Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 24

Thread: playntrade videogames

  1. #1
    Strawberry (Level 2) ncman071's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    small town, north carolina
    Posts
    546
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    3
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    6
    Thanked in
    6 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    ncman071

    Default playntrade videogames

    for those of you familiar with this store, does it seem like their franchise is starting to go under altogether??

    i knew of three stores in the wake county area in north carolina that all went under within just a couple of years of opening.....one of those stores always seemed to be busy whenever i went there....then all of a sudden i show up on a saturday afternoon a while back and its closed.

    just curious how these stores might be doing in your area??

    it really sucks to see those types of retro stores go under...

  2. #2
    ServBot (Level 11) davidbrit2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Southwest Michigan, USA
    Posts
    3,860
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    We've got one in Grand Rapids that seems to be doing okay, as far as I can tell. In fact, I'm planning to make a trip there later today.

  3. #3
    Insert Coin (Level 0) CrazyGamesDude's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Posts
    24
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by davidbrit2 View Post
    We've got one in Grand Rapids that seems to be doing okay, as far as I can tell. In fact, I'm planning to make a trip there later today.
    lol, I'm in Grand Rapids too and I was about to say the same thing. Small world!

  4. #4
    I can has MOAR DS? Custom rank graphic
    PapaStu's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Bay Area, Ca | 2125 miles from Chicagoland
    Posts
    8,683
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    PapaStu

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ncman071 View Post
    for those of you familiar with this store, does it seem like their franchise is starting to go under altogether??

    i knew of three stores in the wake county area in north carolina that all went under within just a couple of years of opening.....one of those stores always seemed to be busy whenever i went there....then all of a sudden i show up on a saturday afternoon a while back and its closed.

    just curious how these stores might be doing in your area??

    it really sucks to see those types of retro stores go under...

    Privately held franchises don't have much in common across a state, let alone state lines. Someone putting a store in a bad area, not selling much doesn't mean that the 'company' as a whole is going down.
    Because it makes no attempt to be great, it is therefore extremely great.
    Some of My Game Collection
    Mah Mac n' Cheese Blog

  5. #5
    Strawberry (Level 2) ncman071's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    small town, north carolina
    Posts
    546
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    3
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    6
    Thanked in
    6 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    ncman071

    Default

    oh i realize that the company may not go down altogether....i was just curious about how the other playntrade stores are doing...the ones in my area seemed to be in a good area but didnt last.

    i know a lot of its lasting ability has to do with demographics, etc.

  6. #6
    Pac-Man (Level 10) Dangerboy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Posts
    2,744
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    1
    Thanked in
    1 Post

    Default

    There's three or 4 in the Chicago area. The two closest to me are run by a douche bag and they are clearly in trouble. Their stock hasn't changed in 2 years, and they are selling new hardware with added accessories at losses (a 360 4g New with tossed in hdmi is like $180).

    The two furthest from my house seem to be owned by a different person, and while the service was much better there, and the employees seem like actual gamers running a store, there are small hints that they too are in trouble.

    A friend who worked at GC before they closed applied to a PnT , and walked out midway through the interview process when he realized how they handle certain situations.

    YMMV.

  7. #7
    Pac-Man (Level 10) Custom rank graphic
    buzz_n64's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    San Diego, CA
    Posts
    2,378
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    1
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    2
    Thanked in
    2 Posts
    PSN
    buzz_retro64

    Default

    They have just opened one up in San Diego less than a year ago, and it seems to be doing better than most other game stores.

  8. #8
    Pac-Man (Level 10) vintagegamecrazy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Tryin' to smell the color 9
    Posts
    2,504
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    There's a Pnt about 20 miles from me and it's not a bad store. The employees are pretty easy to deal with and are all gamers. Their stock is really low though and they seem to only have a few games for each system. Hopefully they get more in over time because their prices are reasonable too.
    If they made a movie out of your top five worst sins, what would it be rated?

    Check out my list of trades on GameTZ Link

  9. #9
    Strawberry (Level 2) ncman071's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    small town, north carolina
    Posts
    546
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    3
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    6
    Thanked in
    6 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    ncman071

    Default

    i remember the 3 playntrades i visited seemed to have very little in stock except for one that always seemed to have a nice selection.....i remember seeing a virtual boy, a couple saturns, and even a jaguar @ that particular location.

    i remember the owner told me they weren't exactly trade ins..he was ordering them off of ebay and trying to turn a profit....

    i just dont think there are enough people into vintage games to make a retro game store successful at least in my area

  10. #10
    Cherry (Level 1) kafa111's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    253
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    one closed near me in fairfax, now there are no game stores but gamestop anywhere near me T_T
    meoooooowers

  11. #11
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Tucson, AZ
    Posts
    32
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    here in Tucson we had 3 that i know of and 1 went under in less than a year (Location issue) one was in a mall and they broke away from the franchise tag and are still operating just under a different name. The other one is struggling from the looks of it. Just not sure if a franchise is such a good thing. People who get into them seem to have a get rich quick mentality and its not really like that in the video game industry. Maybe McDonalds or other companies but even then you dont see profit for at least 2 or 3 years.

  12. #12
    Arcade Card Compatible Custom rank graphic
    todesengel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    River Ridge, LA
    Posts
    1,206
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    1
    Thanked in
    1 Post

    Default

    There was a Play N Trade about 20 minutes away from me that closed up some time last summer. Had tons of great stuff when it first opened up around early 2008 but then gradually had less and less until it seemed like the same stuff for the last year it was open.

  13. #13
    Great Puma (Level 12) Custom rank graphic
    Tupin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    4,469
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    1
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    10
    Thanked in
    10 Posts

    Default

    There's one in the St. Louis area. It seems to do okay, but the clientele they serve doesn't really trade in or buy classic games often so the selection is a bit basic. Modern games have a good selection, though.

  14. #14
    Great Puma (Level 12) Steve W's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    DFW Metroplex, Texas
    Posts
    4,636
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    66
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    43
    Thanked in
    39 Posts

    Default

    Play N Trade stores are independently owned, and if the people who own and run that store aren't good businessmen they can easily go bankrupt. I've seen several Play N Trade stores either move locations or go under. It's a shame, I'll visit a location and find some interesting stuff and the next time I stop by it's a Mexican restaurant or something.

    There's a new Play N Trade supposedly opening up in Plano, TX. They were supposed to open up last fall, but had too many problems and had to delay opening until recently. I was told a month ago that they'd be opening in a couple weeks, so I checked them out last week and they were still not open. I guess I'll check them out next week if I have the chance, maybe they'll have the doors open by then.

  15. #15
    Insert Coin (Level 0)
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    26
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    It's been my experience that the Play N Trade stores tend to be based solely on how their owner (or manager if the owner isn't hands on) handles getting new inventory.

    People just don't bother taking games into Play N Trade to trade in/sell, especially games which are valuable where they know they'll get more on eBay. The stores that I saw stay open the longest were the ones where the manager/owner was always browsing eBay when there was nobody in the store, trying to snatch up huge lots of games to keep their inventory packed.
    - Excellent deals on used video games from the 8 and 16-bit era. Better than eBay prices almost every time!

  16. #16
    I can't change my avatar. Custom rank graphic
    Porksta's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Fairfax, VA
    Posts
    2,755
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    YaoIsGod

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by kafa111 View Post
    one closed near me in fairfax, now there are no game stores but gamestop anywhere near me T_T
    Fairfax VA? Where?
    Like free stuff? I have earned hundreds of dollars in free Amazon gift cards through Swagbucks. Check it out here! Earn 3000 points and I will give you FREE shipping the next time you buy from me!
    http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/Porksta

  17. #17
    Insert Coin (Level 0) MrNelson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Tampa, Florida
    Posts
    78
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    There were 5 stores in a 30 mile radius of my house last year. 2 of them closed up shop due to slow business, one closed because the owner of the building sold it and gave the shop owners a weeks notice, so they didn't have time to secure another location, and one of the stores was purchased by the guys running it and is now owned by them under a different name. So out of the 5, only one remains (technically), and it seems to get pretty decent business, although it sucks that it's the farthest one from my house.

  18. #18
    Ghostbuster
    Greg2600's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Soprano Land, NJ
    Posts
    3,967
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    9
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    62
    Thanked in
    57 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    Greg2600

    Default

    I visited the one in I think West Caldwell, NJ, couple years ago, out of curiosity. I found it to have an insufficient selection of both classic and modern games. Workers had absolutely no clue about systems older than the PS2.
    The Paunch Stevenson Show free Internet podcast - www.paunchstevenson.com - DP FEEDBACK

  19. #19
    Banned

    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    New Jersey USA
    Posts
    7,498
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    achika
    PSN
    portnoyd

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Greg2600 View Post
    I visited the one in I think West Caldwell, NJ, couple years ago, out of curiosity. I found it to have an insufficient selection of both classic and modern games. Workers had absolutely no clue about systems older than the PS2.
    This location. We did find a Tetris DS complete for $25 but that was it.

  20. #20
    Ryu Hayabusa (Level 16) Custom rank graphic
    Oobgarm's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Milford. Ohio.
    Posts
    8,087
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    1
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    Oobgarm
    PSN
    Oobgarm
    Steam
    Oobgarm

    Default

    There's one close to me that is absolutely awful. Their selection is piss poor, they give very little in trade for anything, and stuff is priced way too high. The staff there is the worst I think I've ever dealt with...the owner is totally clueless about gaming in general, and the other 2 workers are dirty, nasty slobs who are bankrupt of social skills, which makes them tremendously unpleasant to deal with. They're usually talking/arguing about WoW.

    They have a constant B2G1 sale on used, but things are marked up so they're not losing anything...you might as well buy those 3 games at GameStop at their prices.

    The owner is a former GS manager, and we've had many at length talks about the business. He asks me for tips and advice since hes not doing well. I tell him that he should hire me to help him out, but he says he doesn't hire anyone. I guess those other 2 guys are family or work for very little pay.

    Best thing is that after all of the talking we've done, he has no idea who I am when I stop back in. He obviously is not creating rapport with his customers, which is disappointing.
    RIP bargora, you will be greatly missed.That is how we do things on Giedion Prime.

Similar Threads

  1. Everything used to be better - not for videogames!
    By lendelin in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 48
    Last Post: 11-18-2020, 04:48 PM
  2. Top Ten Most '90s Videogames
    By MrWhiteRoom in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 01-24-2014, 01:33 PM
  3. BYE! BYE TO MY VIDEOGAMES!!
    By charitycasegreg in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 36
    Last Post: 05-02-2004, 01:43 PM
  4. Now videogames.com is doing it...
    By Gamereviewgod in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 06-23-2003, 10:09 AM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •