CeX

CeX is a really great shop where you can buy, sell and exchange DVDs, games, and electronics.
The shop itself is fairly standard, well-​lit and simple. You can browse a fairly large selection of DVDs, Blu-​Rays and Console games. There are also displays of the phones, tablets, cameras and laptops they currently have.
The staff are friendly and really knowledgeable about what they do.
Recently my Other Half and I went to the shop with a very large pile of games consoles, games and films. The shop bought everything off us, ranging from a few pence per item up to £30 or so. My old netbook was bought for £100! Here I should specify — you can choose store credit, which is more, or cash, which is worth a lot less. (E.g. my laptop was worth £100 in store credit or £70 in ‘real’ cash)
They have so much great stuff that, in my opinion, it’s really worth going for the store credit. For all of the things we sold, we exchanged it for a PlayStation 4 and a top-​of-​the-​range Sony tablet. New in a shop, those would have cost upwards of £600, but we simply exchanged old, unwanted stuff for shiny new gadgets!
It’s a great idea, and it really works.

With so many films available in so many places for only a few pounds, it is easy to accumulate a pile of films that you’ve watched once and have no intention of watching again. That is where CEX comes in handy. Instead of letting the DVDs/​CDs/​games and other techie things gather dust, you can trade them in for cash or store credit. You will get a higher value in the store credit voucher. Single DVDs won’t really get a huge amount of money, anything from 0p-£5, but you are more likely to get a higher amount for games and boxsets.
The service was friendly, if a bit slow. I would have preferred it if they had made it clearer during the exchange what each DVD was worth, then again I didn’t want them anyway so it probably wouldn’t have made a big difference. It’s hard to complain about range of products as they are reliant on what is brought to them.

CeX is a good electronics store that sells new and used DVD’s, games, and various other electronics. As my iPod Touch is nearing the brink of death, I immediately drifted over to their used iPod section. Unfortunately, the prices for the used iPod’s were slightly more expensive than other shops.
But I was impressed with their selection of games. You’ll find games for every system, and since I’ve been out of the gaming scene for awhile, it was nice to be surprised by new titles. One of interest to me was the game «Heavy Rain», and I spoke to one gentleman beside me about the game. He said it was «amazing». All in all, a good place to go if you want to pay a little less than what it costs to purchase something new.

A must-​visit every time I go into town, CEX is a swap-​shop where you can sell, exchange and buy phones, laptops, cameras, games, DVDs, MP3 players and other tech gadgets.
The prices range from mega cheap (I paid £12 for Assassin’s Creed on the Xbox), to stupidly high (£490 for a Canon digital SLR, which is probably cheaper brand new from Argus). Despite the high prices on some of the stock, the pull is in the exchange, swap your old phone to get store credit and pay the rest to get a new one.
I swapped a BT htc phone, an unwanted upgrade that my Dad was too scared to use, and got £80 store credit to spend on a new phone. I only had to pay another £20 to get the one I wanted, and it came boxed with all accessories and manuals.
The staff are friendly, know their gadgets and are always happy to help. It gets rammed on weekends and there’s always a massive queue of swappers and shoppers making the wait pretty long but it’s relatively empty in the week so it’s best to go then to bypass the headache.

Like certain record shops, CeX seems to smell permanently of boys sweat and smelly trainers.
This is probably down to the clientele and the fact a lot of boys in their teens and early twenties seem to shop there. As the window displays show, CeX is a second-​hand store that specialises in new and used video games, DVDs and videos. They have TV drama and documentary box-​sets, world cinema, music and hundreds of more mainstream releases from Harry Potter to Slumdog Millionaire. They also sell mobile phones, iPods, iPhones, laptops, digital cameras and blackerries. The reason most people go though, is for the games and DVDs.
Next time I go I might wear a nose-​clip. I’ll definitely go back though because I picked up Seasons Two and Three of Six Feet Under for a tenner each.

I know CEX because a friend works there. When he told me he worked at CEX he pronounced it «sex»… In my head I was jealous because I always thought it’d be cool to work in a sex shop (you know, in an ironic kind of way). When I found out it was a computer games and hardware exchange store my faith in humanity was restored and my dream still in tact.
So, what do you need to know about CEX?
Well, other than its funny name, it offers new and used video games, mobile phones, laptops, iPods and various other technological accessories. The prices can sometimes be very competitive, but at others, a little off the mark and too high (in my humble opinion). I am not a massive gamer, but they do have many recognisable titles on offer and the staff are a real pleasure to talk to — and I am not just saying that because I have friend who worked there! In fact, as I am not so into games, the staff were the real bonus for me, because their friendliness and enthusiasm made me feel more welcome and willing to make a purchase, which doesn’t always happen in stores with a more snobby and elitist attitude to gaming.
Now I’m going to go back to dreaming about working in a sex shop — ironically!

CeX operates as an electronics exchanage, buying and selling almost every electronic item imaginable. You’ll find Ipods, PC, PS2, PS3, DS, Wii, and Xbox 360 games, films, dvd box sets, and other such similar products. The prices for some items are very reasonable, whilst others can be a little overpriced, so you may find a bargain here, or may feel ripped off. Regardless, it is certainly worth having a look at if you want some cheap entertainment.

I like cex — for one thing, the shop title is amusing. It re-​sells anything techie, basically — DVDs, games, phones, consoles, though I don’t think I’ve seen straightforward CDs in there. Prices start very cheaply, I’ve bought quite a few Stargate DVDs there for £2 — but they can go up to £6, even for Stargate. Films start at £3 — £4 or so, but again can go up higher.
The bugbear I have with cex is that people coming in to sell or exchange their goods are in the same queue as the people who just want to buy the odd DVD. I’m glad those people are coming in, of course, but it drives me crazy to wait more than ten minutes just to buy some cheapo second hand DVD. Its the only problem, really — the staff are friendly, extremely knowledge in spite of (because of?) their youth.
It can get very crowded on a Saturday, and crowded with little kids of ten or twelve, who have no intention of buying but are absolutely entranced by all the techie bits on display.

Cex (stands for Computer Exchange) is a swap shop for all your DVDs, computer games and gadgets. The premise is simple — bring along your stuff and get cash/​store credit; bring along your cash/​store credit and buy stuff. You can often find good bargains but be careful as prices are not updated that often so you could find items cheaper on offer in HMV, etc. However with DVDs starting at around £1.50 its worth a look — and if you can’t be bothered to go to town, see the prices and stock levels on their website.