Frustrations of a game hunter....

[NCN]

I'm pretty sure this is the proper place for this post. If not, I apologize.

That said, I am starting to get hopelessly frustrated with trying to find games in the wild. I have found one game in the last year (a Zelda game on CD-i). Other than that, the only find was two loose 2600 carts beat to hell (which I passed on). I've tried several thrift stores, flea markets, out of the way shops all to no avail.

I refuse to pay the obscene shipping prices on eBay, flat out. If it is for a game lot then I can understand, but $7 for one cart is ridiculous. What else can I possibly do to get remotely reasonable deals on games? Any thoughts?

EDIT: I guess it would help if I mentioned that I am collecting NES titles.

[Oobgarm]

You can get good deals often through folks here.

I've also mostly given up looking for games in the wild as well. Aside from the random flea find and garage sales, there aren't many people out there who will just let a pile of games go cheap.

Most sellers, around here at least, are hip to the fact that retro games can sometimes sell for a decent amount depending on the title-so they price them all high in hopes they can catch someone who's not paying attention.

And I'm with you on the eBay thing. No more buying games of there for me.

[fishsandwich]

Don't give up hope, man!

I haven't been to a flea market in forever. I hit a really shitty one in Georgia and I find a box full of NES games (over 40, some rare), a NES, controllers, and 2 zappers plus about 10 decent (no sports) Genny games and a small PS2 (no cords) for $110.

I also get 2 Gennys, a Sega CD, some odd games, and a SNES for another $30.

Of course, the NES is a blinker, the SNES won't work (odd) and I haven't tried out the Gennys or Sega CD yet but overall it was still a decent haul... all from the wild.

But things ARE getting scarcer, I agree!

[NCN]

Two very interesting replies!

I just get jealous when I see people finding items dirt cheap. I'm not after "steals". Hell, I'm mostly after common NES games. I won't lie, it would be GREAT to find a nice rarity for a good deal, but that isn't important to me. I want to play the games I loved as a kid, and maybe find a few new ones in the process.

I was at a local thrift store not too long ago, and I found an N64 system with no controller and only the power cable. They wanted $45 for it. Right next to it was a Genesis II system with both cables and one controller. $40!! Needless to say, I haven't gone back.

[DefaultGen]

.....

[Truffle]

I still find PLENTY of wild carts roaming around! ;) You just have to get used to looking alot harder than 10 years ago. I get alot more satisfaction when I find games now. I have more than a couple "secret hunting places" though. One of which has insane prices ($10) for NES games, but since the old guy who works there likes me to death, I usually walk out of there paying $3 apiece.
Haggle, baby, haggle!

(the owner likes to pine about how he hasnt seen an atari since its heyday)

[NCN]

Check ebay lots. Go into Vintage Games or Games and search for 'NES Lot.' You'll usually be able to pick up a deal if you snipe a lot that Discount Games isn't sniping. You can resell the doubles and the system.

Hell, I could use the system too! Good call on the ebay lots though. I've been browsing them off and on, and I'm usually up at the odd hours where good deals tend to hide, so maybe that'll pay off eventually. Thanks for the advice!


Truffle: I only wish I were fortunate enough to have some similar connection. I'm in a small town in Missouri, and I've been MANY miles either way....It all seems dry out here.

[Truffle]

Also....Highly prices items usually arent flying out the doors. Come back later, and see if they might be more flexable with there prices. Most of the time I consider the price on something at a thrift to be a rough estimate, and not set in stone. Either be nice, and cute, or annoying and you may find what your looking for. Usually crusty old men are more than happy to lower their prices for me! ;) ;)

[Truffle]

Hell, I could use the system too! Good call on the ebay lots though. I've been browsing them off and on, and I'm usually up at the odd hours where good deals tend to hide, so maybe that'll pay off eventually. Thanks for the advice!


Truffle: I only wish I were fortunate enough to have some similar connection. I'm in a small town in Missouri, and I've been MANY miles either way....It all seems dry out here.


No dude! Its small towns where you find people to be most ignorant about what they are selling! Just make it your thing to go on cruises around town and check out EVERY yard sale. BUT you need to make it a point to ASK if they have any old games they want to sell.
Ihave had some of my best scores come out of this scenario. People have yard sales to make some cash, and they might decide,"hey I dont really play My NES anyway..." and go and fetch it for you!
Trust me!
Yeah you mey not get anything for your trouble, at first....but just wait!
One evening I scored a Saturn, a Jaguar, 2 NESs, 2 SNESs, and some Gennys + a large box of ho-hum games for.....$6!
He strongly felt it was all crap, and happily asked for $6.

[NCN]

No dude! Its small towns where you find people to be most ignorant about what they are selling! Just make it your thing to go on cruises around town and check out EVERY yard sale. BUT you need to make it a point to ASK if they have any old games they want to sell.
Ihave had some of my best scores come out of this scenario. People have yard sales to make some cash, and they might decide,"hey I dont really play My NES anyway..." and go and fetch it for you!
Trust me!
Yeah you mey not get anything for your trouble, at first....but just wait!
One evening I scored a Saturn, a Jaguar, 2 NESs, 2 SNESs, and some Gennys + a large box of ho-hum games for.....$6!
He strongly felt it was all crap, and happily asked for $6.

SIX DOLLARS?!?!? I can't even find an NES for less than $40. Jesus......Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll have to become a weekend warrior to get anything done...

[DefaultGen]

.....

[NCN]

You could post a thread here asking for an NES less than $40 and more than half the people here would have one :D You might want to check out GameTZ and AtariAge too.

I might have to try to free up some cash to pick one up then! Thanks for the info.

[starfox316]

If you are in a small town with not alot of options, you might have to road trip it out of there on the weekends to find your goodies, that's what I do lately. Maybe check pawn shops around, they usually give cart games away for free it seems. The pawners by me have a box of NES and SNES games for 2 bucks plus tax each. I loaded up on 3 mega man games and 2 Dragon Warrior titles for the low from them. It's just a matter of luck, and being in the right place at the right time. Frequent places that look like they might have carts or consoles at some point, just keep going back and checking up.

But my advice would be to look up a few places in the phone book or online in a local city and road trip, good luck and go get those damn games, bro!

[Bigjobs]

Most sellers, around here at least, are hip to the fact that retro games can sometimes sell for a decent amount depending on the title-so they price them all high in hopes they can catch someone who's not paying attention. And I'm with you on the eBay thing. No more buying games of there for me.

Unfortunately, one of the only shop-owners in my area actually figures the ebay shipping into the prices in his store. How much would you pay for a Mario Bros./Duckhunt? Sofa change? A toilet mint? Apparently, they're worth their weight in gold to this aging hippie with no morals. I'd beg for loose carts in front of a GameStop before buying anything in that bastards store.

[NCN]

If you are in a small town with not alot of options, you might have to road trip it out of there on the weekends to find your goodies, that's what I do lately. Maybe check pawn shops around, they usually give cart games away for free it seems. The pawners by me have a box of NES and SNES games for 2 bucks plus tax each. I loaded up on 3 mega man games and 2 Dragon Warrior titles for the low from them. It's just a matter of luck, and being in the right place at the right time. Frequent places that look like they might have carts or consoles at some point, just keep going back and checking up.

But my advice would be to look up a few places in the phone book or online in a local city and road trip, good luck and go get those damn games, bro!

Pawn shops! That's a great idea. I never would have considered that they'd even carry NES items. Thanks a heap! Time to get to the phone....

[exit]

I'd beg for loose carts in front of a GameStop before buying anything in that bastards store.

There's a pawnshop here like that, he changed the prices on some games (he just wrote over the original price with a sharpee) and told me that's the "price on e-bay." So I no longer goto that pawnshop, not that it had much of anything anyway.

[Truffle]

It sounds to me like many of you make little attempt to haggle.
Dont know what I mean? Haggling is where you ask the seller if he'll part with it for less. Or end up arguing with someone about their prices! Good times....:D

[8-bitNesMan]

It sounds to me like many of you make little attempt to haggle.
Dont know what I mean? Haggling is where you ask the seller if he'll part with it for less. Or end up arguing with someone about their prices! Good times....:D

Hey thanks! Can you fill us in on breathing next? :p

[Sosage]

Unfortunately, one of the only shop-owners in my area actually figures the ebay shipping into the prices in his store. How much would you pay for a Mario Bros./Duckhunt? Sofa change? A toilet mint? Apparently, they're worth their weight in gold to this aging hippie with no morals. I'd beg for loose carts in front of a GameStop before buying anything in that bastards store.

NorCal has plenty of options/places to pick stuff up (although it is getting harder to snag pre-PS1 stuff at reasonable prices). I can think of at least 4 flea markets and its garage sale season, which is typically booming with items if you hit them right. If you want my advice, don't hang on that "one guy" unless he is hooking you up. You have a lot of other options (unless you can't drive). On top of everything else, I'd like to think there is plenty of stock out there for all of the NorCal collectors. So get out there, haggle away and say whats up to any fellow collectors you bump into. ;)

[kainemaxwell]

I agree. I'm lucky if I find something cheap in the wild at the flea market in my town anymore or other places. I usually check ebay and here often.

[Aswald]

I know how you feel, 100%.

I haven't had a truly great, or even good, find in years around here. The last truly good one was 2000, when I found Slither and a Roller Controller.

In 2001, some games I already had, but there were also a bunch of original manuals.

Hopefully, the upcoming townwide garage sale will have something.

[Steve W]

Your areas might have some eBay speculators in them, and they're snapping up any reasonably priced games found in the wild. The roadtrip thing is a good idea. I sometimes go down to Louisiana to visit my sister's family, and I use Google Maps to plot out every flea market, resale store, and thrift bewteen here and there. Sometimes it's oddball locations that might have good stuff. I stopped in a strange looking antique shop selling records and comics and stuff, and they had loads of videogames (even a couple arcade cabinets).

[NCN]

I want to thank everyone for taking the time to make this thread happen. I hope that others who are in my shoes are paying attention and reading this. I will be building a personal "map" of places of interest to check out thanks to all of you. I appreciate all the encouragement and advice.

[Steve W]

Like I said, use Google Maps and look up "thrift store", "resale store", and "flea market" for the surrounding towns. You'd be suprised by how many there are scattered around you.

[PentiumMMX]

Yeah...I hate how it's impossible to find anything for a Sega system outside of ancient copies of Madden for the Genesis where I live...

[bangtango]

NCN:

I'll try to help. Just three questions.

1. What do you have for thrift stores in the area?

2. How often do you look for games?

3. What time during the day do you go looking for games?

Around here, I have a couple of pawn shops, a Goodwill, a Salvation Army and a mom & pop game store. The best place to go in my area is still the thrift stores. I find that I have the best luck if I go at least twice a week and am there earlier in the day. I've found that if I wait until later in the afternoon then most of the stuff that was there during the day is already gone. Keep in mind you are also competing against housewives, people in their teens/twenties and people who are simply unemployed & sleep until 11 am or noon.

Good luck in your travels.

[NCN]

NCN:

I'll try to help. Just three questions.

1. What do you have for thrift stores in the area?

2. How often do you look for games?

3. What time during the day do you go looking for games?

Around here, I have a couple of pawn shops, a Goodwill, a Salvation Army and a mom & pop game store. The best place to go in my area is still the thrift stores. I find that I have the best luck if I go at least twice a week and am there earlier in the day. I've found that if I wait until later in the afternoon then most of the stuff that was there during the day is already gone. Keep in mind you are also competing against housewives, people in their teens/twenties and people who are simply unemployed & sleep until 11 am or noon.

Good luck in your travels.

Great post. Here's what I can tell you.

1) We have five thrift stores consisting of two Salvation Army locations, one Goodwill and two small "no name" thrift stores. There are also two pawn shops (which I never thought to check until this thread) and one antique/flea market setup now that the second one has closed.

2) Any time I am out and near one of the aforementioned stores. It is fairly random.

3) Usually between 11 AM - 1 PM. Perhaps if I tried something closer to 9-10 AM?

Thanks again for the insight. I will be more than glad to see what you have to say in response.

[coreycorey2000]

If you want to find games you have to go early. For yard sales I'm at my first one by 6:30 and I still miss out on stuff. Flea Markets you have to be there no later than openning. Sometimes you can get in early while the vendors are setting up. That is the best time to be there. Thrift Stores you have to be there right after they restock. Some restock daily. So being early to them can help as well.

[Steve W]

I've found that Salvation Army stores never have anything decent in them. I've been in several all over the place, and have found diddly. Goodwill stores around me are usually hit and miss. My best finds are usually the no-name thrifts. What you might want to do is ask the people at those non-chain store thrifts how often they get in video game stuff, and where do they usually stock it in the store. I've occasionally found that I have looked all over a store a few times, but then discover that they've got most of their games in some oddball location somewhere else. Make sure you let the people there know that you collect games, and you're in the market for whatever they have. They might actually hold some games for you instead of trashing them if they don't know what to do with them.

[NES_Rules]

I always have my best luck at garage sales. But I still check the Goodwill and flea market once a week. I've been collecting for just over a year and have never purchased anything over the internet and have accumulated around 800 games and 40 systems. So, there are games still out their in the wild, it just takes some perseverance. Check your local newspaper's classified section, mine has a section just for garage sale listings. I try to go to as many of them as I can (usually around 30-40) and then any I see on the way to them. And once you do find something, NEVER pay what they're asking. I usually offer half what they're asking and then work from there.

[bangtango]

Great post. Here's what I can tell you.

1) We have five thrift stores consisting of two Salvation Army locations, one Goodwill and two small "no name" thrift stores. There are also two pawn shops (which I never thought to check until this thread) and one antique/flea market setup now that the second one has closed.

2) Any time I am out and near one of the aforementioned stores. It is fairly random.

3) Usually between 11 AM - 1 PM. Perhaps if I tried something closer to 9-10 AM?

Thanks again for the insight. I will be more than glad to see what you have to say in response.

10 AM to Noon is a good time to check. I typically go on Monday's and Tuesday's. Honestly, there are people who miss out on stuff at the thrift stores because they aren't looking in the right places. I'm not saying that is you, of course. What I am getting at is that in the Goodwill stores I go there are 3-4 different locations in the store where the employees are apt to place games. I never find them in the same place every time out. Remember that there are different employees putting these games on the shelves for a lot of different systems. The same goes for a Salvation Army store.

First is in the glass display cases near the register. Second is where the movies and cd's are kept, which is where they are normally placed. Third is over where the board games are. 4th is where the kids toys are placed. Some Goodwill stores are bigger than others so obviously there are locations that mix these items up or consolidate them into one or two places. It depends on the layout. Personally, I'd go to an employee, preferably the manager, and tell them you are looking for old Nintendo games and ask where they are usually kept and when they get put out. It sounds desperate but it sure beats the alternative.

Oh, for any novice hunters who are thinking of asking this, Playstation 1 games are almost always put in the cd racks as if they were a music disc. That is where I always see them anyway.

[Cornelius]

Oh, for any novice hunters who are thinking of asking this, Playstation 1 games are almost always put in the cd racks as if they were a music disc. That is where I always see them anyway.

And this is a good thing, since they are usually priced as CDs also. So don't blow it pointing this out! ;)

[smork]

I've had good luck in the wild, even recently. I was just visiting family in the states and went to a Cash Converters by my grandmother's house. They had piles of good stuff -- lots of 2600, NES, a Game Gear +games, a Genny, etc....

I don't think things are really any worse than they've ever been -- but naturally much older items are harder to find. NES stuff is starting to get up there in age, so we can expect to see less and less, as shops aren't going to want to stock such 'old' stuff, and people will just throw away many of their 'useless' items. Items that are 5-15 years old are still easy to get, I think!

[cyberfluxor]

It's been a slow few months locally personally, which is mainly contributed to not hunting as much. I roam over 3 cities which runs me into:
countless Game Stop and EB Games stores
2 Game Crazy's
7 Cash Converter's
6 CHKD's
4 Salvation Army's
5 Indy shops
2 Flea Markets
hundreds of neighborhoods

So, that's the tip of it all. Because there are so many oulets for me to visit I'm a picky person with prices. However, to visit most of my stops it's around 70 miles of driving costing a small ~$12 in gas. Due to the times I shop now most of the newly stocked games are gone before I arrive and I've seen many store owners buying stuff. Also, it's a funny thing to see myself buying about a few great games for $1-3 each and while waiting in line someone snags the remaining 10, 13, 20 or whatever left over games and stands right behind me in line. I giggle in my head knowing I got what I wanted before this other guy grabbed all the goodies.

[Sosage]

And this is a good thing, since they are usually priced as CDs also. So don't blow it pointing this out! ;)

I actually found some complete Apple II games in a similar fashion: in the shelf holding all the old music albums! They also sold them to me at the flat record rate (something like a quarter/fifty cents each!).

Also watch for Genesis games in the VHS piles. ;)

[psychic1]

What you should be frustrated about is the fact that $7 is too much for you to pay for a video game and not that you can't find them for cheaper.

[PSXferrari]

SIX DOLLARS?!?!? I can't even find an NES for less than $40. Jesus......Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll have to become a weekend warrior to get anything done...



Jeez, I wouldn't pay more than $10 for an NES. Just way too common. I guess $20 if your desperate, but the fact that they rarely work well doesn't help matters. If you're really interested in playing stuff for the NES and looking for a system, I recommend looking into the Generation NEX made by Messiah. It plays NES games but it's not a cheap knock-off like most of the others.

You can search it online. It's a little pricey ($60 from the company's site, but I got mine for around $30 on eBay), but worth it if you're really getting into playing NES games. (As a cool sidenote, it also comes with a NES game pricing guide from Digital Press.) I got sick of my games freezing up in the middle of play or not being able to get them started at all-- so I finally paid the extra money and it's been well worth it. Never have a problem with games anymore. Maybe there's some lucky people out there, but I've never owned an NES that seemed to work well on a consistent basis.

[exit]

Jeez, I wouldn't pay more than $10 for an NES. Just way too common. I guess $20 if your desperate, but the fact that they rarely work well doesn't help matters. If you're really interested in playing stuff for the NES and looking for a system, I recommend looking into the Generation NEX made by Messiah. It plays NES games but it's not a cheap knock-off like most of the others.

You can search it online. It's a little pricey ($60 from the company's site, but I got mine for around $30 on eBay), but worth it if you're really getting into playing NES games. (As a cool sidenote, it also comes with a NES game pricing guide from Digital Press.) I got sick of my games freezing up in the middle of play or not being able to get them started at all-- so I finally paid the extra money and it's been well worth it. Never have a problem with games anymore. Maybe there's some lucky people out there, but I've never owned an NES that seemed to work well on a consistent basis.

You're forgetting to mention the compatibility issues and that they'd be able to buy a Top-Loader for an equal, or lesser price. Or was this just an advertisement...

I say avoid the imitations and get the real deal.

[Gentlegamer]

Don't give up on ebay. Despite the seemingly popular perception, you can indeed bargain hunt there. Around $5 is a rather typical shipping price on video games, which seems high, but just factor it into the final price. Win multiple auctions from sellers that combine shipping, find the really low BIN auctions, etc.

[PSXferrari]

You're forgetting to mention the compatibility issues and that they'd be able to buy a Top-Loader for an equal, or lesser price. Or was this just an advertisement...

I say avoid the imitations and get the real deal.


Yes, obviously I work for Messiah.... Anyways, you're obviously not familiar with the system. It's not a cheap knock-off like the FC Twin. Yes, there are like three games in the entire NES library that other NES clones won't work with, but I'm not sure if Messiah's system has the same issue. Either way, the few games are all minor titles no one cares about, with the exception being Castlevania III.

Now I prefer to be a purist as much as any other retro gamer, but sometimes it comes down to just wanting to play the game without dealing with blowing in cartridges and staring at blinking screens. That being said, you may be right about the Top Loading NES. I thought it was a lot more expensive than the Generation NEX, but I just checked on eBay and it is about the same price or maybe just slightly higher. If that's the case than I would say go for the real thing, and get the top-loader made by Nintendo. But of course, chances of finding either the NEX or top-loader in the wild are about nill, so online is about the only hope. I think it's worth it. As much as I love my original NES systems, I just got fed up with them after they all start flickering and give out right in the middle of games. Not exactly a fun thing to happen when you're in the middle of an intense game of Tecmo Super Bowl.

[NCN]

What you should be frustrated about is the fact that $7 is too much for you to pay for a video game and not that you can't find them for cheaper.

Perhaps you misread my post. I said $7 to SHIP a game was entirely too much. Please pay a little closer attention.

In any event, not all of us have disposable income to go out and drop $150 at a time. Some of us have other responsibilities that command our paychecks.

[Griking]

My local thrift stores have definately gotten less in over the past year or so. But every time I'm just about ready to give up out of the blue a large bundle or some other nice find appears. It's definately a lot slower but the finds are still out there so if you're into collecting my recommendation is to be persistant. (Unless of course you live in Connecticut or Rhode Island, there's nothing to find here :angel: )

[NCN]

I'm telling you, I could really use an "out of the blue" day.

I haven't seen a single NES cart in over a year. Granted, I am just starting to collect again but I am always on the look out. It's just getting depressing.

[Steve W]

Do not shop thrifts on the weekends. You're never going to find anything on the two busiest days of the week. Weekdays are the best, not as many other shoppers to compete with.

I have never, ever bought anything off of eBay. Nothing. Everything I have was either bought when the console originally came out, or it's something I've found thrifting and flea market shopping since 2003. And technically, I didn't even find anything in the wild until 2004. I never found anything interesting while thrifting, and I was about to stop trying. One day, after yet another fruitless trip, I came across a literal hole-in-the-wall thrift store. First thing I see when I walk in, a Rastan arcade cab with a $50 price tag on it. I asked - It didn't work, the arcade rental guys in the building next door couldn't repair it so they donated it. If they couldn't fix it, there was no chance of me getting it to work. So I passed on it, something I've regretted ever since. Anyway, while looking through the grubby shelves in the badly lit store, I came across something. I had to examine it to figure out what it was... it was a Vectrex. They only charged me $5! After having that one good find, I got the juice to keep looking. The more often I looked, the better my odds got. I've probably doubled my collection since 2003.

[PSXferrari]

Do not shop thrifts on the weekends. You're never going to find anything on the two busiest days of the week. Weekdays are the best, not as many other shoppers to compete with.


I've seen a few people mention this same thing, but there is another side to the issue. While the weekend is the busiest shopping period of the week, it is also when people are most likely to be cleaning out their garages and bringing things into the thrift shops. So it's kind of a double-edged sword. You come in on weekday mornings and you'll have the store to yourself; but there's always the chance that a majority of the items came in on the weekend and you've already missed out on them to the weekend shoppers.

[camarotuner]

Well, let me chime in on this one. Depending on what I'm hunting FOR, depends on my ability to find stuff. Certain things on my list (obscure systems, Neo Geo stuff) ain't happening in the wild. But on my regular trips I find all kinds of goodies at very good prices. Sometimes I find stuff that's SO stupidly overpriced I have to laugh and walk away. Other times I find legitimate prices and make fair deals. Sometimes you hit the jackpot and do the happy dance and leave with a haul. In any case, still love it and keep on hunting. Some days are better than others but if your persistant and keep hunting it evens out in the end.

Also learning how to properly repair vintage systems and games has GREATLY enhanced my searching. Now I can find "junk" video game bundles, do the cleaning and repair work, and turn that into a hell of a find. Plus check out local "silent auctions". Keep finding games just tossed into big bins for purchase. No one there knows or cares what the games are, just make the boxes full. Bid cheap, win big lots, dig and find the gems, end up with piles of trade/ebay bate.

Hope this kinda helps.

[Steve W]

Also learning how to properly repair vintage systems and games has GREATLY enhanced my searching. Now I can find "junk" video game bundles, do the cleaning and repair work, and turn that into a hell of a find.
That's one of my big problems, I don't have any kind of skill at repairing electronics at all. I've bought several Colecovisions that haven't worked, just hoping for one that finally would. I actually managed to find an Atari Video Music, but whoever owned it before cut off the attached power brick, and I don't know a damn thing about building a new power supply for it. Having electronic repair skills makes things a lot easier on you, because you're going to come across something broken sooner or later. Or you can buy broken hardware from people here in the forums dirt cheap and fix them yourself, saving you a lot of cash.

[Griking]

Do not shop thrifts on the weekends. You're never going to find anything on the two busiest days of the week. Weekdays are the best, not as many other shoppers to compete with.


I disagree with this. Weekends may be busier in the stores but its also the time of the week when most people are bringing in donations as well. Sundays afternoons are especially great times for thrifts stores because people are usually bringing in the stuff that they didn't during their tag sales. Anything good brought in over the weekend will most likely already be sold by Monday. Of course Monday is still a good day because they're bringing out the stuff that they didn't have the time to price on Sunday.

[Steve W]

Well, around here, I've never found anything on the weekends in thrifts, ever. That's when I started to hit flea markets. A lot more walking, but there's a slightly better chance of finding something.

[bangtango]

Well, around here, I've never found anything on the weekends in thrifts, ever. That's when I started to hit flea markets. A lot more walking, but there's a slightly better chance of finding something.

I guess it depends on your location a little bit. I have a hard time finding anything good on the weekends and I go on a regular basis. 80-85% of my finds are during the week. I tend to find that most thrift stores employ B-Team employees on the weekend, most of whom are not allowed to bring out stuff from the back or price it. Couple that with the fact that most of the places I visit are within walking distance of a supermarket which are filled with people doing their weekend shopping. This is just my experience locally. It doesn't mean it is that way everywhere.

Whether it is you or Griking who is right, it is better to go to the thrift stores any day of the week than to never visit them at all. I think everyone reading this thread could at least agree with that point.

I don't know the inner workings of any particular Goodwill store but I assume they all follow some sort of system or routine. What NCN should do is try making visits throughout the week at different times of the day. Once he gets a good find or two, keep track of what day/time it was and use that knowledge for his next visit. Again, I'm just assuming here but each thrift store has some sort of schedule they follow for putting out donations and once you learn it, the better your results would be. Just my two cents, right or wrong.

All I know is that my best finds at Salvation Army and Goodwill come on Mondays between 10 am and noon. I hit those places every day of the week and all times of the day before finally "learning" of this limited window of opportunity to obtain their best stuff.

[Videogamerdaryll]

Frustrations of a game hunter....
Flea Market
Vendors saying they can get so,so much on Ebay.
Using Ebay as a price guide.(It's a flea market,not ebay..I don't want to pay ebay prices)Sell it on Ebay then.
Selling me Junk that they swear works.
Vendors didn't make enough money for the day so they triple the usual price to me on games only to look at me wrong when I don't buy.

But the most thing that Frustrates me..Is the Scavengers.(I have three known at my local flea)
Scavenger vendors that hit up other vendors before the flea market opens and resell the stuff for Way!! more then what they got it for..I respect them making money this way but when the price is outrageous it's just not right..It kills the find-hunt,It kills the thing of being a flea market...It's like,Ha Ha,I have a way to beat you..
I go to the flea market to find something good cheap,not pay out of my arse for it..
I do laugh when this plan of theirs backfires..Many vendors I know do tell me what they've sold(in games) to other vendors and for how much..then I see the outrageous price the buying vendor has put on the item and I don't bite as it sits all day at the table unsold.
Some vendors hate selling to other vendors early as it lessens and better priced sale later..but they do it out of friendship..(It's where I got the word Scavenger)


Just today this vendor couple who saran wraps everything was scavenging the isles boxes when I got there..The male vendor was running ahead of me rifling through the boxes,looking back at me-as he knows what I'm looking for.
He grabs a PS controller and a Genny controller,ripping them out of a box at $1.00 each..He looks at me(with eyes big-like I was a killer) and runs back to his table dragging the wires for the controllers..He looked like a kid stealing candy.
He actually felt that he beat me to something..I bet he told his wife,Ha I beat that guy...(let me put these on the table for $5.00 each in saran wrap.
Wonder why I don't buy anything for him with his $65.00 untested NES & SNES systems saran wrapped..


What I do like about the Flea Market is the vendors(friends) that are very fair on prices..the ones that are giving and would rather give you something free instead of throw it out..My friend vendor gave me two old gaming type magazines and it made my day..



Frustrations of a game Seller..
I usually charge between 5 and 7 dollars to ship a NES cart.I put them in a box,not an envelope plus it's for Priority Mail(2-3 day) with Delivery Confirmation.
If the game sells for $1.00 and the shipping cost me more then the listed shipping price of $5 to 7.. I loose/I make nothing.(plus the stupid paypal fees-ebay etc).This happens to me too much so to be safe I have to go with the $7.00 ship to atleast be safe.USPS shipping prices went up..
Now I've opted to ship NES games $3.50USPS Parcel Post MAIL..because,people don't like the $7.00 Priority Mail(2-3 day) with Delivery Confirmationriority Mail with Delivery Confirmation so they have to wait for their item to come in the mail now which is 7 to 10 days...
It costs me $21.00 to ship a NES System Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation(packed well) to California and I don't charge that,I charge between $12.00 and $16.00 /via Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation..Shame is the NES systems that I list for $12.00 shipping usually get won by Californians..(I get ripped on the shipping cost)
..It cost me $21.00 in shipping....$23.00 total with insurance to ship a NES to Hawaii today...I only had $16.00 listed as the shipping price though..

[-hellvin-]

Do not shop thrifts on the weekends. You're never going to find anything on the two busiest days of the week. Weekdays are the best, not as many other shoppers to compete with.

Do check the stores on the weekends, it can defenitely be worth it, like the ntf2 test cart I grabbed this saturday afternoon ;D.

The only time I wouldn't highly recommend going is when goodwill does their half off days on saturdays. I can't remember the condition, but it's a certain saturday every month. Those days are Pandemonium. On the flip side to that, I'm sure they stock up rather well for that day so being there at opening may be worth your while, although prepare to battle a crowd, as they open early on those days and are busy NON STOP.

[NCN]

Frustrations of a game hunter....
Flea Market
Vendors saying they can get so,so much on Ebay.
Using Ebay as a price guide.(It's a flea market,not ebay..I don't want to pay ebay prices)Sell it on Ebay then.
Selling me Junk that they swear works.
Vendors didn't make enough money for the day so they triple the usual price to me on games only to look at me wrong when I don't buy.

But the most thing that Frustrates me..Is the Scavengers.(I have three known at my local flea)
Scavenger vendors that hit up other vendors before the flea market opens and resell the stuff for Way!! more then what they got it for..I respect them making money this way but when the price is outrageous it's just not right..It kills the find-hunt,It kills the thing of being a flea market...It's like,Ha Ha,I have a way to beat you..
I go to the flea market to find something good cheap,not pay out of my arse for it..
I do laugh when this plan of theirs backfires..Many vendors I know do tell me what they've sold(in games) to other vendors and for how much..then I see the outrageous price the buying vendor has put on the item and I don't bite as it sits all day at the table unsold.
Some vendors hate selling to other vendors early as it lessens and better priced sale later..but they do it out of friendship..(It's where I got the word Scavenger)


Just today this vendor couple who saran wraps everything was scavenging the isles boxes when I got there..The male vendor was running ahead of me rifling through the boxes,looking back at me-as he knows what I'm looking for.
He grabs a PS controller and a Genny controller,ripping them out of a box at $1.00 each..He looks at me(with eyes big-like I was a killer) and runs back to his table dragging the wires for the controllers..He looked like a kid stealing candy.
He actually felt that he beat me to something..I bet he told his wife,Ha I beat that guy...(let me put these on the table for $5.00 each in saran wrap.
Wonder why I don't buy anything for him with his $65.00 untested NES & SNES systems saran wrapped..


What I do like about the Flea Market is the vendors(friends) that are very fair on prices..the ones that are giving and would rather give you something free instead of throw it out..My friend vendor gave me two old gaming type magazines and it made my day..



Frustrations of a game Seller..
I usually charge between 5 and 7 dollars to ship a NES cart.I put them in a box,not an envelope plus it's for Priority Mail(2-3 day) with Delivery Confirmation.
If the game sells for $1.00 and the shipping cost me more then the listed shipping price of $5 to 7.. I loose/I make nothing.(plus the stupid paypal fees-ebay etc).This happens to me too much so to be safe I have to go with the $7.00 ship to atleast be safe.USPS shipping prices went up..
Now I've opted to ship NES games $3.50USPS Parcel Post MAIL..because,people don't like the $7.00 Priority Mail(2-3 day) with Delivery Confirmationriority Mail with Delivery Confirmation so they have to wait for their item to come in the mail now which is 7 to 10 days...
It costs me $21.00 to ship a NES System Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation(packed well) to California and I don't charge that,I charge between $12.00 and $16.00 /via Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation..Shame is the NES systems that I list for $12.00 shipping usually get won by Californians..(I get ripped on the shipping cost)
..It cost me $21.00 in shipping....$23.00 total with insurance to ship a NES to Hawaii today...I only had $16.00 listed as the shipping price though..

I'm not sure what this post has to do with the thread at all. I created this thread in hopes of insight as to what I can do to go about collecting and being successful at finding games. While I understand your own frustrations, we're off topic.

As for your small rant about shipping, I stand by what I said. I have bought a few cart only games on ebay over a span of time (none of which I still have). I got sick of paying $6-$7.50 shipping per cart and having a bubble mailer arrive with a price of $2.50-$3.00 actual cost. That's all I was saying. If it's shipped priority with DC, so be it. I will gladly pay the higher price for that service. However, I refuse to do so for parcel post with nothing else.

[NCN]

I went to the nearest thrift store to my house today as it is the only one I know of that is open on Sunday. The usual scene followed:

I checked through the toys and electronics sections to no reward.
I went through the CD racks for trade fodder in vain.
As a last ditch effort I checked a Rubbermaid tub of "Father's Day" VHS/Cassette tapes and the like. I FINALLY found three games. I want to send a big thanks to those of you who offered advice and suggestions. I made a contact at the thrift store that has said he will call me whenever game items come in. Whether or not it happens will be seen. Anyhow, thanks again to everyone.

[8Ways2Tuesday]

For me... it's just keeping my eyes open! When I went out to lunch with my mother a few weeks ago, I saw an ad on the placemat for a new junk store about a mile from where we were eating. Among the things listed on it were 'games and systems'. You better believe we went straight there. I picked up three decent games (2 Genny, 1 NES) and an off-brand Saturn controller (finally, something to play that thing with, I was about to try to build my own) for $17 and I know they have a pile of old games and systems just waiting for me to come back. ^_^

I'm just starting to check out things like Craigslist, which isn't technically 'the wild', but at least there isn't any shipping involved.

[Videogamerdaryll]

PM..

Good Luck With Your Game Collecting..

[Gentlegamer]

I got sick of paying $6-$7.50 shipping per cart and having a bubble mailer arrive with a price of $2.50-$3.00 actual cost. That's all I was saying. If it's shipped priority with DC, so be it. I will gladly pay the higher price for that service. However, I refuse to do so for parcel post with nothing else.Was the total price acceptable? Most sellers charge "more" for shipping to protect their profits. The higher the auction price, the higher the listing fee they have to pay to ebay, so they use the shipping price to get around it a bit.

At first I had the same view you did when receiving packages with far less postage than I paid for, but I soon came to realize that if the total price was acceptable it's nothing to be upset about.

[NCN]

Daryll, thanks for the well wishings. Good luck to you, and here's to a future trade!

[NCN]

Was the total price acceptable? Most sellers charge "more" for shipping to protect their profits. The higher the auction price, the higher the listing fee they have to pay to ebay, so they use the shipping price to get around it a bit.

At first I had the same view you did when receiving packages with far less postage than I paid for, but I soon came to realize that if the total price was acceptable it's nothing to be upset about.

That actually makes sense. I never really looked at it that way, but I can understand that point. Thanks for explaining it!

[mailman187666]

I wouldn't always pass up on the people who have thier prices high. There is this one lady who is really nice but her prices are outrageous. I always go look through here and there for the hell of it and go say hi. She has Atari 2600 game all between 8-15 per game. Pac-man is $12. But in those lots of atari games she had was a Swordquest: Waterworld for $15. Always make random stops at the expensive places.

[Steve W]

You know, what always kills me is when I find some outrageously priced bundle in a thrift, and then find it sold the next week I visit. For example, a local thrift had an Atari 7800 with around 15 common 2600 and 7800 games scotch-taped to it, along with a couple oddball 2600 compatible controllers, and 7 - yes, seven - totally random power supplies taped to it too. Luckily, one was the original 7800 wall wart, but the rest wer for Hewlett-Packard printers, cell phones, and so on. They had it priced at $79.98. When I stopped back there a week later, it was gone. I hope that eBay speculating jerk who bought it was happy with himself.

[SaturnFan]

I'm pretty sure this is the proper place for this post. If not, I apologize.

That said, I am starting to get hopelessly frustrated with trying to find games in the wild. I have found one game in the last year (a Zelda game on CD-i). Other than that, the only find was two loose 2600 carts beat to hell (which I passed on). I've tried several thrift stores, flea markets, out of the way shops all to no avail.

I refuse to pay the obscene shipping prices on eBay, flat out. If it is for a game lot then I can understand, but $7 for one cart is ridiculous. What else can I possibly do to get remotely reasonable deals on games? Any thoughts?

EDIT: I guess it would help if I mentioned that I am collecting NES titles.

You refuse to pay shipping prices, but you'll drive all around burning up gas trying to find old games in the wild. That makes a lot of sense.

I don't even try to find classic games in the wild. There will be a slim chance i'll find somthing and if I do it will cost some insain amount of money. Ebay is the only way to go for me, plain and simple.

[NCN]

You refuse to pay shipping prices, but you'll drive all around burning up gas trying to find old games in the wild. That makes a lot of sense.

I don't even try to find classic games in the wild. There will be a slim chance i'll find somthing and if I do it will cost some insain amount of money. Ebay is the only way to go for me, plain and simple.

I can get to two thrifts and back home on less than that $7 shipping and have the items in front of me to inspect before purchasing. On top of that, I don't have to wait for the items so yes, it does make sense to me. As for the pricing, I managed to get three games yesterday for $4.44 tax included. A complete Genesis game, two NES games and two NES clear cases. I guess I am lucky with pricing in the wild.

I am glad ebay works for you, and I mean you no offense. Sometimes I don't mind using ebay myself, but I just prefer to do my searching offline.

[Rugal]

Don't give up hope, man!

I haven't been to a flea market in forever. I hit a really shitty one in Georgia and I find a box full of NES games (over 40, some rare), a NES, controllers, and 2 zappers plus about 10 decent (no sports) Genny games and a small PS2 (no cords) for $110.

I also get 2 Gennys, a Sega CD, some odd games, and a SNES for another $30.

Of course, the NES is a blinker, the SNES won't work (odd) and I haven't tried out the Gennys or Sega CD yet but overall it was still a decent haul... all from the wild.

But things ARE getting scarcer, I agree!

Which Flea is this that you speak of?

[PSXferrari]

You refuse to pay shipping prices, but you'll drive all around burning up gas trying to find old games in the wild. That makes a lot of sense.

I don't even try to find classic games in the wild. There will be a slim chance i'll find somthing and if I do it will cost some insain amount of money. Ebay is the only way to go for me, plain and simple.


I'm primarily an eBayer as well. Being mostly a collector of the more obscure 90s systems (Saturn, 3DO, Jag, etc) it's just not realistic to search at flea markets and thrift shops. However, I understand where NCN is coming from, especially since he's searching for NES games which are far more common. Plus, the huge benefit of "the wild" is those rare finds that you get for dirt cheap because the seller has no clue how much their actually worth. On eBay, you'll definitely find your item but you'll also pay at or above market value for it. Sure, thrift shops aren't the premiere game hunting ground, but ask any collector where their best find ever was and they certainly won't say eBay.

[PSXferrari]

Small Rant..You have no damn clue what your talking about.I've been doing this WAY!! to long for you to say that crap to me..You don't even know if your posting in the right spot..Stupid ass...
Do you actually sell anything on ebay to be in the sellers position..It's not my duty to lose money because you want it shipped cheap to you..(ask questions to the seller first..
..You didn't mention in your original post about getting fucked by paying $6,7.50 per cart and having a bubble mailer arrive with a price of $2.50-$3.00 actual cost..
That's for you to take up with the seller.
Communicate with them ask questions before bidding..
....ask for a refund on the shipping,neg or neutral them..leave feedback for it the shipping in the new feedback layout..
I still stand by what I say about shipping and was following up on you small-lackluster rant..leaving out what really frustrated you..include what you really are getting at nextime..

If you can't find stuff in the wild and hate paying ebay prices maybe you should stop collecting games..I don't come here and cry what to do,I can't find games in the wild anymore..rescue me..
FN babies out there always looking for a helping hand,some sort of free info..


Very nice. I'm sure that mature handling of the situation really got your point across.

[NCN]

PSXFerrari hit the nail on the head in regards to the point of NES carts in the wild. I know they are among the most common carts you'll come across offline, which is another reason I enjoy hunting thrifts and the like. There's always the hope of hitting a rarity for a cheap price (see Helvin's post in the Finds thread this month), but I'm excited to find carts for my collection no matter how common.

All in all, I will always remain an "in the wild" collector. I love a challenge and the rewards of a hunt are always sweeter than hitting a Buy it Now in my house (NO offense to the ebay crowd!)

EDIT: I wanted to take a quick minute to thank everyone once again. The thread passed 1,000 views today. Thanks to all of you for taking an interest and speaking up.

[gepeto]

I am having a hard time understanding your issue. Here is why. Unless you looking for the nintendo gold wc cart the ebay hype died years ago on classic games.

All the collectors that have wanted to relive there own childhood picked up in the early to mid 2000. Thats when most vintage games cost people money. Ex; I bought a boxed intellivision with 41 boxed games for 216.00 bidding and sniping was fierce. Now If I listed that same auction i would be lucky to get 50 bucks.

All classic games are dirt cheap on ebay. I see lots of 15+nes games with 15.00 buy it now and 7.00 shipped. Decent titles. Collecting isn't for the cheap some would say seven to ship no way. but look at it this way If you have to drive around to get a game it would cost you more in time and gas. Also I think with the drop in worth people have to make some money for finding the game cleaning it up creating an auction for people to sell.

Nes genesis colecovision intellivision etc can be found most anywhere for dam near foodstamps:) If you don't like ebay make a list of what you want what you are willing to pay and post it in the buy and sell. I believe there is nothing better some people would like to do than to clean up an overstocked garage.

As for things in the wild rare items you never know. EX one day I am visiting my mom in law and there is a yard sale 2 houses down. I pussyfoot until about 3:00 then I stop buy and see he has a box of genesis games. he says give 10.00 for the box I debate thinking don't you have enough genesis games. It looked to be about 7-10 in the box. i decide to take it I threw it in the trunk and thought nothing else about it. I get home I go through the box and low and behold a cdx system was at the bottom in mint condition. I had been trying for years to get one and I never thought I would pull it for 10.00. You just never know. They never come like that often but they do come.

So good luck narrow down what you want keep looking be a detective and be patience because I find that you can get alot of deals on the cheap and people at DP are more apt to help you build your collection.

[bangtango]

On eBay, you'll definitely find your item but you'll also pay at or above market value for it. Sure, thrift shops aren't the premiere game hunting ground, but ask any collector where their best find ever was and they certainly won't say eBay.

Amen. These two sentences are solid points.

What can I offer for a follow-up?

The beauty of finding stuff in the wild is that you will often end up with stuff you never even thought about getting but are thrilled to have. What do I mean?

Today I walk into Goodwill around 11:20 and leave the store with a Centipede cart for Game Boy (Majesco version) for $3. The game isn't rare but I love Centipede. It may not be the best version in the world but I'm happy. What a fun title that will be to play for 20 minutes when I am waiting for supper some night. So what is my point? Read on.

When was the last time somebody on this forum sat back at night and said "Man, I really need to get a loose cart of Centipede on Game Boy?" How many people have that in their favorite search list or want list on Ebay? How many people get on Ebay at night and look for that first thing? I think all of us reading this thread know the answer to that.

Yet a lot of people here would pick up Centipede for Game Boy at a thrift store or flea market with a $3 price tag. They'd say "Cool" and head off to pay for it after they are done looking at other stuff.

I'd NEVER have looked for the Game Boy version of Centipede on Ebay and I probably wouldn't have bought it from a sale thread here. Not because I think it is a bad game. I just have so many other priorities when it comes to buying stuff online. Yet inside of a thrift store, a game like that becomes an impulse purchase.

[PSXferrari]

Amen. These two sentences are solid points.

What can I offer for a follow-up?

The beauty of finding stuff in the wild is that you will often end up with stuff you never even thought about getting but are thrilled to have. What do I mean?

Today I walk into Goodwill around 11:20 and leave the store with a Centipede cart for Game Boy (Majesco version) for $3. The game isn't rare but I love Centipede. It may not be the best version in the world but I'm happy. What a fun title that will be to play for 20 minutes when I am waiting for supper some night. So what is my point? Read on.

When was the last time somebody on this forum sat back at night and said "Man, I really need to get a loose cart of Centipede on Game Boy?" How many people have that in their favorite search list or want list on Ebay? How many people get on Ebay at night and look for that first thing? I think all of us reading this thread know the answer to that.

Yet a lot of people here would pick up Centipede for Game Boy at a thrift store or flea market with a $3 price tag. They'd say "Cool" and head off to pay for it after they are done looking at other stuff.

I'd NEVER have looked for the Game Boy version of Centipede on Ebay and I probably wouldn't have bought it from a sale thread here. Not because I think it is a bad game. I just have so many other priorities when it comes to buying stuff online. Yet inside of a thrift store, a game like that becomes an impulse purchase.



Right. I think oftentimes that most fun part of being a collector is actually just searching for the games in the wild. Places like eBay and the Buying/Selling forum on DP are excellent places to get the rare titles and round our your collection-- in fact, they're necessities if you want to ever get a truly solid collection going. But the real fun is in digging through boxes at flea markets and scoring some amazing deals. Or getting something that you wouldn't buy otherwise (or HADN'T EVEN HEARD OF otherwise). Like you bangtango, many of the systems and games in my collections are ones I would have never thought to buy if I hadn't seen them cheap at a flea market or thrift shop.

There's just something about just being around classic games in the wild, whether it's just a box at a flea market or a full game store stocked with old games. True collectors would rather be there than sitting at a computer making purchases. If you feel otherwise, than you've taken this far beyond a fun hobby and probably have a problem. And trust me, for the crappy 90s systems that I prefer to collect for (Saturn, 3DO, Jag, etc), oftentimes the hunt is way more fun than actually playing the games!

[Videogamerdaryll]

EDIT: Daryll, if you have something to say to me just PM me. I originally had a rant back here but I decided to delete it in consideration of everyone else. PM me and we'll hash this out, but let's try to do it without the childish namecalling and assumptions.



No problem Man..My apologies..

I deleted my post responce..

Take Care and..Good Luck With Your Game Collecting..

[Steve W]

I never buy anything off eBay. It's all finds in the wild for me, pretty much. Why? The thrill of the hunt. Sure, I come across a lot of copies of Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt in the wild, but occasionally I'll find something like the Myriad 6 in 1, and that makes it all worth it. Like it's been said already in this thread, you never know what you're going to find while hunting that's going to make your day. Hunting is equal in enjoyment as playing the games for me.

[Anthony1]

Let me talk for a second about shipping on Ebay. I sell loose carts on Ebay. For loose SNES carts, I charge $4.95 shipping. Now, the actual shipping cost is less than $4.95. I think it's $1.81, but don't quote me. So why am I charging people $3.14 extra? Well, there are actually alot of various reasons why. Why don't I break it down for you.


Reasons why I charge more than the actual shipping cost:

1. Waiting in line at the post office - This might sound lame, but to me, time is money. In my day Job I get $17 per hour. When I take games to the post office, I'm typically taking about 4 games. The typical wait in line is 20 minutes. So, if we take $17 per hour, and divide that by 3, because I'm waiting 20 minutes, then that is $5.67. Then divide that by 4 games. That equals $1.42. So for me, waiting 20 minutes in line at the post office (or wherever I happen to be shipping it) costs me $1.42. Not in actual cash money, but time.

2. Gas - The cost of Gas is pretty ridiculous nowadays. Unless the post office is right next door to your house, you are spending some amount of money to get to and from the post office, in terms of gas used. To be honest, I've never done any kind of factoring to determine exactly how much it's costing me per game, it's probably only costing me 20 cents per game, if that, but still, every penny adds up.

3. Ebay/Paypal fees - Some people think that "packing" is a great evil, but I think it's a necessary evil. Ebay/Paypal fees are out of control, and if I don't pack a little bit in on the shipping, then I could end up actually losing money if one of my games are purchased for the minimum bid and nothing more. (actually, most of my items that only go for the minimum bid price, I do end up losing money on)

4. I can get away with it - Looking at the prices that alot of people charge for shipping, some people are very ridiculous with their shipping prices. I think $4.95 for a SNES cart is relatively fair. I look at what other people are charging, and they are typically charging the same or more. The ones that are charging less, have quite a bit higher minimum bid prices. So it's all relative.

5. Materials - If I'm shipping out a SNES game, I typically use a small manilla type envelope, bubble wrap, a gang of shipping tape and some staples. I buy the manilla envelopes in bulk, and they end up costing like 3 cents each. Of course the staples don't cost hardly anything. Tape and Bubble wrap does cost a little bit. I'm guessing it costs me about 15 to 20 cents total in terms of materials. I know you can buy bubble mailers for cheaper in bulk, but I'm not a Sams Club member, and the only places I've been to, charge more like 40 cents each for bubble mailers, so if you guys know a good supplier of bubble mailers, (other than Sams Club), let me know.

6. Handling - Every SNES game that I get, I clean externally with soap and water, removing any dirt and crud from the surface of the cart. Then I clean with rubbing alcohol to remove any names written in ink or rental stickers, etc, etc, then sometimes I even have to break out the GooGone. Also, I clean the contacts with q-tips and alcohol. I'm very meticulous about it. Almost to the point of OCD. I try to restore the carts to the best possible condition. Also, when I'm packaging the item, I package extremely carefully, and not haphazardly. I spend a good deal of time with each item. Again, in my day job, I make about 17 bucks per hour. I haven't actually broken down how much time I spend cleaning each game, and preparing for shipping, if I did, I would probably be ashamed of myself. I know I spend way too much time doing it. I honestly don't even want to think about that, lol.



Anywho, as you can see, there are lots of little expenditures that go into the shipping cost. I think my $4.95 shipping price is very justified. Sure, on the packaging, it's going to say $1.81, and the person might think the other $3.14 is nothing but pure profit, but that's actually very far from the truth.

[coreycorey2000]

It costs $8 to mail a SNES game within Canada! That isn't even including the bubble mailer (another $1). I used to charge $5 and lose $4 on every transaction. I now charge $8 and only lose $1-2. NES, ps2 and ps1 games are less to mail but SNES or N64 or double cd games won't fit through the mail slot so they get bumped up to a small parcel. How are Canadians supposeed t ocompete with the cheap US shipping?

[Sosage]

Reasons why I charge more than the actual shipping cost:

I'm ready. Let's hear all about it!


Gas -

True. It is expensive.


Ebay/Paypal fees -

Sounds good.


Materials -

Understandable.


Handling -

Agreed. Especially in your case. I've purchased carts from you before and the games came in super clean. They were practically brand new.


Waiting in line at the post office

Bwahpftwhat? I've heard this one before, but typically from people trying to make a long shot excuse about charging outrageous shipping prices. Everyone's time is valuable, it doesn't mean you should charge your clients for the mundane task of standing in line (or admit to it).


I can get away with it -

I don't think you want to walk around proclaiming that. It makes you sound like a complete jerk and will definitely turn people off from you. Let alone giving you their money. You have 4 other good reasons...wth with these last two?