Opening a Game Store UPDATE!

[Kepone]

Looking good! If I ever end up in NJ, I'll check it out.

[punkoffgirl]

That front sign is KICK ASS!

I agree! It came out great

[Videogamerdaryll]

Yes!! That Front Sign Rocks!!

I really need to get my butt over to the store...Thing is you may have to throw me out as I won't want to leave..

[Trade-N-Games]

Looks great I hope all gos well. Just to let you know when Gamestop put the N64 games in the dump bins all of a sudden I had tons of the "KIDS" wanting to sell me games with gamestop stickers on them. I am not just talking a few games i am talking bags of games everyday so be careful with any games out on the floor. MY friend had a great store and alway had lots of newer stuff used from the thiefs and then they just started to bring in even more untill he said he could not take anymore. Well it worked itself out, they said you will take it or we will burn your place down. He did not take that and moved out 1 week later before they had a chance to do harm.

[digitalpress]

Looks great I hope all gos well. Just to let you know when Gamestop put the N64 games in the dump bins all of a sudden I had tons of the "KIDS" wanting to sell me games with gamestop stickers on them. I am not just talking a few games i am talking bags of games everyday so be careful with any games out on the floor. MY friend had a great store and alway had lots of newer stuff used from the thiefs and then they just started to bring in even more untill he said he could not take anymore. Well it worked itself out, they said you will take it or we will burn your place down. He did not take that and moved out 1 week later before they had a chance to do harm.

He moved OUT OF THE STORE because some kids threatened to burn it down? Jesus H. Didn't he have insurance that covered more than what he had on the floor? If someone burns my store down I'm not only in good financial shape but can also take a nice long vacation

[Ed Oscuro]

Ahh, good stuff with the Atari ET sign. Using your original for that, or a reproduction (I sorta hope)?

[Bloodreign]

Hopefully one day this store can branch out and come to Louisiana where I live, we lost our classic gaming shop last year, and since then it's too hard to find some of the old games I'm looking for.

Ebay is a nice option but sometimes I'd like to look a little closer to home.

[digitalpress]

Ahh, good stuff with the Atari ET sign. Using your original for that, or a reproduction (I sorta hope)?

It's an original. You can get 'em for six bucks or less on eBay.

[Trade-N-Games]

Looks great I hope all gos well. Just to let you know when Gamestop put the N64 games in the dump bins all of a sudden I had tons of the "KIDS" wanting to sell me games with gamestop stickers on them. I am not just talking a few games i am talking bags of games everyday so be careful with any games out on the floor. MY friend had a great store and alway had lots of newer stuff used from the thiefs and then they just started to bring in even more untill he said he could not take anymore. Well it worked itself out, they said you will take it or we will burn your place down. He did not take that and moved out 1 week later before they had a chance to do harm.

He moved OUT OF THE STORE because some kids threatened to burn it down? Jesus H. Didn't he have insurance that covered more than what he had on the floor? If someone burns my store down I'm not only in good financial shape but can also take a nice long vacation

Well its a long story but him and his mother in law started the store and then he opened a second store about 100 miles away and his mother in law stayed and ran the store. She started to get personal threats when she would not buy the stuff and was worried. Then they were starting to bring in like 12 of each game and they could not move it.
Yes I have had 4 years of good luck at my store and so far all 4 years of insurance has cost me about $1000 a year and the way i look at if something happens when I am closed that will be the best sale after hours I will ever have. I hear of so many business owners without insurance and it just makes me wonder what they were thinking. I have 2 rooms at my store, the main used games room and my game center and I have 2 cameras in each room with a live feed so my customers can see themselfs so they know they are being watched.

[digitalpress]

I hear of so many business owners without insurance and it just makes me wonder what they were thinking. I have 2 rooms at my store, the main used games room and my game center and I have 2 cameras in each room with a live feed so my customers can see themselfs so they know they are being watched.

I wouldn't have even considered doing this without insurance or forming a corporation to bear any brunt of litigation and with completely separate monetary assets from my family.

I've got four cameras in the store as well, constantly recording activity.

The first week at the store has been great - far exceeding my expectations, and it's obvious that word of mouth is getting around.

Wish I could document more of the first week, hopefully I'll have some time on Sunday when the store hours are shorter!

[dan2357]

Just wondering what most trade in are from? I am guessing later systems, but have you gotten any say Atari aged stuuf yet? People see store rember it sitting in basement figure they sell it........

[Griking]

I didn't read the entire thread (there's 19 pages) but I was curious of your sell prices were the same, more, or less than those in your DP Guide. Also, does it make it any harder to be impartial when you list a game's rarity and value onlone now that you now make a living buying and selling used games

[Sebastian]

so how is the store doing so far?

[dan2357]

I didn't read the entire thread (there's 19 pages) but I was curious of your sell prices were the same, more, or less than those in your DP Guide. Also, does it make it any harder to be impartial when you list a game's rarity and value onlone now that you now make a living buying and selling used games

I would not imangine giveing someone more then half of book for something (and thats bing gen). The guides are a collectors price, if someone wants bbok value for it they should do the work and hunt down a collector to sell it to. Bringging something to a retail store to sell, you know your not going to get top dollar.
I rember back in my days of baseball cards and such, to get half book value from a shop was a good day.

And whos to say joe hasn't been planning this for a while and has slowly been lowering the values in the guides? Only to publish ver 10 with the correct values, after his store is stocked with goodness...jk

[Griking]

Actually I was wondering if the price that he sells his game at in his store were the same as those in the guide, not the price that he puys them for.

[hydr0x]

Actually I was wondering if the price that he sells his game at in his store were the same as those in the guide, not the price that he puys them for.

of course not (i think), those prices in the book reflect the price you have to pay if you SEARCH for the games. Going to visit the DP store to grab some deals i wouldn't call hunting/searching. I guess in fact he has a standard price on sth like loose snes games except the known valuable games..

[jajaja]

Dont know. He do sell the guide in the store tho. So people can read it and see the prices. And if they see that a game is more expencive than the guide they might wonder. On th other hand, many of the prices are out of date.

[digitalpress]

Actually I was wondering if the price that he sells his game at in his store were the same as those in the guide, not the price that he puys them for.

No, the pricing in the guide and the pricing in the store are two different things, though I often consult our book when I'm not sure on pricing. Remember - the book is a COLLECTOR's guide, it's clearly written in the preface that the values listed are the "lowest possible without insulting another collector" in a trade. My store prices, on the other hand, are FAIR RETAIL values. They're well below eBay but often higher than the book.

You'll just have to come out and see for yourself I've had plenty of forum members already stop in and buy piles of stuff, citing the good prices. I'm sure you'll hear about some of the "finds" in the store over time!

[Darren870]

What about trade in values?

I think im going to head up in like 2 weeks or so with my brother.

_Darren

[jajaja]

Do you have another job besides the gamestore or can you make a living just from the store? Running a gamestore sounds really cool and living from it must be a dream come true