How to present NES-Games the right way?

ninn

Hi like-minded Fellows! 

This year, like every year, there is a "Retro gaming fair" in my town. It is pretty small, but I got myself a booth for some selling-fun too. The fair is mostly about selling, and just a little bit of bragging. 

Last year was quite fun. I brought all my unwanted games with me, and put them on sale in several cardboard boxes, like you use them for your shelves (link to the product at IKEA: http://www.ikea.com/at/de/catalog/categories/series/11496/&nbsp - those very easy to transport in a bigger box and they very colorful.

So, I stuffed the games in those boxes, and put them on my table to present them. It worked quite well, and I left with a lot less games than I came with. The ikea boxes were ok, but most of the time they were just too big, to deep or just too bland. This year, all of my boxes are already used in another way (my girl put every single empty box to good use I guess      )

So .. I am looking for a new way to present my games.

It seems that most of the guys at the fair used this technique: Puting games in a big box. Like this:

You know .. the style you know of resellers: Cheap games, expensive prices, lots of them, unordered, like how they found it in the wild, dirty, bland, gray, boring .... 

This is not they way I want to present my games. I want them to look good!

And thats the point of this thread: How to make NES-games to look good on your booth?

Since I collect CIB, i got most of my games for Sale in CIB-Format. Putting them in big boxes like those resellers is not an option for me (but still: i got some loose games for sale too)

So, as a first action yesterday, I have wrapped  the CIBs in plastic bags. The more valueable CIBs were put in a sturdy plastic bags that are used for comic books, closed the folded bag with scotch tape.  the cheap cibs were looted (removed styro and the black nintendo cases (if there were any left) and put in cheap DVD-plastic bags (i was unwilling to to wrapping work for very cheap games). 

This gave most of them a shiny finish,  made them a little bit more sturdy. And it is easy (for my girlfried) to tell apart the cheap CIBs and the expensive ones.

All games were labeled with their NES-number ( e.g. "NES-XX-USA") and their contents ("CIB", "CB") - a small handwritter sticker on the back of each. So customers dont need to open them to look whats inside.

I will supply a picture of the wrapped games - they look gorgerous compared to their naked counterparts ... and i will happily give them in the dirty hands of my customers. 

But ... I am still missing a idea how to display them. Shall i put them in a box?

Best would be to put them flat, so everyone would be impressed by there colofulness ...

... but since the space is pretty limited, this is not an option..

or put them in a row? Like this

Since I got a very limited amount of space (1 table) options (and ideas) are sparse. And since i have to bring everything with me just for one day, muscle power is limited too - no car, just taxi - so no big bad glass virtine or shelves. Cardboards and some lightwithgt wood would be an option ... maybe a second layer build from chardboard boxes..

... maybe I should nail those games on a card board and put this behind my table. Someboy got some nails that will not harm my games?     (just kidding &nbsp

So ... do you got any hints for me, how to put my fair table to good use and boost my sales that way?

Thinking of bringing a working NEs and a small television with me, so people can stop by and play a game ... even test it, if they are unsure.

VERY curious about your hints,

Kind regards,

ninn

PowerPlayers

Standing tall, on a slight angle as so you can see the spine as well as maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the cover art. Also, ignore ABC order and go for color order. NES game art has no standardization so it's kinga fugly looking when you have a lot of them.

Guntz

Make a coffee table out of them!



Seriously though, I suppose this question is more dependent on how much booth space you have. If a lot, then you could show more of the boxes by laying them flat, though IMO they might be more vulnerable in that position. I'd have to go with what JosephLeo said, angle them so they appear more stylish and sort them according to color.

Miss Clawful

 

Personally I like order, if it were me I'd have them alphabetized just because it'd irritate me if they weren't, and I'd have the games as clean as I can get them, just feel this is a good practice. For every game that I sell I always clean them real good before sending them on their way, but in a case with massive lots, kinda hard to get to them all, especially contacts, I'd at least make their external appearance look good enough to attract more attention, such as trying to remove stickers, wipe dust off of them, simple quick clean. Keep them where people can see them, but not so they can easily walk off with a few five-finger freebies.

removed04092017

I'd keep ALL of it under plexiglass. They'll get stolen often and plus people will ruin them pulling them in and out. That'll stop both for carts only but I'd do it for boxes too. I'd put them in a box and then put plexi over the box and pull games out as they ask for them to still allow them to hold the product before they buy and check it out.

Taco!

I think organization and presentation are good but there's more to that than just the games. Signage is important, very VERY seldom do I see it at festivals but when I do I cut right towards that particular vendor. Plexiglass isn't a bad idea either, gives the impression of an item being worth more since it's under glass.

ninn

Thanks a lot for your great hints! 

I will add a Sign with my name and email for sure - thats a really  great idea! Thou, I got no shop or homepage, whatever ... but I will add a small ( ahaha ... ) Sign with my name and email for recognition! Love that!  I guess I will just use a fat, black  sharpie and a big cardboard. 

I guess I will hang one one the wall behind me, and another one in front of the table ... which would be otherwise unsused for sure.

Talking about Cardboard -  Look, what I build from old cardboard yesterday:

It is a game holder, that presents 18 (at the time the picture was taken just 17     )  NES-Games in an perfect 45° angle. I just cut 18 Slots in the cardboard, bent the slot over and that was absolutely enough to hold the games. They really look  nice that way! I will present my best games this way - it is an eye-catcher!

Thouh, I will not be able to add plexiglass - I dont have a big plexiglass board, and this makes the plan obsolete. I would have a big box thou.

Thinking of putting my other games (ps1) in a treasure chest.

I guess I will lay out a form, where customers can left their email adresses and get my adress in return - just a strip of paper they can rip off the form. That way, i can start a mailing list.

ninn

647

I( think you should lay them out.

BouncekDeLemos

You could go with something like this but smaller:







Being a assistant store manager at the game store I work at, display holders are a way to go. Shop around first tho, some can be real expensive and some can be real big. And mostly any dvd or bluray rack will do.

Edit: Nevermid, since I just now seen your cardboard display... which looks awesome btw!!!

Busdriverj

The homemade cardboard stand actually displays them very very well. Perfect angle and visibility of each box and pretty good use of space.

Just come up with some way to cover the base or fold up the sides.

ninn

busdriverj, .. I took the picture while I was still working on it - the sides are folded now.



I will take a picture of the booth when the fair starts. And one after the fair



If somebody got some more hints, I'd be happy to hear and use them,



Kind regards and thanks for your help,

ninn

ninn

Just wanted to append the picture of my booth .. .before the fair began. Afterwards, it looked a bit more messy ... 

... thou ... the people did not spend that much as i hoped for. Nevermind, it was funny nevertheless. 

Thanks for your hints!

BouncekDeLemos

^ I'll tell you one thing, I'd like to go shopping there! lol