Thinking of opening a retro/import store in Galway and looking for some feedback

John E Capcom

Hello everybody, I know theres a similar thread below but I figured I'd start my own one here so I could get some feedback from you. Basically I'm thinking of opening my own retro/import games place here in Galway city and I'd just like to know if you guys think it would work out? I figure I'd try and stock items from all generations if I could and I'd bring in import machines from Japan and the US alongside games that didn't find a release over here like Contra 4 etc.

The way I'd ideally like to have the place would be a mix of arcade and shop, a bunch of cabinets running old school games on one side and then a bunch of displays etc on the other.

I'm in the very early stages of getting this idea together and I'm not sure what way to go with it. Was thinking of maybe setting up a website and running a place part time to start. Theres a strong chance I could get funding for it in the next few months though so I'd appreciate any feedback you guys might have. Reading the other posts has been interesting to say the least.

Well, any thoughts you might have you know I'm looking for em. Thanks

John E Capcom

Also yeah, first time poster on here, only came across the site today!

o1s1n

Good luck with the project. Is there any way I can persuade you to open it in Dublin instead?

I think a while ago everyone came to the conclusion that a shop on its own wouldn't stay in business long. Most of us here get stuff from ebay at prices a shop wouldn't be able to compete with.

So as you were saying, it would most definitely need to branch off by having cabs or even a coffee/sit down and play some consoles section. You need something people can't get from the internet. A place to socialize while playing older games would be the major one.

John E Capcom

Yeah thats what I'm thinking, theres no real way to compete with online or the chain stores on some things so creating an atmosphere and somewhere people can come and interact is a becoming a big part of it. Seems like there are plenty of retro folks out there and we all wanna talk for hours about our favourites of yesteryear.

I have to say I personally think the biggest problem other shops have is not knowing how to price their goods. Part of the draw of retro is that its easy on the pocket! I'm not sure at what level to start, but I'm leaning twoard online to start and then maybe trying to find a physical premesis etc.

Myrddin

o1s1n wrote: »

Good luck with the project. Is there any way I can persuade you to open it in Dublin instead?

I think a while ago everyone came to the conclusion that a shop on its own wouldn't stay in business long. Most of us here get stuff from ebay at prices a shop wouldn't be able to compete with.

So as you were saying, it would most definitely need to branch off by having cabs or even a coffee/sit down and play some consoles section. You need something people can't get from the internet. A place to socialize while playing older games would be the major one.

Agreed, if you can compete with ebay type prices etc then maybe it would be a runner. Get yourself a good website, nationwide delivery, competetive pricing & you may see a return. If you were ordering from Japan/US by bulk, and could pass on savings to customers that way - I'd certainly be interested in a few JAP/US only treasures

The problem is retro console/arcade equiptment doesn't come in bulk It's hard to get hold of, and by the time it's shipped here - there's no room left for profit....unless you had a contact in Japan or something. Even someone who understood the JP auctions

Myrddin

John E Capcom wrote: »

I have to say I personally think the biggest problem other shops have is not knowing how to price their goods.

Maybe to a point, but usually that only makes it cheaper It's usually unadulterated greed that kills the shops like that here in Dublin. A bricks and morter solution would never even cross my mind these days to be honest. While I'd love a competetive shop here, money is simply too tight to be throwing away. I got a Sega Nomad recently on ebay for €80 shipped to the door (shipping was 1/3 of the price actually), with the re-chargeable battery pack & six games. I shudder to think what a retro shop in Dublin would have charged for the same deal.

Mitchomagic

If you do ever get this off the ground,I could sort you out with all the Arcade Cabinets you need.

Good luck with the plan.

Cheers Mitch

Shapey Fiend

Some lads tried this down in Cork about 6 months ago.. it didn't go well. I can't really see it working out myself when you're going to have to price stuff at double or triple what they sell at online. The guys in Cork maybe went a bit too strong on that front though. Mega Drives were like 80 euro.

They were under competition from the pawn shop as well of course. If you think about it they're probably getting the stuff for half nothing, in bulk and don't have to pay for shipping.

Personally I'd like to see a retro arcade but I don't know if there's enough people in Dublin, nevermind Galway. You could probably kit out a place with 20 candy cabinets for about 15 grand, the PCBs would cost feck all. There's a place in London called Casino (Googe St.) but I'd guess that the slot machines are keeping the place open.

I've got a few pipe dream businesses I'd set up if I won the Lotto but it's a risky move. Games shops are on the way out between digital distribution and online sales. And Tesco selling below cost. You'd need something to subsidise the retro game sales i.e. new stuff.

Arcades can still work but it seems they have to be a sideline to the main business: i.e. pool, slots, bowling, fast food.

There's a place in Limerick city that has TV's and Xboxes and you play by the hour. They've an arcade machine as well but it's not working (offered it to me for a grand.. I lol'd. It was some god awful woody with bad button layout). They've been operating for a couple of years now so that's a model that seems to work. Probably wouldn't cost a fortune to set up either. There was a place in Dublin used do this about 4 years ago. Don't think it's there anymore. Rent was probably prohibitive.

If I had a bit of money I'd set up an arcade above Supermacs in Galway. That place has been vacant for 5 years. When they used to charge by the hour and leave everything on freeplay it was hopping. But they let the machines get run down to fcuk and never switched up the selection so people stopped going of course. If you'd a load of cheap but popular driving games like Daytona and Sega Rally on freeplay I'd say you'd be pretty packed. You can get these wrist bands that change colour every half hour so you can keep tabs on whose time is up without having a rake of staff running around checking people. Big place though you'd need some capital.

mudokon

Shapey Fiend wrote: »

Some lads tried this down in Cork about 6 months ago.. it didn't go well. I can't really see it working out myself when you're going to have to price stuff at double or triple what they sell at online. The guys in Cork maybe went a bit too strong on that front though. Mega Drives were like 80 euro.

They were under competition from the pawn shop as well of course. If you think about it they're probably getting the stuff for half nothing, in bulk and don't have to pay for shipping.

Personally I'd like to see a retro arcade but I don't know if there's enough people in Dublin, nevermind Galway. You could probably kit out a place with 20 candy cabinets for about 15 grand, the PCBs would cost feck all. There's a place in London called Casino (Googe St.) but I'd guess that the slot machines are keeping the place open.

I've got a few pipe dream businesses I'd set up if I won the Lotto but it's a risky move. Games shops are on the way out between digital distribution and online sales. And Tesco selling below cost. You'd need something to subsidise the retro game sales i.e. new stuff.

Arcades can still work but it seems they have to be a sideline to the main business: i.e. pool, slots, bowling, fast food.

There's a place in Limerick city that has TV's and Xboxes and you play by the hour. They've an arcade machine as well but it's not working (offered it to me for a grand.. I lol'd. It was some god awful woody with bad button layout). They've been operating for a couple of years now so that's a model that seems to work. Probably wouldn't cost a fortune to set up either. There was a place in Dublin used do this about 4 years ago. Don't think it's there anymore. Rent was probably prohibitive.

If I had a bit of money I'd set up an arcade above Supermacs in Galway. That place has been vacant for 5 years. When they used to charge by the hour and leave everything on freeplay it was hopping. But they let the machines get run down to fcuk and never switched up the selection so people stopped going of course. If you'd a load of cheap but popular driving games like Daytona and Sega Rally on freeplay I'd say you'd be pretty packed. You can get these wrist bands that change colour every half hour so you can keep tabs on whose time is up without having a rake of staff running around checking people. Big place though you'd need some capital.

I'm guessing you're talking about the place on North Main St in Cork. If so they are still in business, they have just incorporated the games part of there business back into their shop just across the road. So it fits in with what others have been saying here that it isn't really a viable business on it's own once you take into account the overheads. A lot of there stuff was over priced and it looked shoddy as well.

Most of the NES/SNES stuff in there was discoloured and if I remember correctly all of the games in there were €10 regardless of title. These prices were also for the cartridge only on a lot of the games.

I'd say there is still a lot of life left in games shops for a while yet but as you have pointed out I can see games being released through digital distribution more frequently.

As a main business I couldn't see a retro store doing too well. An online store would probably make more sense as the overheads would be a lot lower and you could run it on a PT basis. Getting the awareness out there to the site could be difficult, especially as there is so many of these stores available as business sellers through Ebay. Not that I'd be complaining if one of these stores on Ebay were Ireland based.

Good luck with it if you go ahead with the idea OP.

paulhannon

Awesome idea!!!

DO IT!!!

Shapey Fiend

Was just in the Cork retro shop now (as above poster said they're now half games, half other knick knacks. Half want to pick up something to play on my GBA but there's no way I'm paying 20euro for loose carts. Prices are a joke.

Retr0gamer

How about something like the 8-bit cafes in japan. Have a cafe with a console and TV per table. You can get a game and play it on the system with your coffee or whatever.

komodosp

One idea would to have some kind of record-keeping for high scores and the like.

The problem is (with a few exceptions like Terminator 2) the high scores disappear as soon as you switch it off, if you could set up a system of keeping the high scores, and the email addresses of the players, and have like some kind of prestige or prizes for having the high score, and email a player if their score has been beaten. They might come in to reclaim their title. If there are battles between two players, this could be promoted somehow. There could even be teams for multi-player games and combine their high scores. (unfortunately this discourages using continues)..

Combine modern technology with retro games.

Also have tournaments for vs games like Street Fighter 2 and the like.

Try to keep the prices retro too. In Limerick the bowling alley has an arcade attached and it's a euro or two a game... Bloody hell...

o1s1n

There's a pretty easy way of recording high scores - a camera. If someone thinks they did particularly well in a game you could have a camera on standby to take a quick snap.

landsleaving

One of those corkboards covered in pinned up high score polaroids would fit in well with a retro theme as well.

megaten

I think a great way to get a few pound would be to let people buy imports off you using a laser card. I know I'd definitely use a service like that.
I wouldn't mind paying 5-10 euro more for an import if I could use my own laser card.