Bland Opening

Vance · Post by **Vance** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:12 am

Every time I think I'm out, they pull me back in!

Okay, secret time. You might one day have a shop of your own. To save money, you might start off at a trade show, or flea market. Here's the thing; you don't own a shop. You run a table. Nobody who owns a store with real walls considers you to be on the same level as their ilk. This isn't a major thing, but just don't kid yourself. You can be making seven grand a day and have crazy awesome stock, but you're still Store Jr.

And so I guess I'm taking a demotion. Ain't nobody hiring and I still have crates of games. So the choice is this: Open air market in the hipster district next to the 120-machinde arcade or the much larger indoor place a single block from USF? Either way, ohohoho shame.

Post by **3DOKid** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:32 pm

You will always be a video game hero to me.

In the UK, I see a game shop (with walls) and i have such little hope that inside there is anything of interest, I see a table my hopes fly. Seriously. I've been to GameStop in the US (and bestbuy) and they are the same soulless FIFA drenched prisons they laughingly refer to as Game shops in the UK.

Plus a table has less overheads I'm guessing right? Although I suppose people 'expect' a bargain.

... but don't tell me you are already missing smelly lunatic nerd though right?

Chin up old chap. Things always work out for the best.

Is it a nice 120 Machine Arcade? Arcades in the UK are 3 machines and 120 poorly shaved, cheap track-suited wearing, bad trainer (sneakers) wearing, semi-criminals. Or am I stereotyping?

Anyway, once I become fabulously wealthy, I'll make you CEO of the Next Generation of Video Game Entertainment stores.

Vance · Post by **Vance** » Mon Feb 07, 2011 6:39 pm

Oh yes, it's dirt cheap at these places. Expensive is $50 a day, and I've seen places for $6. Of course we're talking the basic 10x10 unit before chaining

Lemmi · Post by **Lemmi** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 12:23 am

ive found more rarities from random tables than any store with walls (except places like salvation army and thrift shops)

we have a trade center here called Gibralter (only open on weekends), so many cheap items it was crazy (not sure about now tho)
i found snatcher for sega cd for $20 in 2003 and sold it for $125 just 2 years ago, same with Arc the Lad and Lunar (both sealed) for the ps1 paid $25 for both, then sold them for $100 each. same time period

one videogame guy moved from a store to a 2 or 3 section area in Gibralter, and he said in 3 days he had more people looking and buying his stuff then he did the whole last month of his store.

back in the late 80's i used to buy car stereo equipment from a place called Palco electronics in Gibralter, then 2 years later they bought or rented a store and then jacked up the prices on everything (probably to pay the rent). they are still going strong and in the same building http://www.palcoelectronics.com/

Post by **3DOKid** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 5:33 am

My uncle Jonah, whose name was Bill, well William I guess, but that's besides the point, he used to sell toilet rolls (i kid you not) on a British style market stall. He used to drive a new BMW 7 series and had a big detached house. He sold other bathroom stuff too. Toilet cleaner, sponges and so on. Never more, I guess, than 10 x 10 feet stall. Worked nearly all the time. I think in truth he had three or four stalls all working for him, but he certainly didn't start off rich, or with more than a table and a few bog roll.

He worked pretty hard I think. At 40-odd, something snapped, he left his wife and gay son and ran off with 21 year old uber bimbo and now runs a swanky pub.

Post by **3DO Experience** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 4:06 am

I have a friend who owned a store and when the economy started to go down people would only come in and look so he closed the shop and started doing shows. Now he makes money instead of loosing it.

Post by **3DOKid** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:02 pm

What sort of shows?

Post by **3DO Experience** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 4:32 am

Well he's not into video games anymore, but mostly old toys (50s to 80s) and superhero and scifi stuff. He does toy shows, collectible shows, antique shows, scifi cons, superhero cons, ect.

Post by **3DOKid** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 7:00 am

Sounds cool.

But how does he make money? simply charging to see the shows?

Post by **3DO Experience** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:05 am

I think we have an English mix up. A toy show is where people go to buy and sell toys. I know it shouldn't be called a show but there are lots of people who show off parts of their collection. He sells toys and collectibles.

Post by **3DOKid** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 9:24 am

Ah. 2 nations seperated by a common language.

I love these sort of things. We do have them in the UK, but not always for this kind of stuff. We have 'events' where people go to not only show people there collections although some people do just that, but also sell stuff. Work usually prevents me from going but one day I will