A Visit to Trade 1 Classic Game Store

EvilEvoIX · 07/06/2015, 10:18 PM

There is this crazy store I visit in North Jersey from time to time when I am in the State and I gotta say it is amongst the craziest. The guy literally has everything just stacked and scattered every where without a care. Nice guy, knows a ton on gaming, travels the world picking up rare games and gets stuff through China Town in the City and is a pleasure to talk to. There is one glaring issue however; price. I mean $40 for a loose Sonic 2 for the Genesis. Same for a loose Keith Courage. A loose Virtual Boy is $250. That SNES display below is $500. I have never purchased a thing from this guy but last time I was there for no joke 2.5 hours pawing through everything. A ton of new old stock too. The guy only deals face to face, no online sales, no ebay, no Amazon, no shipping. Just face to face. No idea how he stays in business as I have never seen the guy make a sale and his pricing makes eBay look charitable.

I apologize for the amount of pics but I wanted to post the shear magnitude of this mans collection I've literally visited my favorite over priced games over the past 7 years and they haven't moved an inch. I think he just doesn't want to sell and is really a collector.

EvilEvoIX · 07/06/2015, 10:21 PM

xcrement5x · 07/06/2015, 10:31 PM

Dude looks like a straight up hoarder, collectors at least normally have stuff somewhat organized.

bob · 07/06/2015, 10:31 PM

MobiGo or GTFO

MotherGunner · 07/07/2015, 12:39 AM

How much did he want for the TG system?

EvilEvoIX · 07/07/2015, 12:48 AM

$200 loose system.

ParanoiaDragon · 07/07/2015, 01:21 AM

Don't climb shelves! Ask for assistance!

Oh, & clearly some of those NES games DO have sleeves! When purchasing an NES game, does he yank the sleeve from you?

ClodBusted · 07/07/2015, 04:25 AM

Look! No bars in front of the windows.

esteban · 07/07/2015, 06:32 AM

The glowing ZUNE sign was awesome.

I want to buy that from him, but I don't think it'll be in my price range.

Quote from: guest on 07/07/2015, 04:25 AMLook! No bars in front of the windows.

No need for security bars when a veteran Casio SK-1* keyboard is alert and standing guard.

*

Nazi NecroPhile · 07/07/2015, 01:33 PM

Quote from: guest on 07/06/2015, 10:31 PMDude looks like a straight up hoarder, collectors at least normally have stuff somewhat organized.

Agreed. 'Tis a trainwreck.

Galder · 07/07/2015, 01:57 PM

Heaven. I can see why the dead bird is there too ;[

BigusSchmuck · 07/07/2015, 03:37 PM

Are you sure that isn't Game Dude's HQ? lol Man dude looks like he belongs to one of those hoarding shows (as stated above).

CGQuarterly · 07/07/2015, 03:40 PM

Quote from: BigusSchmuck on 07/07/2015, 03:37 PMAre you sure that isn't Game Dude's HQ? lol Man dude looks like he belongs to one of those hoarding shows (as stated above).

Really? I've been to the Game Dude store, and it was clean and well-laid out. Didn't see the man himself though, so I don't know what he looks like. But his prices were for the most part fair. I bought a handful of games, including a still-sealed copy of Shadow of the Beast for Turbo CD.

turboswimbz · 07/07/2015, 03:51 PM

I never had a good experience there. The owner I find is generally rude. I've watched people come back 4 times with broken stuff. And when someone tried to point out about pricing one time, (Nov. 2012) the response was, "that what it sell for on Ebay, if you don't like it then leave my store" It is way too dirty to me, if you managed 2.5 hrs in there you've made it about 2 hours and ten minutes longer than my longest visit. Of course last time I was there after 15 I was inquired whether I was going to buy anything. He's also slightly changed his store name 3 times now due to bad Google, yelp, ect. reviews.

Don't get get me wrong he has an amazing amount of retro stuff. and if you just chat in general the staff seems nice. and occasionally you can get lucky with a price being off, for instance I had a friend get a NES metroid for a few bucks . but the cons always out weigh anything good for me.

In short Edison NJ has many cool things to see, Trade 1 is not one of those of those for me, it just makes me sad.

BigusSchmuck · 07/07/2015, 05:10 PM

Quote from: CGQuarterly on 07/07/2015, 03:40 PM
Quote from: BigusSchmuck on 07/07/2015, 03:37 PMAre you sure that isn't Game Dude's HQ? lol Man dude looks like he belongs to one of those hoarding shows (as stated above).
Really? I've been to the Game Dude store, and it was clean and well-laid out. Didn't see the man himself though, so I don't know what he looks like. But his prices were for the most part fair. I bought a handful of games, including a still-sealed copy of Shadow of the Beast for Turbo CD.

Just a joke

I haven't been to the Game Dude store since the 90s (aging myself again). But man, you would think with all that retro stuff Trade 1 Classic's prices would be a bit more reasonable.

sirhcman · 07/07/2015, 05:23 PM

Quote from: BigusSchmuck on 07/07/2015, 05:10 PM
Quote from: CGQuarterly on 07/07/2015, 03:40 PM
Quote from: BigusSchmuck on 07/07/2015, 03:37 PMAre you sure that isn't Game Dude's HQ? lol Man dude looks like he belongs to one of those hoarding shows (as stated above).
Really? I've been to the Game Dude store, and it was clean and well-laid out. Didn't see the man himself though, so I don't know what he looks like. But his prices were for the most part fair. I bought a handful of games, including a still-sealed copy of Shadow of the Beast for Turbo CD.
Just a joke I haven't been to the Game Dude store since the 90s (aging myself again). But man, you would think with all that retro stuff Trade 1 Classic's prices would be a bit more reasonable.

I think it is pretty obvious the reason he has that much stuff is due to the pricing

esteban · 07/07/2015, 05:53 PM

Quote from: turboswimbz on 07/07/2015, 03:51 PMI never had a good experience there. The owner I find is generally rude. I've watched people come back 4 times with broken stuff. And when someone tried to point out about pricing one time, (Nov. 2012) the response was, "that what it sell for on Ebay, if you don't like it then leave my store" It is way too dirty to me, if you managed 2.5 hrs in there you've made it about 2 hours and ten minutes longer than my longest visit. Of course last time I was there after 15 I was inquired whether I was going to buy anything. He's also slightly changed his store name 3 times now due to bad Google, yelp, ect. reviews.

Don't get get me wrong he has an amazing amount of retro stuff. and if you just chat in general the staff seems nice. and occasionally you can get lucky with a price being off, for instance I had a friend get a NES metroid for a few bucks . but the cons always out weigh anything good for me.

In short Edison NJ has many cool things to see, Trade 1 is not one of those of those for me, it just makes me sad.

Thanks for the additional info. Now I will visit here just for the kicks

Also, I am pretty certain that the DOUBLE DRAGON restaurant I have to visit was in Edison, too (I drove by it a year or three ago).

turboswimbz · 07/07/2015, 06:45 PM

Quote from: esteban on 07/07/2015, 05:53 PM
Quote from: turboswimbz on 07/07/2015, 03:51 PMI never had a good experience there. The owner I find is generally rude. I've watched people come back 4 times with broken stuff. And when someone tried to point out about pricing one time, (Nov. 2012) the response was, "that what it sell for on Ebay, if you don't like it then leave my store" It is way too dirty to me, if you managed 2.5 hrs in there you've made it about 2 hours and ten minutes longer than my longest visit. Of course last time I was there after 15 I was inquired whether I was going to buy anything. He's also slightly changed his store name 3 times now due to bad Google, yelp, ect. reviews.

Don't get get me wrong he has an amazing amount of retro stuff. and if you just chat in general the staff seems nice. and occasionally you can get lucky with a price being off, for instance I had a friend get a NES metroid for a few bucks . but the cons always out weigh anything good for me.

In short Edison NJ has many cool things to see, Trade 1 is not one of those of those for me, it just makes me sad.
Thanks for the additional info. Now I will visit here just for the kicks

Also, I am pretty certain that the DOUBLE DRAGON restaurant I have to visit was in Edison, too (I drove by it a year or three ago).

Esteban. That is double dragon in Union. rumors are that it is closing?...

ParanoiaDragon · 07/08/2015, 02:26 AM

Quote from: BigusSchmuck on 07/07/2015, 05:10 PM
Quote from: CGQuarterly on 07/07/2015, 03:40 PM
Quote from: BigusSchmuck on 07/07/2015, 03:37 PMAre you sure that isn't Game Dude's HQ? lol Man dude looks like he belongs to one of those hoarding shows (as stated above).
Really? I've been to the Game Dude store, and it was clean and well-laid out. Didn't see the man himself though, so I don't know what he looks like. But his prices were for the most part fair. I bought a handful of games, including a still-sealed copy of Shadow of the Beast for Turbo CD.
Just a joke I haven't been to the Game Dude store since the 90s (aging myself again). But man, you would think with all that retro stuff Trade 1 Classic's prices would be a bit more reasonable.

It's probably been about 10 years since I was there last. I used to go quite frequently when heading down to Hollywierd to also hit up Aron's, Fat Beats, Second Spin & Amoeba's. I think I did run into the owner a few times. I do have some memory of him being a bit of a jerk or something, can't totally remember though. I definitely got awesome deals over the years though. Will never forget when I got Ys IV & Sidearms Special for $12 each, when they were going for maybe a couple hundred, that was sweet!

bartre · 07/08/2015, 07:44 PM

We had a store like this in Lincoln, lord knows how it stayed open.

though over the past 3-4 years it's cleaned up quite a bit, and has actually gotten a lot more reasonable on pricing.
I remember 6 years ago walking in there and seeing mega man x2 tagged at $80.

...maybe their prices haven't gotten better, just everyone else has gotten worse.

EvilEvoIX · 07/08/2015, 08:28 PM

Here's the dude, he sits there all day.