Joe Gamer — Local services in Town of La Grange

I had a GREAT time at Joe Gamers. I read all of the previously posted reviews before writing my own 2 cents. I think it's best to jump right into the fray by addressing what people are complaining about mostly: prices and service. The prices are appropriate. With such wide variety of stock, even the rare gems they had for sale were priced accordingly. *Nothing was "price-gauged" or overpriced; Everything was priced to sell. In terms of cost: I looked over their inventory for a solid hour and nothing at all stood out as excessive. I think its important for some people to remember that this is an established store- NOT a garage sale, not a flea market, not one of the street-tables selling bootleg/knock-off merch for 1/2 price. I say this with sincerity, because after reading some of these reviews, I am convinced these "customers" were expecting prices set by grandma, who doesn't have the internet to check current rates or flat-out doesnt care about maintaining a buisness.

Like, these people say, "it's a SNES game, it should be $5! It's old!" No. Sorry. Honestly, you MIGHT be able to save a few dollars if you're willing to go bidding yourself on eBay, but we all know it's not worth the hassle. I hate eBay, thank God for Joe Gamer, seriously.

The other issue people are crying about: customer service. Please. Enough is enough, give it a break already. The service is FINE! You may belive this about yourself, but the truth is you are not in a diplomatic embassy from France. You're not a CEO featured on Shark Tank. Why do you expect some kind of grand treatment upon arrival? That service that you expect to get, it's a fantasy. Stop day dreaming.

"The King is here!! Mark this day, I will tell my grandchildren about this moment. That you have stepped foot in my humble, unworthy store. Your majesty, how can I help you?!? Can I shine your shoes while you browse. Some fancy d'oeuvres perhaps? Complementary back rub?"

Seriously, what kind of service do these people want? I don't understand. They really want the worker to jump up out of his seat, smile (genuine smile, better not be creepy or forced) and complement you on your outfit or something? and what else? Some song and dance for your entertainment? Would that earn them a star for customer service? Please. No offense, but I doubt dude is getting paid the big bucks to serve you at a standard in which you see fit. Though this store is amazing, its not like you've stepped into a 5-star, exotic, marketplace in Dubai. And no one is staring at you or attentively watching you as you browse the store either. During my visit I received appropriate customer service- you need help finding something? Ask and he'll check. If you wanna hangout and talk about pretentious indie video games or get into deep details about some obscure foreign merchandise, good luck! But you can't demand that the worker does this for you whenever you want and to do so with a smile and genuine enthusiasm. Go meet friends at a convention or something, just don't expect such a particular response with social interaction from a worker at Joe Gamer.

I just can't believe so many reviews are full of butt-hurt "customers" that didn't get cake and welcoming party after walking through the door. Everything else is all-but agreed upon; an impressive bounty of games, like a hoard, a nostalgic, categorized heap. What's even more amazing than their insanely deep inventory is that it's completely and utterly organized and clean as can be. 100/100. Double Flawless victory. Each section (divided by consoles)is perfectly displayed and organized alphabetically. I especially appreciate how they put all the sport games in their own dedicated spot, truly excellent idea. I would personally love to see a working arcade cabinet or two. Marvel Vs Capcom or Mortal Kombat. But asking for that is greedy, all things considered. This place has thoughroghly earned its stripes. Easily better than gamestop, it's stands legendary and I bet it will be around a lot longer than the previously mentioned...

Been coming here for quite a few years now, haven’t really had many issues but I recently bought a DSi from here and had issues with the screen going bad on me causing it to be unable to boot at all. Figured I would take it back to the store to see if I could have it repaired, replaced, or even a partial refund.

The owner which I assume is Joe was very quick to say he didn’t do repairs or know anyone that could repair it for me. I then asked if he could give me a refund since I had been coming here for many years and spent a lot of money at the store. The owner then proceeded to tell me that if he did that he wouldn’t be in business anymore, so much for customer loyalty. You would think he would at least want to take a look at the console before shooing me away.

I understand this is a business and he has to make money but this doesn't cover the fact that the prices are severely overpriced compared to even eBay. Seriously you would be better off getting it through eBay because you’ll be paying $10-30 lower for games and $100 lower for consoles all while having a better return guarantee program. The reprinted cover-arts are low effort and low quality while still charging the CIB price.

The guy clearly doesn’t care about his customers because I’ve been here for many years and the guy just sits behind the desk and stares at the screen until you bring the stuff up to the counter. No effort being made to make a conversation or try and help you find what you’re looking for unless he’s prompted to.

Terrible customer service, terrible prices.

Go somewhere else with your hard earned money. He’s only in business because he’s the only place...

I stopped into this store over the weekend after a very long vendor event, killing a few minutes while we waited to go somewhere else. The 3 stars is because the selection is pretty darn good and they look like they take great care of the product and know the business well. Walking past the vintage games and feeling the nostalgia of my childhood inside the cases is great.

My issue, however, was with the sales person working behind the counter. I'm unsure of their name (working around 3pm on the weekend of May 4th) but 1. He never left his seated position, scrolling on his phone/laptop/pc and 2. When we went to leave, I gestured and said "Have a great day". His eyes never left the screen he was looking at and ignored me. When opening the door to leave, he let out a frustrated sigh, presumably frustrated that I hadn't purchased anything. I know that in the vintage gaming industry, it can be tough. It's a niche market and there's gonna be some bad days. But the make/break for these kinds of places are those you place as the face and voice of that store. In the case that in the future I am looking to purchase vintage games/consoles, I will not be returning there because of that interaction. Losing future business over a simple "Have a good one"? Not great. Thank you Joe Gamer for offering what you do, as I LOVE the gaming world and I can imagine youngin's in the area making that store a valuable part of their childhood. But I'd be more diligent about who you place behind that counter and what the mission of the...