I thought about it, but I would probably want to keep have the stuff that came in for my collection, so my business would fail lol.
I thought about it, but I would probably want to keep have the stuff that came in for my collection, so my business would fail lol.
At this point my dream job would be to have a position that has nothing to do with the public ever again.
honestly, i love working with people, even the dickbags.
but still, i don't think i could get a game store to work around here, there's two major ones, and a third that kinda does games, but mostly movies and music.
part of that is that i'd have a hard time selling some of the stuff.
the other part is that one of the game specialty stores is too awesome to compete with, aside from occasional overpricing and lack of inventory
No, I like being able to afford food.
The whole existence of Stone Age Gamer is because of a dream. Not really a dream in the since of something I was working towards or hoping for, but I had a dream one night about opening an online classic gaming store. Next day I told me fiancée (wife now) that I wanted to do it and would she be for it. She agreed.
Our initial investment was only about $5000 of our money. We have put more money in over the years, but every year since we have opened our sales have gone up considerably each year. We have not had to rely on income from Stone Age Gamer so we just put the money we make back into it and are letting it mature.
I would say if it something you really want to do, start off online first and keep a part-time or full-time job. The risk is significantly less this way. If you can build your online business up to help support your new brick and mortar store then you will be in a much better situation and will be more likely to get a loan from the bank if needed.
It would be cool to own a videogame store, but I owned a couple of comic book stores during the early '90s and will never again go into retail ownership. I liked the work well enough, and most of the customers were pretty cool (though we did have our fair share of drooling idiots), but I didn't like the feeling of being "on duty" 24-7. Sure, I took time off, but I always had the feeling in the back of my mind that I was on call. Plus, cash flow was always an issue. It's a huge responsibility, one that I don't care to take on these days.
Pretty much every family member or family friend says that I've definitely got the knowledge and personality to own and operate a game shop, but I'm not too sure. My uncle has tried to get me to seriously consider opening up a shop, but he assumes that I'd be selling my own collection. Which isn't happening-- At least, not right now.
Which means that I'd have to build up a stock of games. Which means spending a lot of money, in addition to all of the other expenses that will come with a business like this.
Honestly, I'd love to be able to sell games for a living. I just don't have the cash or the time right now.
I worked with Anime DVDs back when people still paid for anime and it was not bad. You do find yourself turning slowly into Comic Book Guy and banning people from your store. When people figured out torrents, the anime business was done. I really enjoyed conventions and meeting people. One of the most rewarding parts was that people actually listened to you and those who cared about the hobbie became friends. But alas the economy is in the crapper, the goverment makes it diffiicult for the little guy (property taxed doubled here this year) and video giants take a huge dump on your head.
Personally, I'd work on this first. And I'm not being snarky. Just that it's not fair to them that you go out seeking your dreams and profits while they have to fund it.Originally Posted by Eduardo
I think that it would all depend on the area you're in, how many game stores are already there and how many people in town that are looking for games on a regular basis. In my entire county there are around 100,000 people (I think), but I'm sure that <150 of those people are searching for NES and SNES games, and I think I'm being generous with that number. Even major stores like Game Crazy and Gamestop are going out of business because more and more people are finding what they need online. 95% of the time, you can find what you're looking for online through eBay, Amazon, forums, etc, but the chance of finding that one thing you need at the local store is very slim most times, and it's often more expensive.
So, I believe that opening a storefront is a bad idea, but if you're looking to get into the video game business, online is where it's at.
I've actually read into the process for opening a Play N Trade, which seems to be the best idea in this situation. Sadly, there's a lot working against you if you go down that road. My local PnT (Oldsmar, FL) has been gone for a few months now, though I've heard rumors that it just moved (not what the PnT website says).
They claim that the upfront costs to start up a new franchise location is $200,000. I think this might include purchasing a storefront, not renting, and assuming a good buyer's market for real estate.
From what I learned about their supply chain from the owner, you order the retro games in units. If you ask for NES games, they send you an assortment. I don't believe they have a system where you can ask for a particular title. The bargain bin seemed to be full of common games that didn't move, even though they were priced well. The rare games will sell in the store, but I would make it a habit to eBay the common titles on a weekly basis.
They don't seem to have the supply chain to sell new consoles, or the shipping rates to stock oversize products like Rock Band.
GameStop has the supply chain and the capability to stay ahead, but GameStop isn't a "friendly" business. You're buying a brand and conforming to their specifications. If you just want to sell current stuff, that's the way to go.
I honestly think that the Play N Trade franchise would be excellent if you could do better than GameStop. They don't seem to get products in time for midnight releases, but you could hold tournaments and events on release day. If you offer more for trades and sell for less than GameStop, you could get their business, but your profit margins will be lower. The retro stuff, however, could offset it if you use eBay right. Tell your customers about your eBay storefront, list all the retro stuff and common titles you want to get rid of, and offer local pickup as a shipping option.
Me too. My assessment went the other way though. Every PnT place that has managed to stay open around me puts their best stuff on eBay anyway... You are better off on your own without a franchise at this point. DP franchises have been brought up a few times, but AFAIK, that's about it.
The internet business run out of a closet has more appeal to me honestly.
Overhead is killer. Wonder why most places charge over eBay or at parity? We'll, if they didn't, they couldn't exist.
Last edited by Icarus Moonsight; 07-04-2010 at 05:20 PM.
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I dream about running my own video game store. You would figure it would be succesful, with all the collectors and what not.
The reality is, I think, just not realistic. I live in Chicago, and there are 3 places that I can think of that have their own store. For the most part, the guys are getting by, but that's it.
Just think of all the different types of collectors there are: TG16, NEO GEO, RPG guys, old school Nintendo, imports, etc.
What I'm getting at is this: We are a niche audience with several niche's within.
The place I go to in Chicago is great for getting old controllers or wires, etc. They do have games, but the pickin's are usually thin.
I dream it, but wouldn't buy into it.
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