Ever want your own videogame store? well I'm doing it!

r4p1d · Post by **r4p1d** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:25 pm

Honestly man I'm 16 years old, going to school for business, arts, and music. Planning on becoming a audio designer for multiple game studios across the U.S. Although I hope eventually to open up my own store "Play N Trade". I'm 16, supposed to be 18 to work there and I'm working at a game store as a console technician and repair guy. I'm saying this is the franchise you want to get into. Your store would have 8 32 inch lcd tv's, tournaments every saturday, a try before you buy game policy. Not to mention I have probably played every game in the store, so when a customer asks, I have an answer, don't you wish it was like that for you when you are looking for a game? The type of employees you will be getting would be kids like me. I'm looked as a game mentor just as all my other friends/fellow employees are. I hope to make my life go as well as I can and make the money I would like to make (150k or more) And I am already going after it. Look into the franchise and get back to me, I'll try to help you as much as I can.

Post by **Triton** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:47 pm

im really going to make this my own thing and my own theme, i want absolute freedom to do what i want and a franchise is not going to do that for me, plus did you mean 200k to afford to open the franchise plus training etc? thats more than 4x what i expect to have invested initially in my store including the building and renovations! reasonably including the building renovations and initial stock if i had 60k to spend to do it i would be set

Kyo · Post by **Kyo** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 2:55 am

Yeah, but console repairs aren't a half bad idea...

Post by **Triton** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:35 am

already been considered, will probably offer that service (or take broken systems as a slight credit towards new ones then sell them as parts or repair on ebay lol)

Sharp Sapphire · Post by **Sharp Sapphire** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:18 pm

Hey, if you'd like a barcode system (I can provide the barcode reader and the code) for the store, i'd code it for you! I almost have one done (I just need to put the pieces of code together)

Post by **Triton** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:42 pm

i have been giving thought to a barcode/label system for the store, i think they make/sell barcode lable printers and readers. would be interested in seeing what you have tho

Sharp Sapphire · Post by **Sharp Sapphire** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:48 pm

It is a cuecat scanner with custom software made by me

Post by **Triton** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:39 pm

interesting! after looking into it ive figured my best bet would be setting up a point of sale system, basically a computer with a barcode scanner, thermal receipt printer, cash drawer and a thermal barcode/label printer. the computer i already have and all of the above combined would only be a few hundred at most judging by ebay prices. right now trying to figure out what software to use or to have someone make some for me. quickbooks Point of sale software would do everything i would ever need but hell if im going to pay 800-1200$ for JUST the software! (the software plus CC reader printer scanner etc is like 1500)

Kyo · Post by **Kyo** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:17 am

Yeah, don't forget to add a system that'll stop people from stealing from you!

Kenny_McCormic · Post by **Kenny_McCormic** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:56 pm

What state are you located in? Some of those cities sound familiar.

Post by **Triton** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:49 pm

the oh so middle of the countryish state of iowa. home of several b list celebrities and stuff that happened a long time ago and nobody cares about, and corn!

johnbjuice · Post by **johnbjuice** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:04 pm

I recommend taking the gamers' approach to the whole thing - don't stock the crap shovel-ware titles, only the good stuff. Buy and sell used games slightly better (cheaper) than Gamestop does. Stock older stuff. KNOW YOUR PRODUCTS! (I love going to GS and asking what the person recommends I buy based on the last games I bought...and watching them SQUIRM) Use your knowledge to your advantage, recommending what you know is good. SELL R4 UNITS (and be discreet about how to use them...arrest is bad).

The best of luck! Gamestop is an evil dictatorship of crappy shovelware, terrible buy-back prices, and corporate evil all festering while being controlled and tailored to idiots who know nothing about gaming. Anyone here who works there...in the words of Queen...fight from the inside.

- Juice

Post by **Triton** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:38 pm

all of this i am well aware of! i will stock anything and everything i can get my hands on but i know what is and is not crap! plan on stocking R4s and such, discretly and not openly saying LOL PIRATE GAMES ETC. and i know my product damn well as good as near anyone else i own more games than litterally every person i know lol, and i research exhaustivly everything!

one thing people dont seem to pick up on is than in a retail environment i HAVE to tailor my wares to fit the greatest common denominator (for the most part) that means stocking the common popular crap that EVERYBODY wants but i wont foget the little guy (the ones like me) who want that uncommon oddball unusual stuff, its just a LOT less popular and harder to sell is all. it IS a business and sales are king

Kyo · Post by **Kyo** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 6:42 am

get M3 reals, they're better

Also, if you start selling flashcarts, I would advise you to sell ÂµSD-cards as well.

extremesonic · Post by **extremesonic** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 5:45 pm

I'm not sure if the hassle would be worth it, but perhaps some sort of rental system. A microplay(not the microplay franchise, it was self-owned, but had the name years before) in my local area used to rent out all games, retro included, and I loved it.

Of course like I said, there is the hassle of setting it up, some sort of rental card, and making sure people don't rent and run.

Setting up some pre-deposit system for rentals(retail - rental fee. so the deposit + rental fee = the retail price, or something like this), so you don't have guys running off, and even if they do run off with it you still have the money equaling a sale.

Also having lists of games/products thats hard to see from the customers side, or games w/o boxes, of what you have is very nice. Makes it easier for people to see what older games you have, and prevents them from not buying a game because they couldn't see it in the pile of older games. This one game store I go to has updated lists of whats in stock for their mounds of SNES games, and its very helpful.

I think this is an awesome idea. It is definitely a dream of mine, but not at the moment. Going for my CA(accounting experience really helps in business i've heard