Opening a Game Store UPDATE!

[8bitnes]

I just had an additional thought about this. I'm really, really not a retail or marketing-oriented sort of guy, so this may be bad advice, but I think it's worth throwing out for consideration.

Your shop's going to be YOURS. As a sole proprieter, I assume you'll need to occasionally close the store for personal reasons. In particular, I'm thinking of things like E3 and CGE. There may be other times as well.

Now, I'd expect you to place some sort of visible sign in the store's front windows or door explaining the reason for the closure during normal business hours.

My suggestion is that, if the above assumptions are true, you should possibly post a notice about the out of the ordinary closing in advance. Maybe 2 weeks prior to CGE post the sign.

Sadly, it is very likely that if you are running your own business, you will not be able to attend CGE or E3. Or, you would have to trust someone to run the store while you are gone. It is not good practice to close a store for nearly a week at a time. That would be a tough reality to swallow ... maybe you've already thought of that.

[§ Gideon §]

Hey, Joe: Next Gen posted a relevant article (http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=150&Itemid=2). It starts out depressing but gets inspiring at the end. The author owns an independent game store, too.

[Cryomancer]

Anyone post this yet?

http://actsofgord.com/

If nothing else, fun read, especially if you're having a "i hate my customers so much" moment.

[rbudrick]

6. Last but not least, make good use of your biggest asset: Yourself! You're not just some guy who sells older game stuff, you are Joe Santulli. Make sure customers who look around a bit closer know who you are. Put some newspaper articles, interviews, pics of you at the CGE, pics with Wozniak with a text, something on the wall which increases your credibility. You are a well-known game enthusiast, co-organizer of the CGE, you are SOMEONE in the classic gaming scene for years, this is an asset and an incredible advanatage the vast majority of this board and certainly the big stores don't have.

This builds trust and credibility right away. You don't have to brag, but YOU are one of the biggest market potentials you can possibly have. Make sure customers know it.

I've heard some incredibly good advice for Joe in this thread, but that is probably the best point I've heard so far. You can be highly successful by not-so-subtly tooting your own horn and bragging. That's a VERY good thing in this case. Don't be shy about posting those articles and such. You of all people have a means of building a reputation FAST, which, if done effectively, will translate into dollars for you.

Just be positive whoever works for you can be trusted...especially during the trade shows. If possible, don't ever take your eyes off the customer (without being a pawn shop dick). Sooooo many people are going to be out to rip you off.

Make sure expensive stuff and rarities are in a glass case.

-Rob

[hydr0x]

wth? how in gods name did i miss this thread until now??

well, doesn't matter

i wish you all the best if you find a place you can open a store in

now, i really don't have any advice and i guess everything has been said already, but i'd like to add that you should absolutely take advantage of ebay, and that is, not only to sell stuff, but also to buy.

- If you have more than one copy of let's say Suikoden II, keep one for the store, sell the other on ebay. It's important to have some of those rare and in demand games like Suikoden at your store, if you only have the common stuff every collector-tyep-customer will loose interest. But one copy is enough, every extra copy can go to ebay for an extra profit.

- You will need to have a certain group of games to build your basis, like, you always need to have some Super Mario Worlds and Sonics, cause people always want to buy games like that (don't forget a lot of the 16-bit buyers are actually parents, i know for a fact that ~60% of the buyers on ebay.de who buy snes stuff are mothers), now, you might have the problem you won't get as many of those as you need from your customers. Why don't you just get them from ebay?? if you buy a couple of lots once in a while those will offer you a cheap way to build up such a stock base

-other than that, let me tell you, don't get a current system store-unit or you'll end up with the same kids coming in every day asking you every damn day to switch the game... trust me, i know those kids, i have to deal with them every saturday LOL

- and, as sad as it is, don't forget security, people steal things, it's sad, but they do :(

- you should also think about an "you are searching for something specific? i'll get it for you" service, you know you can even get a Bubble Bath Babes if you just want to, you know everyone, you visit boards and you have ebay. Just make sure you agree on a price first, that way if you find it cheap, good, huge profit, if not, no problem, you never guaranteed you can find it for THAT price. Oh yeah, and it's something expensive, make sure people pay a few % in advance, so you're not screwed if they don't take it afterwards for whatever reasons

[Raedon]

Man, did I miss big news.

[§ Gideon §]

Holy shit! My old avatar spread. LOL

[john_soper]

Have a recovery plan, 80% of new businesses fail.

[Sothy]

Stock ammunition and porno too.

[Griking]

You also have to be willing to give the guy with the PS1 Suikoden 2 in mint condition only a couple bucks because "it is for the PS1 after all" despite the fact that you know you're going to sell it for $50+.

The concern that I'd have with this is if the guy has any clue of what the game is worth and you insult him with a $5 offer asuming that he's ignorant you'll most likely loose a customer for good.



If you break it down, yeah, you basically fucked the guy out of his Suikoden 2, but how many people "fucked" you out of your money when you bought their copy of PS1 WWF Warzone despite the fact that you already have 27 other copies of that game? Or a more recent example, when the guy brings in the 100th Nintendo DS this month and it's the last thing in the world I want another one of, but I buy it anyway.

I know that you're a game reseller, but why are you obligated to buy anything that you already have a bunch of copies of? If you aren't worried about insulting someone with a $5 for their Suikoden 2 then why would you worry about pissing them off by telling them that you won't buy their game since you already have 20 copies of it already and it doesn't sell well?

[hydr0x]

I know that you're a game reseller, but why are you obligated to buy anything that you already have a bunch of copies of? If you aren't worried about insulting someone with a $5 for their Suikoden 2 then why would you worry about pissing them off by telling them that you won't buy their game since you already have 20 copies of it already and it doesn't sell well?

yeah, i don't get that too, i've seen this happen in various stores, and never was the customer pissed, they understand it if you don't need another Sonic...

[digitalpress]

PART TWO.

Another location has opened up in Pompton Lakes, also walking distance from my home. The shop is in the center of town - a sort of "shopping district" if you will. I just talked to the real estate agent and the place is available immediately.

The Pros:
- MUCH better monthly rent.
- Better proximity to both the high school and grammar school, both are within walking distance.
- Good traffic during the day.

The Cons:
- Parking isn't great - you either park on the street which is metered and usually full or you park in a lot in the back. Not bad for people shopping the street but not great for someone who just wants to hit the store real quick.
- The street gets dead after 5pm when most of the shops close.
- There is already a videogame store on the street, just a block down the road on the other side. I've been in there though, my place would offer a lot more and much better prices.

I'm meeting the agent and the landlord tonight to talk over some of the details.

What do you think?

[rbudrick]

Great update! Keep us posted, Joe!

-Rob

[Jumpman Jr.]

- There is already a videogame store on the street, just a block down the road on the other side. I've been in there though, my place would offer a lot more and much better prices.

I don't think you need to worry about competition. The way it sounds, you're going to have much better stuff than I've ever seen in a game store. You know your stuff to the max, and people will realize that once they start coming to your store.
I don't think anybody can compete against Joe in the videogame industry.

[Mayhem]

I actually see it partially as a possible plus. If there's another store nearby, then it might increase the likelihood of people coming along to shop video games if they know there's two places in one location rather than just one.

Just as long as both stores can offer something different, which I fully expect Joe's to do so from the norm :)

[Lady Jaye]

Seems to me like the pros overcome the cons in that situation... I'd go for it. Good luck!!!

[izret101]

- There is already a videogame store on the street, just a block down the road on the other side. I've been in there though, my place would offer a lot more and much better prices.

I don't think you need to worry about competition. The way it sounds, you're going to have much better stuff than I've ever seen in a game store. You know your stuff to the max, and people will realize that once they start coming to your store.
I don't think anybody can compete against Joe in the videogame industry.

If your prices are going to be better and you can show more knowledge in helping people know what they aer purchasing or something they might be interested in i think you will do fine.

Once agin best of luck on your new adventure :)

[le geek]

Good luck Joe!!! Sounds like a good prospect!

Cheers,
Ben

[Trevor Belmont]

Joe,

While I don't know you personally, what I do know is that you certainly know your stuff when it comes to video games, and that you're not blindly jumping into this situation. If you think that you can offer better prices, a better selection, etc. than this other store can, then why not go for it? I won't even begin to pretend I know what it takes to run a video game business, but from what I've been reading, this is something you've put a lot of thought into and seem willing to get involved with despite all of the possible negative aspects that go along with it.

Good luck and I hope things work out for you.

[Sylentwulf]

Sounds like a "downtown" kind of place.
Me personally, I can't STAND shopping in those area's. I like to park where I'm shopping, usually not much else in the area interests me, and if I'm going to be walking around to different stores like that, I prefer it be in an airconditioned or heated mall type setting.

Would you be closing at 5 with the rest of the stores? If they all close at 5pm, might be a good idea to still stay open until 9pm or so. Probly much better parking, and gamers are nocturnal to begin with. Get the mom and dad crowd during the day, and the college/grownup gamers at night.

I suppose if there were a gamestore in the downtown areas around here, I would go down when the rest of the stores closed for better parking, less traffic, less morons and it wouldn't be so bad. I just can't stand those places during the day when all the scum are out and about.

Don't worry, you can always count on me to jump all over any possible negative aspects for you ;)

[mikeetler]

Since I'm very familliar with the competition I can say that they don't do a whole lot of business. The owner was primarilly a new game distributor and has very little knowledge about used product and non-current systems. I think their lack of traffic has more to do with them not being a destination and just relying on local traffic. It also doesn't help that the store is cluttered and unorganized far worse then any of my stores were (and some of you know how bad THOSE were :) ). I just don't see how they could have massive word of mouth advertising, which is the number one form to bring in both locals and far away customers.

While I don't think that store would be much competition, a store done properly would actually benefit them by bringing more gamers to the area.

As far as the lease goes, don't sign anything over 2 years. A standard lease should have auto-renewals for 2 or 3 year periods, but the initial term should be 1 or 2 years.

-Mike

[GrandAmChandler]

I must say that It is HIGHLY convienient for a strip mall venture, especially when I know there are multiple places to find games with in walking distance. I.E. We have a coconuts (F.Y.E.) & and EBgames in a strip mall not 10 stores down from each other.

[RangerG]

I agree with the thoughts that two stores in the same area are actually a good thing. It creates a gaming destination.

[Griking]

- There is already a videogame store on the street, just a block down the road on the other side. I've been in there though, my place would offer a lot more and much better prices.

I wish you all the luck in the world but its a shame that you're probably going to put someone else out of business. There are so little independantly owned game stores nowadays its a shame to see any of them go. Only the strong shall survive I guess.

[pixelsnpolygons]

I think it is obvious that you'd do well as far as knowing games goes. Knowing how to run a business on the other hand... well even the best ideas and intentions need a lot of luck. I'm sure you'll do fine though. I wish you lived in Cali, if you were near me I'd be hanging out and buying stuff from your store every day. I'd love to shop from a place where the guy clearly knew and loved games - a place that had old games and systems.

I wish you the best of luck. I believe it is something you should try, even if not successful.

[digitalpress]

- There is already a videogame store on the street, just a block down the road on the other side. I've been in there though, my place would offer a lot more and much better prices.

I wish you all the luck in the world but its a shame that you're probably going to put someone else out of business. There are so little independantly owned game stores nowadays its a shame to see any of them go. Only the strong shall survive I guess.

Well look at it this way. In the worst-case scenario, there will be the same number in Pompton Lakes as there are now.

[Muscelli]

Theres a local game store around me, and you know what attracts a TON of people to go there? A really hot employee... Yup, all the kids go there, and try their shot with her... they also buy something too, of course... Seriously... This girl is a business machine...

also, offer other things outside of gaming as well, like possibly a bar or concerts (yes!) as well... This is assuming that you have a lot of space...

I may pay a visit, as my shore house is in new jersey..

[Arcade Antics]

The Pros:
- MUCH better monthly rent.
- Better proximity to both the high school and grammar school, both are within walking distance.
- Good traffic during the day.
NICE. :)


The Cons:
- Parking isn't great - you either park on the street which is metered and usually full or you park in a lot in the back. Not bad for people shopping the street but not great for someone who just wants to hit the store real quick.
In reality, not much of a con. Possibly viewed by some as "less convenient" but I see it like this: If I'm a guy looking for games (not much of a stretch, eh?) and see your store, I'm stopping. For sure. If I park on the street and feed the meter to take a quick look inside, I'm hooked when I see your layout, stock, Space Fury Guy, etc. At some point, employee(s) point out the parking lot out back. Mental note made, constant return trips go right into parking lot. Piece of Cake.


- The street gets dead after 5pm when most of the shops close.
This one could be a pro - you'd only have to work (or at least be open) 9-5. You could always finish up paperwork, etc. and leave at six. :)


- There is already a videogame store on the street, just a block down the road on the other side. I've been in there though, my place would offer a lot more and much better prices.
Another possible pro - two stores in the same area = more people stopping because they can kill two birds with one stone so to speak.


What do you think?
Sounds good to me. :D

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Just let me know when I need to fly up there and shoot the TV ads. :-P

[hydr0x]

PART TWO.

Another location has opened up in Pompton Lakes, also walking distance from my home. The shop is in the center of town - a sort of "shopping district" if you will. I just talked to the real estate agent and the place is available immediately.

The Pros:
- MUCH better monthly rent.


GREAT, i mean, come on, what else do you need?? if it's that much of a difference and you were already OK with the rent of the other place then you must take this opportunity



- Better proximity to both the high school and grammar school, both are within walking distance.

now that's a nice plus too, make sure to let them know you opened a store ;)



- Good traffic during the day.


sounds good



The Cons:
- Parking isn't great - you either park on the street which is metered and usually full or you park in a lot in the back. Not bad for people shopping the street but not great for someone who just wants to hit the store real quick.


well, i don't know if that's that much of a problem. Imho the majority of your income will come from normal shoppers anyway and if you offer as much as you are planning too then every "freak" (= people who hit the store real quick to check out if you got anything rare for cheap) will drop in from time to time anyway, no matter where he has to park



- The street gets dead after 5pm when most of the shops close.


well, why is that a problem?

1) the other game store was able to stay alive with this too
2) it just costs you time and money to stay open longer, i work at Media Markt, we are open until 8pm and we only loose money after 5-6pm
3) there is no competition that stays up longer, right??



- There is already a videogame store on the street, just a block down the road on the other side. I've been in there though, my place would offer a lot more and much better prices.


not much of a problem imho

1) i'm pretty sure IF one store will die, it's going to be that one
2) multiple gaming stores in one area are a plus to me, i love to check out such places (max out the stores/hour ratio)
3) that store (if it has been there for a while) is a clear sign you can survive with a store in that area



I'm meeting the agent and the landlord tonight to talk over some of the details.

What do you think?

i think this is overall a better opportunity than the last one, if you are willing to take the financial risk you should go for it

[fergojisan]

I also somehow missed this thread, I think I wasn't expecting it to be you that posted it! You sound like you're craving this, so I want to wish you the best of luck and I hope that you get what you want. I know that you will be able to make it work.

I would love to have my own bakery, but the memory of my parent's bakeries puts the kibosh on that.


Sean still puts in 60 hour weeks and his store is established. I'm really ALL FOR THAT. I enjoy working, and would feel much more productive in a field that I enjoy as well.

This is one of the things that makes me hesitant about my own business. As long as you are at peace with it, then more power to ya!


The good news is that a) my wife is an automatic full-time employee

That's great, but please be careful. My parents were always on edge and at each other, but that's really due to their own circumstances, which are obviously going to be different than yours. But be careful anyway. :)

You have a great attitude and you're fair with people, from what I've seen. You're in a leadership position here, so I'm assuming that you have the ability to be an absolute dick, if I'm quoting Sean Kelly right. LOL I think owning your own business is a delicate balance of these two, which is very hard. But I think you can do it and I can't wait to come and visit your store! Best of luck!

:rocker:

[fishsandwich]

This is VERY exciting news. I'd shop there.

How is Sean Kelly's shop doing? Hius website is gone. Does he have one for his shop?

:D

[snes_collector]

Awesome Joe, hope you do good. I would like to see what its like running a game store. I would open a GameStop or EB though, I just couldn't stand to see my games go(every game is a gem to me). I just have one question(not sure if someone metioned this before, dont have time to read to whole topic) how are you going to keep kids from trading in games that dont work? Are you going to test them right when them bring them in or something? That would be my major concern on starting a game store. Im really curious on how you will handle that.

[Trade-N-Games]

Open any type of video game store and put a Gamestop sign on the roof and you will makes lots of money right off the bat and get tons trades and charge almost as much as a new game and give a dollar for a game that sells for 20. Open a mom and pop store with good prices and people think something is wrong with lower prices than chain stores, offer $5 for the same game gamestop only gives $1 for and people will still shop around and then wont come back cause they know you will look at them with the told you so face. I know, been open with my own store Trade-N-Games for 3 and a half years now. Read this everyone and this is there mind set that makes them lots of money. http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/17217
Jason
Trade-N-Games

[RetroYoungen]

Again, I'll wish you good luck if you go through with starting it up, and I would ask that you keep us informed about some of the customers a-la Gord. I'd bet some of the stupidity you find with be most... amusing. LOL

[kirin jensen]

Theres a local game store around me, and you know what attracts a TON of people to go there? A really hot employee... Yup, all the kids go there, and try their shot with her... they also buy something too, of course... Seriously... This girl is a business machine...

also, offer other things outside of gaming as well, like possibly a bar or concerts (yes!) as well... This is assuming that you have a lot of space...

I may pay a visit, as my shore house is in new jersey..

What are you talking about?

Everybody knows all the sexy chicks hang out at videogame stores. :D

[Goblin]

The Cons:
- Parking isn't great - you either park on the street which is metered and usually full or you park in a lot in the back. Not bad for people shopping the street but not great for someone who just wants to hit the store real quick.

Just make sure to point out in your ads that parking is available in back. There is a small store near me (~1 mile away) that has decent prices, but parking is impossible. They have 2 metered spaces in front, and no lot. When I go, I usually end up parking 2 blocks away and walking. Consequently I don't go too often. If they were in the strip mall right around the corner (which now has an EB) I would hit them a lot more. I'm the guy who wants everything easy. If I need to work to spend my money, then it's not worth my effort.

It doesn't sound like a show stopper, especially considering you are counting on foot traffic from the schools. Maybe a bike rack in front might be a good idea?

[Muscelli]

Theres a local game store around me, and you know what attracts a TON of people to go there? A really hot employee... Yup, all the kids go there, and try their shot with her... they also buy something too, of course... Seriously... This girl is a business machine...

also, offer other things outside of gaming as well, like possibly a bar or concerts (yes!) as well... This is assuming that you have a lot of space...

I may pay a visit, as my shore house is in new jersey..

What are you talking about?

Everybody knows all the sexy chicks hang out at videogame stores. :D

for real, bro... I know it sounds strange... but thats what is is around here lol..Everybody knows the hot chicks around here work at..

EB in lansdale
Chanel
Louis vutton
Ron Jon (at the beach)
Neiman marcus
and hollister..

[SuperNES]

first of all, congradulations on your store, and i hope it gets off the ground. i assume you'll carry every game "from Asteroids to Zelda" :P



if you had your own game store, what would you put in it?

well, i would definetly have a few TVs set up with various game consoles, and since i'm assuming your store will carry lots of classic games, it would be cool to have some quirky and obscure systems set up that nobody has ever heard of. also try and get your hands on some cardboard standees, and maybe neon signs sporting logos of old game companies. that brobably won't be too difficult considering you'll be in "the business". make sure the place has a nice color "scheme", too. game stores look dumb when you walk in and everything is grey or white. also maybe a big peice of artwork showcasing some 8-bit character would be neat. that's basically all my suggestions, other than that good luck!

[portnoyd]

What do you think?

Since I know that street well, I can definitely comment and give my opinion. I'm sure you know what I'm thinking...

The street is too crowded, parking too slim, and the reason that spot opened up, is because stores seem to come and go too quickly on that stretch. I don't know... I'm not sure if it'll be the best choice in location. It can be hard to see anything on that stretch driving down... hard to catch someone's eye with how cramped everything is.

The other game store is a non-issue. Sir Etler already said exactly why. Not to mention all the older stuff anyone would buy is in the back! Grr.

I'd hold off and keep scouting. Is that grill type place on the other side of Subway still vacated? Ever consider inquiring to see if you can split the space up? Fuzzy memory in the house, btw, for it may be still open or taken already.

dave

[Lothars]

thanks for the update Joe

I think it sounds really good,

I would agree with everyone else and go with the the later close time such as 9 pm close

Also I wish you all the luck in the world

[kainemaxwell]

It doesn't sound like a show stopper, especially considering you are counting on foot traffic from the schools. Maybe a bike rack in front might be a good idea?

Adding onto that when you do pick a location, see if its on a school bus route so kids see it coming and going to school.

[ManciGames]

Joe, seriously, if you haven't spoken to an accountant yet, you should. We ran the numbers on a similar store about 4 years ago and came up with a probable net profit of about $20,000 to $25,000 per year. At the very TOP END of the projections (aka "perfect world projection"), it was making 50K (before taxes). And that was assuming kick-ass sales and 60 hour work-weeks. Now, I know you are okay with 60 hour work-weeks, so I guess the deciding factor would be the income. And don't forget, you've got to pay taxes on that 25K, so you're really not looking at a lot of cash for your family.

The only way to make any real money on stores like this is by operating 3 or 4 (or more) of them.

[digitalpress]

Joe, seriously, if you haven't spoken to an accountant yet, you should. We ran the numbers on a similar store about 4 years ago and came up with a probable net profit of about $20,000 to $25,000 per year. At the very TOP END of the projections (aka "perfect world projection"), it was making 50K (before taxes). And that was assuming kick-ass sales and 60 hour work-weeks. Now, I know you are okay with 60 hour work-weeks, so I guess the deciding factor would be the income. And don't forget, you've got to pay taxes on that 25K, so you're really not looking at a lot of cash for your family.

The only way to make any real money on stores like this is by operating 3 or 4 (or more) of them.

Ouch! That is a business model I would NOT follow.

I'm going more along the lines of others on this forum who have or had stores and make/made good money with them. Trust me, income IS a big issue as I'd be leaving a decent salary to pursue my dreams here, but big bucks is not what I'm expecting either. My wife and I have no debt other than our mortgage so the time is right.

I'm *very* close to making a decision, I'll post it here when that happens!

[Vigilante]

Joe, sorry I haven't been arround and this is the first time I'm reading this forum...

Like everyone else I wish you the best of luck with this project and you know I'll be there when I'm looking for stuff :)

Thing is, the guy in Pompton Lakes, not only does he have his shop, but he goes out to the local town fairs and such and sets up a table. I mention this because I went into the store once to b.s. with the guy, then a few weeks later I was at a town street fair and he had a table. I'm not sure how far his range is but I know the town fair wasn't close.

I know you travel to places and such, but you may want to think about branching out to shows. i'm sure you know all this, just wanted to give you a heads up and my 2 cents.

For awile I thought he was you, before I met you. Because he's a video game guy in Pompton Lakes. I asked him if he knew of D.P. but he didn't, at the time at least.

[ManciGames]

Ouch! That is a business model I would NOT follow.

I'm going more along the lines of others on this forum who have or had stores and make/made good money with them. Trust me, income IS a big issue as I'd be leaving a decent salary to pursue my dreams here, but big bucks is not what I'm expecting either. My wife and I have no debt other than our mortgage so the time is right.

I'm *very* close to making a decision, I'll post it here when that happens!

All I'm saying is that you need to run some numbers first. Two things to remember are that:

1) Things always look better in your head than they do on paper, and

2) Unless some of these guys have shown you their books, I'm not sure I'd go with the income they are quoting you. Most people will inflate these kind of figures around 25% when just talking off the cuff, either through pride, or because they just don't follow the books that closely.

I think the bottom line is that you NEED to open this store because if you don't, you will always wonder what would have happened if you did. But, I think you should also have a good idea of what kind of income you would be looking at, realistically, especially since you will be leaving an established career to give it a shot. I just think that a single store netting $100K is probably setting the expectation a little too high. Just throw some numbers down on a spreadsheet and see how it pans out. Don't forget insurance, workers' comp, utilities, etc. To net 100K, you'd need to sell around 30 used games a day... That sounds doable until you consider that would be about 3 an hour, every hour, 365 days a year.

At any rate, good luck! I'm sure you can make a decent living at it, no matter what.

[jajaja]

Its not unusal to not profit the first year or so. But after a while when you get the ball rolling and build up a good reputation you could earn some good money :)

[Kid Ice]

I'm *very* close to making a decision, I'll post it here when that happens!

We've seen you pull a lot of stuff together over the years Joe, so I don't see a reason you couldn't make this work either. If that location is less-than-ideal, you can always find a better one in a few years.

[DeputyMoniker]

PART TWO.

Another location has opened up in Pompton Lakes, also walking distance from my home. The shop is in the center of town - a sort of "shopping district" if you will. I just talked to the real estate agent and the place is available immediately.

The Pros:
- MUCH better monthly rent.
- Better proximity to both the high school and grammar school, both are within walking distance.
- Good traffic during the day.

The Cons:
- Parking isn't great - you either park on the street which is metered and usually full or you park in a lot in the back. Not bad for people shopping the street but not great for someone who just wants to hit the store real quick.
- The street gets dead after 5pm when most of the shops close.
- There is already a videogame store on the street, just a block down the road on the other side. I've been in there though, my place would offer a lot more and much better prices.

I'm meeting the agent and the landlord tonight to talk over some of the details.

What do you think?

We had a retro shop across the street from my highschool in the mid 90's. The place got no sales because the kids were too embarassed to buy cheap games in front of the girls or their friends. It ended up being a place to chill until the owner started kicking us out. After that kids started damaging his property. Putting cigarettes out on his cabs, drawing on things...it wasnt long before he was forced out of business. The place wasnt in a high traffic area though and after school, none of the kids wanted to go into the area.

[Zap!]

Please Joe, do it. I'll be your best customer, as I live in SI, not too far away. Also, since we've heard of each other (and spoke a bit through letters to DP) since '91, it's about time we met. Just in case you don't know, I'm the former editor of Zap!

[digitalpress]

Here's another UPDATE.

The agent called me yesterday to tell me that the landlord had accepted another offer. I didn't get an opportunity to negotiate (though I wouldn't have anyway). I'm on the agent's list for the next local storefront that's available so I guess this place wasn't meant to be either. The good news is that I'm much better prepared for the next opportunity :)

Clearly this is "to be continued"...

[Flack]

Sorry to hear that Joe, but I wanted to relate a story that my sister told me last night.

Last month my sister was house shopping. She found the house of her dreams, and at a good price too. However, it seemed like the odds were against her. Nothing went right, people wouldn't return her calls, and eventually she just forgot about it. A week later, an even better deal opened up, all the pieces fell into place perfectly and she ended up with the house.

The first house she was looking at burned down a couple of days ago. That would have been just enough time for her to move in and have all her stuff in there. My sister asked the realtor about it (a family friend) and she said it was from an electrical fire.

Sometimes, things are meant for a reason, even if we don't know what that reason is just yet. :) Keep your eyes open for another location and keep us informed!

[Daniel Thomas]

It's much better this way. When the next opportunity presents itself, you'll be more educated and wiser, and you'll know what to expect. To be honest, neither of those buildings sounded ideal, so I suspect a better location will become available. And, of course, this gives you more time to save up and work out the details of the master plan.

While I'm sure you're disappointed, you should feel glad for the free experience. I'll start saving up quarters for the opening night party when your store finally opens (but I'm not paying for anyone else's limo). Game on!

[digitalpress]

Goodbye corporate America.

I resigned from my current job last week, my last day is September 9th (how's that, Dreamcast fans?). Full speed ahead!

I'm set with inventory and finances, and I'm perhaps just a few days away from the perfect location as well. I've been spending my nights with real estate agents and cruising around northern NJ and have found a great spot that has everything I'm looking for.

Clifton, NJ, former home of the store "Outer Limits!" which sold toys and comics. The vacated location is on the corner of a busy NJ road (Route 46), across the street from a middle school, in a nice middle-class neighborhood, and with nearly 2000 square feet of store space. The store still has the previous owner's slatwall wall to wall around the store, two bathrooms, a "back room" perfect for my LAN station, and parking in front of the store, on the side road at the corner, and in the parking lot out back. There are about eight other storefronts on the same block including a pizzeria, a bagel shop, a convenience store, a restaurant, a laundromat, and a deli. It's a slice of Americana that's dying for a bit of technology, new OR old. The rent falls right into my wheelhouse as well.

It's going to take a little work to renovate but not an excessive amount, and it appears that the entire basement of this store is available to me as well.

I'm meeting with the landlord on Tuesday, he's very receptive to the concept and seems willing to work with me. I have a long list of questions that I need to run by him but we could be off to the races as of Wednesday.

Stay tuned!

[Boboduo]

Go Joe!!

[Sniderman]

Groovy-doovy Joe!

[Damaramu]

Wow! Very good news Joe! I hope everything goes well with this! Sounds like a primo location to boot! :D

Wish we had stores like this here in Houston. :/

[Mr.FoodMonster]

For those with Google Earth that want to take a look at the general area, its either right around one of these places. (I used google to find the addresses of both of the middle schools, and both of them are on near Route 46)
1400 Van Houten Avenue Clifton, New Jersey
or
350 Piaget Avenue, Clifton, New Jersey
I think its the first one, because it seems to match up better with what Joe told us.

[Kid Ice]

There are about eight other storefronts on the same block including a pizzeria, a bagel shop, a convenience store, a restaurant, a laundromat, and a deli.

If there's a bar in the restaurant I'm in favor of this location. ;)

[Falcon]

Looks like a nice area. And your a genious for finding a location infront of a school. Good luck with everything.

[digitalpress]

@FoodMonster: It's 387 Piaget Ave, Clifton, NJ

[rjs9009]

From 1995-1996 I worked at/managed a game store on long island. I handled ordering/dealing with the repair tech/buy backs/ rentals/arcade game loans etc. If there's anything I can do to help or you just want to ask me a few questions I would be happy to share my experiences just shoot me a pm.

[digitalpress]

From 1995-1996 I worked at/managed a game store on long island. I handled ordering/dealing with the repair tech/buy backs/ rentals/arcade game loans etc. If there's anything I can do to help or you just want to ask me a few questions I would be happy to share my experiences just shoot me a pm.

I really appreciate that! It's been a tremendous help having so many "mentors" through this process.

I'm going to be spending a few days at Sean Kely's store to "run things" with him, kind of a training program. I'll also be cleaning out his excess inventory :)

[drewbrim]

Congrats, and good luck! What is your soon to be previous job?

[digitalpress]

Congrats, and good luck! What is your soon to be previous job?

I've been with my current company since May 1985. That's not a typo! It's a pharmaceutical industry data supplier and I've been in just about every department over the years. I leave as a development team business manager (in layman's terms, I manage a team of programmers).

[fergojisan]

Congratulations! This sounds like it's really coming together, Joe. I wish you all the luck in the world, and Curt and I will definitely try to make the trek up there for a visit.


I've been with my current company since May 1985. That's not a typo! It's a pharmaceutical industry data supplier and I've been in just about every department over the years. I leave as a development team business manager (in layman's terms, I manage a team of programmers).

If I'm not mistaken, you're still in your 30s? Did you have any other jobs before this one?

[Jumpman Jr.]

Congrats, and good luck! What is your soon to be previous job?

I've been with my current company since May 1985. That's not a typo! It's a pharmaceutical industry data supplier and I've been in just about every department over the years. I leave as a development team business manager (in layman's terms, I manage a team of programmers).

I allways assumed you were a professional BurgerTime player :hmm:

[drewbrim]

Congrats, and good luck! What is your soon to be previous job?

I've been with my current company since May 1985. That's not a typo! It's a pharmaceutical industry data supplier and I've been in just about every department over the years. I leave as a development team business manager (in layman's terms, I manage a team of programmers).

Wow, even more kudos to you for having the stones to leave a job you've had for 20 years. I don't know how hard it was to leave, or whether you liked it or not, but I'm sure you were at the very least comfortable there.

So many people get stuck "waiting for the right time" to follow their dreams or to take a shot at happiness, that it eventually passes them by.

A small piece of uneducated advice (since I have never owned a store) I have from watching the retro stores in my area is make sure you have plenty of current gen stuff. It sounds like a no brainer but kids will only want to trade in their older stuff for the new madden or gta. For some reason a few of the stores around here never seemed to figure that out and they went under. And just to give you a little more confidence in your decision. There is a small chain around here that pisses on their competition (they even put a GameStop locale out of business). They seem to do it by making the prices very low (obvious) but when you trade in something the cash they offer is low, but the trade in value is decent. Which insures people trade in their games as opposed to you buying them from them. Which means your stock is always turning over, which means people like me stop in and buy somehting on almost a daily basis since there is always something new.

[digitalpress]

If I'm not mistaken, you're still in your 30s? Did you have any other jobs before this one?

I'm 40. I started at this place when I was 19 and did both full-time work and college for two years. I had a few jobs before that but nothing full time.

@drewbrim: thanks for the advice, that is my plan as well. There will be plenty of current gen stuff there. I understand where the money lies! I've also had some great mentorship from others who run a similar business.

Thanks!

[Goblin]

Goodbye corporate America.

I resigned from my current job last week, my last day is September 9th (how's that, Dreamcast fans?). Full speed ahead!


Congratulations Buddy. I'll miss running into you in the cafeteria and making deals in the parking lot. Although with the location so close I can easily pop over to the shop during lunch. If there is anything I can do to help let me know. (Don't forget you still owe me those CD's/DVDs from the last deal.)

[ianoid]

Oh boy!

It sounds like this is a great location, and I hope you stick to good locations until you find something to rent. Location is everything- it may even be more important than actually having a good store.

I suggest an area with foot traffic AND parking. Since that's really hard to find in 99% of the country, parking and a main street should be big.

And sticking to a reasonably nice neighborhood where you would anticipate you people/families and some small amount of discretionary income would be ideal.

I know you may not want to reveal it, like parents not telling a name before a baby is born, but what are you naming the place?

And have you formed a corporation to manage it? Corporations have huge tax advantages, the least of which includes family health care for you and Liz.

[Amy Rose]

Not sure if rental prices have been mentioned, but here's a formula I've stolen from a local game store if you were going to do rentals.

Basically, everything in the store is the same price ($6.50AUD), but depending on the platform, you get more days to play it. Eg. PS2 games are 2 nights, Mega Drive games are 5 nights. The longer it's been out, the longer you get to take it home.

Just throwing an idea in the pot. It's awesome you finally found an ideal place :) Also, if it used to be a comic and toy store, you'd have the same type of crowd occasionally looking for the old store, right? We all know how much gamers love comics and toys. Hell, you could even think about stocking some game toys and stuff in the future (if you haven't already).

[Jed]

Congrats, I'll have to take a little trip up to check it out. It's really not that far from me when you compare it to where other people are.

Oh, and if you're hiring, let me know. :P

[PDorr3]

Im on long island NY so I will definitly be taking a trip out there one day :)

[NoahsMyBro]

On the one hand, every time I drove past Outer Limits I wanted to check it out, and was disappointed when I saw it had closed, and I'd never made the time. On the other hand, your shop is going to be within about 20 minutes from me, and closer to my office and my in-laws, so NJ Classics and NAVAs will be easier than they've ever been for me!

I can't wait to check out your store.