Video Game Trader Opening Soon in Sugarloaf Mills Mall
The buy, sell and trade store is expanding from its flagship location in Duluth.
A new location for the Video Game Trader brand is coming soon to Lawrenceville, owner Thomas Sansone shared with Business Debut. This will be a satellite of their flagship store in Buford, which has served the area since 2012.
The store will open in a 1,000-square-foot retail space at 5900 Sugarloaf Pkwy #431, Lawrenceville, GA 30043.
This location will offer buy, sell, and trade services for video games and trading card games like Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, and Disney Lorcana. Sansone shared that a key niche for the brand is traditional retro gaming, particularly from the PS2 era. They also sell refurbished consoles that are thoroughly cleaned, tested, and ensured to perform well. Some consoles are even modified to include higher-definition screens, rechargeable batteries, and other upgrades.
The business began in the late 1990s when Sansone bought a crate of old Atari games for $20 at a flea market and resold them on eBay for about $100. This sparked his interest in game reselling, and he eventually launched an online Yahoo! Store and sold on Amazon.
After a break in 2006, Sansone returned to the business in 2010, when a friend invited him to purchase the inventory of a closing game store. Soon after, he moved from New Jersey to Atlanta and opened a physical storefront in Buford in 2012. While the location wasn’t ideal, it was affordable, and Sansone kept the business alive by paying himself just $500 a month during the first six months.
As Buford developed, so did the store’s customer base. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a spike in interest in video and card trading games, boosting sales. Despite his family dealing with a serious case of the virus, Sansone described it as a turning point for the business.
Video Game Trader has since grown from three employees to ten. With the Lawrenceville location opening soon, Sansone plans to expand to four or five satellite stores in the region.
For aspiring business owners, Sansone offered three pieces of advice:
- Be friendly with others in your industry
- Stay focused on customer experience
- Work harder than anyone else
The success of this approach is reflected in Video Game Trader’s high rate of repeat customers.
The Sugarloaf Mills location is expected to soft open between July 1 and 15, with a grand opening planned for August. The grand opening will include giveaways such as a Switch 2, Pokémon and Magic cards, and gift cards.
The Buford store also hosts leagues and events. Members of their leagues and free loyalty program receive priority access to special pre-orders.
For updates, visit their Coming Soon page or follow them on Facebook.
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