5 Minutes of Fame

I'm pretty sure most people get their "15 minutes of fame", and they probably get more fame than this, but I'm happy with my fleeting moment with the people at MSN and the new "Collect This!" program crew.

http://tech.msn.com/guides/collectthis_videogames.aspx

Better look quick, because I have a feeling that this is long gone in a few days.

I was initially contacted via a reference from Shawn Paul Jones, the publisher of Videogame Collector Magazine (with whom I am the price guide editor). MSN was starting up a new online collecting show and thought videogames were an avenue that would not only be fun and relevant to the its PC-based audience but also unexplored. The camera guys came out to the store one day in early June where we recorded the first part of the segment. Very little of the store is seen here, but rather the difficult-to-navigate basement/overstock area. It took them quite awhile to get the camera lighting right for this dingy setting but they're pros - it looks pretty good! All of the commentary you hear prior to meeting the Keno's was recorded down there as well.

Later that day we drove out to my home where "this is where the real collection lies" begins. We spent some time recording me playing. My favorite shot is the synchronized victory on the Punch-Out arcade cabinet. All in all, the video stuff took about six hours, and it was all compressed into about a minute and a half!

A week or two later I drove out to NYC's Soho area to meet the MSN team at Primus Studio. The place was pretty cool, with various collectibles stacked up all over the place and all kinds of professional "stuff" including a full staff of camera and makeup people (that's right, I had makeup applied to my face). It was even catered. The day's agenda started at 10am but there was a Brownstone expert shooting before me and I didn't need to be there until 2pm. When I got there I discovered that they were way behind schedule. The Brownstone guy hadn't even started yet!

It was really exciting being behind the scenes. I had never seen any of the Keno's programs but knew they were involved with Antiques Roadshow and also have a program called Find! where they come out to people's homes and discover collectibles. What I didn't know is that these guys do a LOT of takes, and since this was the first shooting of a new show, there were plenty of tweaks done on the fly, and much conversation about the way various bits should be taped. It was a LONG day... I didn't actually get started with my segment until 7:30 that night, but no complaints. Everyone was friendly and accommodating.

The good news is that my segment didn't take nearly as many takes as the guy before me, though the Keno's had never played Guitar Hero and had to pretty much learn it before taping their intro. Now THERE'S something I'm used to... watching a couple of n00bs learn Guitar Hero! Anyway, once that was done, the rest went rather quickly. One thing that comes across kinda weird though. When they ask me my favorite things to collect on the table, they're three things no one is going to find. I don't remember it going like that but with several takes and plenty of editing I guess that's the way it turns out. What I really wanted to convey was to always be on the lookout for prototype cartridges, not go find a one-or-two-of-a-kind game!

I've had this video in hand for well over two weeks and have shown it to family and close friends. The most common question: "was that all off the top of your head?". and I explain that it was... but remember that this was two full days compressed into an edited five minutes of material.

I should also mention that in retrospect, quoting prices on some of the high end stuff isn't such a good idea. It's SO subjective. I stand by the values but I would have been happier if they kept all the stuff we talked about for getting people started in collecting, and focused less on the obscure shit.

So that's my five minutes of fame. Hopefully it lends a little insight into the collecting side of videogaming, something that I've been promoting for many many years.

1:20 PM - 5 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Big Brother

George Orwell shared his thoughts on a world overseen by a political force keen on monitoring its domain. 24 years later, the DP store has adopted Orwell's "Big Brother" philosophy in a way.

Right from the beginning, the security system I installed allowed me to watch what was going on in the store from any computer. I've used this liberally, often to help as an extra set of eyes when I'm not there or when the middle school gets out at 3pm. Other times, to check in when the alarm sounds, which most of the time is a fallen display piece setting off the motion detector (for a time that WASN'T the case, you need to see the "CSI: Clifton" entry). And infrequently I'll check in just to make sure my guys aren't slacking off. I'm lucky enough to say that they don't do that too often.

So if you've been reading my blogs you've seen images from the store cameras before. Take note of upper right.



As "Big Brother" as that may seem, I've kicked it up a notch. I'm always looking for additional security as well as improved technology in the store, so I've added the ability to see what's going on with the main computer, including the ability to hear what's going on in the store.



This is a shot of the STORE's monitor as captured by my home computer, at the time of the security camera snapshot above it. Up top, you're seeing two people at the register island, presumably trading in some stuff. On the bottom photo, we can see they're trading in something "undocumented" (when "Videogame Items" shows up on the register it means it's something not already logged into our database) for both $8 and $3. As an added bonus, I can literally take control of that computer from my home.

Am I paranoid? Maybe. But I'm also a little more secure. I totally trust MY guys. It's the BAD guys I'm working on. If anyone breaks in, they'd better not talk. And they'd better not try to use the computer for *anything* let alone to open the cash drawer. As of now, just about anything unexpected that happens triggers some kind of alarm.

Of course, to truly finalize such a project, remotely manned weapons will need to be installed. Prepare for a future entry here.

9:05 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Collector’s Closet 2001-2005

Some of you reading this now may have become acquainted with me through my writing over the years. The most mainstream of my work to date was during my time with Tips & Tricks magazine. In October 2001 I was hired as a monthly columnist to test the waters for a new concept. Collector's Closet would focus on the budding hobby of collecting videogames.



Producing those columns was a lot of fun. The Editor-in-Chief Chris Bieniek and I already had a great relationship going into the project and were usually on the same page with the column's direction. Each month I was given a clean palette to work with, and more latitude than most jobs would ever allow. Chris' motto was simply "we want to do and show things that haven't been seen anywhere else before". Those are boundaries I can always work within.



In 2005 my brain took a strange turn in a number of ways. I felt like I was running out of ideas and wanted to leave the column on a high note and was also pursuing other projects (later that same year I opened the store in Clifton, NJ). The column did go on without me right up to the magazine's unfortunate end.

It's taken me awhile to get to this but I've finally archived the entire collection of Collector's Closet. They're still pretty relevant, and the scans are in fairly high quality, easy to read and probably good enough to print out as well.

If you missed them the first time around, hope you like 'em now.
http://www.digitpress.com/archives/collectors

11:54 AM - 3 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

1983

I graduated from high school in 1983. That year should be both pivotal AND memorable to all of us. That was the year of  "the crash". This means that my high school years built right up to a terrible end for videogaming. Fortunately, having a helmet of hair might protect a person from armageddon. Such was my story....

7:58 PM - 9 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

CSI: Clifton

Almost three years, I'm actually a little surprised that yesterday was the first time the store was broken into. These pictures are priceless.

Note that I've spent a pretty good deal of time over the past three years thinking about this very moment. Where to place the cameras. How to position the sensors. And I'm still learning, because my most recent thoughts are "how to block off the skylights on the roof".

Alright, better to tell this in picture form. Let's start with the surveillance cameras.



See that triangle on the top, near the left side? That's not supposed to be there. At about 4:10am this "appeared" in the camera. It's the molding and a piece of wood used to block the skylight (built by my good friend Scott, who is the real hero here, read on).



That big piece of white is Scott's blockade, as the perp kicks through the molding and finally dislodges it. This took about 15 minutes. Clifton's CSI even came to the store that morning, and discovered a pair of binoculars on the roof and a hammer duct-taped to a long piece of wood. My guess is that this was going to smash the "cheap" plywood block beyond the skylight. Little did these amateurs know that Scott's handywork is NEVER cheap. After smashing the wood for awhile they realized they'd have to drop down and kick it loose. This is what ultimately set off the alarm.



This is as far as they ever got. By this time, the motiion detectors had picked up movement in the store. The siren had just started blaring, and phone calls were going off all over the place. It sucks getting called at 4:25am but it's worth it when this is what the call is about.



The perp scurries quickly back up the rope (though I think he was helped up by someone). Clifton police arrived on the scene less than five minutes later, so these boys bolted in a big hurry.

It's still surreal to look at these stills and the video that goes with it. CSI: Clifton has fingerprints, footprints, and a bit of physical evidence, and I truly hope they catch these fuckers, but as always I'm happy to learn. I've got all kinds of ideas for how to prevent (or better still, entrap) this type of criminal in the future.

Here's a few more photos I took that morning. Note the "Mission Impossible" entrance, the bent bar on the skylight as the entrance wasn't as open as it originally appeared, and best of all, the bajillion footprints left in the skylight alcove as the perps desperately tried to wiggle in and bust through.

2:07 AM - 10 Comments - 10 Kudos - Add Comment

Get Out

If you've been reading these entries over the past few years, you'll find that among the usual good-natured posts there are sprinkled some tales where you might think Joe is actually the bad guy in these stories. This is about to be one of those times.

I see a lot of faces and hear a lot of voices in the course of a week, so many customers slip under the radar. I used to be real good with faces but not so much anymore. So these days when I recognize a customer, especially their voice, there's either something really good or really bad going on. This is about to be one of the bad times.

Even before opening the store today, the phone is ringing off the hook and the caller ID is a familiar one. And, because I'm not a complete bastard, let's call this caller "Dracula X". I don't answer calls from Dracula X anymore, because this young man hit my radar a few weeks ago as a scammer. He's the ultimate definition of buyer's remorse - he buys stuff and typically doesn't like it - and then comes up with some excuse to return it to the store.

Let me sidebar for a moment. I am extremely lenient with returns, as long as the customer understands they're exchanging things. Don't like it? Not a problem, you have store credit to put towards something you might like. Bought the wrong thing? Oh sure, we all do that! Exchange it. My customers appreciate this, I know, because they sometimes say "I appreciate that". So let's get back to the  Dracula X story.

The trouble with this customer is that he reports his products "broken" an awful lot. At first it wasn't that big a deal. He'd buy a game - sometimes brand new - and say it didn't work in his system. I'd let him exchange it for something that's of similar value to the used version of the game he bought. No harm done. He hit my radar after calling in one day saying he bought a brand new DS and it was broken and he wanted to trade it in for a PSP. The voice sounded familiar so I asked him to come in and we could discuss it. He came in... "it's THAT guy?" I thought... I worked something out with him in person but vowed that would be the last time.

In the weeks that followed, I would get phone calls from Dracula X but as usual didn't answer them and figured he had some beef, probably bought something on a day I wasn't there and of course it was broken and he needed to return it. Regardless of the phone call, he'd have to come to the store to exchange it so I let the calls go figuring he'd show up. So today after ringing and ringing with no answer, he turns up in person, very shortly after opening.

"My DS is broken. The left button doesn't work. I bought it here 30 days ago. I want to exchange it for another one.", he says.

"30 days ago? Did you bring your receipt?" I'm thinking he's working on our 30 day guarantee.

"Receipt? I didn't get one."

"We always give receipts. Was the left button broken when you got it?"

"No, but it's broken now."

Here's where the blood boils. Why does everything he touches BREAK?

"So you broke the left button and now you want a DS with a working left button? Let me ask you. Why did you buy another DS when you wanted a PSP the last time you bought a broken DS? Why do you never have a receipt? Why does everything you touch BREAK?"

And then I said it.

"GET OUT".

"What? You're not gonna give me another one?"

"Not only am I not gonna give you another one, but I'm not dealing with you anymore, period. GET OUT of my store".

Harsh? Probably seems like it. Maybe I'm still adjusting to the retail world but in the world I grew up in, it's called "taking advantage of the system", and I'm not having that.

3:09 AM - 15 Comments - 20 Kudos - Add Comment

TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine Haul

One of the store's largest trade-ins occurred yesterday (May 31st). A collector from Toms River drove up to unload his entire US TurboGrafx-16 collection, which includes almost every game including the CD releases (about 120 games) PLUS hundreds of Japanese PC Engine games. Nothing was loose. This collection also came with a like-new in box TurboDuo and and TurboGrafx-16 with CD add-on as well as a box full of controllers, multi-taps and other Turbo accessories.

I sorted through all 520 games this morning, the pictures will give you a better perspective of just how cool this was.

I love my job.

12:52 PM - 7 Comments - 13 Kudos - Add Comment

The Yellow Sticker

"The yellow sticker is the price."

I say this at least once a day, though what seems like a pretty obvious thing to me is often lost amongst my customers. I'm too stubborn to add the actual dollar sign. It goes something like this...

I have this very cool rotating display case. The kind you might see in coin shop, I'd imagine. In this case, you can press two buttons to rotate the shelves inside forward or back. There's a story about the shelves themselves, and I'm going to tell that now:

My buddy Sean has a great videogame store in Illinois, called Videogames Now and Then. and in Sean's store, he's had one of these great rotating displays ever since I can remember. Sean called me one day to tell me that this very same display was on eBay for TEN DOLLARS, with just a few hours left. Mind you, the auction required a pickup from South Carolina. Well guess what? I have a very good friend in South Carolina. So I called him, asked if he could pick it up, and after confirming this, put in a bid of $150.

The auction ended with nobody else bidding, and I won the auction. Though my pal would have to drive over there, it technically only cost me $10.

I let Sean know that I won, and thanked him for the tip. He asked me to contact the guy because in this auction the seller mentioned that he had THREE of these. Sean was willing to pay real money for one of those. I emailed and the seller informed me that I had won the auction already, which included ALL THREE of these items! Long story short, my buddy picked them all up, brought two to me and shipped one to Sean, everyone was more than happy. Fast forward back to today...

In this very cool rotating display case I keep various loose handheld games, mostly Game Boy stuff. On each game I have a yellow sticker with a number on it. Super Mario Land is "13". Tetris is "7". Customers continually ask, "can I have number 7?" without even asking the price. Then there are the very odd customers who DO care about the price but still do not see the pattern.

"How much is this 7 Tetris?", they ask.

"That's seven dollars."

"How much is this 13 Super Mario Land?"

"That's thirteen dollars."

I'm often amazed by how far this will go until I finally have to tell them that the yellow sticker with a number on it isn't just a number but in fact a price. As I said, I'm stubborn but it seems I'll need to actually start writing in the dollar sign so that this is more obvious.

Or maybe they'll start asking "How much is S-13?"

6:06 PM - 3 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Rattle Rattle

I had intended to make this entry a "sequel" of sorts to a previous blog entry. See if you can figure out which one before the punch line.

About a half hour before closing last night, three teens enter the store. The spokesman of the group drops a bag of PlayStation 2 on the counter, expressing the need to sell it. No controller. Pretty filthy. I'm not expecting much, but surprisingly it gets thru my dual-layer God of War test and PS1 Coolboarders test. Minus condition and controller, $25.

These guys hung around for awhile though. I'd categorize these kids as "slacker teens". Not bad kids, but I'd imagine not very good-grades kids either. Clearly meant to hang out and cruise through life. Much like "slacker adults" like me.

The system needed cleaning so I left it on the counter to deal with the next morning.

You may be thinking "does this guy think any ordinary trade-in merits a story?" and to you I can only say that ordinary is not my thing, because the real story starts the next morning, when I go back to clean this filthy piece of hardware.

I hear a rattle and at first wonder how I missed this the night before. I can't sell it this way, so I'll need to open 'er up and remove it. But as I pick up the PS2 and shake it again, it's too clunky to be a tiny piece of supporting plastic. Did this kid jam something inside of the expansion port of the PS2?

The expansion port of the PS2 is an open bay covered by an easily removed panel, and was meant for a hard drive and as a mounting spot for the broadband adapter. There was something in there alright. I opened it up... A Tic-Tac box?!

I extracted the Tic-Tac box to find that there was something INSIDE the Tic-Tac box, and it wasn't Tic-Tacs. Can you guess what?

"Drugs?"

Kinda, yeah. Rolled up into a baggie inside the Tic-Tac box was a substance that sure looked a lot like marijuana. Now I'm not POSITIVE about this, because I didn't open the bag, I didn't sniff it, and I didn't even smoke it, but I DID take a photo of it.



Probably just OREGANO. Again.

8:35 PM - 10 Comments - 11 Kudos - Add Comment

One Million Dollars

Bit of a landmark. The DP store has officially logged in one million dollars in sales! Twenty-nine months nearly to the day, a somewhat regular customer purchased some games and was greeted by our special congratulatiory celebration on April 28th. Sadly, something went wrong in this celebration and the picture of this fellow holding his fifty dollar congratulatory certificate was botched . So Maryah posed in this simulation instead.



....We hit this landmark sooner than expected and so if you had asked me 29 months ago what this would mean to me I would have said "I'LL BE RICH!". What I've learned in 29 months is that 99% of "sales" go back to restocking what was sold, paying bills and paying people to simulate actual customers (see above).

So I'm not rich, but I *am* very happy. And I can say that I've managed a million dollars in 29 months and by all accounts, have squandered it all

Makes me a bit of a rock star, doesn't it? Right ON.

8:01 PM - 15 Comments - 20 Kudos - Add Comment