First Pics of The Upcoming "DP Videogames" Store!

[gcl1984]

Wow...place looks perfect. I live minutes from Clifton,this is gonna be great.
I usually get some free time on the weekends, I'm pretty handy and have a truck. Let me know if you need help and I'll do what I can.

Good Luck

[fpbrush]

That's one hell of a nice building find.

Maybe Joe should post a picture of it in the finds thread LOL


Ok guys, I thought it was funny!

[digitalpress]

Mapquest estimates about a 30 min. drive for me, are you hiring yet, and if so, what's the minimum age that your going to hire(Just wondering, I'm a teen with an ok job).

It will be awhile before I'm hiring anyone. I'm planning on running things solo for the first six months or so. Be sure to stop into the store after it opens and introduce yourself.


Have you considered adding a section to the website to serve as a resource for customers? It would probably be a royal pain to maintain an online inventory, but people might really dig it. Also, branching out into online sales would probably be extremely profitable, but perhaps overwhelming considering the size of this community.

If the store ever gets slow I'll branch into the online world. I will be focusing on the location itself for quite awhile before I can consider this, however.


My one word of adivice would be to go all out by way of security. A chain fence for that front window, maybe even some dort of paid security or alarm, espeacially with those skylights (which are just plain cool).

There's a built in alarm system that I just need to have activated, I'll also be adding security cameras. I'm using Sean Kelly's process for this as well - he can monitor any of his cameras from any PC with a web browser.


Seconding the notion of keeping displays away from windows, to reduce sun bleaching; I would suugest having promotional displays near the window; sort of displays that you change periodically. Perhaps promotional posters on the windows that are disposable.

Did you know that they make a clear UV window protector that sticks to the inside of the glass? This is a MUST for any store, it's certainly going to be used in mine. I'm pretty anal about stuff like this, and faded games in a front window are a pet peeve.


It's going to take alot of inventory to make that store look alive (are you selling other stuff, DVD's?). How about gaming magazines (new and old), they could fill space anyways.

Oh definitely on the magazines. In fact I'm planning on carrying the "old and new" philosophy with this section as well, so you'll be able to pick up some vintage magazines from the rack as well as newer stuff. I'm also planning on doing DVDs but not music CDs. I may be selective on what DVDs I take as well.

As for inventory, I'm pretty well covered. I purchased most of what our member World of Games had in his store, plus I'm parting with a substantial piece of my collection, thousands of games in fact.

I really want this place to be the kind of place you walk into and can find things that you can't find anywhere else except possibly eBay :)

Thanks for the input, all!

[GrandAmChandler]

Joe looks like you have most things pretty covered! Beware of the cheapy common DVDs, the Gamestops are ridden with them! Used Dvds can be a tricky part of business, but definitely goes hand-in-hand with the type of clientel (sp?) you are attracting.

[NESaholic]

Wow man what a great place man,looks big also,best of luck with it. :D

[Goblin]

I really want this place to be the kind of place you walk into and can find things that you can't find anywhere else except possibly eBay :)

This is exactly the what I'd expect from your store. I can imagine you carrying some of the following obscure items:

JAMMA Boards and super guns
Bit Sets
Circuit Boards to make homebrews
Prototypes
Various hobbiest released products: such cuttle carts, Various flash carts for classics (nothing modern that would get you into trouble with suppliers)
Modified consoles: mini colecos, classics with AV/S-video mods.

Maybe not so big a market, but it would definately differentiate your store from the rest. Not that it wouldn't be unique enough already but you get my point.

And then for my personal shopping, I'd love to see you carry sizable inventories of TG-16 and 8-bit atari.

Looking forward to the opening....

[Videogamerdaryll]

Holy Shit!!..That's awesome!!

Right in Clifton..Man I'll be there all the time..

...............
EDIT..
I have some items I can give you that you might like to use in the store..XBox Promotional items...

[NESVIDIOT]

So I was just checking out the location of the new store via Google earth, when I got curious. How long does it take you to drive from home to work now Joe?? It looks like it is quite a ways away. Not to mention the fact that the area is heavily populated. At first I was curious to see if it was a distance I could travel, but I live in western Canada, which makes it nearly impossible. :(
Maybe someday.....
Beautiful looking setup! The potential is limitless!
Go hard Joe.....
and definately GAME ON.
All the best to ya!

[digitalpress]

So I was just checking out the location of the new store via Google earth, when I got curious. How long does it take you to drive from home to work now Joe??

It's 15 miles from my home. Takes between 20 and 25 minutes.

[Sinteres]

I admire all who take the plunge and start their own business, especially when they do as many before them have and be the sole "paid" (which can be used loosely at times at the beginning in some cases) employee until things get off the ground. However given your resume I am sure this is nothing less than a dream job, and that you will be able to survive the stress. Plus you can catch up on your gaming when its slow!

While I can't speak for crap on the location due to not being in the area besides rarely to visit family, the store itself looks like a very nice find, especially the basement, very nice indeed.

[klausien]

I may be selective on what DVDs I take as well.

Please do so, for your own best interests. In the area where your store will be located, I can see the prospect of plenty of individuals stealing crap DVDs and trying to pawn them off to you in their quest for that copy of Madden.

A game store is not a pawn shop. This is something that many fail to understand.

Also, will you be implementing a system in which "completeness" is stressed with trade-ins (save for maybe cartridge games)? We need a place where the PSX section is not just a pile of generic cases.

[TheSmirk]

Awesome! The space, the layout, the basement! And the fact that I used to frequent Outer Limits quite a bit when I still lived in NJ makes the fact that you are now there VERY weird :) in a good way!

Joe, looking real good! Best of luck!