This Month's Haul: March 2018

[Joust Williams]

They are a pawn shop with trinkets now.

[Some Stupid Japanese Name]

I don't understand how a specialty store can operate like this and stay in business.

I ask myself that question every god damn day. It boils down to momentum (every one knows Gamestop)- which is eroding as more and more people discover just about anything is cheaper elsewhere- and smoke and mirrors marketing. I use Gamestop's used pricing as a guideline. I take whatever they're selling used shit for and subtract AT LEAST the 20% discount that spending $30 to become an "elite" member there rewards you. So I'm the same or cheaper than them, with far better condition product, and you don't have to spend a dime to get any discounts. It's already built into my low price. But people are too dumb to see it. They see the points and the percentages and feel like they're saving money by spending money to get those points and percentages. I've related the story before, but I had a woman buy two games from me and despite her total being $15 less than what she would have spent at Gamestop even if she had the best level of discounts, she bitched that I should have a loyalty program. If me saving you $15 for free isn't worth your loyalty, then I don't want it.

[kingoffighters]

I need to visit the mom&pop stores near me. Unfortunately, none of them are that close and I now despise driving more than 15min to shop (maybe it is the internet thing). There is one about 30 miles away that is halfway decent and I always buy something to support them.

[icarusfall]

I ask myself that question every god damn day. It boils down to momentum (every one knows Gamestop)- which is eroding as more and more people discover just about anything is cheaper elsewhere- and smoke and mirrors marketing. I use Gamestop's used pricing as a guideline. I take whatever they're selling used shit for and subtract AT LEAST the 20% discount that spending $30 to become an "elite" member there rewards you. So I'm the same or cheaper than them, with far better condition product, and you don't have to spend a dime to get any discounts. It's already built into my low price. But people are too dumb to see it. They see the points and the percentages and feel like they're saving money by spending money to get those points and percentages. I've related the story before, but I had a woman buy two games from me and despite her total being $15 less than what she would have spent at Gamestop even if she had the best level of discounts, she bitched that I should have a loyalty program. If me saving you $15 for free isn't worth your loyalty, then I don't want it.

Just get some punch cards printed up and give them whatever after 10 purchases of $10 or more. Should shut them up.

[Fe 26]

Redeemable for a free small pan pizza at pizza Hut imo.

[A Robot Bit Me]

That someone would complain about the lack of a (paid) loyalty program is bizarre. Everywhere you went had one of those things in the early '00s and every pitch was the longest, most agonizing social encounter ever. Working in gaming retail for six years, just about everyone to whom I pitched one looked like they were thinking the same thing.

I wish I had a Tumblr of people's faces when they're being pitched something they know they don't want. That unblinking stare ("I can't let them know my brain is getting in the bathtub and holding a mattress over itself; gotta fake it") and complete bodily freeze. Your body halts its decay when the specials are being dictated to you when you decided what you're having before you walked in the door ("MUST FEIGN INTEREST IN PECAN CRUSTED SALMON BUT NOT OVER-COMMIT YOU'RE OVER COMMITTING DECREASE ENTHUSIASM IMMEDIATELY DO NOT NOD AT THE NEXT SPECIAL I REPEAT DO N").

If an unbroken sequence of people wearing lanyards talked at you about magazine subscriptions, extended warranties, and loyalty cards for fifty years, you'd Encino Man yourself into 2068 unaged.

[kingoffighters]

New garage door an opener - ouch.

Someone sent me these 2 brand new 2600 games.

Click for full size

[A Robot Bit Me]

Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus for Vita from the local Mommin' Pop for $13. Game pricing is usually...not great there, but once in a while I stop in after getting coffee next door and luck out on something.

[gamevet]

New garage door an opener - ouch.

Someone sent me these 2 brand new 2600 games.

Click for full size

Mountain King is a pretty good display of the best that the 2600 could do, but the jumps are a bitch when you are trying to reach the top of the mountain.

[kingoffighters]

Got a 24" Sony Wega CRT for free. Picture is so much better than the 27" Panny, might just recycle that one instead.