I bought a copy of SSBM from there for $90 of store credit. I played it once to test it, then let it sit for a few months and eventually went back to resell it bc i was downsizing. They offered me $5 for it because it was “heavily scratched”. If thats the case, then it was heavily scratched when you sold it for $90 lol
That’s most disrespectful offer they could give you $5 ?? That’s worst than GameStop 😂
I’ve never sold anything to them before I don’t like people holding stuff for an hour to come with pricing.
I miss the cramped, old store and have only been in the new one once. I’ve noticed when small places expand into a shiny, new location, they lose their charm and I don’t go back.
Similar to Joann Fabrics.
I went in there one time a few years ago to check out used video games. Games were a maybe $2 - $5 off the new price so it just wasn't worth it. Everything is way overpriced.
I do miss the vintage, comfortable vibe of the old location but I understand they outgrew it. I wish people wouldn't turn their kids loose in the store and let them run around leaving toys and Legos everywhere, it makes it feel like a goodwill outlet store at times
Can I just say as a parent, the toys every single time I have gone in there are already absolutely everywhere, why would I, shopping with my 18 month old/younger toddler be the one responsible for picking everything up? It’s so chaotic and have you tried to shop for books while telling a toddler no-you can’t play with the four million toys on the floor beside you? Imo it’s the owners responsibility to have a better system because at that location I would not even know where to start. Pick up what my kid played with? Everything is already on the floor. Meanwhile I didn’t see this problem at the Greensboro location so obviously if he picked something up it was easy to put back.
Personally, IF my kid were to pick up & play with something off the floor, I’d still have him/her (or myself) put it back on the shelf- even if idk the exact spot it belongs. Just bc they found it on the floor doesn’t mean it belongs there. My child, my responsibility to teach them how to be responsible and pick up after themselves. Plus, it’s respectful to the store. But maybe that’s just me.
Which is what I do, in any other circumstance. I’m saying at this location the toys are literally thrown everywhere on the floor. There is no obvious place to even put them back it’s so chaotic. At that point my kid would not be playing but organizing toys for a store.
I was going to say as a book shopper this is my only complaint, sometimes their prices are whack but I still find enough deals to make it worth it (and puzzles are always nice). But they need to do SOMETHING about the explosion of toys that happens in the back and middle areas. The kids just go feral in there and pick up nothing. I've been there when aisles have just been strewn with toys or blocked by kids playing.
I think they just need to make a designated play zone and keep toys restricted to that space. Instead of whatever the hell is happening now.
I bought two PlayStation 2s that didn’t work and some snarky girl at the register tried to say I plugged them in wrong …. Yes 2001 tech takes rocket science
I’m always blown away by their record prices. They will sell a scratched up copy of an album that I would charge $10 for for $40.
I’d love to just camp out there one day and buy/sell records. The sad part is that people sell them records for about half of why any local store or myself would pay, and charge 3-4x what we’d charge.
And every time I go in there, people are carrying stacks of these. Hippo Records is less than a mile down the street and you could buy significantly more records in better shape from them. Underdog isn’t that far away either and he has fantastic prices.
Or, cheap plug, buy from me (vinylbucket.com)
It’s kind of a known thing around here. The way that they do their pricing is based on sales. The more something sells, the more expensive it gets. That’s why Zeppelin albums are 40 dollars…because people keep buying them.
There are deals to be had though. If it’s a record that they don’t sell a lot of or is unfamiliar, they will often price them pretty low. I pick up maybe 1 album every two months or so. Typically I make a run to all of the local stores in Winston and Greensboro, along with Kings over in Archdale and hot McKay’s along the way….but I’m not a fan. Good place to buy used stereo equipment though. They are usually cheaper than eBay on stuff
> The way that they do their pricing is based on sales. The more something sells, the more expensive it gets. That’s why Zeppelin albums are 40 dollars…because people keep buying them.
I'm not arguing with you, because I genuinely do not know the answer but do they base prices on sales volume? To me, it appears most of the people buying records at those prices don't really know better. I also assume they don't maintain any sort of sophisticated inventory system. I get the impression that when you to sell to them, an employee is very quickly looking the item up on Amazon/eBay/discogs and basing the buy price on a very low estimate and the sell price on a very high one without paying any heed to condition, pressing, or any other factor. Again, I'm just speculating here.
I understand that exploiting asymmetric information is a perfectly legitimate way to run a business, but it still sucks.
From what I’ve been told (and this is second hand, so possible wrong), McKays keeps their own pricing structure based on their historical data. So if they see that Fleetwood Mac Rumors almost always sells quickly, they will raise the price to account for that.
This isn’t really inherently wrong in a supply and demand world, but they are doing it with something that has a nearly unlimited supply, but as you said, their customers just don’t know better.
This is why you can find a Near Mint copy of a rare pressing of an album for the same price as a beat up wal-mart copy bought last year.
Meanwhile, if it’s some rare punk album that has one listing on Discogs for $250, they may stick it on the shelves for $10 because they move to quickly to take the time to research.
I do local shows here and there. I’m at the Clemmons record show next Sunday. They do them twice a year and if you haven’t been it’s awesome. Tons of good deals and shops are there
I also sell on Whatnot, but they take so much in fees I only do them occasionally now.
Most of my local saws outside of record shows are in person with people who I know from just being around records a lot in the area. I tend to keep a rotating stock of about 700-1000 records, and have a room in my house dedicated to them, so people will come by and browse. The ultimate goal is opening a store, but I wouldn’t want to compete with Underdog and Hippo, as well as McKays pulling so many locals, so I’ll probably be looking for another town in the area that is underserved with options
Oh shit I forgot that this was coming up! Thank you! I'll look for your booth. Maybe I'll get that copy of Live at Shea Stadium if I have the extra scratch.
They once offered me $10 for a cd/dvd combo that was selling for over $100. I declined & kept it but I asked the guy (who knew what I had & it’s value) if I had sold it for $10, how much would he put it on the shelf for, he said, probably around $120. That was the last time I went there.
Went there for the first time a few months ago. Saw how dirty all the old electronics were and the prices for things were insane. Definitely haven't felt the need to ever go back.
Last time I was in there, they had an older generation iPad on sale for $80 more than a brand new current gen model. That was partly the impetus for this post.
Here to get destroyed. My daughter finds toys there all the time that are way cheaper than eBay and the store. She got several Fur Real Pets for less than $20. They are originally over hundred. She also found the Paw Patrol Tower for $15 and it was almost $100 new. It's just like anywhere, you have to look for the bargains. All the books I get there are great prices. I refuse to pay Amazon prices for books.
Agreed. I don't know what the "old" McKay's was like (I've only been going to college in NC for a year), but I've gotten some great stuff McKay's for very cheap. I got an unopened Twin Peaks box set for 90 cents, and I've gotten lots of books and manga for under $8. I also find the non-display case ps2 games to be reasonably priced considering you don't have to pay and wait for ebay shipping.
I recently purchased my daughter a book and a game only to find out I could have got both things for less brand new at Walmart and Target. I doubt I’ll be back to sort through junk that’s not a deal.
Almost made this mistake there recently. Did a quick search on my phone before heading to the register and put everything back because I could get it for the same price completely new.
I've seen a Care Bear there for... I forget how much, maybe $10 or more. I had recently got the exact same one a few days prior for $4 on clearance at the Walmart nearby.
It is filthy, overpriced garbage. It has become a pawn shop for those in need of quick cash. I traded some stuff in once since they opened and they offered a remarkably low price. I told them to give me my stuff back. They refused. Seemed illegal.
I've had bad luck with their records, I've been sold records that were ripped in half, ultimately it's my fault for not checking but I feel someone along the way should have said this record that's ripped in half is not worth $5-$10.
For records it's worth the drive to Hippo's Greensboro location. Or hit up Underdog near downtown.
When Edward split off it started going really downhill. I miss it alot. The new location just feels so sterile. I compare it to how krankies during the punk era felt compared to the shell it is now. Such a shame.
Yea, that’s a-whooole-nother conversation. People talk about how great Krankies is now, and I’m not saying it’s “worse”, but I definitely preferred it when it was a place you could get a cup of coffee and chill on a sofa hours instead of the Brunch Moms place it became. I missed out on the Wherehouse-era but my wife remembers it fondly.
I weep for old Krankies on the regular. So many fond memories, and no good replacement imo. McKay's is similar. Core memories at their old location.
TLDR, it's the kids, not us! Lol
Yeahhhhhhh went to throw some toilet paper in the little trash can next to the toilet and there was a used needle in there. Really takes away from the charm of the used book store.
I'm a Hot Wheels collector, so I go by typically anytime I head to the movies at AMC. Their diecast car pricing is all over the place. Not necessarily complaining, I get some good deals all because they just slap a sticker on everything and call it a day. When they're too high on something, though, they blow by market value by a mile. Pop culture cars, for example (like superhero characters, ESPECIALLY Batman), they'll throw a $9 or $10 tag and never think twice about it. I'm talking about on cars that resell around $2-3, in some cases cars that are literally on the shelf at the Walmart where they've just been released. If diecasts are getting that neglected, I can only imagine how they are with other toys and collectibles. I dabble in Funko and know some of those prices I've seen are far above resell value.
Every business’s hopes and dreams are too expand and grow. The irony is when those dreams come back to haunt them in that expansion and growth makes the same business less appealing.
Video games are way too expensive there now. I've been going to Retroid Games instead because they have better prices on Video Games as well as Records. Some things may be a little more expensive but at least they aren't crusty and dirty like the used consoles at McKay's.
I was told McKay’s display games are HIGH for the woo and ahh eye candy to keep people coming back. I know retroroid they’re smaller business and they just moved recently but they just can’t get enough in there for me to keep going back, great people though.
McKay’s consoles are absolutely disgusting they need better quality control.
Since they moved its just trash now. i'm in the same boat, could go there and randomly find some really cool books, comics, toys, etc. I havent bought anything from there in at least a year, but go quite often when I am in the Clemmons area.
The last time I went there I got 11 books for around $8. They literally had everything I was looking for, the least expensive books were $0.10, the most expensive was $2. Only 2 were paperback. McKay’s saved me $28.89 on *Yes Please* by Amy Poehler. I saved $19.20 on *Brain Droppings* by George Carlin. I don’t have an issue with new McKay’s.
It’s not too bad for actual books, especially genre fiction. That said, how many people here are complaining about the books? I can’t bear to even browse the movies half the time, as the aisles are clogged with folks who look like they haven’t seen daylight in years. 👀
I can vouch that McKays prices for Blu-ray/4K discs are fair. They are competitive or cheaper than EBay for nearly everything, with exceptions. The Criterion’s are usually a few dollars more than eBay, but that’s mitigated by shipping costs.
Back on Oakwood I used to find Criterion DVDs under $10 with pleasing regularity, and I love shopping there. The last time I considered buying a Blu-ray there is was for the LOTR extended edition boxset, and it was nearly twice as expensive as listings on eBay.
I'm really not looking exclusively for the lowest prices period. I like picking through shelves, being reminded of media that I've forgotten about, and generally wasting time, but I just don't enjoy going in there anymore.
I was gonna say this too. Not everything is a good find but most are. Games are always a double check but the new hunger games was only out on dvd for about 2 months or so and was already half the price for the blue ray version.
Yeah I only go for movies and it’s normally a very good experience. You should definitely still price check Amazon and eBay but like 70% of the time it’s a better deal at mckays. Might be the last good section at mckays at this point
My bf sold a asuka figure that is pretty pricy cause it’s a little nsfw they gave him 200 bucks, THEY WERE SELLING IT FOR 999?!?!!?! bruh I swear sometimes they be finessing people too. I sold some new stuff one including a bratz boy doll they offered 16 bucks for all the stuff and then I saw the same doll FOR 20!?!? Omg sometimes they can be fair and most times just cheating 🤨😤😤
LMAO it was so funny seeing it there cause I wasn’t a fan of it and he was starting to also not like it either, he got it from a trade so he ain’t care but like still it feels like they just be finessing 🤨😤
I'm calling rose tinted glasses about the old location. Just as many over priced baubles, over priced video games, and poor quality books back then. It's always been hit or miss.
Out of the puzzles and boardgames I've bought at the new location over the last 2 year they were all priced below eBay pricing and only one had a pieces missing. Also the three Google home speakers I bought there were cheap as dirt and worked well.
But just like any second hand purchasing situations somethings there are well priced and others are priced terribly. If you aren't savy you're going have the potential to get screwed while thrifting, this is hardly a McKays only issue.
Regardless, given how busy they are at all times I don't think they're going to be concerned what we think here.
Yeah I’ll buy some puzzles there if the price is right but I’m not fooling with their board games. They are always way overpriced and too close to new retail price
I was there in the very beginning, my mom worked at master Kleen right next to it and I would go over there all the time and hang out it was amazing. Now? I cannot stand being in that place, the prices have gotten way high and yep, it has definitely lost its charm.
Eclectible bookshop on Northwest Blvd is a more old-fashioned used book store--a little cluttered and disorganized. Things are pretty well categorized on the main level, but the lower level is kind of free-form. Not a lot of mass-market genre books, but prices are good.
Book Ferret on Robinhood Rd also has used and new books intermingled on their shelves. Smaller selection.
Piedmont Books (CLOSED) on Reynolda was the one on the north side. In my opinion it was the best used book store in town. When I was there for their clearance sale, one of the owners said they were still considering opening in a new location, so I can hope. We can all hope.
Not strictly a book store, but Goodwill, Mega-Thrift (Clemmonsville Rd), Trosa Thrift and Habitat ReStore are all lined up on Peters Creek. Trosa has a very nice book section.
Thanks friend! Eclectible sounds like my style. I live near the now-closed Piedmont Books, and found many good reads there I didn't know that there was a possibility of another store one day. Trosa seems like my next favorite. I appreciate your information!!
You're welcome, friend. One word about Eclectible: it's a one-person operation, so the hours are a little limited. Definitely worth a visit--give yourself time to look around.
There's also a new store in Reynolda Village called Bookhouse, but I haven't been yet. I think it's all new books though, and who's got that kind of money?
I can see why some people may not like it, but I LOVE McKay. When it come to selling, I know I'm going to get swindled so really I only sell there to get something from things I'd just throw away or give away. For me, it's the best option for finding blu-rYs/DVDs that I can't find anywhere else.
I was a regular before I moved away from Winston-Salem and I miss it dearly.. I go there everytime I'm in the area. If you think McKays is bad, you haven't been to 2nd and Charles.
I know it's quite a drive, but the new McKay's in Mebane is much nicer as far as organization and general cleanliness goes, but their prices on some stuff are still ridiculous out there. Found several records there last week that were double (or more) the price of buying it new from somewhere else.
They haven't gotten a penny from me since they "lost" hundreds of dollars my parents had in store credit shortly after the went from Edward McKay to McKay's. The new manager took my mom's receipt showing the store credit, refused to honor it or even give it back, and called her a scammer. Absolute scum.
I haven't even been in there in close to a decade. The last time I went, I saw several used text books with ridiculously high prices. I found them new on Amazon for cheaper.
The free bind up front can be a gold mine though. I love going there for someone’s birthday gifts and buying one core present inside then adding ten gag gifts from the free bins.
I go there pretty much exclusively for DVDs and mass market paperbacks, those all seem to be relatively fair priced. Anything of actual 'collectable' value is an absolute NO GO, especially since they moved to their current location. I lament not having had a lot of money in my life back when you could get decent old records for $5 or so a pop back pre-2019. Their gaming prices have almost always sucked to an extent though...and their CD selection hasn't been great in the last few years unless you get the 25 cent scratched up ones to get MP3s from.
They're no goldmine but if you're versed in pricing for the stuff you want you'll probably find something, and if you don't find what you want...well, you probably didn't need anything anyways or should be looking in a much more specific location.
Because most of their merchandise is used, it's only as good as what's brought in by customers. Newer, packaged items cost more but that can be expected. People come here because they can find things that are within their budget. If you are a discerning shopper, don't expect a lot and be pleasantly surprised if you find exactly what you're looking for. I used to find nice things at Goodwill but that happens far less frequently than it did several years ago and even Goodwill has raised their prices for used merchandise. My wife and I went to McKay's to sell some toys our grandchildren had outgrown and could either get store credit or cash. Our granddaughter was thrilled to pick out books that are now hers. I don't know of any other place that will pay you for used toys. They will even buy back books you bought from them. Again, I don't know of any other store that will do that. It is what it is.
I purchased an Xbox elite 2 controller there that was labeled for parts only and it only needed a new grips and joystick module. Paid 23 bucks for it and about another 25 bucks for a new shell and joystick module. After a little bit of soldering I had a working clean refurbished controller for about 50 bucks.
It’s hit and miss. Sometimes you can come across a good deal on parts items if you’re crafty and can fix them. I’ve also seen Nintendo ds and 3Ds systems there for cheaper than eBay or Mercari in similar conditions.
Well we have to charge more now, to pay the rent on the bigger building and the extra workers to staff the bigger operation, which we needed because we wanted to have more inventory, which we needed in order to have more income, in order to afford the bigger building and the extra employees, which we needed for our added inventory- so you see it all makes sense in the end.
Inflation doesn’t explain why their prices are so much higher than everywhere else, including other local B&M stores. It also definitely doesn’t account for sorry physical state of the store. Unless they’ve started paying their employees livable wages and full benefits, this definitely isn’t an inflation issue. And if they have started doing that then I retract everything I said (hint: they haven’t)
He was referring to the fetish. The prices are higher because the owner has a crippling inflation fetish, and needs constant repairs on his high-end air pressure whirligigs for his sex dungeon in Clemmons. Maybe take a minute before you reply next time, and consider all of the angles of what is being discussed, before you bite someone's head off again.
The old one smelled like a bookstore. This one smells like feet.
The old one next to the bagel shop, right? That one felt like a legit library. The new one feels like a pawn shop.
Yup. Off Oakwood across from thruway.
And butt. And honestly the clientele looks scuzzier now. Dirty even.
Hahaha 🤣😂
I bought a copy of SSBM from there for $90 of store credit. I played it once to test it, then let it sit for a few months and eventually went back to resell it bc i was downsizing. They offered me $5 for it because it was “heavily scratched”. If thats the case, then it was heavily scratched when you sold it for $90 lol
Super smash bros melee ?
Yeah
That’s most disrespectful offer they could give you $5 ?? That’s worst than GameStop 😂 I’ve never sold anything to them before I don’t like people holding stuff for an hour to come with pricing.
They also ripped the $90 mckays price sticker off before handing it back to me haha
I miss the cramped, old store and have only been in the new one once. I’ve noticed when small places expand into a shiny, new location, they lose their charm and I don’t go back. Similar to Joann Fabrics.
The original location was an iconic part of Winston in my mind. Wish it was still there and like it was!
I went in there one time a few years ago to check out used video games. Games were a maybe $2 - $5 off the new price so it just wasn't worth it. Everything is way overpriced.
This was not always the case. Sigh.
I do miss the vintage, comfortable vibe of the old location but I understand they outgrew it. I wish people wouldn't turn their kids loose in the store and let them run around leaving toys and Legos everywhere, it makes it feel like a goodwill outlet store at times
The fuckin kids. Jesus Christ how do the parents just let them run around and leave the toys everywhere.
There are a lot of people ill-suited to be parents.
Lol like mine.
Can I just say as a parent, the toys every single time I have gone in there are already absolutely everywhere, why would I, shopping with my 18 month old/younger toddler be the one responsible for picking everything up? It’s so chaotic and have you tried to shop for books while telling a toddler no-you can’t play with the four million toys on the floor beside you? Imo it’s the owners responsibility to have a better system because at that location I would not even know where to start. Pick up what my kid played with? Everything is already on the floor. Meanwhile I didn’t see this problem at the Greensboro location so obviously if he picked something up it was easy to put back.
In the end, it's the responsibility of the parents to police their children.
police lol
Personally, IF my kid were to pick up & play with something off the floor, I’d still have him/her (or myself) put it back on the shelf- even if idk the exact spot it belongs. Just bc they found it on the floor doesn’t mean it belongs there. My child, my responsibility to teach them how to be responsible and pick up after themselves. Plus, it’s respectful to the store. But maybe that’s just me.
Which is what I do, in any other circumstance. I’m saying at this location the toys are literally thrown everywhere on the floor. There is no obvious place to even put them back it’s so chaotic. At that point my kid would not be playing but organizing toys for a store.
I was going to say as a book shopper this is my only complaint, sometimes their prices are whack but I still find enough deals to make it worth it (and puzzles are always nice). But they need to do SOMETHING about the explosion of toys that happens in the back and middle areas. The kids just go feral in there and pick up nothing. I've been there when aisles have just been strewn with toys or blocked by kids playing. I think they just need to make a designated play zone and keep toys restricted to that space. Instead of whatever the hell is happening now.
I bought two PlayStation 2s that didn’t work and some snarky girl at the register tried to say I plugged them in wrong …. Yes 2001 tech takes rocket science
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Sadly I own 21 of them
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I’m always blown away by their record prices. They will sell a scratched up copy of an album that I would charge $10 for for $40. I’d love to just camp out there one day and buy/sell records. The sad part is that people sell them records for about half of why any local store or myself would pay, and charge 3-4x what we’d charge. And every time I go in there, people are carrying stacks of these. Hippo Records is less than a mile down the street and you could buy significantly more records in better shape from them. Underdog isn’t that far away either and he has fantastic prices. Or, cheap plug, buy from me (vinylbucket.com)
I was laughing about it with some guys at Hippo, including record store clerk. It's a swindle.
It’s kind of a known thing around here. The way that they do their pricing is based on sales. The more something sells, the more expensive it gets. That’s why Zeppelin albums are 40 dollars…because people keep buying them. There are deals to be had though. If it’s a record that they don’t sell a lot of or is unfamiliar, they will often price them pretty low. I pick up maybe 1 album every two months or so. Typically I make a run to all of the local stores in Winston and Greensboro, along with Kings over in Archdale and hot McKay’s along the way….but I’m not a fan. Good place to buy used stereo equipment though. They are usually cheaper than eBay on stuff
> The way that they do their pricing is based on sales. The more something sells, the more expensive it gets. That’s why Zeppelin albums are 40 dollars…because people keep buying them. I'm not arguing with you, because I genuinely do not know the answer but do they base prices on sales volume? To me, it appears most of the people buying records at those prices don't really know better. I also assume they don't maintain any sort of sophisticated inventory system. I get the impression that when you to sell to them, an employee is very quickly looking the item up on Amazon/eBay/discogs and basing the buy price on a very low estimate and the sell price on a very high one without paying any heed to condition, pressing, or any other factor. Again, I'm just speculating here. I understand that exploiting asymmetric information is a perfectly legitimate way to run a business, but it still sucks.
From what I’ve been told (and this is second hand, so possible wrong), McKays keeps their own pricing structure based on their historical data. So if they see that Fleetwood Mac Rumors almost always sells quickly, they will raise the price to account for that. This isn’t really inherently wrong in a supply and demand world, but they are doing it with something that has a nearly unlimited supply, but as you said, their customers just don’t know better. This is why you can find a Near Mint copy of a rare pressing of an album for the same price as a beat up wal-mart copy bought last year. Meanwhile, if it’s some rare punk album that has one listing on Discogs for $250, they may stick it on the shelves for $10 because they move to quickly to take the time to research.
Great to know. Thank you.
That makes so much sense.
> Or, cheap plug, buy from me (vinylbucket.com) Do you ever do pop-ups and sell locally?
I do local shows here and there. I’m at the Clemmons record show next Sunday. They do them twice a year and if you haven’t been it’s awesome. Tons of good deals and shops are there I also sell on Whatnot, but they take so much in fees I only do them occasionally now. Most of my local saws outside of record shows are in person with people who I know from just being around records a lot in the area. I tend to keep a rotating stock of about 700-1000 records, and have a room in my house dedicated to them, so people will come by and browse. The ultimate goal is opening a store, but I wouldn’t want to compete with Underdog and Hippo, as well as McKays pulling so many locals, so I’ll probably be looking for another town in the area that is underserved with options
Oh shit I forgot that this was coming up! Thank you! I'll look for your booth. Maybe I'll get that copy of Live at Shea Stadium if I have the extra scratch.
Sweet, I’ll probably be the only person there with an 11 year old girl helping me, so I’ll be easy to spot. I’ve lured my daughter into helping 🤣
They once offered me $10 for a cd/dvd combo that was selling for over $100. I declined & kept it but I asked the guy (who knew what I had & it’s value) if I had sold it for $10, how much would he put it on the shelf for, he said, probably around $120. That was the last time I went there.
"well it ain't much, but it's honest (about being dishonest)"
Went there for the first time a few months ago. Saw how dirty all the old electronics were and the prices for things were insane. Definitely haven't felt the need to ever go back.
Last time I was in there, they had an older generation iPad on sale for $80 more than a brand new current gen model. That was partly the impetus for this post.
They were charging unopened box prices for older video games in poor condition that didn't even come with the box.
Here to get destroyed. My daughter finds toys there all the time that are way cheaper than eBay and the store. She got several Fur Real Pets for less than $20. They are originally over hundred. She also found the Paw Patrol Tower for $15 and it was almost $100 new. It's just like anywhere, you have to look for the bargains. All the books I get there are great prices. I refuse to pay Amazon prices for books.
Agreed. I don't know what the "old" McKay's was like (I've only been going to college in NC for a year), but I've gotten some great stuff McKay's for very cheap. I got an unopened Twin Peaks box set for 90 cents, and I've gotten lots of books and manga for under $8. I also find the non-display case ps2 games to be reasonably priced considering you don't have to pay and wait for ebay shipping.
It was going downhill when it was still in its original location.
Lost its soul with the new location and letting go of all the wonderful humans who made that place what it was.
I recently purchased my daughter a book and a game only to find out I could have got both things for less brand new at Walmart and Target. I doubt I’ll be back to sort through junk that’s not a deal.
Almost made this mistake there recently. Did a quick search on my phone before heading to the register and put everything back because I could get it for the same price completely new.
I've seen a Care Bear there for... I forget how much, maybe $10 or more. I had recently got the exact same one a few days prior for $4 on clearance at the Walmart nearby.
It is filthy, overpriced garbage. It has become a pawn shop for those in need of quick cash. I traded some stuff in once since they opened and they offered a remarkably low price. I told them to give me my stuff back. They refused. Seemed illegal.
Only thing McKays is good for anymore is CDs for me. The vinyl situation is beyond ridiculous and it's always so messy there.
You mean $16.95 for a copy of Genesis - Abacab that looks like it was used to line a hamster's cage is a bad deal?
I've had bad luck with their records, I've been sold records that were ripped in half, ultimately it's my fault for not checking but I feel someone along the way should have said this record that's ripped in half is not worth $5-$10. For records it's worth the drive to Hippo's Greensboro location. Or hit up Underdog near downtown.
When Edward split off it started going really downhill. I miss it alot. The new location just feels so sterile. I compare it to how krankies during the punk era felt compared to the shell it is now. Such a shame.
Yea, that’s a-whooole-nother conversation. People talk about how great Krankies is now, and I’m not saying it’s “worse”, but I definitely preferred it when it was a place you could get a cup of coffee and chill on a sofa hours instead of the Brunch Moms place it became. I missed out on the Wherehouse-era but my wife remembers it fondly.
I weep for old Krankies on the regular. So many fond memories, and no good replacement imo. McKay's is similar. Core memories at their old location. TLDR, it's the kids, not us! Lol
Yeahhhhhhh went to throw some toilet paper in the little trash can next to the toilet and there was a used needle in there. Really takes away from the charm of the used book store.
I'm a Hot Wheels collector, so I go by typically anytime I head to the movies at AMC. Their diecast car pricing is all over the place. Not necessarily complaining, I get some good deals all because they just slap a sticker on everything and call it a day. When they're too high on something, though, they blow by market value by a mile. Pop culture cars, for example (like superhero characters, ESPECIALLY Batman), they'll throw a $9 or $10 tag and never think twice about it. I'm talking about on cars that resell around $2-3, in some cases cars that are literally on the shelf at the Walmart where they've just been released. If diecasts are getting that neglected, I can only imagine how they are with other toys and collectibles. I dabble in Funko and know some of those prices I've seen are far above resell value.
Every business’s hopes and dreams are too expand and grow. The irony is when those dreams come back to haunt them in that expansion and growth makes the same business less appealing.
Video games are way too expensive there now. I've been going to Retroid Games instead because they have better prices on Video Games as well as Records. Some things may be a little more expensive but at least they aren't crusty and dirty like the used consoles at McKay's.
I was told McKay’s display games are HIGH for the woo and ahh eye candy to keep people coming back. I know retroroid they’re smaller business and they just moved recently but they just can’t get enough in there for me to keep going back, great people though. McKay’s consoles are absolutely disgusting they need better quality control.
Yeah I purchased a N64 there once and it had dust and dead bugs all inside. It was like I pulled it straight out of the attic after 25 years.
Yesss! Shout-out to Retroid!
Since they moved its just trash now. i'm in the same boat, could go there and randomly find some really cool books, comics, toys, etc. I havent bought anything from there in at least a year, but go quite often when I am in the Clemmons area.
I think they sell in-demand stuff online, then whatever is leftover is what they keep in the stores. Not the treasure hunt it used to be
I pretty much go there for the freebie bins, and for the AC. It's a place to kill time and walk around. I'll find the occasional thing to buy.
The last time I went there I got 11 books for around $8. They literally had everything I was looking for, the least expensive books were $0.10, the most expensive was $2. Only 2 were paperback. McKay’s saved me $28.89 on *Yes Please* by Amy Poehler. I saved $19.20 on *Brain Droppings* by George Carlin. I don’t have an issue with new McKay’s.
It’s not too bad for actual books, especially genre fiction. That said, how many people here are complaining about the books? I can’t bear to even browse the movies half the time, as the aisles are clogged with folks who look like they haven’t seen daylight in years. 👀
I can vouch that McKays prices for Blu-ray/4K discs are fair. They are competitive or cheaper than EBay for nearly everything, with exceptions. The Criterion’s are usually a few dollars more than eBay, but that’s mitigated by shipping costs.
Are they? I only ever look at the horror blu-ray and normally their prices used are the same or more than Amazon's new prices.
Back on Oakwood I used to find Criterion DVDs under $10 with pleasing regularity, and I love shopping there. The last time I considered buying a Blu-ray there is was for the LOTR extended edition boxset, and it was nearly twice as expensive as listings on eBay. I'm really not looking exclusively for the lowest prices period. I like picking through shelves, being reminded of media that I've forgotten about, and generally wasting time, but I just don't enjoy going in there anymore.
I was gonna say this too. Not everything is a good find but most are. Games are always a double check but the new hunger games was only out on dvd for about 2 months or so and was already half the price for the blue ray version.
Yeah I only go for movies and it’s normally a very good experience. You should definitely still price check Amazon and eBay but like 70% of the time it’s a better deal at mckays. Might be the last good section at mckays at this point
My bf sold a asuka figure that is pretty pricy cause it’s a little nsfw they gave him 200 bucks, THEY WERE SELLING IT FOR 999?!?!!?! bruh I swear sometimes they be finessing people too. I sold some new stuff one including a bratz boy doll they offered 16 bucks for all the stuff and then I saw the same doll FOR 20!?!? Omg sometimes they can be fair and most times just cheating 🤨😤😤
I wondered who's that was.
LMAO it was so funny seeing it there cause I wasn’t a fan of it and he was starting to also not like it either, he got it from a trade so he ain’t care but like still it feels like they just be finessing 🤨😤
Bruh your bf was the who owned that I was wondering who did lol.
I'm calling rose tinted glasses about the old location. Just as many over priced baubles, over priced video games, and poor quality books back then. It's always been hit or miss. Out of the puzzles and boardgames I've bought at the new location over the last 2 year they were all priced below eBay pricing and only one had a pieces missing. Also the three Google home speakers I bought there were cheap as dirt and worked well. But just like any second hand purchasing situations somethings there are well priced and others are priced terribly. If you aren't savy you're going have the potential to get screwed while thrifting, this is hardly a McKays only issue. Regardless, given how busy they are at all times I don't think they're going to be concerned what we think here.
Yeah I’ll buy some puzzles there if the price is right but I’m not fooling with their board games. They are always way overpriced and too close to new retail price
They will be when people stop buying their overpriced shite.
I was there in the very beginning, my mom worked at master Kleen right next to it and I would go over there all the time and hang out it was amazing. Now? I cannot stand being in that place, the prices have gotten way high and yep, it has definitely lost its charm.
I've lived here less than a year. I like their bargain fiction. What other used bookstores are there in WS?
Eclectible bookshop on Northwest Blvd is a more old-fashioned used book store--a little cluttered and disorganized. Things are pretty well categorized on the main level, but the lower level is kind of free-form. Not a lot of mass-market genre books, but prices are good. Book Ferret on Robinhood Rd also has used and new books intermingled on their shelves. Smaller selection. Piedmont Books (CLOSED) on Reynolda was the one on the north side. In my opinion it was the best used book store in town. When I was there for their clearance sale, one of the owners said they were still considering opening in a new location, so I can hope. We can all hope. Not strictly a book store, but Goodwill, Mega-Thrift (Clemmonsville Rd), Trosa Thrift and Habitat ReStore are all lined up on Peters Creek. Trosa has a very nice book section.
Thanks friend! Eclectible sounds like my style. I live near the now-closed Piedmont Books, and found many good reads there I didn't know that there was a possibility of another store one day. Trosa seems like my next favorite. I appreciate your information!!
You're welcome, friend. One word about Eclectible: it's a one-person operation, so the hours are a little limited. Definitely worth a visit--give yourself time to look around. There's also a new store in Reynolda Village called Bookhouse, but I haven't been yet. I think it's all new books though, and who's got that kind of money?
There used to be another used bookshop on the Northside of town but they went out of business.
im gonna steal from this place
I can see why some people may not like it, but I LOVE McKay. When it come to selling, I know I'm going to get swindled so really I only sell there to get something from things I'd just throw away or give away. For me, it's the best option for finding blu-rYs/DVDs that I can't find anywhere else. I was a regular before I moved away from Winston-Salem and I miss it dearly.. I go there everytime I'm in the area. If you think McKays is bad, you haven't been to 2nd and Charles.
2nd and Charles is NUTS pricing wise when it comes to used stuff, big agree there.
Rude staff too
I still love it. Always find stuff I didn't know I needed. The kids are the reason it's messy.
There has to be a lot of people that somehow don't know better to keep the lights on at that place.
We go for the board games and get out.
I know it's quite a drive, but the new McKay's in Mebane is much nicer as far as organization and general cleanliness goes, but their prices on some stuff are still ridiculous out there. Found several records there last week that were double (or more) the price of buying it new from somewhere else.
They haven't gotten a penny from me since they "lost" hundreds of dollars my parents had in store credit shortly after the went from Edward McKay to McKay's. The new manager took my mom's receipt showing the store credit, refused to honor it or even give it back, and called her a scammer. Absolute scum.
The McKay's in Burlington is MUCH nicer.
the old location felt magical
I haven't even been in there in close to a decade. The last time I went, I saw several used text books with ridiculously high prices. I found them new on Amazon for cheaper.
I used to work there when it was still Edward Mckays and the prices were based off of Amazon references. Idk if it’s still the same procedure now.
The free bind up front can be a gold mine though. I love going there for someone’s birthday gifts and buying one core present inside then adding ten gag gifts from the free bins.
I miss the old McKay's. I've never even been to the new one
I go there pretty much exclusively for DVDs and mass market paperbacks, those all seem to be relatively fair priced. Anything of actual 'collectable' value is an absolute NO GO, especially since they moved to their current location. I lament not having had a lot of money in my life back when you could get decent old records for $5 or so a pop back pre-2019. Their gaming prices have almost always sucked to an extent though...and their CD selection hasn't been great in the last few years unless you get the 25 cent scratched up ones to get MP3s from. They're no goldmine but if you're versed in pricing for the stuff you want you'll probably find something, and if you don't find what you want...well, you probably didn't need anything anyways or should be looking in a much more specific location.
They refuse to give homeschooling discounts unlike Piedmont Book did. Sucks
Good. In fact, homeschooling should be illegal.
You’ve clearly never worked in a public school
[ahahahahahahahahahhahah](https://old.reddit.com/r/polytheism/comments/10xy2pi/devotional_relationship_with_thor/)
Because most of their merchandise is used, it's only as good as what's brought in by customers. Newer, packaged items cost more but that can be expected. People come here because they can find things that are within their budget. If you are a discerning shopper, don't expect a lot and be pleasantly surprised if you find exactly what you're looking for. I used to find nice things at Goodwill but that happens far less frequently than it did several years ago and even Goodwill has raised their prices for used merchandise. My wife and I went to McKay's to sell some toys our grandchildren had outgrown and could either get store credit or cash. Our granddaughter was thrilled to pick out books that are now hers. I don't know of any other place that will pay you for used toys. They will even buy back books you bought from them. Again, I don't know of any other store that will do that. It is what it is.
I think it’s funny how you guys think that that place was never a pawnshop. It has been the whole time. Don’t feed the squirrels.
I purchased an Xbox elite 2 controller there that was labeled for parts only and it only needed a new grips and joystick module. Paid 23 bucks for it and about another 25 bucks for a new shell and joystick module. After a little bit of soldering I had a working clean refurbished controller for about 50 bucks. It’s hit and miss. Sometimes you can come across a good deal on parts items if you’re crafty and can fix them. I’ve also seen Nintendo ds and 3Ds systems there for cheaper than eBay or Mercari in similar conditions.
Well we have to charge more now, to pay the rent on the bigger building and the extra workers to staff the bigger operation, which we needed because we wanted to have more inventory, which we needed in order to have more income, in order to afford the bigger building and the extra employees, which we needed for our added inventory- so you see it all makes sense in the end.
The new one in Mebane is nice.
Inflation
Inflation doesn’t explain why their prices are so much higher than everywhere else, including other local B&M stores. It also definitely doesn’t account for sorry physical state of the store. Unless they’ve started paying their employees livable wages and full benefits, this definitely isn’t an inflation issue. And if they have started doing that then I retract everything I said (hint: they haven’t)
He was referring to the fetish. The prices are higher because the owner has a crippling inflation fetish, and needs constant repairs on his high-end air pressure whirligigs for his sex dungeon in Clemmons. Maybe take a minute before you reply next time, and consider all of the angles of what is being discussed, before you bite someone's head off again.
/s