**Walks in and looks around**

Hello everyone,

I figured after 3 days of lurking it was about time to say Hi.

My husband and I just opened up a retro video game store this week. We have been picking up stuff here and there and setting up at flea markets for about a year and a half. I figured we had a pretty good idea of what was out there and what not.  Boy was I wrong. I have a feeling I will be living here for a while trying to tearn all I can. It seems I will learn quite a lot.

It is mostly common items and maybe a couple that you don't see every day. But, it is by no means a store for a true collector. We dabble in a bit of everything, From PS2 all the way back to the PONG. But, we try and stay with the older systems.

I have taken a look at several collections and must say I am impressed. I never knew there were so many hard core collectors. I am jealous!! Some of you make our collection look like a joke. But where there is hard core collectors there is an endless wealth of knowledge. I look foreward to learning from everyone!!

Well I'm off to try and learn the alphabet soup and other things I should know so my posts don't scream NOOB!!

Umm there wouldnt be a thread with the abreviations would there?

Kathryn AKA Bella

Welcome and good luck with your store!

Sounds like you are in the right place now though. You will learn real quick around here.

Hello Bella, greetz and good luck! Opening a small "Mom and Pop" shop (esp in this econ. climate) is a daunting task. I owned one for four years, and it was the toughest but most fun time of my life. At one point we were so poor we were living out of a family's basement...but that was a step up from sleeping on the stockroom floor Worth all the sacrifice though. Hopefully you'll have an easier time of it than we did! First piece of advice - either open in your own town, or move to where you're doing it before opening day, lol.

Welcome! I agree there is a lot to learn in the retro gaming world, I'm still learning every day. However the folks around here are super helpful and knowledgeable, so enjoy your stay and best of luck!

Wait, Bella... Black? I'm guessing that's your way of expressing you are in the Jacob camp? My wife is too. (If I'm way off, and you have no idea what I'm talking about, just ignore me, most do!)

Anyway, welcome to the site!

Thanks everyone!!

dangevin, We live less than a mile from the shop LOL. We were in there for almost a month before we opened. It is a pain to get everything set up. I just want it to mostly pay for its self. My husband is keeping his real job for now. If he didn't us and the kids would be sleeping in the store.

burdger, I am guessing you refered to Twilight? Never read the books LOL. I actually picked it up from the Harry Potter world. I play Pirates of the Caribbean Online and my "toons" name was Bella Black. I vent a lot and everyone still calls me Bella so I kept it.

Are you guys selling online too, or only local Bella?

Welcome to the site!

Welcome to NA Bella, I know you'll love it here!

Welcome to NintendoAge Bella.. Good Luck with the store...

Is the store in Huntsville? That's not too far from my house, unless then 2 hours away.. I'm be interested in visiting it sometime soon.

Welcome to the site Bella. I'm sure you can learn alot here.

Wow!! Lots of people saying "Hi." I knew I would like it here. Just be careful though, I can be a total chatterbox.

Bennder, We don't have a website yet, and we are still haven't dive into eBay yet. However we do post on craigslist from time to time. Well this weekend a lot LOL.

PSerger, you guessed it. We are in Huntsville. I am guessing you are in Nashville. I have family out the yin yang just north of Chapel Hill. If you want our number or directions just PM me and let me know.

Thanks everyone, I am so glad everyone has open arms.

lol, I guess that would fit too. I'm in the middle of re-reading the Twilight books, so that instantly popped into my mind.

Glad you found your way here Bella. I guess you can see by the responses that this was indeed everything I promised it would be. I hope this site can offer you as much as it has offered the rest of us. Welcome!

Welcome to the site

hey hey, welcome to the site. Congrats on the store. That's awesome.

Welcome to the site You should post some pics of your new store for us.
~~NGD

Welcome to the site Bella! Yea we def want to see some pictures of your store. I dream of one day opening my own retro game shop with an arcade in it as well.

Welcome to N-A. Nintendo Age, or Nintendo Anonymous as my gf likes to call it. "Hello, my name is Matt and I'm an addict!" I have wanted to open a video game store after managing one for over 10 years, but I had a serious back injury at work and I'm still trying to get my life back... It's good to see other people open their own game store and succeed , especially in these tough economic times! So I wish you all the luck and enjoy your stay.

PS: I may be buying some games from you if you ever want to sell online. I'm a bit far away (NY) to make a road trip out there. I run www.videogameobsession.com... which is basically my personal collection.

I will take some pics tonight before we leave, and try and get them posted tonight. Like I said for now we just want it to pay for its self.

Spoonman, I have no problem shipping....As for selling on line..That may be a while, we are still trying to get this beast set up. Not to mention there probably isnt anything here a hardcore collector would not already have and in better shape. But ya never know.

We just found a u-force in the garage with the box and a couple of inserts. The box is pretty beat up though. It is also missing a fistgrip...Like I said nothing spectacular.

we are allowing women to join NA now? geez, i am absent for a couple months and all hell breaks loose!

welcome aboard, bella! any info you could possibly want to know about vintage gaming can be found on this site and/or from the members here. glad to have another female member on the boards! that reduces the ratio to about 250:1 male to female! getting closer to the 1:1 ratio! haha

Welcome

welcome

Welcome to the site.