Dirtbags like this make me sad and angry!

[dashv]

I went to my favorite mom and pop shop today.

He had some good deals there and he's good about setting aside stuff I want but don't have money for yet.

Today he had a HUGE stack of nes manuals. 15 of which I wanted. (many of them currently are currently going for $5 or more each on eBay.) he's holding onto them till later this week and selling them to me for $25. I'm also picking up the Ratchet and Clank HD collection for $15 and Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition for $10.

At present he's holding them all on nothing but my word and come Thursday he's probably going to cut me a discount on the above prices when I actually ring out.

As I was leaving I spotted this:



And this:



Some dirtbag (or dirtbags) have pulled discs out of the cases and walked out.

The list of stolen discs includes:

FF 7
FF 9
Chrono Cross
Star Ocean

And a bunch if other JRPGs I can't remember off the top of my head.

The guy sponsors local game tournaments (video and board games) gives twice the store credit and cash as GameStop for trade-ins and gives sweet discounts for large and frequent purchasers.

I asked him if he was going to start locking all the goods up.

He just shrugged and said "Some people have no respect. But most people are good people. If they want to check out the game in store before deciding to buy it, I want them to have the freedom to do it."

I don't know what the point of this post is other than to say it's terrible (but not surprising) that people would do something like that.

I wish there was something I could do about it beyond making a rambling forum post.

[kamikazekeeg]

It's very sad, but if they are set up where they can't be seen by the counter well, they will get stolen which sucks.  It's why most of the time when I see stuff at Goodwill or the Salvation Army, I've found discs missing which drives me nuts.  Another thrift shop I go to keeps all game discs other than PS1 games in CD cases behind the counter, just the case in the front where you can grab them.  Another retro store I go to puts all disc based games in cd cases behind the counter with the boxes up front if they aren't in the glass case.  I'd imagine it to be annoying to deal with, but it keeps games safe, even in small stores.

[foxhack]

Tell him to install cameras.

If he refuses to keep the discs in a safe place then it's all he can do.

... or you could also search eBay for local disc only listings for the missing games and see if anyone's listed the stuff that's been stolen.

[thecrypticodor]

If he's keeping the discs in the cases I'm not the least bit surprised. It will happen to him again and again until he wises up and keep the disc's behind the counter like what every other savvy store owner does. For the really expensive games he shouldn't even have their cases out either as they're also worth money.

[MJMaranan]

The owner of the store is very trusting of people and, from what you told, very kind.  Still, most stores do keep game discs securely and only display the case and manual.

I second the others' comments, persuade the owner to change the disc-viewing policy to one where people are still able to see the disc(s) but have to ask for permission from an employee or the owner to do so.  The employee or the owner can then retrieve the binder to show the customer the disc(s).  Cameras aren't that great, in my opinion...  It's also pretty expensive and time-consuming looking into each video.

[dashv]

The owner of the store is very trusting of people and, from what you told, very kind.  Still, most stores do keep game discs securely and only display the case and manual.

I second the others' comments, persuade the owner to change the disc-viewing policy to one where people are still able to see the disc(s) but have to ask for permission from an employee or the owner to do so.  The employee or the owner can then retrieve the binder to show the customer the disc(s).  Cameras aren't that great, in my opinion...  It's also pretty expensive and time-consuming looking into each video.

He keeps the really expensive games and items (over $50) in glass cases. I agree that cameras are pretty clunky and not always as helpful as having stuff just plain locked up.

[spac316]

Yeah, some people just don't know right from wrong... 

One of the mom and pop shops I go to has security cams and another one seems to have them where they can be seen. It's wise to have them.

[thekosmickollector]

There's an independent game store near where I live, they keep the manuals and discs in these plastic wallets they keep at the back. Also the more rare & valuable stuff (Like the PS1 Final Fantasy games and boxed N64 games) they don't really openly sell in stores anyway, they put them behind the counter and list them on Amazon, but if you see a game you like back there you can ask about it. I think that's quite a good way of doing things, that way nothing gets into the wrong hands

[Bwigdahl]

So he just keeps the discs in the cases so people can check the condition of them? I mean, he could still do that if he kept the discs behind the counter. If he really wanted he could even put up a sign inviting people to check out the discs first before buying.

[solvesoul]

This is indeed a sad occurrence, my local thrift store tapes most boxes shut but still people manage to steal the discs. The worst part is that most discs are only 1 to 3 euros. Most of the time it's a "steal" to buy it legit.

[dashv]

So he just keeps the discs in the cases so people can check the condition of them? I mean, he could still do that if he kept the discs behind the counter. If he really wanted he could even put up a sign inviting people to check out the discs first before buying.

Not just for that. He also has consoles hooked up to televisions so you can actually play the game in store before you buy. Very convenient if the game has scratches or the cart is in bad shape.

He has a front and back to the store. The front is the board/card game section. The back is where the video games are.

So they'd have to go back there. Pocket the games. Then walk by him and the counter to leave.

Only option would seem to be glass cases (expensive and inconvenient) or another employee (very expensive).

Cameras sound like a good idea but checking tapes is a pain. And a picture of someone is useless if you don't have a name to go with it and they never come in again.

[burningdoom]

My local used shop keeps discs behind the counter, just for that reason.

Didn't stop one guy from straight kicking in the front, glass door, then kicking in her Sega Genesis glass display case and stealing her Sega games.

At least the moron couldn't have gotten a cheaper set of games unless he stole the Atari 2600 games. If he knew what he was doing, he would have went straight for the Saturn, Sega CD, 360, and PS3 games.

[dreama1]

He could of just wrote a label on the boxes stating the condition and if it included manual. I'm afraid you can't leave discs in the case in good old usa. Anything that can be stolen will be stolen. This is not japan afterall. A friend was drinking on the streets over in japan, and lost his wallet and a stranger posted it back to him with a nice message and all the cash he had inside of it. Would like to see that happen over here.

[Warmsignal]

No way would I ever do that even if my business was not primarily a game shop. If I ran a business that sold games, all carts would be behind glass and no disc would ever be left in the case. If you don't take those necessary precautions, this is guaranteed to happen.

[maximo310]

Man, that really does suck that people take advantage of owners' good intentions letting people browse games and then just stealing the discs just so they don't have to pay for it, that is quite a scumbag move.