A question for the most knowledgeable NA members

SilverspoonSilverspoon
in Help Wanted!
Now as some of you know, to go all out with my collecting, I quit my old job as a mechanic, to work for the best gaming retail store in the area.  I sure dont regret it, because I have hopes of owning a store in the distant future, since my company can private franchise stores also.  My big problem, is knowing when to stop educating the customer.  There are alot of collectors that come in, but Im talking about the typical 40yr old mom, who comes in to sell us her son's NES collection cuz hes off at college.  Thats gonna be the person that brings in Stadium Events, or Suprise At Dinosaur Peak, not knowing of its value.  Is it best for me to keep to myself and take advantage of the fact that games like that might show up, and Id be the only one paying attention and buy it, or should I educate more about the value of certain games, to spread the word and boost interest in our hobby?

Comments

  • dangevindangevin
    The kind of person you're talking about isn't looking for an education. They're looking for money from the till.



    You're projecting your own interest onto someone who just plain doesn't care, and will be happy with what you give them.



    How I skirted the issue of not giving away the whole cash register when a rare game came in, was to have a very SHORT and very USEFUL buy list. It consisted of about 15 entries, all of which were likely to come in the door. I bet you can name a dozen of them off the top of your head. They all had a buy-price boldly listed.



    The last two entries were "unlisted non-sports" and "unlisted sports."



    The bounties on the common ones were attractive so that people in, casually doing shopping, would see and say "Hey, I've got Mike Tyson's Punch Out, you'll really give me five bucks for it?" and they'd bring in the whole box.



    Then you get to pay reasonable money for the Bubble Bobble, Contra, Marios and whatever...the stuff that not only comes in ALL the time, but sells immediately...and the other rare and not-so-in-demand things you can make a bigger markup on...even if you have to flip them on eBay to get them to move.
  • SilverspoonSilverspoon
    Thats very good info Dan. Instead of a 40yr old woman, how about the customers that ask me what NES games Id recommend, or the people that come in thinking they have an antique worth thousands, but its really just a CIB Bubble Bobble. Should I mention anything to them to increase the demand for rare titles, or just let them find out for themselves?
  • dangevindangevin
    Well the short answer is, if they want information, give it to them. Let them tell you what they're comfortable knowing.



    If they have a question, and they wind up going somewhere else to get it answered (usually, online) then you've lost a customer. Even as little as ten years ago, the local game shopkeep was the primary source of info for all things VG. That era is gone though, and the few people who walk through your door who still consider you to be an authority...well you need to treasure them image



    Be that friendly, confident and knowledgable shopkeep and you'll win loyalty. Too often I see game store lackeys who act surly, elite and can't be bothered to help if it means being broken away from their DS game. It's a shame, that's the sort of thing that drives kids online, never to return.



    But yeah, talk shop if you've got a listener. One little nugget each time a customer comes in should be enough to keep the hobby magical for them...and more importantly, keep them coming to you image
  • Miss ClawfulMiss Clawful
    Well spoken Dan. One thing I can't stand is walking into a game shop and even if I don't need help, I don't like seeing the employees ignoring the presence of customers, either playing games or chit-chatting with each other, and really pisses me off when you get up to the counter and they're still ignoring you, continuing to play or fool around. Also don't like when they don't take interest in their product, even if its just old stuff with crappy graphics, its still something that someone other than them may want to purchase, don't put the stuff down, good way to upset the one buying it, dissing the 2600 or NES games they are buying is like putting them down too for having interest in it. And when customers ask about a game, be it the value or what your opinion of how good the game is, I say be as honest as possible, don't want them coming back upset or not at all because of falsifications just to get their immediate business, gotta think long term.
  • SilverspoonSilverspoon
    Thanks for the input guys. Customers are never truly ignored with this company, but the stores get pretty busy to where people might have to wait in line for a while to be helped, which can only be fixed by having larger stores/staffs to keep up. Since the only gaming on the clock is done during testing, all of our team members are ready and willing to help everybody in the store, or answer the phone. If not, they can easily be replaced. I dont think much has changed over the past 15+ years the company has been around, other than each year is more successful than the last, but the original owners that started the company have always seemed to have their minds set on the future of gaming, to keep progressing, but Im trying to keep retro gaming alive with each gamer that comes thru.
  • RedivivusRedivivus
    I don't think I would be a very great game store owner. I would likely tell people what their stuff is work (well, as long as they seemed like decent people), because id feel like I was ripping them off without full disclosure of what they had. I like to spread the love and education of the hobby, and leave the emotion of money out of it. I actually like to school the employees of my local mom and pop shop here. In return, they ALWAYS hold stuff for me, and I have gotten more than a few unlicensed games because they didn't have them in their system.

    Id have to run my game store as a not-for-profit company lol. The other drawback to being a store owner is that id never want to sell anything, and keep it all for myself. Lastly, im a little on the cheap side, so I wouldnt want to pay out much.

    Well, I guess that's why im not a store owner, but rather a customer. Thats not to say I havent toyed with the  idea... 
  • MasonSushiMasonSushi
    i am sorry i do not fit this requirement. image
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