This is a trick. How do you differentiate this business from one that accepts stolen goods? Could someone steal some games and sell them at this business? Are we certain that this can’t happen?

Let’s say we can be certain–or we think we can. So we make an exception to help this business out. Then another business comes along that has some other second hand good that they need to buy. Should they get an exception too? Pretty soon we have quite a few exceptions–exceptions that in the end defeat the purpose of the bylaw. In short order, we have a lot of petty theft and people breaking into our homes again to feed a drug habit.

The purpose of this bylaw is to make it hard to feed a drug habit by breaking into our homes. I thing it is doing its job. Is it restricting some businesses that rely on 2nd hand goods? Yes. But that is because we are restrict people from selling stolen goods and businesses that could benefit from stolen goods don’t like the bylaw.

Keep in mind that this bylaw was in place well before this business started up. They knew the ground rules before they started.

If there is going to be a change to the bylaw, I want to know how it will make our community safer, not just easier for this business.

Sounds like a neat business you have going there Kelsy, a place where kids can go for game tournaments, that is alcohol free.

I wish you success in your attempts to get an exemption, or have changes made to the bylaw.

Nice to see young people passionate about their business. Don’t listen to the haters, go for it kid.

Icicle so by your reasoning garage sales should be banned?

I think this is a great business, but just how does he know the games he buys aren’t stolen? Just asking the question.

“He says this lengthy hold is hurting his business and is calling on Council to reduce that hold to 7 days, much like Port Coquitlam has been doing.”

Missed this sentence in the article. That makes sense.

Icicle, how does holding the item for 30 days prevent thieves from selling an item to a second hand store to feed his ‘drug’ habit? Just asking.

They are just games they don’t have serial numbers! Prove that they aren’t stolen? Prove that they are!

Slinky,
It doesn’t prevent thieves from stealing the games, it just makes it harder for them to sell them. The bylaw makes it hard to sell these games. No one wants to sit on the games for 30 days and risk that they get claimed as stolen property.

Some will ask, how many homes have games to be stolen? How much can some games feed a drug habit?

What about old bicycles? Surely another business that complains about wanting to sell old bikes should be given a break?

What about old TVs?

You get the picture… If you are going to make an exception for one business, you have to do it for all. Pretty soon, we’re back in the same state we were in years ago–the pawn shops make a killing profiting from theft.

I want to know how we can change this bylaw without opening the door to everyone.

Maybe start by reading the current bylaw and you can have some of those answers.

Many kinds of merchandise have serial numbers or other features that can be used to identify them if they are stolen. His point is that video games do not, so holding them in case they are stolen does little good. The way in which we can change this bylaw without opening the door to everyone is by restricting the short hold period to merchandise that lacks identifying features like serial numbers.

Very few items have serial numbers. Games can have identifying marks. The 30 day hold period is there so the victim can find their stuff, report it to the police and the police can start asking questions. Seven days is just too short.

@Icicle

If someone stole my games I would not be able to pick them out of a lot of the games.

This change just makes sense. The bylaw is antiquated.

The law was there when this business opened. If his business plan did not allow for a 30 day hold well then he didn’t plan very well did he?

Game consoles (which he also sells) all have serial numbers btw

Just to point out “games” have serial numbers, however it’s a pain in the butt to load the game up and find the serial number via the service code. No one records the serial numbers when they purchase games anyway, let alone recording the serial number off of the game console. BTW pawn shops receive lots of stolen goods daily, more often than not it’s in for “pawn” as apposed to being sold out right. Pawn’s don’t get entered into the hot list until the person fails to get the item out of Pawn. Once the time limit expires, then the item belongs to the shop that issued the pawn.

Just as a side note, EB Games sells used consoles, these are trade in consoles. So how is it they can do it but this store can’t (double standard).

@Icicle – I am the owner of Game Quest and hopefully I can ease some of your concerns.

Firstly I am not asking for an exception from the current bylaws. I am trying to change the rules for all secondhand dealers in town.

Currently we are required to take ID from every person selling items to our store and the information from the seller’s ID along with a full list of the items they brought to sell, trade or even donate gets immediately uploaded to the RCMP. I DO NOT wish to change that section of the bylaw.

Along with reducing the current 30 day hold I also requested that an additional clause be added to the bylaw to allow the RCMP EXTRA time if they feel they need it for certain items. Edmonton currently has a clause to this effect. If a known criminal sells something to me they can contact me and request I hold it beyond the 7 days I am asking for. If someone reports a stolen system and it matches a serial number that I have uploaded to them they can request I hold that item longer.

Since the online system has been in place at the start of March I’ve uploaded around 17,000 items to the RCMP to get cleared. I have had literally no inquires from them to investigate or recover any items. We have also had a break in and several successful shoplifters that have been reported. We have also had no items recovered by this process.

Port Coquitlam has had a 7 day holding period since 2011 and has a lower crime rate of both robberies and B&Es than PG. It hasn’t made them a less safe community that encourages crime. It has made it so that the provinces largest secondhand video game dealer is thriving there though.

@interceptor – We have been open for about a year now. We’ve been following this bylaw to the letter. There is a ton of community support for this type of business in town. We can still operate with this bylaw in place, just not very effectively. That is why we proposed changes to it, so that we can expand our business and give Prince George this type of store that has been lacking for nearly a decade now.

@Professional – Game do not have serial numbers or other identifying marks. Consoles do, some accessories do, but the games themselves do not. EB Games and many other businesses in town are held to the same bylaw, but have just chosen to ignore it or are unaware of it. I’m an advocate for following the rules. This just happens to be a case where I feel the rules suck, so I’m attempting to change them.

Thanks for the clarification. It sounds like you are going about this in a responsible and well thought out manner. Best of luck to you.

Thanks interceptor :)

Thanks interceptor :)