Reel Video of Berkeley closed its doors for the last time today. As loyal customers visited their favorite community haven to hand in their rentals, liquidators on the inside were removing all its famous video stock from the shelves.

The stock was sold off Monday to a small syndicate of Video retailers for $150,000. This will come as a shock to customers who pledging donations to raise a significantly higher sum than this. The store’s annual gross revenue was in excess of $1,200,000 a year, making it by a margin the most profitable store in Movie Galleries Stable, who are also planning to liquidate all its remaining Hollywood stores. With creditors closing down the jewel in the crown store, it is highly unlikely that any other stores in its stable will survive.

All stock will be removed from the store by the end of Wednesday. Having kept the original branding of founding store Reel, it is unlikely that Movie Gallery will make any efforts to remove the signage. Reel’s databases were never mixed with that of Hollywood, it was run as a complete independent. As an independent company it would have been in a financial footing to survive, however no bidders were prepared to buy the video store in light of the industry’s decline since Netflix and Red Box effectively took over the market. Stuart Skorman had made a serious bid which was turned down by creditors, and local business man Chris Whittome had considered turning Reel into his flagship for the online buy and sell business trade2save.com. It was proposed that the store under the new ownership of trade2save.com would buy and sell Cell phones, digital cameras and electronics, video games and movies keeping all the original stock in tacked for purchase or rental to the local Berkeley community.

A Budget Rental Truck was seen this evening parked in the drive way of the store and blinds have been shuttered as the stock is boxed and moved out.

Even if the thief was to sell it on, as soon as his unsuspecting buyer turned it on, the rightful owner can be directed to the device as easily as navigating with his in car GPS in an instant.

This is exactly what happened only yesterday to Mark Travis, a local college student at CALTECH who had his iPhone pinched at the weekend in Mission Delores Park.

For several days he used the iPhone App to see if he could get any tracking signal but to no avail. Then, finally the signal was caught, and he and his friends jumped into his car in hot pursuit.

They eventually tracked the device down to a Starbucks on Market Street, where an unsuspecting Buyer was testing the iPhone to make sure that it worked before purchasing it from the very thief who had stolen it off Mark. To Mark’s horror, the thief was someone he knew quite well and was among the group of college students who had met up to enjoy a weekend sunny day in Dolores Park.

The unnamed thief (bastard!) had pinched the iPhone under their very noses, had even helped try and look for the iPhone when Mark’s mysteriously went missing from the picnic rug.

He then advertised it on Craigslist for a quick anonymous sale. Or so he thought.

Just happy to retrieve his iPhone, Mark just simply walked up to the unnamed (b*****d!), took the iPhone back and walked out. Leaving a red faced loser and a confused buyer holding cold latte’s.

Trade2save is to expand at 1661 Tennessee street, San Francisco. Contracts have been signed to take up the another 9000 sf of warehouse space to span the main wing between Tennessee and 3rd. In addition to the online web activities, local Bay Area customers will be able to drop by at a new customer services lounge, where you’ll be able to kick back and relax on sofas, drink fresh ground coffee, soft drinks and enjoy wireless access.

Last Month, in a deal with Blockbusters, Trade2save in partnership with Hillco purchased over 200,000 DVDs, Games and Bluray Movies from over 60 Blockbuster stores singled out for closure. Trade2save are in talks with Blockbusters to handle the liquidation of some of the remaining 850 stores set for closure this year around the country.

Using State of the Art RTI disk resurfacing machines, trade2save resurfaces, re-case and shrink wrap all the inventory. Travis O’Dell, Creative Director says: ” By making our inventory look and feel like new, customers will be encouraged to buy used instead of buying new - this in turn will cut the huge volumes being churned out by the games and entertainment industries each year.

Trade2save also has a restoration center for the thousands of phones coming through its doors. Travis adds ” The trade2save 10 point inspection and refurbishment process ensures that customers buying a pre-owned cellphone or other electronics won’t be getting something shoddy. In most cases we re-case the phone making it look, feel and work like new. Our bottom line is reducing e-waste, and making customers feel good about their pre-owned purchase is an important part of our business”

Trade2save takes over the new premises in 4 weeks. The customer services center will be open too. While the new website is undergoing final tests, customers who want an instant quote for their used games, movies cellphones, computers and other electronics can email trade2save at sales@trade2save.com or call 415-826-9188 Monday-Friday 9.30 a.m - 6.30 p.m. Pacific Time.

You may have noticed that the trade2save website has gone off line, and will stay off line for a little while. This is because an all new website is being launched and in the pipeline. We’ll keep you posted about when the new site will be up and running.

Denis Ramirez, a cuban developer has worked full-time at trade2save for 3 years since he arrived in San Francisco in 2007. He has been instrumental in the development of computer software at trade2save and has been the chief developer at trade2save while working with founder Chris Whittome. He helped to develop the first trade2save site at trade2save.com, a buy and sell website which took more than 2 years to develop. The site was unsuccessful and a new site was started to replace it. Denis Ramirez left trade2save prior to the completion of the second website without providing documentation. Trade2save intends to work on a new website that will replace it.

Happy humpday from trade2save!

Please forgive the absence of activity the past few days as trade2save has officially moved into a new office! Trade2save apologizes if we’ve been difficult to reach but our computers are set up, our power and internet is good to go, our inventory stocked, and of course our fridge plugged in and filled (most important!)

The past two days have been chaotic but our readers can be assured that things shall carry on as normal, albeit from a bigger, better location! For the time being we shall leave you all with warm thanks for the support you’ve given us so far that has encouraged trade2save’s expansion as we continue to unload our pre owned treasure chest

-the trade2save team

Happy Friday from trade2save!For all our Gamers our there, the success of GameStop, Game Crazy, EB Games, etc. is nothing new and the impact of buying/selling/trading used video games on the new market is common discussion. For those non gamers out there, in quick summary the used game market has not only led companies such as the infamous GameStop (which buys used games for very little and resells at almost full price) to gain tremendous profits, but also has become and interest/concern for video game manufacturers because of the decrease in demand for “new” products. Recently  electronictheater.co.uk released an interesting look at video game companies attempt to deter used game sales by including special bonuses/privaleges for only those who purchase new copies of said game. While we here at trade2save frown upon the horribly unfair, used prices of game stores such as GameStop, we still love the pre-owned game market, as every new game produced still costs valuable resources and creates e waste! While we understand the gaming industries frusteration with lost sales, these new attempts to penalize those who choose to buy used ($60 per game IS quite pricey) is hurting both the environment and the consumer! Trade2save is interested to hear your take on this debate, so let us know your thoughts. One way or another, if you have a game that you no longer play, make sure to give it a good home, be it to a friend or through a fair priced dealer *cough* trade2save *cough* 

Happy Wednesday from trade2save!

A video by McAlvany International Collectors Associates (ICA) economists was recently brought to our attention predicting the very economic declines and issues our nation is currently facing.

Perhaps the most interesting and relevant section of the lecture to trade2save concerned the issues of mass overproduction by foreign countries and overconsumption by the US.  Fueled by economic bubbles created with the intent to encourage such absurd amounts of production and purchases, a culture of lavish spending and waste became the norm.

With the economic downturn and buy/sell/trade markets on a dramatic rise, it is a strong implication that companies such as trade2save, which specialize in the used/refurbished market, will play a major role in the future of American consumption habits to combat our former overconsumption discourse.

Check out the full lecture

As pricing and repricing our inventory continues throughout this week, it has come to our attention that trade2save could use more video games! Believe it or not, there is a good market in used games, and trade2save is much more than willing to prove that by giving you a fair price unlike some retailers…*cough* *gamestop* *cough*

I know all you gamers out there have tons of titles gathering dust in your closets or game binders, so come take a look at what we’re offering for them and feel good that your games will be getting a first class spa treatment and then finding a new home. Take a look at our prices and if your game isn’t listed shoot us an email and we’ll get straight back to you.

Happy gaming!

This beautiful San Francisco morning marks the conclusion of the very first week for trade2save’s new recruits. As trade2save enters the next phase of its electronics business and ewaste plan, time for expansion has begun and the regular staff has grown by 5 new, bright eyed employees. While each of the interns has a general field of focus, each shoulder the responsibility of the flexibility to fulfill multiple roles needed to create a thriving startup. With the added man/woman power has come measurable progress, as trade2save is proud to announce the launch of its new social media program! Haha by that what I mean to say is that I am now making sure trade2save stays up to date with both the rapidly shifting media world and our customers. Check us out and add us to your various networks:

www.twitter.com/trade2save  Tweets on our day to day going-ons at the office

www.twitter.com/trade2save_com Tweets on our hottest deals, stay in touch to find a real steal!

Our facebook page Keep up with trade2save news and become a fan!

Our facebook group Meet our staff, join the group and stay in contact with trade2save

Overall things are looking up for trade2save, training is underway for each new intern, our new DVD resurfacer has expedited our refurbishing effort literally hundreds of times faster, and our new social media and artistic changes are already improving.

Staff pics and bios to come soon!

 The new staff! Hard at work (naturally)

Our amazing DVD savior, note the radiant, holy glow/aura