Press Start Tech & Games

Press Start Tech & Games is a retro video game store at 18243 Forest Rd, Suite 6, in the Lynchburg, Virginia area, with a Pokémon card counter that makes it a practical stop for card players as well as console collectors. The shelves cover video games and consoles from old to new, and the store buys and trades as readily as it sells.

What's on the shelves

The Pokémon section carries English singles and sealed product, along with Japanese booster packs. The sealed selection includes Elite Trainer Boxes, mini tins, booster boxes and booster bundles, and in person there are also bulk cards, binders and tins. The recurring Japanese booster lineup currently includes Incandescent Arcana, Ninja Spinner, Nihil Zero, Black Bolt, White Flare, Night Wanderer, Mega Brave, Mega Symphonia, Mega Dream and Stellar Miracle.

The video game side is broad. Console bundles are a specialty, built around four-player games: a Wii bundle with four Wiimotes and four Nunchucks, a GameCube bundle with four controllers and a memory card, and a Nintendo 64 bundle with four controllers. Each includes the console, the cables and a game, with a choice of preselected titles, or 10% off any game for that system. Nintendo Switch bundles come with a console, two pairs of Joy-Cons and a 64GB Micro SD card, plus a choice of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a Super Smash Bros. title, or $10 off any Switch game.

Buying and trading

Pokémon cards are the only cards the store buys; Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh! and One Piece are not accepted. Sellers can bring in single cards or whole collections for cash or store credit, and no appointment is needed. For a very large lot, or close to closing time, the store may ask a seller to drop items off and will make an offer the next business day.

Video game buying follows the same walk-in approach. Games, consoles and controllers can be sold or traded for cash or credit, and consoles are factory reset during testing, so accounts come off the machine. The store does not buy PC games, computer peripherals, Atari, third-party controllers or accessories, Skylanders, Disney Infinity figures, Lego Dimensions sets, arcade machines or plug and play consoles.

Testing and returns

Every game worth $9.99 or more is tested by booting to the start menu. Games worth $29.99 or more are played for a few minutes, and consoles go through a detailed checklist before they are cleaned and sold. Disc resurfacing is $5 per disc when the disc can be made to work. The store does not repair consoles or controllers.

Returns run for 30 days. A defective item can be exchanged for a working one, refunded in the original payment method, or credited. A return with nothing wrong carries a 20% restocking fee, though a game brought back within 7 days is exempt if the customer takes store credit instead of cash. Damage caused by the buyer, and factory sealed games that have been opened, are not eligible for return.

Weekly restock and online ordering

The shelves are restocked every Wednesday, with the weekly update going live at 9 AM. A clearance case holds items at 25% off for one week before they move to online sale; those prices apply to in-store purchases only, and new items go in on Tuesdays. The store does not hold items, but anything bought online can be picked up in store at no extra charge, and the store sets pickups aside for as long as the customer likes. Shipping is a $7.50 flat rate. The store also runs online auction streams, with dates announced as they are set.

The local scene

Several card and collectible shops sit within a few miles. Underground Cards & Disc Shop is also in Forest, about 2.6 miles away. In Lynchburg, Hill City Collectibles is about 2.8 miles away, and Collector's Lair is about 3 miles away. Two more listings under the name Collectors Lair sit about 3.4 and 3.9 miles out.

Who it suits

Press Start fits Pokémon collectors who also want a quick walk-in sale for a binder or a bulk lot, and anyone building a retro setup who values tested hardware and a clear return window. It is a video game store first, so those looking for a play space or a wider range of card games are better served elsewhere.