How are these Mom & Pop video game stores?

[lorne]

Been noticing a few small video game shops popping up around town. Just wondering before I check 'em out if there are ever any good deals to be had at these or would a proper CAG want to slip out the door and never return. Thanks.

[VanillaGorilla]

I used to live by a store that, every 8 months or so, would go out of business, and then come back as another game store. One year it would be Game Depot, another year it was GamerX, and another year it would be GameZone. I remember walking in there when it was GamerX, and the store space was way too big for what they were selling, they had the games set up on 2 walls, and a huge floor space with just nothing but carpeting. I do remember that they had a big screen TV with Need For Speed for the 3DO set up. The one thing I remember about the actual games, though, is that they were really overpriced. I haven't seen a mom and pop game store since.

[GizmoGC]

We have a mom and pop place in town...been open for 13 or so years. Shocked its still in business as it has overpriced games, very little used, and the only real reason it stays is because it rents games cheap.

[Roufuss]

Been noticing a few small video game shops popping up around town. Just wondering before I check 'em out if there are ever any good deals to be had at these or would a proper CAG want to slip out the door and never return. Thanks.

In my case, I got to know the manager, would hang in there often, preorder games, I even traded in a few games, and he would cut me discounts all the time on the stuff he got in and he would hold the rare stuff he got in and gave me first dibs.

That's really the only way, most mom and pop stores won't give a huge discount off the top or ever have any really good sales akin to a BB / CC clearance sale because they don't have the overhead for that type of thing.

I mean, you might find a good deal in there if they deal in older games.

[sarausagi]

All I've been in is a comic book store that sold a few games, cheap stuff for MSRP...like NCAA 2003 or Tekken Tag for $35 each.

I don't like "mom and pop" stores.

[ViolentLee]

You can't blame small stores for having higher prices. They don't get the distribution discounts big stores do because they buy such a smaller amount of product. It's sad, in a way, because we should be supporting them so those people can have jobs without having to join the corporate machine. However, I'm as guilty of not supporting them as anyone.