PCA Forums

I am thinking about opening a new Computer shop, brick and mortar walk in real store type

Any way, what's your opinon on how to display stuff like Light up fans, UV cables, cold cathodes?

I was thinking of building a big wood box like a closet on a wall. Paint inside flat black, and when you look inside little windows you see the stuff lit up. Kinda like a shadow box.

Like put the red cables and fans in a section with a red cathode. All the UV stuff in a UV section, and so forth.

Think it would be worth the effort? Would you look inside at the stuff yourself if a store had a display like that?

Also thought about putting UV cables, Fans, etc and black lights in the window, turn em on at night when I close. Maybe other colors in the other windows.

So, would all the extra trouble and parts for display be worth all the expense and trouble, or should I just toss em on a shelf in their boxes?

Thought about modding a couple cheap cases for display, but in a well lit store I don't think they would show that great.

sounds like a good store....you would need a GOOD location though to get alot of foot trafic.

Greg

Ya know, back in the day I was kicking around the idea of opening a brick and mortar store, with a twist tho. Have the usual "We will install this hard drive for 29.95$", but also have another line "We will help YOU install that hard drive for only 10$ - never need to use us again!".

My take was educating people about the oh so simple upgrades, and how they are getting ripped off on the simple stuff. Yes, I know, they might destroy their system. Odds are, with me behind em, they wont - and I was willing to take that risk.

I also had a dream of 4-5 display PCs, all connected to the internet, all in clear cases, all with diffrent operatin systems. Show people the diffrence between Linux, BeOS, Windows, BSD, etc. And of course, free monthly classes on HOW-TOs to draw in new customers.

Your ideas are awesome, remember man, that eyecandy is a lot of what people care about. If it's got an intel processor, cool, an intel processor and red lights - people will eat it up!

Yea, If I had got the one set of stores I wanted I was gonna have a learn to build computers type class.

Was two small stores side by side, but the one I wanted most was rented about 20 minutes before I got there. I talked to the owner a few days earlier and was thinking about it. Figures I decided I wanted those stores and the main one got rented before I got to it. It only sat empty about 6 months or so. Anyway I am looking at another location now.


Foot traffic is not that good anywhere here, rural area, but at least it's one of those if you want it buy from me or drive 25 miles, or buy online type deals. Even at 25 miles they can't get stuff I would be selling, mostley just stock stuff at higher prices, and what wallmart carries. Rent is pretty cheap here too though.

I was thinking about several off the wall ideas. If enough room, set up a net work of 5 or 8 pc's then rent them cheap by the hour for gamming like warcraft, UT and such. Also to surf the net if they want.
See if I could get a gamming club started, like all day play $10 per person per day saterday/sunday

Heck you can't hardly go to the movies for 2 hours for $10! If I could get 8 players on 4 Saturdays alone I would cover rent and turn a small profit
Set it up so the systems are safe from any idiots and just leave keyboards and mice on the desks. Cheap to replace those if someone breaks it.

Course if I did the gamer lan thing, then I would sell the games also! That way they can play and check out a new game they don't have, then buy it on the way out

Have little introduction to computer classes, standard stuff, Bob this is computer, computer this is Bob

Maybe a build your own class. Order all the parts from me and drop by saturday and build it with my help $20. Limit the class to about 5 people or so if the demand got high.

Maybe run adds like stop letting them ripp you off for $20 to install the ram you just bought!
Let me rip you off just once for $10 to show you how easily you just "pop it" into place!
Honesty pays


There's only one decent shop within about 25 miles that I know of, and I ain't so sure of thier techs at times either!

Make sure they know about all the cheapy parts and propritary crap that all those OEM's use. namely HP (shutter) and how YOUR products are cheaper, and of much higher quality

canton_kid, I create websites. I haven't had time to get my "web-design" website up yet, but I have been planning on it for years. If you decide to start this business, you'll most likely want a website. Look me up.

By the way, love the idea!

sounds like a good plan for your store.the shadow box ideas sound good. i dont like being in stores that dont have much to look at. i like seeing different things set up to see how you use them. wish there was a store here like you want to do.

The whole different OS thing is a good idea. I think alot of people might realize how $hitty MS is... lol

I have really been an anti-mac person ever since i got my first PC in 1994. I was down in New York City for a few days, and i went into an Apple (Mac) store. I was really impressed. They had a very modern building, with glass stairs and a glass "bridge" that connected two areas on the 2nd floor. THe first floor was all computers - they had every computer they had on disply w/ tech guys to help you with them. Upstairs they had a section to buy software for macs (yes, the 6 games they make for macs). They also had a "bar" upstairs, but instead of serving drinks, they had support guys that would help you fix a problem with your mac if you brought it in. In the back of the 2nd floor, they had a huge projection - it was a tutorial section w/ 50 or so very comfortable seats. They also had an area for kids, with about 20 macs around tables with the ability to try out the 6 games they make for macs. It was pretty cool. It definatly changed my perspective on macs... I would get one if:

a.) they would sell the parts so i could make it myself
b.) be capable of running software and games

They had an "X Windows" type thing running, but it just isn't the same

So, why is this important? It really shows how people are attracted to the store with the most eye candy. It was a really modern, awesome looking place. I dunno if anyone has been there, you really have to see it to understand.

Sounds like a good idea to me man. I'm with the rest of the peopl ehere, I hate goin' to small mom & pop computer shops that are just a hole in the wall. Dark with no color or anything to attract you. If you did what you think (and if you had the room for it) I'm sure you'd get some decent business (depending on the location, which is everything)

Glad to see so many people liked my thoughts on the store, and not think it was off the wall nutty!

I too get bored with the same old stores with one or two normall systems for display. Sometimes they have some neat stuff in the back, but you seldom actually see it unless you ask!

I was at the ISP's store about a month ago. Same old same old, normal plain biege cased systems.
Was talking to the techs in the back about my lousy connect speeds and other problems with the service and mentioned I had 5 systems and building a mod on a tower they saw once.

Said something about installing the window in it and he said , yea we sell a few with windows
pre-installed.

Had a black window case like Eneramx, blue light bars on the front and blue cathode inside sitting there on the floor in the back room where normal people never go! Nothing out front in the showroom though!

Sooo... I figure why not swap it? Put the flash out front where it counts and the biege in the back!