I got something to say about this. I love spending a Saturday heading to a retro game store or two. I’d rather buy in person than online. I also collect a bunch of different stuff so I love to go and browse and come home with something I didn’t even expect to buy. Trade in credit is always gonna be 50ish percent of value. That’s just how it works. I’d rather support my local game store than a Facebook marketplace reseller asking 20% over eBay sold comps. Support your game stores before they’re no longer here.
I can’t stand the over-charging market place resellers… if anything they should be coming in at 20% under eBay comps because they aren’t paying fees or dealing with shipping costs. I want to yell at these people lol
I absolutely resonate with wanting to support local businesses. Game stores are the forefront of keeping nostalgia alive and creating a memorable buying experience when wanting to buy or see things from your childhood.
I've defended Pheonix Resale a lot on his own channel because of many of the dumb comments about people "not feeling right" about his deal. But I will say he does do a few things that bother me, such as on a recent video he found someone that has made him great deals a few times and was a vendor at a retro game con. He found him I think before the con opened, called him a great friend, then started started asking for his inventory at very marked down prices. If this happened at the end of the con instead it makes sense because it's inventory that couldn't be sold, but asking before the con opens about a bunch of inventory that will probably sell at full (or better) prices is just basically asking for that person to just give you money. In the end if they both agreed then it's fine but to have someone you consider a friend and ask them to give you a steep discount on something they would be making a bigger profit on doesn't seem like a friendly thing to do.
I like Phoenix Resale's videos and he seems like a nice guy. I do like Hairy Tornado's mantra of "support your friends" and don't ask friends for discounts. If they offer them, fine. But support their businesses and pay them what they deserve.
I used to be a big fan of his show, but I really found out that he is just a money-hungry guy, he is very disrespectful and he treats everyone like a friend just to get it cheaper. And I always see the people who sell him stuff, that their just acting awkward out of respect and just say yes to every price he bids. For me, he is done, will and can never respect that guy anymore
I think Rick has it the best at his store it’s like a 90s kids dream! You can just bounce off the shelves to different times in your childhood. Also with Rick paying what he pays for collections, he actually pays more than most. The amount of taxes and bottom lines he has to cover is crazy, as long as the client is happy that’s all that matters. Love all you guys 💚
Selling stuff on Ebay can be an absolute chore and another job in itself. THEN Ebay takes a 15% cut on top of that anyways and now the government is going to tax you for any sales above $600 for the year, which could be another several percentage off of your sales. So getting a reasonable amount of cash up front for a large collection(when you probably didn't even spend that much for the collection in most cases) without fees, taxes, or stress is a great thing to have if needed.
Yeah I sold on eBay for a long time, 20 percent right off the top is heartbreaking. But that’s the cost benefit of using a large based platform with worldwide audience. Appreciate you putting a comment on this:)!
@@khanthevideogamehunter2946 yeah I’m looking to sell my ps2 games and a bit hesitant to use eBay because they almost always back the buyer. I don’t want to deal with picky people about slight scratches or buyer remorse.
@Johnny N I agree I had some win a case against me and they had zero feedback and ebay took there side. Absolutely a huge turn off hence I have stopped using ebay 100 precent
Rick, to his credit, constantly explains why he won't purchase certain items at the cost their asking for because in order to flip it it costs money. Ebay fees, taxes, shipping etc. I got you and understand completely. Those folks don't understand and probably will never get it unless they find themselves in the same boat. Keep up the great work.
50% is super fair imo. When I see people complaining at my lgs saying “it sells for x amount on eBay tho!” when they don’t like the offer, they fail to realize that not only does eBay take their cut, but you have the expense of shipping materials, the time that goes into listing, shipping, etc. and there is no guarantee your scratched up copy of splinter cell will even sell lol Some people need to give their head a shake man… Edit: GameStop is another story tho, they are straight up crooks 😆
I do sports cards, not video games, but same concept. My response every time is: then sell it on ebay. 90% of the time they take the offer because I'm giving their statement a solution, and they don't know what to do.
Don't forget about the 1099 at the end of the year where you get to pay 14-20% taxes on what you make. After eBays cut most sellers are making around 65-68%
That's why I love Chase after the right price channel he teaches you about business in a fun way and he doesn't have as much overhead as a normal store and because he's Amazon FBA approved he can sell stuff that people normally can't in store
As a Game Point customer (Ricks store) the prices are always fair and they offer so much more for trade ins and straight cash then anyone in this town. Also if you ever trade anything into a game store never expect to get what they’re worth that’s just dumb to assume.
I like the rule of thirds (1/3). However, I have noticed many stores in socal give you 20% or less and yet sell 120%-135% of FMV. At that mark up, I expect games to be cleaned and tested thoroughly and not 1099 their employees.
I’ve been selling my game collection. I had dozens of games then I couldn’t sell on eBay, mercari, or pricecharting. I traded them in to my local retro store since I didn’t mind getting 50% value for that stuff. I used that trade credit that I could sell and I flipped them for cash. There are always ways to hustle. These retro stores helped me in that regard.
I resell on eBay on the side just to make ends meet, and I can tell you it's tough. You never know if you're going to get the same thing for something that other people were able to get, how long it will take before it sells, if you'll end up having to accept a lower offer just to get rid of it...THEN when it does sell you have the eBay fees, shipping supplies & fees, etc. - THEN there's all the time it takes for everything from sourcing the stuff to cleaning, testing, photoing, listing, packing, and shipping. And yes, then the government takes their cut in the end. Don't get me wrong, it's something I enjoy doing, but it absolutely IS work and there is no way that my sell price - my cost = my profit. Not even close. So all of that said, I respect the heck out of Rick doing what he's doing, and honestly hope he IS making a decent profit so he can keep doing what he loves.
love love love love this entire panel. appreciate what yall bring to the table for us consumers. definitely takes the passion and love of the vintage to do what yall do day in and day out🤘🏼
Any game store I’ve ever been into the people that run it love their jobs and are gamers at heart. Supporting small business in other aspects like, shopping, eating out has always been something that I really try to do. I relate more to those people. Great video guys. Kudos! 💪🤟
Appreciate you guys talking openly about this, its shocking how many people seem to not understand how resale businesses work in general and the service you guys talked about providing is SPOT ON, and the target analogy is hilarious, great video and talk. Been watching you all over the place for a while riff after finding you from phoenix resale about a year back, keep up bein a good guy.
My local thrift stores charge ebay listing prices, not even sold, and don't bother to clean the products, forget about even testing them. They also sell them "as is" so their untested stuff you're stuck with if it doesn't work. I'd much rather support my locally owned game stores. I know I'll always get quality.
First off I want to say I absolutely love the podcast. I truly hope this goes on for a long time because not only do you always have an engaging conversation but you guys are good at it. As far as this segment goes - Retro Rick deserves some credit for taking that business gamble by opening up a store and then posting the business to his channel. I’m not exactly the biggest fan of his channel, but to criticize him or any store owner for paying 50% for good trade in’s is absolutely absurd. I personally am so grateful for local game stores. As Riff stated, they do you a service - and I’m happy to accept that. People are unreal on social media and this is a prime example.
This reminded me of when I was at a video game store booth at an anime con. This lady had the audacity to gripe about their prices, and say how she can get some things cheaper online. I legit said then go but it online then to her.
Real estate is going up everywhere and the cost of living is going up so it is expensiveto run game stores. Alot of resellers buy there stuff at yard sales. So to get 50 precent of value is great for quick cash. Also they can trade in for rare or collector title of games. 3 game stores in my town have closed down. So support the local game stores
I never knew it was that intense with Hater Hanks (phoenix resale shoutout. Got you Riff. Lol) But I fully support you guys for what it worth. Keep you in my prayers. Keep doing you. ❤❤❤❤❤
His store actually pays more for games then the other two place in our town. He also has really good employees who have stayed and enjoy their job. Those employees cost money.
@@darussianbear8752 sry didnt understand what you meant by that. If you had problems understanding what ive written down then im sorry. English is not my mother language
Some of these people don’t understand that there’s a lot of factors, because you got to look at a dollar factor of everything like employees, bills, cleaning of these games and consoles, etc. This isn’t like Phoenix Resale, but even for him he using his house as his work place as well and has someone to pay and of course Amazon/eBay fees which is another factor of dollars being split still, and he has pay gas to go out and get these games. So it don’t matter if you run a store or from your home, before you can even think of paying yourself you’ll putting into everything else needed to support that business first.
The worst are the Facebook Market sellers who have absolutely no overhead and then try to charge at or slightly above eBay and Price Charting prices. I've even been to a yard sale or two where games were individually priced to match those cites, and though I tried to be frank and honest about how those prices arrived at their current level, sellers would not lower their prices. Three weeks later, those games were sitting exactly where they were earlier.
I've adopted 55% buy prices and 70% trade in credit. We need to make money. No one lambasts McDonalds for selling a large soft drink that- between materials, water, and syrup- costs .12 for $3.99. Yet they make margins in the 100%'s for their food and drinks. Game stores, which retro collectors love visiting, need to stay in business or else they close. It's that easy.
thanks for posting this. Intro to business is something i think every individual would learn from. Many people like getting over on small mom and pop stores, but pay full retail at Walmart and Target for things. It should be reversed imo.
Looking at the video again I am reminded that other variables are also involved. Even if the game is expensive, for a game to be attractive for a game store, they need to able to quickly convert into sales. A $100 game that stays on the shelf a month is in reality less valuable than five $20 games that can be sold in a week. Shelf space also cost money. In case of video game consoles, the consoles needs to be tested and cleaned (sometimes needs cosmetic or actual repair that adds to the cost). There are stores that don't care, but if a store cares about long term viability, that is something that always to be considered. Other aspect is the requirement of some cities and states to fingerprint and id customers that sell games and consoles to you. They want that information at the cost of the store owner. One of the reason why in some cities why there are no retro mom and pop video game stores. Some times having very expensive items in the store also attracts unsavory people who may want to break in and steal it. Added cost of security systems and having to repair doors, windows, and glass cabinets are also very expensive.
If you want a better price, do what these guys do and LOOK EVERYWHERE. When you pay more at a shop, it's because they did all the heavy lifting for you, that's how I treat ebay too.
I used to own a game / collectibles shop in Australia, and going to be opening one in the UK shortly. People used to bring stuff in and I would offer them 50% for better quality stuff and 40% for less quality items. My fav comment was "but it's this much on ebay". So I would explain yep it is, but if you look at sold no one is paying that, in fact sold listings are about 20% less that than, then if you want to sell it yourself you loose another 15% in ebay fee's. Are you going to be offering free shipping because you want to move it quickly and not just sit there.... ok thats another £3.50 in shipping, that doesn't include packaging and your time. Now take all that and add electricity, time it takes to clean and test products / games, time it takes to process it all, staff costs, rent, how long it sits around for (that costs money)..... Now take into account that I sell stuff (and going to be doing so again in the UK) at 20-30% less than ebay sold prices so people get a good deal every time they walk in the door. So do you really think if I sell a game for £10 that I made £10 ??? Try closer to £1.50. If you can't understand that, I get it your a kid who has never been in business and thinks the world if revolves around them.
100% thank you for putting this out there, as a dealer myself I get people saying my offers r low cause other store willing to pay more or I see it online for this much why cant I get close to that but thats small % of people but still annoying to explain again thank you for this video
dealing with the public in retail is a nightmare. It's always the ones who pop off on facebook about american made products, supporting small business, but then proceeding to tell said small business it's cheaper at walmart by a dollar. The public suuuuxxxxxxx
I get really frustrated with independent toy or game stores being unbelievably picky with what they will trade for. There are stores in Dallas that probably reject 90% of what someone is trading. For example, yes there is a lot of D&D stuff out there now, so just reject it all. But, you will piss in your pants to get a small soldiers collection. Rick should find select vendors who will buy at a 10 to 15% mark-up the loose figures, overstock like D&D, and other stuff that could be sold at toy shows, eBay, and flea markets. To buy from Rick, the vendor has to agree to take it no matter what.
I go to a game store in arleta called Retro Respawn and I never feel like im getting ripped off or feel like im getting played it’s priced really fair and even I understand that they have to make some profit from items they buy from people 👌 so I get you guys 💯 love the podcast keep up the amazing work 🔥
I don’t buy from retro game stores..I’m looking for the cheap deals at garage sales or swap meets..I like making max value off of my knowledge ..my knowledge is my gain your lack of knowledge is your loss.most people at garage sales have no idea what they have..I’ll be that dirt ball with a ton of cash in my pocket & a nice collection.
As Pawn Stars says, the business buying/taking trade in is the party taking the risk. There is no guarantee they are going to get the value of said item, and as this video points out, there is overhead to pay before anything else. I totally support all that was said here. I sold Phoenix Resale a CIB Final Fantasy GBA game at a convention and the transaction made it in his video. People were commenting, "you got screwed." No I didn't. I actually made a little money and he purchased the risk of hoping to sell it for a profit after he puts time and money into doing so. People don't see that which is why this video hits the nail on the head.
All definitely makes sense. The store ultimately is a business. They have expenses. Also I will say that retro games plus pays very competitively in my experience. I’ve always appreciated them as my local game store in HB
My dad always use to say something is only worth what someone will pay, so if there’s people out there that will pay those stupid high prices it’s their own fault for not doing the research if they later get angry about it, and then there’s the ones that also don’t care because they have the means to do it so it doesn’t really matter to them!
Scumbag resellers! Jk but it’s usually just jealousy that people get mad about that stuff. People need to understand that running a business is difficult and you have families dependent on the success of that store.
50% is high. I think you should charge whatever makes sense for the business. If your local competitor is at 28% you could do 30% and still be crushing it. You’ll always have people on RU-vid made at you, so make sure you’re taking care of the people in your building who actually care about you and your business.
The people that complain about what stores pay are the same ones that brag about how cheap they got their stuff and they really paid less than what a store does. They just want to complain to make themselves feel better!
Honestly cannot believe some of the comments i read on the videos as you mentioned. Always people saying Rick is ripping people off when they dont have the slightest clue about running a business. Bringing in bulk trades to a game store, sometimes with maybe 100 items or more and these people always walk away happy getting 50% of what its worth because of all the time and effort it would take them individually to sell all those pieces on ebay etc. Plus anyone who wasnt happy with what they are offered could just walk away, they have signed no contract to sell this stuff to him. A perfect option for people with a bit of a collection who need money quick for something life has thrown at them unexpectedly.
People bringing in 5, 10, 15k collections and getting half understand this. They need a few grand for something else that's more important at the time. I sell to resellers all the time because I just want to move product. Of course, it has to make sense.
the way i see reselling when you tell the person right away that youre going to flip it is "hey you buy it from me, and i make my money, and you can make some extra meat on it and sell it then so be it. im happy and youre happy, and the person who's buying it will be happy. everyone wins"
I think one thing you didn't cover is from the person selling the games to the store; opportunity cost. If I have games to sell, it takes time to move it. Putting stuff up for sale takes time and that's time I could be spending doing something else. I'll happily sell a bulk lot of games for 20-40% less than FMV if it means that it leaves my home as soon as I want it gone. I don't have to guarantee the game or offer support. It's gone and I have cash in my pocket.
Rick is definitely correct. I have a friend who owns a game store (I am an online reseller myself), and he agrees 100% with every single thing these guys are saying. People have no clue what goes on with any sort of store. Many many hours goes into buying, logistics, trades, shipping, repairs, pricing, and so on. My friend is a bit more mean with it and simply says "A lot of people complaining about resellers and game stores need to go outside and try it themselves." People are passionate and annoyed because the retro gaming hobby IS their hobby, and they can't stand to see anyone profiting off of it.
Many businesses that run at smaller margins have quick sale through rates and likely an endless supply of inventory. You mention Walmart, they make very very little per sale, but they make up in quantity.
I get the business aspect completely. Some of the negative feedback on Rick’s EBay is alarming though. Especially the ones on lack of communication and there are quite a few. Where there’s smoke there’s fire. I enjoy Rick’s videos and am genuinely happy for his success. I’m thinking maybe he has spread himself a little too thin.
I understand there are great retro game stores (fair prices and fair trade in credit) and there are retro game stores that rip you off (high ebay prices & low Trade in credit) but the stores still have to pay employees, utilities, rent ect, & try to make a profit. Most of my local retro stores in the south (TN) sell on the high end of ebay prices and give 30% trade in (if your lucky) I rarely go in one to trade or buy stuff. I have other online means, or FB marketplace, garage sales ect. To get my games. I wish retro game stires were a little more competative in my area!
Idk, the stores in cali near me, semi have inflated prices, no old inventory like real GC controllers, ps3, wii, etc. Just knock offs. Even looking up Ebay prices in front of me, when items aren't priced yet, and doing the max $ once they find out. Really isn't fun hunting for games or giving sine love to local shops, when they so worried on greed, rather then remembering a customer.
I think this a problem for most businesses. People don't know what costs go into running a business and assume the price they pay is pure profit. It's not uncommon for the same people to also be enraged by the fact that everyone gets underpaid. They don't want to pay for any labor, yet they complain (rightfully so) about collectively becoming poor.
I love retrorick(nohomo) ive said he lowballs but he owns his own business and pays his staff which i never realized until someone commented and now this.. thanks my dudes (pixil). And RetroRick
Even pain 40% you would be doing good to the people. I am a avid collector, and I do a lot of flips to get my games from my collections. I had a lot of inventory of high value, gameboy, Advance and GameCube games along with the 2DSXL. The pricecharting value was over $1000, I think it was right at $1100 somewhere around in there. I took it to a local game store hoping to get around 4 to 500 bucks just because I didn’t want to deal with like y’all said listing it cleaning it, taking pictures of it, etc., this game store offered me 130 bucks. I was insulted and kind of baffled at the same time so if people are crying that you’re only paying 50%, it could be a whole lot worse. And all my inventory I took to this particular store was CIB stuff. It was not trash Xbox 360 garbage
Love physical stores it’s all about service and convenience. If you want a game you get to go to the store buy it go home and play it all on the same day.
Very interesting topic. Last year on Father's day I took my kids to the Gamers Expo here in South Texas where I found a good copy G.I. Joe on nes. Price was on point but after looking around a bit I asked the guy how much would he do for 2 games one being G.I. Joe and the other some random $10 game. He then says $40. Okay but when I try to tell him that g.i. Joe is was already quoted higher than that itself several times he says do want the deal or not. So I said yes. Am I wrong for taking the offer. I'm not sure he quoted me correctly but his attitude made me not care at the moment. When I got home I did feel bad and still do to this day.
Rick was like that before he owned a store, no excuses…but I have to say now it makes sense why he does it…50%/60% while owning a store fine but no excuses for being cheap before he owned a store. Then again if he wasn’t cheap probably wouldn’t be owning a store…go figure.
Dude i got local game stores near me they pay 25% max regardless of what it is high end dosent matter...50% is more then fair....as far as trading into a brick and mortar
When I go buy games at garage sales and it’s worth 500$ I’m not going to tell them I’ll give them 250$u have to be completely delusional if u think I’m not trying to get it for the cheapest price possible.
Really anyone who goes into a retail store to sell games, movies, toys, or whatever should already know they aren't getting full value. It's rediculous for that person to even think that. I've sold movies back in the day to FYE and I knew I was going to get less then what they sell them for.
No one understands business. Dude being hosed on consoles is no fn joke! The only console I ever made money on is the NES. I can clean it inside and out, and sell it with a game 2 controllers and maybe the zapper. If I make 125-150 and only putting 3 hours in it, it’s worth it.
I’ve commented that on Ric’s videos before. He gives way too much store credit. Think about it, if someone brings in a bin full of $5 games that’s easily probably around $200… which means they can get a $200 game, which is more feasible? Selling 1 $200 game in cash or having to sell a bin full of $5 games multiple times to get the same result? Ric has one of the coolest game stores ever, so you better believe collectors are going there to buy high end games. Point blank, it’s just not worth it for him to do all these trade ins . I’ve seen videos of him do 20+ plus trades a day and make like 6 cash sales. He’s slowly going to get rid of all his good inventory and end up with filler titles , I’ve seen this happen
Best to just be honest if you tell people "im gonna sell this for 2x or 3x what im paying you," then how can they get mad? That said, money is the root of evil and what is capitalism but the pursuit of money?
Should have a new audio episode up this week on all platforms! Ricks episode will also follow a couple weeks later. Been trying to get the full length approved, takes a little for them to review and accept ❤
I love when you see people on pawn stars ask for 100 percent of what an item is appraised at and then Rick or the employees have to explain to them that they have bills and need to make money. Common sense is dead lol