Stone Age Gamer

Meet Andrew Harsh

We were fortunate enough to gain the ear of Andrew Harsh, Co-Founder of Stone Age Gaming. Andrew took some time out of his busy schedule to share some history on his store, what makes Stone Age Gamer unique amongst video game stores and some hopes for the future.

(Game-Route, G-R) I believe Stone Age Gamer is a bit unique in that you started with a successful online business, after which deciding to complement it with a brick-and-mortar storefront. What made you want to move in that direction?

(Andrew Harsh, AH) We always liked the idea of having an actual storefront so we could have another way to buy and trade for video games to not only resell to help our company, but also to be able to collect some cool things and decorate our store in a fun way that we enjoy walking into every day. It’s allowed us to acquire some great pieces of video game history that we are able to also share with our local customers and community.

(G-R) How has your vision evolved over time?

(AH) We have had to really expand on what types of products we offer to our customers as in recent years as there has been a ton of great new accessories and devices that were never possible before.

(G-R) Stone Age Gamer is well known for providing access to new technologies for retro game systems. What role does technology play in our interactions with retro video gaming?

(AH) It has enabled us to carry a lot of retro gaming products that improve the old hardware’s look, feel, and functions. We continue to be amazed at just how much “new tech” is put into these aging consoles to allow them to be enjoyed in the most convenient and fun ways possible.

(G-R) What are some significant challenges facing video game store owners today?

(AH) The new generations are getting further and further away from the physical media and the old way of distributing video games. While the platforms we grew up with get older and older, eventually the gap that currently exists where “retro gaming” is alive and well will close, as newer generations will not care as much about them.

(G-R) How do you differentiate yourself from your competition, particularly online competitors?

(AH) We go out of our way to carry products we believe are unique, useful, and sometimes quite niche. We love carrying oddball products that there may not be a huge market for, but every console platform still has its fans that deserve to have their consoles live on.

(G-R) What changes to your business have you seen or experienced over the years?

(AH) We have really had to expand into some different categories and had to start offering repairs and upgrades in order to meet the demand for those things. We still continue to try to expand with some of those services and products to allow us to continue to grow.

(G-R) What have you found most effective in building and maintaining customer relationships?

(AH) We have always tried to give the best possible support to our customers to allow them to feel comfortable buying from us. We always try to take care of our customers and we try to make them feel appreciated, as we do very much appreciate them making our business possible.

(G-R) What do you believe are the key factors to your business’s success?

(AH) I believe that our vast selection and our willingness to carry what products our customers really want is a major reason why we have had success, along with our strong team we have built that each offers their own expertise and passion for certain gaming platforms.

(G-R) If you could do anything differently, would you? If so, what?

(AH) In our early days we briefly thought about purchasing the Nintendo World Championships Gold cartridge to display in our store and to take to conventions for others to enjoy. At the time we could not really afford it, even though it was much more obtainable back then than it is now.

(G-R) What keeps you going with your business?

(AH) Although it is a ton of work, it is very rewarding to be surrounded by so much cool video game history and new products that make the job much more enjoyable. Getting to hear the joy in our customer’s voices when they see things in our store that brings back those childhood memories and allows them to create new memories with their families is a great feeling.

(G-R) What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to open their own video game store?

(AH) You really need your love for video games to be an important part of why you are wanting to open a store. You may need to make sacrifices in order to succeed. If you are just looking to make money there are many other businesses that are easier to succeed at, but if you truly love gaming it is a very satisfying job.

(G-R) What is the hope for the future of your store?

(AH) We hope to be able to take our store a step further with events and a gaming lounge / party center which we plan to open soon.

(G-R) The video game industry?

(AH) We hope there will always be room for retro gaming, even if it is just in some throwbacks or re-releases on all the crazy futuristic consoles to come.

(G-R) How physical retail will play a part with video games?

(AH) We hope there will always be some types of physical retail in newer generation gaming, as it would be a sad day if all that was available was digital.