By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
As interest in retro video game equipment continues to rise among collectors and players alike, a new shop in Hays has opened, selling and repairing those classic games and systems.
Extra Life Gaming Repair and Retro Store opened in Hays on Nov. 1, tucked into a small shop inside 103 E. 27th St., but even in the small space, owner Brent Legleiter said the word has gotten out and interest in the shop has already spread across western Kansas.
“It’s been fantastic,” Legleiter said. “I didn’t realize I was going to be this popular, honestly.”
And it’s not just locals.
“I’m getting a lot of people from out of town,” he said, even recalling a recent visitor who drove from Goodland just to visit the shop.
While there are other locations in Hays to buy newer used games, older retro games and systems were harder to find, and repair was even more rare, Legleiter said.
Seeing the potential in the local market, he grabbed at the opportunity.
And with the higher-than-expected interest in the business, Legleiter said even though he is just getting started, he is already looking for a larger location.
“I’m running out of space here,” he said. “I’m getting buried under parts.”
At the heart of the business is retro gaming supplies, an interest growing in popularity that has gamers scouring shops for games and equipment for their own collections.
With the earliest video game systems dating back to the early '70s, many of those items are no longer in working condition. This makes repair a key component of the shop.
“We fix, buy and sell all video games,” Legleiter said. “I do repair work on any video game whatsoever and also controllers and anything else that is broken.”
He also buys and sells accessories for all systems, outside of the most current generation of systems like the Xbox One and the Nintendo Switch.
“We take care of the retro market,” he said, but will also occasionally do repairs on more modern accessories.
He said he was surprised by the number of collectors in the area and the interest in old video games from area college students.
“I’ve been selling out of consoles almost as fast as I am getting them in,” Legleiter said. “N64, Super Nintendo and Wii games for right now for some odd reason...they are going crazy.”
Selling means also sourcing more items to sell, and for Legleiter that means always looking for good deals across a variety of sources.
“It’s liquidation lots. I get some from eBay, major retailer liquidations, stuff like that,” he said.
Locally, Legleiter said he will receive broken items from residents as well from folks who want to save those previously treasured items from ending up in the landfill.
“It kind of comes from wherever I can get it from,” he said. “I try to buy massive lots of games.”
With his sourcing methods, Legleiter said he can always beat eBay pricing.
“I’m very competitive,” he said. “I have brand new controllers and refurbished controllers, and I am very competitive with Amazon and (stores) of that nature.”
To ease the worry that accompanies the sale of a rehabbed item, Legleiter offers a warranty on everything he sells.
All items come with a 60-day warranty, and all work done in the shop comes with a 90-day warranty.
“You buy with confidence here,” Legleiter said. “If something goes wrong, you have a face to bring it back to.”
To find out more about Extra Life Gaming Repair and Retro Store visit extralifegaming.net or Facebook.