MACON, Ga. - Thousands of Americans have old video game consoles and equipment collecting dust on bookshelves or in attics. Heirlooms of the past, for some, but, for Macon's Aaron Gray, his future.
For the past eight years, Gray has collected and sold vintage video games while working as a warehouse manager. The video game finds eventually began to outgrow his garage and, earlier this year, he decided to start his own small business.
"I started collecting and kind of keeping one of everything," Gray said. "I just kind of knew eventually it would be cool to open up a retro video game store."
Seven years after moving from Athens to Macon, Gray made that dream a reality when he opened Retro Raven at 2320 Ingleside Ave. in early August after about six months of getting the shop ready to go.
Amazing
community support
Gray has been amazed at the community response to the shop. A video game store is something that he said Macon has been missing for a long time.
"It's surpassed anything I could imagine," Gray said. "I like interacting with customers. (I like) the thrill of the hunt and finding these old games that are worth money and then finding someone who enjoys it and appreciates them."
The store specializes in older video games and video game systems like the Nintendo 64, the SEGA Genesis and Atari. Retro Raven also stocks all the way up to the current generation systems with Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
The store's games, systems and equipment range from the common to the very rare: one games is priced at $599, a shooter for the SEGA Genesis. Retro Raven also has a rare system called the JVC X'Eye which can also play Genesis games.
The rare finds are part of the fun for Gray. He recently bought a giant collection that had been stored in an attic for years in suitcases and was able to acquire nearly 50 games at a flea market in Athens.
"There was a lot of stuff that you never see. It's hard to find rare stuff," Gray said. "That's what really keeps it, you know, fun."
Selling more
than video games
Gray said most customers are interested in the Nintendo 64 and the Nintendo Gamecube. He attributes that to the current generation of gamers looking to reconnect with their childhood. While Retro Raven is a video game store, Gray is selling more than just games to his customers.
"Nostalgia is kind of what we sell," Gray said.
Gray said that he is already beginning to see a need to potentially expand the store and the brand as video games and systems are already filling up the current space he is in. He hopes that in the future he will be able to get a larger store and maybe add additional stores in Middle Georgia. One of the advantages to potentially expanding is to possibly host video game tournaments.
"I would like to set it up to where you had multiple TVs and you can have (tournaments)," Gray said. "That's something that I've heard people talk about. I know there's probably a market for it."
With COVID-19 hitting around the time that Gray leased his current space for the store, he was able to take his time in getting it right for customers.He is hopes that business in the Ingleside area will once again be booming soon.
"I thought it was going to be one of those things that just never came to here, but signed the lease in February before it hit American soil," Gray said. "I just had to have faith in God that if he wanted to do this, that I just had to keep working through."
Spreading his wings
Faith is a big part of why Gray decided to open the business and how he got the name Retro Raven. After months of praying, he began to see ravens everywhere. One time, in particular, was when he was working at his warehouse job and saw a storm approaching.
"Storm was coming in and I'm standing in this close area at the bar and chain link fence and I'm kind of looking out at the storm and there's just a raven flying around in the storm," Gray said. "That was kind of the moment where, like, you know, I also have to get out and spread my wings and do what I'm passionate about, whether it succeeds or fails. At least I'll be happy doing it."