Would love to be able to open a store, but I think the hardest thing would
be building up stock. I am really disappointed with the lack of Retro/Used
gaming stores in the VA/MD/DC area. It seems like we just have eStarland
and Gamestop. I would think opening a retro/used game store here that can
compete with eStarland prices would be profitable, especially near metro
access.
Always have decent prices, I recently stopped going to a local shop because
they decided to jack up there prices over 100% per game, it's fine to make
a good profit but you will drive away customers if you are selling games
for above there Ebay prices.
I tried buying a two dollar nes game for my collection at my local retro
game shop. i didnt have any cash so i told him i would be using my debit
card he started laughing (keep in mind this is the owner) and said no im
not gonna do that, it would cost me more to run the card swiper than i
would make on the game, so he lost a customer, thats why customer service
is important.
While that's a shitty way for the owner to handle it putting two bucks on a card really does amount to nearly nothing after transaction costs. A simple "I'll have to charge you an extra 50 cents" will usually be palatable enough for the customer and not make it quite so pointless for the seller.Unlike gas stations or convenience stores that rarely have cred/debit minimums specialty shops don't make up the fees in volume. I'm not knocking you either, I rarely travel with cash but have started keeping $20 handy for small purchases at comic and record shops.
The retro game store in my area just closed, which I'm very sad about. I
rent a small store attached the house my great-grandfather built in the
1940's to a guy who has a meat shop. When his lease expires, I'm thinking
of trying to do a retro game store myself.
You guys say you need to have a massive collection, but you also said
doubles of everything. I don't really have that. Sure, I have over 2000
games, but they're all pretty much just single copies. Is that going to be
a problem when you're just starting out?
You want multiples of things that will sell well, all of the recognizable classics. Otherwise those sell first and if your trade-in business hasn't picked up you've got nothing but sports games and middle to low tier titles for people to browse. You certainly don't need a double/triple/10x of everything.
Another problem I see with many stores is that just because it is Megaman,
Contra, Double Dragon, Mario, Metroid, etc... they overprice the titles by
2-4x of what you really can buy them for. That is just being a greedy piece
shit, not retail price. The upside, is that you get less sought out games
that are amazing for cheap. It still doesn't even out in the long though.
Well said. Location use to mean more... then they look up the game on Ebay and think it goes near those prices. This place went out of business... I wonder why?!?!?!
The Play n Trade I got to (North Carolina) also sells used DVD's. I think
that's a good way to make a bit more of a profit. Also I think it's good to
learn how to repair systems, perhaps get something to resurface discs. And
like it was, CUSTOMER SERVICE. I have a great time talking to the guys my
Play N Trade, but at a Gamestop, it's just pick up and buy. I think that's
why I stopped going there.
+TheTurnipKing True alot of people now are opening up a retro gaming store and competing with Gamestop and other retail stores but they all sell current gens and last gens and of course Gamestop doesn't carry anymore PS2, Gamecube, or Original Xbox games any more and people will ask them if they have those games and they will say nope but i do find some ps2 and gamecube games at other gamestop but they only carry the disc.
+Timothy Kyi Actually, that's how you did it before Gamestop moved into that market sector, drove everyone else out of business and then jacked up their prices.Nothing to do with digital games.
I have a great idea bring back the renting store alot of people might not have enough money to buy games why not let them rent it. That's how we American did for 20 years before digital games took over the internet.