regardless of how long the inspirations have been sitting on that site unsold.

If I put up a listing for Star Ocean at $750 and it was the lowest price there, I bet they would follow suit, and the next copy would be behind the counter with a $744.95 tag on it.

[MachineGex]

What I find funny is how people on both sides have posted this on an internet board instead of taking the time to actually sit-down and talk about what happened. Obviously both sides mis-understood each other. A simple conversation could have solved the problem. I hate when a simple problem turns into this without some effort on both sides to simply figure out what happened on BOTH sides.

I am sure a store would not order a game for a customer w/o the customer wanting it. And...I am sure the customer did not think he was ordering a brand new game. Simple mistake, no need to attack people's name or character. People really need to try harder to resolve problems without jumping to conclusions.

[Flashback2012]

I had no idea about this place. I'm not too terribly far from Lawrenceburg (I'm in Colerain Twp) and wouldn't mind dropping by this place to see how it looks. What's the easiest way to get there from I-275 Rev. Link?

[Red Warrior]

I had no idea about this place. I'm not too terribly far from Lawrenceburg (I'm in Colerain Twp) and wouldn't mind dropping by this place to see how it looks. What's the easiest way to get there from I-275 Rev. Link?

Since I also live in the area and happen to be Rev. Link's friend... as well as friends with the Game Insane guys, I can answer this for you:

Just take I-275 W from Colerain about 15 miles or so to the US 50, Greendale, Lawrenceburg, Aurora exit (I think it's exit 16). Take that exit, then make a left at the first light onto US 50. Just continue going straight on that road for a few miles. You'll go past Argosy Casino, then the Dearborn Plaza, a Kroger and Lowes, then Game Insane will be on your right. It's part of a small mini-mall type strip of stores just before the Speedway (if you pass the Speedway, you've gone too far). You should see Game Insane's sign out front amongst all the others. Tell them you heard about their store on the Internet. They like hearing stuff like that. ;)

[Rev. Link]

Since I also live in the area and happen to be Rev. Link's friend... as well as friends with the Game Insane guys, I can answer this for you:

Just take I-275 W from Colerain about 15 miles or so to the US 50, Greendale, Lawrenceburg, Aurora exit (I think it's exit 16). Take that exit, then make a left at the first light onto US 50. Just continue going straight on that road for a few miles. You'll go past Argosy Casino, then the Dearborn Plaza, a Kroger and Lowes, then Game Insane will be on your right. It's part of a small mini-mall type strip of stores just before the Speedway (if you pass the Speedway, you've gone too far). You should see Game Insane's sign out front amongst all the others. Tell them you heard about their store on the Internet. They like hearing stuff like that. ;)

Wow, that's more detailed then what I would have posted. :)

[rbudrick]

Gary Shandling

Garry Shandling

-Rob

[Flashback2012]

Since I also live in the area and happen to be Rev. Link's friend... as well as friends with the Game Insane guys, I can answer this for you:

Just take I-275 W from Colerain about 15 miles or so to the US 50, Greendale, Lawrenceburg, Aurora exit (I think it's exit 16). Take that exit, then make a left at the first light onto US 50. Just continue going straight on that road for a few miles. You'll go past Argosy Casino, then the Dearborn Plaza, a Kroger and Lowes, then Game Insane will be on your right. It's part of a small mini-mall type strip of stores just before the Speedway (if you pass the Speedway, you've gone too far). You should see Game Insane's sign out front amongst all the others. Tell them you heard about their store on the Internet. They like hearing stuff like that. ;)

Awesome, thanks for the information. ;) I've got to finish up an a transaction with a member on this board before I go out there (and I GREATLY appreciate her patience in the matter :hail:) but I like the accurate directions (not that getting lost is a bad thing sometimes).


Wow, that's more detailed then what I would have posted. :)

It's all good, I'm just glad I found out about the place. It'll be nice to have another mom n' pop to go to other than Games Galore and Game Swap. I had heard there was a Play N' Trade in that neck of the woods too but according to their site it's out in the Eastgate area. Any truth to this that there is one out that way?

[shopkins]

There's a store in Manchester, Kentucky, Game King, that has a great selection and very good customer service that I would like to support more, but I just can't.

Their prices are just too high, like $20 for a relatively common loose NES game high. I saw Dragon Warrior III there for, IIRC, nearly a hundred bucks, loose. I remember that it was more expensive than their loose Dragon Warrior IV, which was a little more than $70. I've caught a few good deals in there, but for the most part I just can't justify paying a significant amount more for a game than what I could get elsewhere. Not only on Ebay, there are other independent game stores in the area that have those same loose common NES games for $5 each. I know they're pricing around what it goes for on Ebay, but I can access Ebay and still get the stuff cheaper than buying it at their store, and I don't have to drive 40 miles to pick it up.

I know game stores have to act in their own best interest, but so do I, and if I can find it cheaper somewhere else I'll buy it cheaper. There shouldn't be an expectation that savvy customers will pay a great deal more just to support the mom and pops.

[JunkTheMagicDragon]

i'd pay a small premium (say, 10%) to local stores for the convenience of not having to wait on shipping and having a face to talk to should there be a problem, not just some random person on the other end of paypal.

unfortunately, there are no local stores. :(

[Press_Start]

There's a store off Route 1 in Edison, NJ called Swap Games. Overpriced, disorganized and filthy are what I used for lack of better words.

Most of their games have their shrinkwrap in tatters, cases cover in cracks/dirt and covers faded by sunlight. Shelving was horrendous. They placed rows one in front of the other making it difficult to browse through them. Even worse with the Sega Saturn/CD cases as they were wedged tightly together that you had to pushed against the shelves to jar them loose. They charge far above Ebay standards: Tobal No.1 "sealed" with tears in shrinkwrap for $50.

Shocked to hear it was their 2ND store. O_O

[Rev. Link]

It's all good, I'm just glad I found out about the place. It'll be nice to have another mom n' pop to go to other than Games Galore and Game Swap. I had heard there was a Play N' Trade in that neck of the woods too but according to their site it's out in the Eastgate area. Any truth to this that there is one out that way?

Yeah, there's a Play n' Trade in Milford. I think there's still a Game City out there too. They're both okay stores. Last time I was out that way (which was last year, I'm afraid) Game City had a decent selection, but their prices were high. Play n' Trade had alright prices, but their entire retro section was stuffed into one little island dump bin. Not much to pick from. Still, I've wanted to get back out there and check them both out for a while now.

You know Games Galore moved, right? They're in Northgate Mall now. I grew up in that area, so I've been wanting to go check it out, but I haven't had the chance yet.

[Flashback2012]

Yeah, there's a Play n' Trade in Milford. I think there's still a Game City out there too. They're both okay stores. Last time I was out that way (which was last year, I'm afraid) Game City had a decent selection, but their prices were high. Play n' Trade had alright prices, but their entire retro section was stuffed into one little island dump bin. Not much to pick from. Still, I've wanted to get back out there and check them both out for a while now.

You know Games Galore moved, right? They're in Northgate Mall now. I grew up in that area, so I've been wanting to go check it out, but I haven't had the chance yet.

Cool...Milford's a tad out of the way. I rarely get out on the East end of I-275 because that part of the loop is more spread out than it is here on the west side. I generally find better stuff venturing North up in Westchester and Mason and further up around Middletown as well as South in Florence and Turfway. Going out East happens once in a blue moon as I don't really know where stuff is aside from the Eastgate Mall area and some places in Cherry Grove.

As for Games Galore, I'd heard they just moved into the mall but I've not been by to see the new place. I wonder wherebouts in the mall they set up shop since EB is in the dead center. I kinda don't understand the reasoning behind the move into there because that mall is DEAD. JC Pennys moved down the road by I-275 where they put Best Buy in. Sears just announced they're pulling out and I think Dillard's is as well. The only anchor left would be Macy's and I had heard that Kohls was considering coming in and replacing Dillards. Still....the entire wing where Dillards is now is ALL closed.

Meh...I'm sure he'll do fine even with a GS in the mall, right outside the mall, and one a mile down the road. X_x

[Rev. Link]

Well, Cincinnati Mills has filed for bankruptcy I heard. It'll probably close soon, so I'm not surprised Games Galore moved out. But when they were at Cincinnati Mills they had a Game Stop not three or four stores down from Games Galore, and they did fine. I'm sure wherever they're at in Northgate, it shouldn't be a problem for them.

[Red Warrior]

So Northgate's even "deader" than Cincinnati Mills? I thought Games Galore's move was a smart one since Mills was basically going down... especially after Biggs moved out. I guess it's been a few years since I've been to Colerain, so I don't know what the mall scene is like there anymore.

[Flashback2012]

So Northgate's even "deader" than Cincinnati Mills? I thought Games Galore's move was a smart one since Mills was basically going down... especially after Biggs moved out. I guess it's been a few years since I've been to Colerain, so I don't know what the mall scene is like there anymore.

Oh no, Northgate is nowhere near as dead as the Mills is. At least Northgate has a little foot traffic going through it. It'd be nice if there were less empty storefronts in that mall but malls in general seem to be on the way out. If you want to see a mall that's absolutely dead, go check out Middletown Mall. :puppydogeyes:

[SolidZach]

Funny i live down the road from Game Insane and I havent had any problems with them, heck one of the employees dated my sister, but I just choose to aviod it and allmost all gamestores.

[Enigmus]

If anybody stops in Morris, IL sometime, look for St. Vincent's on Division St. across from the Jewel Osco. When you walk in, look behind the counter and look for NESes or PSXes. Ask to look at one, and you'll find the biggest rip-off of a used NES ever. That, and they STILL haven't gotten a Genesis in 4 YEARS. :bullshit:

[Baloo]

If anybody stops in Morris, IL sometime, look for St. Vincent's on Division St. across from the Jewel Osco. When you walk in, look behind the counter and look for NESes or PSXes. Ask to look at one, and you'll find the biggest rip-off of a used NES ever. That, and they STILL haven't gotten a Genesis in 4 YEARS. :bullshit:

Are you talking about St. Vincent De Paul? Because that's a thrift store chain...

[Enigmus]

Are you talking about St. Vincent De Paul? Because that's a thrift store chain...

Yeah, I think it's part of a chain. And they also haven't had an Atari 2600 since summer last year.

[Carey85]

Yeah, I know I'm digging up an old thread, but I just did a search for Game Insane and this was the first thing to pop up on the Google. I mainly want to make sure they're still open before I make the mighty trek from the east side out there and I really don't want the trip to be in vain. An added bonus would be if they have a decent selection of pre-NES stuff, Atari 2600 in particular. Any input on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

[Arkhan]

Man. Theres a fistful of local game stores around here, and I only go to one of them anymore. I'd rather take my chances on eBay. At least if I get crap, I got paypal on my team.

I've taken some spare games to a few of the "no go anymore" stores hoping to trade them in for something good only to watch the owner in plain sight, hop on eBay via laptop, and find the lowball price, wack it down by 80% and say thats what I can have.

Followed by loose illusion of gaia carts for 35$?
:above me:

Took em to the better store, got 2x what I was offered at the no-go store....

its a fairly large put off to enter a store with games that aren't priced since I get sick of asking how much things of interest are only to go back a week later and be told a different (higher) price, and then theres discs/cases that are grimey, and then be told ebay prices on games..... especially loose ones or ones with rental stickers all over em.

I think there is a reason the one store has been around for like, 20 years and the rest last about 5.

[Sailorneorune]

I think there is a reason the one store has been around for like, 20 years and the rest last about 5.

The best of the local stores, Book Broker, will have been open for 35 years next year. 35! :cheers: Granted they've built their corner-store empire on comics and cards, but that just means they have more wiggle room for their game prices. I've gotten some amazing deals there since I was tall enough to see over the counter. Heavenly Sword for $10? Yes, please!

Then there is the Book & Music Exchange, a small chain of used-stuff stores headquartered in Louisville, but has 5 stores within a 60 mile radius of the unassuming little hamlet in which I live.

Evansville/Diamond Avenue easily tops the short list. Excellent prices on (most of) what they have; they seem to be the first to drop the prices of their games as soon as one of them has a light bulb appear over their head and think "hey, maybe this is a little too much". Diamond is also the only one in the area that still carries Sega games. Legendary deal: Shining Force CD for $5.

Owensboro/Frederica Street is #2. Again, excellent prices on most of their stuff. It's fun to come in once a month just to watch the price drop on the God of War PSP.

Owensboro/Triplett Street also has some great deals. Got a Pikachu N64 there with Expansion Pak for less than $50, and a lot of their GBA games were less than $10. Pinball of the Dead for $4? Yes, please!

Evansville/Washington Avenue can be described in one word: meh. But I've actually got several more words. They have the best manga selection, and the Xbox games can be had for a pittance. However, they are still on my shit list for recently having had a Sailor Moon Season 1 set at $200.

and finally,

Henderson: the only one of the five I've been to with the abomination known as the Collector's Section. :grumble: This eyesore includes such gems as Valkyrie Profile @ $70 with no manual, and Final Fantasy VII at $75. The manga section is non-existent, and the prices for many of the games make Amazon look cheap. ROFLHowever, the guys behind the counter have no control over the stupidity that radiates from Louisville and only seems to hit Second Street and Washington Avenue. I begrudgingly give them my business at times, such as yesterday, when I found them to be the only store in the area with a reasonably priced copy of Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon.

[mobiusclimber]

What bothers me is trade-ins. If I trade a game for $5 and they put it out for sale for $40, I feel pretty ripped-off. I can understand if it's cash, but for store credit, that's a bit much.

I live in Seattle, WA and have basically given up on the game stores around here. I sometimes find deals in thrift stores, but mostly if it wasn't for Craigslist, I wouldn't have the huge game collection I own. You guys complaining about not having game stores, imagine if you DID and they had all these great rare games, but they wanted 2X to 10X Ebay prices. That's Seattle.

[Game Freak]

Here in Eastern MA, used game stores are pretty much impossible to find. GameStop has had its run of the place. In my area there are three thrift shops. I only recently moved to my new house, so I believe I had bought most of their stock that was floating around for a few months. One thrift store has great prices ($1 a game/CD/VHS/record, got me Super Mario World, some atari games, and a bunch of PC games. Boxed PC games run for 3 bucks. Two copies of half life 2, thank you!) Another thrift store reportedly doesn't sell video games, and rips you off on everything else you might happen to want (and they tape the cases to the CDs...) The third store is a consignment store. I found a powerglove for $24, disgusting ROB w/o battery cover for $40, boxed 32X for $60, loose PS1 for $40, and a bunch of games between 12 and 20 dollars. Coleco Donkey Kong (2600) for 15 dollars loose? no way! GOAL! and Jackal on NES for $15, no thanks! Needless to say, i have not bought much there (i got a Star Fox 64 nintendo power movie for $1 and a boxed minty RC Pro-Am for 10. What great deals, eh?)

This same place sells old, nasty, dusty Beatles vinyls for 10 dollars apiece, and they are scratched to hell, mind you.


In Framingham there's a place called Game Universe. They bottom out prices at $3, which are mostly cartridge sports games and atari games, and base every other game off of eBay prices. Needless to say, the majority of SNES and genesis games are way overpriced (pretty much every RPG is going for 40 to 50 bucks. Super Mario RPG, Phantasy Star, Shining Force...) They did have a boxed Vectorman for 7 dollars, which I was almost obliged to get...

Yard sales never yield games, and Raynham flea overprices as well.

[Zthun]

What bothers me is trade-ins. If I trade a game for $5 and they put it out for sale for $40, I feel pretty ripped-off. I can understand if it's cash, but for store credit, that's a bit much.

I live in Seattle, WA and have basically given up on the game stores around here. I sometimes find deals in thrift stores, but mostly if it wasn't for Craigslist, I wouldn't have the huge game collection I own. You guys complaining about not having game stores, imagine if you DID and they had all these great rare games, but they wanted 2X to 10X Ebay prices. That's Seattle.

That sounds like every flea market I've been to.

[Griking]

meh, it was a necro'd thread