Anyone or Anything in or around Nashville? TN?

[PSerge]

Hi all,

Any other DPers from Nashville or TN??

I see all these conventions in New England, Washington State, California... but is there anything in Nashville? Or anywhere in the South at all? If not, any collectors around Nashville?

Thanks.

[LAGO]

I don't know of any events in or around Nashville, but I live around Knoxville. That makes the total for game collector's in TN around 2.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

If Tulsa isn't too much of a haul, the Oklahoma Video Gaming Exhibition (OVGE (www.ovge.com)) is on August 19th.

[PSerge]

Well, mapquest says it's 9 and 1/2 hours away... I don't think that's too far... But I don't know... I missed the convention in Cincinnati this year, that would have been much closer... But we'll see.... Thanks for the info..

[DreamTR]

I'll be in moving to the Nashville area in around 18 months....that will make it up to 3!

There's also a pretty good store up north of Nashville....Sean Kelly's brother's store, but I have never been there...

[PSerge]

DreamTR,

Do you know what city the store is in? I'm always looking for new places to look for games... I have traveled through half of the little towns around here with some success, but any help would be greatly appreciated.... What brings you to Nashville?

[venturousviking]

I used to live around the Knoxville area from 92-95 and I remember a classic gaming event up there that occurred every year. Never attended but the guy's first name that held the event was Jayson Hill or something like that??

Anyone else remember this?

[DreamTR]

I'm going to move to Nashville to get a house and start the whole family thing.

Gallaton is where the store is.

[LAGO]

I've been to Gallatin, a few years back. Do you happen to know what the name of the store is?

[PSerge]

letsallgameon,

I believe the game store in Gallatin is called Video Games Etc. Here is the info I pulled for yellowpages.com..

Video Games Etc
179 Hancock St, Gallatin
Gallatin, TN

(615) 451-6933 They don't open til 11 a.m. most days.sometimes it's 11:30 or so.

I actually went there about two or three months ago... I found a few things I needed... They are the only store I have found in TN with TurboGrafx 16 games, although I didn't buy any when I went... They also have a large selection of about any kind of game you could be looking for... They even had a Vectrex, but it was pricey and I don't know what they are worth... It looked cool though.
Hope this helps...

[LAGO]

If you ever make it over to Knoxville they have a game store there called Game Haven. They don't go as far back as he Vectrex but you can snag some older games on occasion.

They do carry older stuff but I believe it just goes along a whatever a person trades in kind of thing.

[PSerge]

I went to a place in Cookeville called Game Haven, I think it might be similiar... Do you know where the Knoxville Game Haven is located? I was already planning a trip to Knoxville sometime this month to visit a friend? Any help with game stores that carry NES, SNES, or TurboGrafx stuff would be appreciated....

Thanks.

[LAGO]

I believe that's owned by the same people. If you're going on a weekend, Saturday, they don't open until 7pm. Strangest hours i've ever seen for a store. I can't remember the hours for sunday.

[DreamTR]

I went to 8 different game stores when I was out there...Rhino Video Games, Game Traders, Great Escapes, some weird hybrid music store with games in Murfreesboro in the same shipping center as Rhino, Digital Planet, and I think that was it...

I ended up with a LOT of good sealed stuff, this was also around the time as the Xmas TRU sale, so I spent around $800 there, and ended up with $1200 total, so $400 in profit...

[blissfulnoise]

The Great Escape in Nashville used to carry all kinds of stuff back when I lived around there. Obviously music focused, but they had lots of books, video games, and movies too.

This was 8 some-old years ago though.

I may have to look you up DreamTR and see if I can pay for the nickle tour of your collection if you'd allow it. I'm in Clarksville, Tennessee pretty much every Christmas and it's a short drive into the city.

[PSerge]

Great Escape is still a great place to go... Sometimes they are a little pricier, depending on what you are buying..
Picked up a few R5's for the NES, for 7-8 bucks a piece, got my Virtual Boy there ( missing the stand though)...
They actually have three locations now, one in Nashville, one in Madison ( just north of Nashville), and one in Bowling Green KY about an hour away...

Yeah I have to agree with you Blissfulnoise, I would love to pay for the nickel tour to see DreamTR's collection. Hell I'd pay more.

[DreamTR]

Well, it's going to be 12-18 months before it makes it out there ;) You guys are more than welcome to see it.

[PSerge]

Well, 12-18 months huh? I hope you are ready for nashville.. It's different around here... People around here think it's a big city, but it doesn't have all the big city things to do....

I would love to see your collection, thanks... I guess waiting will be the hard part... 12-18 months is a long time.

[PSerge]

BUMP... BUMP...

[mb7241]

I'm in Cleveland, TN...about 2 1/2 hours (160 miles) from Nashville, and (depending on traffic) about 45 minutes (75 miles) from Knoxville... I knew I couldn't be the only collector in these parts...

[starfox316]

Hey, Im in the Nashville area too. Great Escape is decent enough, the Madison location is also close to a place called Game Trader (overpriced like a mother@@#) but all those stores are hit and miss. I've had success with Yard Sales though in Hermitage, Franklin and other places. Think middle-upper class suberbs and you'll do fine. I rely mostly on yard sales, ebay and monthly store run-throughs to get my stuff. It's too bad that Game Crazy, Game Stop etc. has stopped carrying the old-gen games. You should also try out by MTSU in Murfreesboro. All the kids out there have good yard sales, plus like 5 game stores in a 5 mile radius, you can get mad selection out there, but don't expect many deals. Don't give in though, I'd start in M'boro. Good Luck!

[DreamTR]

There are lots of places in Murfreesboro because it's a college town, Game Trader, three music places with games, and some game store in the same shopping center next to the RHino.

PSserge: That Game Trader in Madison, I picked up a buttload of sealed Tech Romancers for DC and Resident Evil Gaidens and Shantaes for GBC awhile back. I even got a discount on them because If I am going in there and taking their dead stock, I want a good deal= )

[Alucard79]

I'm just north of Memphis. So were up to like 5 people now. Not much around here either except some yard sales, flea markets, and a few good pawn shops.

[PSerge]

Bump..

Anyone else from TN?

[DreamTR]

Where are the best flea markets within a 30 mile radius? Any good fleas out there without a game store?

[PSerge]

Well, I wouldn't call any of our local flea markets great, but
there are a few okay ones.

The biggest in the Nashville Flea Market once a month at the Nashville Fairgrounds.. It's huge... Not a lot of gaming stuff there... But a lot of neat older stuff, mixed in with newer stuff..

There is a Flea Market in Lebanon called Cedars of Lebanon or something like that...It's only open Fri, Sat, and Sunday.. it's near a State Park, it's pretty good... Only 2 or 3 dealers have games, but I have found a few good deals there... Most of them charge $3 a game for NES, and $5 or so for anything else... Never seen any thing older than NES there though.

I do have some luck at local, flea markets/ junk stores.. They call themselves flea markets, but they are really shops that let dealers set up and they sell the stuff for the dealers... They are open 10-5 everyday... Nothing special there, but some wonderful antique furniture and a few small game finds... Mainly cheap stuff to resale on EBay..
My favorite is called.. Phoenix Flea Market in Old Hickory TN.. It's easy to find and not to big... Only takes me about 30 minutes to walk the whole place and check it out.

I can't think of any others right now... But I haven't been going to Flea Markets much lately... Pregnant wife is keeping me busy.... That and Ebay... Been selling some of my collection to pay for a new laptop.

Hope this Helps DreamTR..

[DreamTR]

PSerge: Thanks for the info, reason I ask is because I need to find a location for my store sometime next year. I wanted to start a flea market type space before I go all in on a brick and mortar store, OR I have an investor. I think to be honest, I'd rather just manage a brick and mortar and bring in the money and run the place then have to deal with the stress of having the actual funds to START the business!

PSerge: IN your honest opinion, what areas do you think NEED or are looking for more gaming vendors?

[PSerge]

Well, Murfreesboro doesn't need anything..

Antioch used to have a game store, but a new cashier was shot and killed for a PSP. So the owner closed shop..

Madison/Rivergate has two game stores.. Great Escape and Game Trader...

Ohh yeah, I'm not counting GameStop/EB/GameCrazy as game stores by the way...

The west side of Nashville has nothing.. But there's not much out there but the rich folks...

I'd love to see a new shop, where?? I really don't know.. Let me think on that one... If you ever driven around Nashville you know the city is all messed up.. The rivers around here section the city into areas.. and they won't build the bridges to make the city more accessible.

Antioch/South/Southeast Nashville would be a prime location but I don't know... there is a lot of violence there..


I'm going to think on this on for a few days and I will update you on what I think Nashville could use...
Any area of town would be fine with me... I am dying for a good game store... Great Escape is pretty good, but I never have time to make it there. and their closed on Sunday. Video Game Etc. in Gallatin in good but far...

[DreamTR]

I hear about all the violence too. It's hard to tell where to really place one. Antioch has the only decent arcade, some pool place near a TRU.

VGRX in Cleveland is in a not so desirable area, but I hear it does well there.

Video Games Etc is Sean Kelly's brother's store. I really need to make it out there next time I visit TN.

Keep scouting out, I prefer a flea market area where people want/need games.

You said West Nashville is mostly rich folks? Any idea if there are any EBS or GStops in that vicinity?

[Nate Nanjo]

Hmm, I have a sister near the area. Might need to visit if you have a store. Since, well nothing is in my area.

[PSerge]

DreamTR,

Are you wanting a flea market booth that is weekends only that you have to be there with? or a flea market rental booth? where the owners run the place and all you have to do is bring the stuff in and price it..

If you are wanting a weekend type flea market that you set up and run... There is a monthly one at the Nashville/ Tennessee State Fairgrounds, normally the last weekend of the month.. Friday 12-8, all day saturday and sunday. that is pretty big.. I don't know how well you would do, but I believe it has the most potential..

[DreamTR]

PSerge: I am looking for both, any others in mind? The rental ones sound better where I will have to be there. The permanent ones.

That Tennessee State one might be more antiques/collectables, we have something similar to that, The Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, there's nary a game in site almost, so it's hard to tell if that's because no one tries, or the people that tried did not do as well.

[Roehm21]

I gotta bump this thread back to life. My family just moved to a small town east of Knoxville. For some reason I can't any game stores that sell older games(NES, SNES, GB, PSone, etc..). If anyone might have any suggestions let me know. Also I know absolutely no gamers in this area other than my wife :p.

Peace.
Dan W.

[aronnov]

any one have any updates on good flea markets or stores?