Should I feel bad for stealing a little kid's video games?

[PSXferrari]

EDIT: C'mon people!!!!! Where are all the good stories? I know every serious collector must have made at least one trade/sale/purchase in their life that they felt even the slightest bit bad about! No one's gonna hate you, so tell the fricken story! I know at least one of you out there probably beats up young children and steals their Game Boys right out of their hands-- so let's hear about it!



ORIGINAL POST:

Yes, I almost made a little kid cry today... here's what happened. I recently saw a Virtual Boy in my local paper for $25. Of course, I was interested and called the guy up. (I already own a VB, but it's the type of fragile system that's really nice to get a cheap backup for). He didn't put up a fight at all when I suggested $15 for it, so I was definitely sold on it.

While I was there to pick it up I asked if he had any other gaming stuff. He said he had "Sega games that came on CDs". Of course, he didn't remember which Sega system that was. So after digging for 10 minutes in a box of old computer games, he pulled out Sonic CD and a few other games. When he pulled them out his kids started crying out "No daddy, you can't sell those! We love that Sonic game!" These were like 3 little kids probably aged like 5 to 12. Anyways, he told me he'd dig through some more boxes to find the Sega CD system; and I told him to call me once he did and I'd be willing to offer him another $15 for it. As I left I heard the kids begging him not to sell it and him explaining to them that he needed money right now (to pile onto the feeling guilty, since I had dropped the initial price $10, even though $25 was fair enough). Now I'd consider these pretty good deals, considering that's what they would cost just for shipping alone on eBay. And hey, I'm not gonna turn them down over a little guilt.

But I'm sure some of you out there must have scored some much bigger deals from unsuspecting people. Anyone ever found an amazing deal but felt a little bad about it afterwards? Maybe some little old lady selling off her son's old Sega Saturn system and RPG collection for $50 (even worse if you're the one who told her it was only worth that much).
Or like me, bought a system from a parent while the kids were about to break down crying because you were taking their games away? This buying experience today got me thinking about this and I'm sure there's some much better stories out there than mine. So, yes, everyone on the boards will thing you're a complete scumbag afterwards, but we'll be completely jealous too.

[Magnum]

damn that's heartbreaking

I bought Web of Fire a few weeks ago for seven bucks at an indie game store, where I am pretty familiar with the owner. I thought that was a little shameful on my part.

The worst part was that he had given me free stuff in the past for being a good customer.

[Nimrodil]

Don´t want to moralize, but since you ask for our views I must say I personally would never have bough those games. I would have think of those Sonic loving kids with feeling of guilt every time I look at the games. But I guess the dad (maybe) had sold them to someone else if you had´t bought them so in my opinion he is the real ass here. Children can be very attached with particular games as well as other items...

Edit; on the other side I guess the dad really needed the money (maybe to buy food to same kids), so it is a difficult question...

[-hellvin-]

Nah, I'd never feel sorry. You shoulda told the kids to quit crying, jump on the internet, and get the emulated versions.

[PSXferrari]

Don´t want to moralize, but since you ask for our views I must say I personally would never have bough those games. I would have think of those Sonic loving kids with feeling of guilt every time I look at the games. But I guess the dad (maybe) had sold them to someone else if you had´t bought them so in my opinion he is the real ass here. Children can be very attached with particular games as well as other items...

Edit; on the other side I guess the dad really needed the money (maybe to buy food to same kids), so it is a difficult question...


Well, I haven't bought the Sega CD yet (they didn't seem to miss the Virtual Boy quite as much). He said he'd contact me about it once he looked for it. But, hey, if it's been sitting in a box somewhere than how much could they miss it? Kids cry if you take any of their toys. I definitely understand what your saying though; hence why I started the topic.

Personally I think the proper way to handle this is probably to fight for it. Champion gets the Sega CD. The 5 year old looked pretty scrawny so I think I could take him. The dad probably wouldn't go for it, but if I throw in an extra $5 who knows.

[smork]

I don't think there's anything wrong with buying stuff from someone in that situation. OTOH, I don't think I could do it, but I am a total sap.

I did talk some lady into not trading in her SNES + games at a Gamestop once. I was browsing at the counter when she asked how much she could get. They told her some ridiculously low price, I interrupted and suggested she should try to get more on Craig's List or similar, as what she had was worth more. The guys behind the counter paused, and said "Yeah, he's right, but don't tell anyone we said so."

[PSXferrari]

I don't think there's anything wrong with buying stuff from someone in that situation. OTOH, I don't think I could do it, but I am a total sap.

I did talk some lady into not trading in her SNES + games at a Gamestop once. I was browsing at the counter when she asked how much she could get. They told her some ridiculously low price, I interrupted and suggested she should try to get more on Craig's List or similar, as what she had was worth more. The guys behind the counter paused, and said "Yeah, he's right, but don't tell anyone we said so."


Sounds about right. No matter what stories any of us tell in this topic, GameStop will always have us beat.

[JerseyDevil65]

They will forget all about the games when they are gone. Thats the way kids are.

[Nebagram]

The DP online guide is here for a reason. If they don't know how to, or worse yet, can't be bothered to, find out how much their games are really worth, then tough. :)

[tom]

Middle 90s my local indie game store used to rip-off kids by giving them GBP 1.99 ($3.00) for a Game Boy title, and he sold them on for GBP 6.99 ($12.00). Kids don't care as they originally didn't pay for the game anyway (GBP29.99), they were just glad to see some bucks to buy their next candies.

[gepeto]

When I was younger I probably would have done it and felt bad but now I try to watch how my actions effect others especially kids. believe it or not I probably would have gave hime some money and told the kids to keep the games and systems. The crazy part is dad probabaly would have sold them when I left but that would be on him.

I probably wouldn't have risked scarring the kids for life and being known as the creepy man that took sonic and placing my reservation in HELLLLL HA HA HA.

What!!! snatcher was in there complete. Here kids here's a few dollars go get some ice cream.

[jajaja]

Well.. its up to the father (if he was the father) if he wants to sell the game(s) or not. If he say yes you're not stealing anything. It might also be his games, but the kids were allowed to play it, its not sure that the games were given to the kids as a presents. I dont know what i would do in the situation, but you shouldnt feel bad about it, leave that part to the father :)

[Flack]

I have been in similar situations before and I can tell you I probably would have still bought the item but I would have kicked in some extra cash instead of talking down someone who is obviously in a desperate situation. A few years ago I bought a computer off of Craigslist for a ridiculously low price (3ghz PC for $100, like 2 years ago). When I met the guy I found out he had been kicked out of school and was selling what few things he had so that he could have enough cash to drive across country and get home. I kicked him a few extra bucks.

If the kids have some other gaming system then I would probably offer them cash plus a game or two for their current system. If they don't have a system then I would probably dig out an old Genesis or something and a couple common carts and offer it to them. You never know, a simple act of kindness could end up changing someone's life. Instead of having three heartbroken kids who hate their dad, you could be inspiring the next generation of classic game collectors!

[YoshiM]

If he was digging in a box to get a game out that says to me the kids don't play it, same thing if he has to "find" the Sega CD system. That's the kids' knee-jerk nostalgia talking. It'll click once the stuffs gone or Dad tells them that "they haven't played it for X amount of time".

I had a kid that was the opposite-he practically was giving stuff away. The boy was selling his Dreamcast and a couple of games. The system was going for $10 with controller and power cable. I was inspecting the unit, debating if I should get another DC. As I was setting it down the kid barks out "I'll sell it for $5!" His mom looked at him with saucer eyes and asked "Are you sure?" The kid thinks a moment, sees I'm not really giving out any vibes of intent of purchase and says "Uh, yeah!"

So I flip open my wallet, give him the five and pack up my prize. His mom just shook her head. I told the kid he should let a person make an OFFER before lowering the price. The kid looked shocked. "I can do that?!" "Yeah, it's called haggling. So I bet you'll remember that next time, right?" He looked like he got kicked in the pants but he was a good sport with his sales error.

[Griking]

Personally I wouldn't have bought it. It wouldn't have been worth it for me for a lousy Sega and Sonic CD. If it was a rare game then maybe I would have had to make a tough decision but a console and a few common games for $15 isn't worth the guilt trip for me

[Cornelius]

It is funny how at garage sales the kids are always playing with the toys that are out for sale. I'm sure they are toys they haven't touched in at least 6 mo (unless they are pretty young, but then a month makes a bigger difference). It is just human nature to want what someone else wants. Heck, I'm always checking other peoples baskets/bags at sales to see what great treasures I've missed out on. I *want* what is in their bag without even knowing what it is...

Same thing here, I'm guessing. I will say that at garage sales if I'm getting a great deal (silent hill for $3 the other day) I won't haggle. Just doesn't seem right to me.

[Pantechnicon]

You didn't steal anything from these kids because a) you paid for the games and b) the games were never theirs in the first place. The games were the property of their father, not them. It was a fair transaction.

The Pantechnicasa goes through this every year during garage sale season. Mrs. Pan and I systematically go through the whole house clearing out the detritus. Some toy from that's been outside half-buried in the mud for three months will make its way into the "sell" pile only to invariably have one of the kids - usually my youngest - start loudly professing her deep sentimental lifelong attachment to it :roll:. Kids simply don't like giving things away. Heck, in your case, if the dad couldn't even remember what a Sega CD was supposed to be then I have the feeling it's been a long time since anybody's played it.

And if the Dad is that hard up for money that he's selling off old game systems...well...you can't eat games, right?

Now that I think about it, my parents pulled the same thing on me when I was 18; selling my Atari 2600 at a garage sale when I was 18 and away at boot camp. This was the impetus that made me into the collector I am today. Who knows, perhaps this event will spurn those kids into the collecting hobby? In five to seven years those kids will grow into teens and beat you out one day to a stack of the cheap rarez at a local thrift shop (see...because you'll be too old and slow), and the karmic flow of the universe will have smoothed itself out.

[heybtbm]

You didn't steal anything from these kids because a) you paid for the games and b) the games were never theirs in the first place. The games were the property of their father, not them. It was a fair transaction.

That is exactly what I came here to say. You should have no reason to feel guilty.

[koster]

Sounds like this story would be appropriate for the 'LORE' forum.

Who knows, maybe 10 or 15 years down the line, there will be a 'LORE' forum posting (for the 12th or 13th edition of the DP Collector's Guide :)) telling the same story from the other side...

[MachineGex]

I have been in similar situations before and I can tell you I probably would have still bought the item but I would have kicked in some extra cash instead of talking down someone who is obviously in a desperate situation. A few years ago I bought a computer off of Craigslist for a ridiculously low price (3ghz PC for $100, like 2 years ago). When I met the guy I found out he had been kicked out of school and was selling what few things he had so that he could have enough cash to drive across country and get home. I kicked him a few extra bucks.

If the kids have some other gaming system then I would probably offer them cash plus a game or two for their current system. If they don't have a system then I would probably dig out an old Genesis or something and a couple common carts and offer it to them. You never know, a simple act of kindness could end up changing someone's life. Instead of having three heartbroken kids who hate their dad, you could be inspiring the next generation of classic game collectors!

Thank God there are a few good people around. I ALWAYS believe that kind of stuff comes back on you. Plus I agree when you say you shouldn't take advantage of someone in that situation. If it is a good deal and you have the money, don't talk them down just because you can. It says something about a person who handles this situation with some class(for lack of a better word). What gamer doesn't have an old GameBoy, Genny, NES or whatever laying around that they could part with? Give it to the kids, they sound like they don't have much.

[PsychedelicShaman]

The ideal situation would be giving him $15 and telling him to keep the games for his kids. My mom has done a similar thing in the past with a guitar at a garage sale. Not saying that this is the action I would have taken, but I don't think I could have taken the games.

[Slate]

I don't think there's anything wrong with buying stuff from someone in that situation. OTOH, I don't think I could do it, but I am a total sap.

I did talk some lady into not trading in her SNES + games at a Gamestop once. I was browsing at the counter when she asked how much she could get. They told her some ridiculously low price, I interrupted and suggested she should try to get more on Craig's List or similar, as what she had was worth more. The guys behind the counter paused, and said "Yeah, he's right, but don't tell anyone we said so."

I have a similar story. I saw someone trying to trade in their SNES at EB, But they didn't take them in anymore, So I bought it from her. Her kids were with her, They wanted $20 for the lot and I said $15, They said sure, Take it. I would have paid $20 if they said no. I don't feel bad about it.

Back OT, If I heard hi's kids over the phone saying that they wanted to keep Sonic CD, I wouldn't have bought it, But I already have a copy. But as someone else pointed out, He may have sold it to someone else.

[calthaer]

Thank God there are a few good people around. I ALWAYS believe that kind of stuff comes back on you. Plus I agree when you say you shouldn't take advantage of someone in that situation. If it is a good deal and you have the money, don't talk them down just because you can.

I don't believe in "karma," or that things "come back on you" - but I would agree that doing the right thing is...well, right. Since I have the money and they don't, I would follow Flack's suggestion.

[exit]

It could've also been a sympathy act, seriously 15 minutes to find the kids precious Sega CD and games? Sounds more like he was setting them up for the act and hoped you'd kick out more bread for the crying children.

Take pictures of you playing the games and send them to the kids, that'll show just how un-phased you were by their act. Either that, or mentally scar them for life as the man that stole their childhood.

[PentiumMMX]

I'd go with it, because I'm just heartless like that.

[PSXferrari]

Hey guys, thanks for all the replies. Yes, I'm heartless, but I have to admit that I don't feel that bad about it. I just wanted to check with you guys to see if I SHOULD feel bad. More importantly, I wanted to hear some good stories of people having to pry video games out of the hands of crying children after just purchasing them for $5 at a yard sale!! Now where are all these stories??? C'mon guys!

First, to clear it up for the speed-readers and semi-illiterate out there, I HAVE NOT bought the Sega CD yet. He's going to get back to me on it. The kids didn't care about the Virtual Boy leaving; they were crying for him not to sell the Sega CD (which, again, has not happened yet). My question is how the hell do these kids expect to play it? Last I checked, a Sega CD does not magically play games on its own, and the dad made no mention of owning a Genesis. Only a "Sega system that plays CDs".

As for why I offered him such a low price.... I had only talked to him over email. How was I supposed to know he was having money problems? I drove a half hour for it and only brought the $15-- so it was too late once I got there (not to mention that the "need the money" line didn't come until I had already walked out the door). It's just my normal tendency to haggle for the lowest price possible with local sellers (collectors are a whole different bird because they know the true values). This is especially true because all my duplicate items end up on eBay and I'd like to make money rather than lose money by doing that.

Finally, I'm all in support of Flack's generosity, but it's not happening with me. I'm not rich and with a huge amount of money to give away for no reason. If I'm donating any money to anyone it's certainly going to be my own struggling family before some stranger. And I also don't have spare gaming systems lying around-- but if I did I would give it to the young kids in my own family. Rather see them at the flea market in the future beating me to great deals, rather than some strangers (who won't be kids anymore).

Plus, how would the guy feel if I told him to keep the $15 and the system? I'd be like me saying, "Jeez, you must be soooo poor. Here, you take this money for free and keep the games for the kids." Now a woman might appreciate the generosity, but that's a huge way to injure a man's pride. That's not sexist towards woman; that's just a true statement of the male psyche. I think he'll keep his pride of being the provider for his family before stooping to taking hands-out in front of his children. Not to mention, their apartment pretty dang nice-- it wasn't the ghetto or anything. So I'm sure the "need the money" line was more to get the kids to shut up, rather than being the full truth. Nonetheless, I'm sure the kids cried afterwards... their childhood forever ruined.


Also as a side note, I bought a huge lot of games and systems today from a guy for $60 (Atari 2600, 7800, and Master System). All systems were boxed with many many games, some rare. He told me he had looked them up on eBay beforehand, which explains the cringe he made when I offered him $50. We finally compromised at $60 but I was on the better side of the deal. Now this guy was obviously much more well off; he was in a suit after just getting down with a business meeting. Is this a different situation because he had money and children weren't involved, or is it always immoral to purchase stuff cheap from people when they don't know any better?

[PSXferrari]

Damn that's long! Enjoy the essay guys! :popcorn:

[Sparkster]

I feel worse for the family that $15 is enough to get you by.

I once got an SNES and 20 games for $15, and the kid was super happy about it. I'd bet you anything that if the guy had consulted his kids first, they would have said that it was ok.

[Pantechnicon]

...is it always immoral to purchase stuff cheap from people when they don't know any better?

No, no, a thousand times, no.

It is not always immoral, probably not even in the majority of situations. Indeed, it's the possibility of getting a good score that keeps most of us diligently working at this hobby, and between Ebay, the ghouls who run the flea markets and the loudmouth collectors who wave their good finds around in the Salvation Army going, "Do you have any idea how valuable this is?!", cheap prices on rarities are becoming increasingly rare themselves.

There could be any number of reasons why a seller is off-loading the stuff for a good price. Maybe they have developed a moral objection to gaming. Maybe they don't feel like going through the hassle of piecing out a box of old carts - rares from commons - and would prefer to have it just gone en masse for the sake of convenience. Maybe they're simply not as obsessed with all of this as we are, and maybe - just maybe - they simply don't know the relative rarity of their items. It really doesn't matter. It's for you to haggle a good price, or to simply take the one they're offering if it's insanely low.

About the only time I would have a moral objection to getting something cheaply from somebody is if I knew for certain that he/she was in some sort of desperate financial straits, and the only reason he was selling things off because he needed the quick cash. I really don't think I could take the guy's Bally Astrocade with 10 games for $10. Rather I would point out that he could probably make a lot more off of that going through Ebay or what have you. I'd probably even help him do that.

Barring a situation like that, in general I don't think one has the obligation to play the role of "Antique Roadshow Expert" to every single person they see trying to sell something game-related.

[TurboGenesis]

Kind of mean to take a childs favorite game (I am biased since my daughter LOVES Sonic - then I'd never sell my games or her's for that matter).

Getting games cheap from unknowing sellers...thats cool. I've gotten free stuff from unsuspecting people including consoles (Bandai Pippin) and games (most recent Sonic Gems GCN) - and on another note - I do beleive in karma - that what goes around comes around - I paid mad dollars for games before ($200 Recca, $100 Radiant Silvergun) and in return I sometimes score freebies!

All in all get it as cheap as you can - no shame in the game ^_~

[OdSquad64]

nah, don't feel bad about buying that stuff, when I was little my dad gave and thew away tons of my stuff. he thew out my air hockey table that was in perfect working condition, he made me thow away an Asteroids cab (admittedly broken, but fixable), and he gave away a pinball machine that i had saved up to buy (he gave it to orphans though, so it doesn't bother me as much). He's wants to throw away the phoosball table (nothing's wrong with it either), but luckily i'ts a really old heavy duty one from a bar so he can't move it.

So yeah, don't feel bad about buying that stuff because for one, it's probably his stuff from years past, not his kid's stuff and B, because at least he's not an asshole randomly throwing away shit in perfect working order

[greedostick]

Dad probebly just needed a few extra dollars to score a bag if he wants quick cash. If I was a little kid again and my parents did something like that with my video games I would still remember since I am a collector. But if it was a toy or something them I would have forgot. Worst case scenerio, kids don't play sonic, maybe go outside instead and get some exercise. Maybe you will save them a life of obesity. That's what I would tell myself.

[Penguin]

Ive had a similar experience, although there were no kids involved, I felt bad because the vendor at the flea market had no idea what she had and that they were worth so much. I got a copy of Flintstones Surprise at Dinosaur Peak (the very rare taito game) for the NES for $15, she had obviously mis-marked it for the price she was charging for Dino and Hoppy, granted this game is so rare I diddn't want to end up paying $100 to her for it. I also picked up 3 factory sealed copies of Battletoads Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team for NES intact with hang tab and all for $35 a piece, kept one for myself and sold the other two on ebay for over $100 each. Quite nice profit and finds on my part but I felt a little bad for her, than again she charges crazy prices on a lot of her games that arn't worth that much so in a way I don't feel bad ;-)

[PSXferrari]

Ive had a similar experience, although there were no kids involved, I felt bad because the vendor at the flea market had no idea what she had and that they were worth so much. I got a copy of Flintstones Surprise at Dinosaur Peak (the very rare taito game) for the NES for $15, she had obviously mis-marked it for the price she was charging for Dino and Hoppy, granted this game is so rare I diddn't want to end up paying $100 to her for it. I also picked up 3 factory sealed copies of Battletoads Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team for NES intact with hang tab and all for $35 a piece, kept one for myself and sold the other two on ebay for over $100 each. Quite nice profit and finds on my part but I felt a little bad for her, than again she charges crazy prices on a lot of her games that arn't worth that much so in a way I don't feel bad ;-)



Thanks Penguin, now that's the kind of stories I wanna hear. Who cares about my stupid story about crying children-- I wanna hear your stories about feeling guilty for a purchase. Someone's gotta have something good!

[bangtango]

My only story to contribute would be a huge Playstation lot that I bought last summer. It was over 20 games, a bunch of controllers (including a set of wireless ones) and extra hookups (maybe they had two systems at one point), a slew of memory cards (mostly Sony ones) and a good condition PS1 system. The games were mostly mint or near mint and all but one or two were complete. Most of them weren't even greatest hits versions. There was nothing rare in the box but two or three of the titles were $8-10 games (based on the online DP guide) and none of them were sports. Quite a few of them were kids games.

This was being sold by a family of four with a couple of kids. The mother of the house works at my bank where I keep a checking account so I knew her ahead of time. They were doing a yard sale one Sunday afternoon and the asking price for this spread was $45. I didn't have the money that day so I asked about getting it tomorrow. The father said the lawn sale was only that day but any unsold items would be taken back inside their house.

I came by the next day with $50 in my wallet and asked about the PS1 lot. The mother told me it did not sell and they still had it. Figuring they were interested in getting rid of it, I made a counter offer of $35 and she took it. Having already known her through my bank, I wanted to make conversation and asked her how the yard sale went. She mentioned it went well and the money was being used for a summer camp the kids were going to. They were raising money to spend a few weeks someplace, I guess. It turns out everything that was being sold was theirs and not the adults. Needless to say, I gave her the extra $10 and it was greatly appreciated.

That package was worth probably $60-65, maybe a little more. Getting bargain basement deals on games at the expense of kids who are actually doing something with their money may make some people proud but it doesn't make me proud. So they got their original asking price and I said to hell with the fact the family reluctantly agreed to $35 and would have let me walk out the door with the box for $35. Where would the extra $10 have went anyway? I mean really.

[Keir]

My question is how the hell do these kids expect to play it? Last I checked, a Sega CD does not magically play games on its own, and the dad made no mention of owning a Genesis. Only a "Sega system that plays CDs".Maybe it's a CDX. Pretty good deal for $15! :)

[greedostick]

Maybe it's a CDX. Pretty good deal for $15! :)

Or a JVC X'eye

[PDorr3]

you know those kid garage sales where they have like 1 table setup with their toys and stuff, I stopped at one to see the kid wa selling 20+ N64 carts (some good titles like all the mario's and such) for $1 each. I snatched all of them up (except one wrestling game, lol) and then sold alot of them on ebay for $10-$25 a pop (and kept ones I needed).

I felt guilty but hey thats the fun in the hunt of being a game collector :)

[Shrooin]

When I was in primary school (yr5 or 6) I had this freind who kinda wasn't allowed to do much. One time I slept over his house and he showed me 2 original gameboys that he had, a black one and a blue one as I recall. He had no other forms of video games and at the time I had an Atari 2600, Super Nintendo with copier and a lot of games, Sega Game Gear and a couple Game & Watch. Not only that but his parents were strict and he wasn't allowed out much, etc. He offered me to give me both his GBs, back then they were pretty new still, and the only game he had - an arcade double game pack (one game was joust). I would of felt too bad to take them both from him but I couldn't turn down taking a blue original GB with that Joust/other game cartridge. I think that was his only game as well.

[Chaz From Phantasy Star 2]

One time at school I stole this kid's GBA along with the twelve games he brought. I didn't have to pay anything.

[Hwj_Chim]

One time at school I stole this kid's GBA along with the twelve games he brought. I didn't have to pay anything.

That Is just dumb and wrong.

[Pantechnicon]

One time at school I stole this kid's GBA along with the twelve games he brought. I didn't have to pay anything.

You had really better be kidding.

And even if you are, it's not funny.

EDIT: I was actually the victim of a burglary last year wherein a good portion of my game collection was stolen (read the thread (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91626) for yourself). I know all too well what it feels like to have one's videogame stuff literally stolen away from you and there is no way I'm going to let you get away with bragging about punk crap like this. You'd better explain yourself here or I am never going to leave you alone about the matter.

[Oobgarm]

One time at school I stole this kid's GBA along with the twelve games he brought. I didn't have to pay anything.

:shameful:

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f281/wjb21ndtown/Funny/douchebag.gif

[bangtango]

One time at school I stole this kid's GBA along with the twelve games he brought. I didn't have to pay anything.

Just curious.........Did you know who the kid was and go out of your way to steal it or did you "find it" laying around and never bother taking it to a lost-and-found box at your school?

[cheaplightning]

If he was digging in a box to get a game out that says to me the kids don't play it, same thing if he has to "find" the Sega CD system. That's the kids' knee-jerk nostalgia talking. It'll click once the stuffs gone or Dad tells them that "they haven't played it for X amount of time".

I had a kid that was the opposite-he practically was giving stuff away. The boy was selling his Dreamcast and a couple of games. The system was going for $10 with controller and power cable. I was inspecting the unit, debating if I should get another DC. As I was setting it down the kid barks out "I'll sell it for $5!" His mom looked at him with saucer eyes and asked "Are you sure?" The kid thinks a moment, sees I'm not really giving out any vibes of intent of purchase and says "Uh, yeah!"

So I flip open my wallet, give him the five and pack up my prize. His mom just shook her head. I told the kid he should let a person make an OFFER before lowering the price. The kid looked shocked. "I can do that?!" "Yeah, it's called haggling. So I bet you'll remember that next time, right?" He looked like he got kicked in the pants but he was a good sport with his sales error.

If daddy has to dig through a box to find the stuff then the kids obviously have not been playing them for a while but I wouldnt try to talk him down in price.

[Chaz From Phantasy Star 2]

You had really better be kidding.

And even if you are, it's not funny.

Yeah I was kidding. In fact, one time this kid at my school got his games stolen and I helped him get them back. I thought it was funny because of how different it was from the actual situation.

[Iron Draggon]

what about just stealing some games from a store? is that cool? I've never stolen any console games before, but I used to steal PC games all the time... and then I sold most of them off on ebay for a nice big profit... it seems that alot of people do this... I think that's where alot of those "new disc in sleeve" and "no box" PC game auctions come from... the games are actually stolen!

[PSXferrari]

Yeah I was kidding. In fact, one time this kid at my school got his games stolen and I helped him get them back. I thought it was funny because of how different it was from the actual situation.


Hey, no need to defend yourself to these people. So you stole some kids Game Boy when you were younger. Everyone's done something they shouldn't when they were younger (and burglarizing a home is in a way different league). So don't lie now and say you were kidding because some people get upset; I certainly don't come to these forums for the sense of humor here because there isn't much of one. So I say either stick by what you said and tell everyone else to shut up, or if you genuinely feel bad about saying it than apologize for making a joke of it. But man you can't lie now and say you were only kidding.

Nonetheless, I'm not justifying you're actions-- you're still an asshole for stealing the poor kid's Game Boy (even though he's an idiot for bringing it to school too). But hey I laughed at it, so I guess I'm an asshole too. Plus I make young kids cry, so that's a double-whammy.

[Fuyukaze]

With all the advice and personal views aired, I'm not sure what it's worth, but here goes.

If you have to go onto a message board to justify/demonify your consious or lack of, perhaps you should be feeling bad for something. They quoted you a price, you made a counter offer, they accepted. The catch is, "THEY" accepted it. Did you insult what they were selling and tell them it was garbage? Did you tell them it wasnt worth anything?

We'd all like to think we would do the "moral" thing to justify our actions. What is the moral thing in such a situation though? If he didnt want to part with it he wouldnt have accepted the counter offer. Need money so bad? He'd have tried selling it on e-bay or a pawn shop.

Kids dont like to part with things and adults are just as bad. Kids are posesive of their stuff. It's just that simple. You probly did the kids a favor in the long run if they ever come to accept the futility of placing such a high issue on posesions. Or maybe years later they will be sitting on a couch telling someone how their daddy sold their favorite game system and that's the reason they torched 12 hospitals and churchs down. Who knows? It's not your responsibility though. You were just there to buy something you wanted.

[Chaz From Phantasy Star 2]

Hey, no need to defend yourself to these people. So you stole some kids Game Boy when you were younger. Everyone's done something they shouldn't when they were younger (and burglarizing a home is in a way different league). So don't lie now and say you were kidding because some people get upset; I certainly don't come to these forums for the sense of humor here because there isn't much of one. So I say either stick by what you said and tell everyone else to shut up, or if you genuinely feel bad about saying it than apologize for making a joke of it. But man you can't lie now and say you were only kidding.

It was a joke, though. The humor came from the irony of the situation being so much different from what I said it was.

[PSXferrari]

With all the advice and personal views aired, I'm not sure what it's worth, but here goes.

If you have to go onto a message board to justify/demonify your consious or lack of, perhaps you should be feeling bad for something. They quoted you a price, you made a counter offer, they accepted. The catch is, "THEY" accepted it. Did you insult what they were selling and tell them it was garbage? Did you tell them it wasnt worth anything?

We'd all like to think we would do the "moral" thing to justify our actions. What is the moral thing in such a situation though? If he didnt want to part with it he wouldnt have accepted the counter offer. Need money so bad? He'd have tried selling it on e-bay or a pawn shop.

Kids dont like to part with things and adults are just as bad. Kids are posesive of their stuff. It's just that simple. You probly did the kids a favor in the long run if they ever come to accept the futility of placing such a high issue on posesions. Or maybe years later they will be sitting on a couch telling someone how their daddy sold their favorite game system and that's the reason they torched 12 hospitals and churchs down. Who knows? It's not your responsibility though. You were just there to buy something you wanted.


No, actually thank you for that, because that's honestly the most reasonable and well thought out post of any on here. People like Flack and several others on here are obviously good and charitable people, but I don't think their "be kind and charitable" solution is what works in this case. I have no responsibility to take care of complete strangers. I'm glad that they apparently have money to toss around, but if I'm being charitable anywhere it's going to be to my own family. And we're not dealing with some orphans living in a dumpster here, so I'm sure he wanted it out of his closet more than he wanted the $25.

But what you say makes a lot more sense and is something no one else seemed to hit on completely (although a few slightly mentioned it). If I'm getting this correctly, you're saying that ALL the moral responsibility in this situation falls on the father. If he wants $25 he can stand firm on that price. If he thinks that removing the Sega from the house will be detrimental to his children, than he needs to not sell it. But he is not being forced to do either, so if he makes the choice than all responsibility lies on his shoulders. After all, it's his children. Why should I be expected to make the "right" moral decision if it goes against the decision made by the father? He's in the ultimate position to decide what is right for his own children; it is not for me to decide what is right for a stranger. Imagine if I told him, "Sorry sir, I won't buy your system because your kids really seem to love it. I couldn't take it from them!!" Do you really think he would say "Oh boy, that's the nicest thing ever!" or do you think he would decide that I was a complete moron? Hopefully, the latter.

Again, thanks again for the comment.

[PSXferrari]

It was a joke, though. The humor came from the irony of the situation being so much different from what I said it was.


Alright, but can we at least pretend that you stole the Game Boy?? And spice it up, like make him a homeless orphan or something? It's just that apparently everyone on DP is so perfect that they've never made a purchase (or theft!) that they felt guilty about, so yours was great. So we're going to go back to pretending it's a true story. And everyone else can go back to pretending that they've never EVER ripped someone off.

[Chaz From Phantasy Star 2]

Okay, he was a homeless orphan whose Gameboy was the last gift his father had given him before he died. I told him that a different group of kids were the people who stole his Gameboy, so he got into a fight with them, received permanent injuries, and still makes regular visits to the hospital to this day.

Then I burned down his orphanage.

[greedostick]

Okay, he was a homeless orphan whose Gameboy was the last gift his father had given him before he died. I told him that a different group of kids were the people who stole his Gameboy, so he got into a fight with them, received permanent injuries, and still makes regular visits to the hospital to this day.

Then I burned down his orphanage.


What a horrible story. I feel really bad for that kid.

[PSXferrari]

What a horrible story. I feel really bad for that kid.

He had it coming.

[Cornelius]

Imagine if I told him, "Sorry sir, I won't buy your system because your kids really seem to love it. I couldn't take it from them!!"
I pretty much agree with all of the reasoning you mentioned, but I will point out that this is not your only option. Just to play devil's advocate: You could also educate him about his options (ebay, trade-in, etc). Many people would still just sell it to you, though, because that is how much the hassle is worth to them. ...
I can't imagine anyone doing that (the 'edumication thing) though. Just check the 'finds' thread, think anyone posting there voluntarily offered collector's market value? If it was the proverbial NWC cart everyone would be congratulating you on the find of the decade. For me 'morally' speaking, it is at worst a grey area, but only because I hold educating others (very generally speaking) in pretty high regaurd.

okay, enough of that, time to marvel at my new (to me, father-in-law hand me down), silent (water cooled), MCE VAIO computer that just started recording Letterman for me in HD (the HD card used to just crash my previous, very loud, overclocked, custom rig) since I'm too old to stay up to watch it. Did I get enough elipses in there? Are '()' elipses, or just '...s'? ... These are the questions that truly plague me.

[dgdgagdae]

Just wow. So, you started by saying it's ok to essentially rip someone off. Then you tried to justify it by saying you don't have money to waste and it's this father's fault. You also asked if you should feel badly.

If you have to ask someone if you should feel badly about making children cry just so you can have a video game, while talking the unsuspecting seller down from an already more than reasonable price, then I think you've already answered the question.

No, it's not your responsibility to take care of total strangers. But does it hurt you to do so, when presented with the opportunity? We're talking about $15-$25 for a video game. If you have the money to support your hobby, then you're not exactly hurting for the cash. It wouldn't have hurt you to just pay his asking price or walk away from the deal altogether.

I'm no angel. I used to open Commodore 64 games and stick them in my jacket before walking out the door of Target with I was 14. But then, that was 20 years ago. And even then I knew it was wrong. I just didn't care.

Maybe part of growing up is letting the wrongness of your actions get to you. Stealing and making little children cry isn't something I'd be able to do. Not even for a video game.

[greedostick]

If someone tells you a price of something they have to sell then there is NOTHING wrong with talking the price down. It's called business, or bartering, even though there is money involved. Without such practices we would be in a world of trouble. Do you think everything you buy at the gorcery store is set at a fixed price before it is sold to the grocery store? Probebly not, I assume they talk the price down as much as possible in order to set a lower price at the store, in turn to get more buyers, to make more profit. And I don't think the companies selling there goods to the stores that distribute them care if a family is starving, dying, or in good health. They are simply trying to sell there items at a high of a price as possible. And the people in charge of ordering products that are shipped to grocery stores are trying to get the best price possible.

This really applies to a flea market type setting. Seller X is selling a NES system for $50. You don't think this is fair so you offer $30. The seller then says $35 and you buy the system. I assume the seller had the item at a high price cause 1. He wanted more for the system then it was worth, 2. He knew if someone didn't like the price they would talk him down and he could still make a considerable profit.

I once bought a sealed Keio Flying Squadron from a flea market for $5.00. And didn't say one thing to the seller about it, or feel bad when I sold it on ebay for over $300. If the seller was selling the game for $5 then they must have got it for cheaper then that and made there profit. Just so happens my profit was better.

And as for those crying kids. It's normal to feel bad. From the description you gave they were born way after the sega cd ever came out. So I assume the system was there fathers and never theirs. So you stole nothing from them. It's not like you ripped there Tickle me Elmo right out of there hands. THe item was never theirs.

[PSXferrari]

If someone tells you a price of something they have to sell then there is NOTHING wrong with talking the price down. It's called business, or bartering, even though there is money involved. Without such practices we would be in a world of trouble. Do you think everything you buy at the gorcery store is set at a fixed price before it is sold to the grocery store? Probebly not, I assume they talk the price down as much as possible in order to set a lower price at the store, in turn to get more buyers, to make more profit. And I don't think the companies selling there goods to the stores that distribute them care if a family is starving, dying, or in good health. They are simply trying to sell there items at a high of a price as possible. And the people in charge of ordering products that are shipped to grocery stores are trying to get the best price possible.

This really applies to a flea market type setting. Seller X is selling a NES system for $50. You don't think this is fair so you offer $30. The seller then says $35 and you buy the system. I assume the seller had the item at a high price cause 1. He wanted more for the system then it was worth, 2. He knew if someone didn't like the price they would talk him down and he could still make a considerable profit.

I once bought a sealed Keio Flying Squadron from a flea market for $5.00. And didn't say one thing to the seller about it, or feel bad when I sold it on ebay for over $300. If the seller was selling the game for $5 then they must have got it for cheaper then that and made there profit. Just so happens my profit was better.

And as for those crying kids. It's normal to feel bad. From the description you gave they were born way after the sega cd ever came out. So I assume the system was there fathers and never theirs. So you stole nothing from them. It's not like you ripped there Tickle me Elmo right out of there hands. THe item was never theirs.


Thanks Iron Mike, you saved me a reply by saying it all for me. The first thing to understand is that the bartering was done through email. The guy did not offer a phone number, only an email. The price was negotiated by email beforehand, not in person when I got to the house. So I had no idea what the situation was. Being the savvy moneysaver I am, I of course had to get the price even lower. This is especially true when it's for a system I already own because: 1) I'll only buy a system I already own if I'm getting a real good price on it, and 2) If I have duplicate games and systems lying around I sell them on eBay, so the cheaper I buy them for the more profit I make. So, again, the price was set before I got there-- not like I walked in, his starving children broke down in tears, and then I was like, "Uhhhh, how about we take the price down $10 more?"

Now bartering with collectors is completely different; I'm only talking about dealing with non-collectors "cleaning out their closet". They don't know the value and in most cases, they honestly don't care. They just want to get rid of it and they're satified with the $15. I think it's perfectly legit to barter in this fashion, and hey, I'll put it to much better use than they were anyways.

And FINALLY, PLEASE FOR THE LAST TIME, UNDERSTAND that I have not yet bought the Sega CD. When I say they were "crying" about the Sega CD I meant figuretively. They did not actually break down in tears. The only thing I bought so far was a Virtual Boy for $15 that the kids could have cared less about. We only discussed the Sega CD, and I told him to contact me if he ever found it and I'd give him another $15. Then, THEN, the kids started pleading with their father not to sell it as I was leaving. So the point of this thread was to see what I SHOULD DO if he contacts me and offers it for $15. And after reading everyone's posts so far I know exactly what I would do-- I would buy it! Maybe I'll even laugh at the crying children because they no longer get to play their dad's Sega CD with their imaginary Genesis. Oh, and they probably crawl into the box in the closet and play it on the imaginary closet TV too, right? Yes, because they're going to miss a system that they play so much it's been sitting in a box forever-- a Sega CD so packed away that the dad has to dig for it through all his boxes before contacting me about it.....

[exit]

Maybe I'll even laugh at the crying children because they no longer get to play their dad's Sega CD with their imaginary Genesis.

Maybe the kids know the true values of the damn thing and were trying to give their dad a hint, but let's not get all technical here. I say buy it and then smash it right in front of them, that'll give them a good lesson in life. Be sure to have someone videotape it and put it on YouTube for the world to see, have them zoom in on their horrified faces. Also, punch the father in the face and then bash his head with the door, that way your video will get a guaranteed 5 stars.

[PSXferrari]

Maybe the kids know the true values of the damn thing and were trying to give their dad a hint, but let's not get all technical here. I say buy it and then smash it right in front of them, that'll give them a good lesson in life. Be sure to have someone videotape it and put it on YouTube for the world to see, have them zoom in on their horrified faces. Also, punch the father in the face and then bash his head with the door, that way your video will get a guaranteed 5 stars.


This post starting out poorly by suggesting that a 6-year-old would somehow know the value of a Sega CD and would display this value to his father by breaking down crying. However, it ended brilliantly with an idea that I am definitely going to use. Kids gotta learn someday, and I say the sooner the better. I give your idea 5 stars as well. *_*

[exit]

This post starting out poorly by suggesting that a 6-year-old would somehow know the value of a Sega CD and would display this value to his father by breaking down crying. However, it ended brilliantly with an idea that I am definitely going to use. Kids gotta learn someday, and I say the sooner the better. I give your idea 5 stars as well. *_*


I didn't realize a post that starts off with children knowing the value of anything, then ends with murdering their father, would be taken very seriously. Next time I'll know better.

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

I always try to get my games a cheap as possible, but I won't screw someone over to do it. Case in point: Back when Game Boy Advances were still selling for $100 and the SP hadn't come out yet, I found out that a co-worker had one that she didn't use. When I asked her what she would sell it to me for, she said, $20. I gave her $40 since it had a game with it. It was a great deal for me and she got more than she was planning on. Later on, I sold the same GBA for $40 when I bought my SP. Also, I get remembered as they guy who gave her a good deal, not the SOB who screwed her over the next time she had something to sell.

JY

[PSXferrari]

I didn't realize a post that starts off with children knowing the value of anything, then ends with murdering their father, would be taken very seriously. Next time I'll know better.

Who said it was taken seriously? I probably really will murder his father and post it on YouTube, but I know you were joking about it.