Opening Soon: Video Game Trader.com Retail Store (Brick, NJ)

[videogametrader]

Hello everyone,

After selling video games on and off since 1999, we are finally opening up our first retail store. Its a small store located in Brick, NJ. Our pre-grand opening will be about May 1st 2012 (we will have limited hours until our Grand Opening about July 1st).

We have over 8000 items currently in stock from Atari 2600 through Wii. We stock primarily pre-current generation but will stock accessories and new games for current gen systems.

Although we don't consider ourselves a competitor to companies like GameStop, we do want to avoid the many mistakes they have made, and continue to make. As a small family game shop, our customers are our best asset and we will run the business as such.

I have been selling games since 1999 and am well aware of some of the big complaints that customers have had with other stores and we aim to avoid these.

I would like to know if there are any specific policies and idiotic things that these stores do that really get your blood boiling.

Sound off below, and i hope to see those of you near Brick NJ when we open.

[InsaneDavid]

Sound off below

Nothing is being bought or sold in this thread.

[videogametrader]

Nothing is being bought or sold in this thread.

I know. I wan't sure where the appropriate place was for this message. I figured since it is a game store that will be opening soon then this is the proper place. If there is another category i should post this please let me know.

[thegamezmaster]

Will you being doing mail orders? Hope so. Good Luck!

[Cornelius]

I'm sure you've read the past threads about new stores that I have, but I'm going to pass on what I've seen Joe write many times (in case he doesn't see this). ... GameStop is your best friend. Or, at least, the employees can be if you get to know them, cut them some deals, and make sure they'll send customers to you when they can't take the old stuff for trade-in.

I don't have any hated GameStop practices that you likely haven't read 1000 times. For the vintage game shops what bugs me is when even super common low-demand games are priced high. I understand stuff like SMB3 being marked up since there is demand and will sell that way just fine. What would get me into the store, though, is a chance to find any NES (for example) game I don't have and get it for maybe 5 bucks. Doesn't have to be rare at all, or maybe it is but also shitty and worthless, just something I don't have. It really irritates me to see games that won't sell on ebay for $4 shipped marked 8 bucks in a shop.

[videogametrader]

I know. I wan't sure where the appropriate place was for this message. I figured since it is a game store that will be opening soon then this is the proper place. If there is another category i should post this please let me know.

We already do mail order from our website.
www.videogametrader.com

[videogametrader]

I'm sure you've read the past threads about new stores that I have, but I'm going to pass on what I've seen Joe write many times (in case he doesn't see this). ... GameStop is your best friend. Or, at least, the employees can be if you get to know them, cut them some deals, and make sure they'll send customers to you when they can't take the old stuff for trade-in.

I don't have any hated GameStop practices that you likely haven't read 1000 times. For the vintage game shops what bugs me is when even super common low-demand games are priced high. I understand stuff like SMB3 being marked up since there is demand and will sell that way just fine. What would get me into the store, though, is a chance to find any NES (for example) game I don't have and get it for maybe 5 bucks. Doesn't have to be rare at all, or maybe it is but also shitty and worthless, just something I don't have. It really irritates me to see games that won't sell on ebay for $4 shipped marked 8 bucks in a shop.

Thanks for your post. I agree with that you have to say. The most common complaints i have read about game shops in general is pricing & trade-in credit.

On pricing:

Our goal is to price things at a reasonable competitive rate. Games that are popular, Like SMB 3, might be priced around $10 - $14 but we would price a very common game at between $3 & $5. I also don't plan on pricing new release used titles at near their NEW retail either. You wont see a used game sell for $55 when the new copy goes for $60. Most prices will be a few percentage points higher than you would see online. I think its worth a SMALL premium when you get that instant gratification, instead of having to wait for the mail.

On trade-ins:

We should be very competitive for trade-ins and should pay at or above local retailers for store credit. Using Mass Effect 3 (for 360) as an example, our current trade-in price is $29 where Best Buy is $25. We also pay cash and deduct 25% for cash. So you would get almost $22 cash. Even though our focus will not be on the current generation of gaming, we will be taking pre-sales of new releases that should help with getting trades.

And on PS2 and earlier games, i believe we are the only shop in the Brick/Lakewood/Toms River area (Please correct me if I'm wrong). I know places like Cash Converters and Fast Cash buy these but from what I hear they don't pay much at all.