Have you ever donated old systems?

[Fuzzball24]

Like to places like Goodwill or a hospital?

I personally never have, but if I find a spare system that I already have for cheap, I will defiantly be donating it to my local hospital. It's always great to give back.

[Pantechnicon]

...I find a spare system that I already have for cheap, I will defiantly be donating it to my local hospital. It's always great to give back.

But wouldn't you rather give freely and happily as opposed to defiantly? ;)

For my part, the only system I recall donating to a thrift was my 2nd Atari 2600. I'd like to say I was motivated by altruism but I'd be lying. This was back in 1995 or so, back when thrifts were better resources for collectors than they are today. I was living in a small apartment at the time and had just scored a 2600 Jr. from Goodwill for $3. Since space in the dwelling was at a premium, I went back to the Goodwill the next day and gave them my 4-switch woody.

[thetoxicone]

I gave an old master system that didn't like to work all the time (still worked on occasion) to goodwill since I already had a power base converter and didn't feel like trying to box it up and send it to someone.

[Steven]

Like to places like Goodwill or a hospital?


Nope, but our (me and my bro) NES, Genesis and SNES all went to my little cousin David. NES circa mid-90's, Gen mid-late 90's and then finally the SNES in the late late 90's. He lost (interest in) them all not before long after.

[CosmicMonkey]

My mate was out of work temporarily and not exactly feeling very rich. I didn't play my Gamecube so I boxed it up and gave it to him so he could give his son a decent Birthday present.

Gave away an original model Playstation to my mate in order to try and sort him out. He's since progressed to a modded Xbox. He hasn't touched coke or been nastily drunk in months. He just plays that, smokes weed and has the occasional drink. His missus is eternally grateful and is no longer gonna leave him.

There's also a 'communal Dreamcast' that's been floating around for absolutely ages. No idea who's it was originally but it turns up in the most random of places. My mates really aren't into gaming so it's very surprising to walk into some people's houses and find them sat there playing Jet Set Radio on the random DC and have them go on about how good it is.

[PentiumMMX]

I've never done this. When I can, I take it to Game-X-Change to get myself some credits towards some more games.

EDIT: Ok...I'm giving my spare Super NES to my sister and her soon-to-be husband. However, I mainly take systems to Game-X-Change.

[Flack]

Like to places like Goodwill or a hospital?

I personally never have, but if I find a spare system that I already have for cheap, I will defiantly be donating it to my local hospital. It's always great to give back.

I know a lot of people weren't around when we did this, but in 2004 I heard about a lady I worked with who was having a real tough time. You can read the thread if you want to, but to make a long story short DP users ended up donating almost $700, along with a Gamecube, a GBA, tons of games and several other odds and ends. All of this was donated to someone who probably wouldn't have had a Christmas for her kids at all.

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46829

So yeah, there are (or at least were in 2004) a few good apples around here.

[SONIKtheHEDGEHOG]

My girlfriend and I actually donated a NES system some games with a nes advantage to a father of three that my girlfriend met at a benifit for MS... He could only use a joystick so we had to find him an NES Advantage... We spent about 40 on the whole lot that I gave we him... But we didn't hesitate in giving it to him...

[wufners]

Yarp.

Just recently donated a NES and Playstation to Goodwill. They sat on Craig's List for $5 a piece for a couple of weeks and nobody bit. I got sick of storing them, so off to Goodwill they went. Donating them to a hospital or a shelter is a much neater idea though.

I'm also sitting on a couple boxes full of pong clones that'll probably head to Goodwill before the year is out. Sometimes it's just easier to get rid of than sell. And while I do actually find Pong clones kind of cool, this hobby takes up so much damn space that sometimes ya gotta get rid of things you kind of like to make room for things you really like. Somehow I don't see many hospitals or shelters being interested in these. :P

[DDCecil]

My dad did...

A Sega Master System Kiosk.

[Barbarianoutkast85]

I've never donated a console to a goodwill, or any other stores like it. However, I did give my brother six consoles that I had doubles of about a month ago. Becuase he wanted to start collecting, and I decided to give him a good jump-start, with six consoles and two or three dozen games.

[Fuzzball24]

My girlfriend and I actually donated a NES system some games with a nes advantage to a father of three that my girlfriend met at a benifit for MS... He could only use a joystick so we had to find him an NES Advantage... We spent about 40 on the whole lot that I gave we him... But we didn't hesitate in giving it to him...

Multiple sclerosis?

Yeah, that's a good thing to donate for a cause. I have a muscle damaged leg, and I know what it's like to be screwed up medically.

[Slate]

I've never donated any games to goodwill or thrift stores but i'm going to give a Sega genesis with some games (And a PS2 game) To someone in town who can't afford many games.

[jwm2]

My mate was out of work temporarily and not exactly feeling very rich. I didn't play my Gamecube so I boxed it up and gave it to him so he could give his son a decent Birthday present.

Gave away an original model Playstation to my mate in order to try and sort him out. He's since progressed to a modded Xbox. He hasn't touched coke or been nastily drunk in months. He just plays that, smokes weed and has the occasional drink. His missus is eternally grateful and is no longer gonna leave him.

There's also a 'communal Dreamcast' that's been floating around for absolutely ages. No idea who's it was originally but it turns up in the most random of places. My mates really aren't into gaming so it's very surprising to walk into some people's houses and find them sat there playing Jet Set Radio on the random DC and have them go on about how good it is.

Wow thats quite a gesture, you are a very good friend indeed :)

[rubiks-q-bert]

A friend of mine donates to Shriners Hospital every year. He has donated a everything from a PS1 to a PS3, Xbox and 360, Gamecube and TVs for each system on a wheeled cart so they can roll it around to the kids' rooms. Donates toys and clothes as well. Great guy.

[FantasiaWHT]

EB Games actually donated all the GB & GBC's they had traded in. Not sure over what period, but for a long time after they stopped reselling them, they would still take them as trade ins, and would ship all those off to hospitals and the like.

[jwm2]

I hate ebgames/gamestop but its a nice gesture none-the-less.

[bangtango]

Last December at work, the lady who works in our HR department passed out a memo telling us about a local family that had lost their home (and everything else) in a fire. Since this was right around Christmas time, she circulated a list of things the kids in the family enjoyed because they no longer had any toys. So a bunch of people at the office chipped in to either buy or donate things. On this list, it said one or more of the kids enjoyed video games (Nintendo and Playstation specifically). A day or two later, I came in with an excellent condition PS1, a couple controllers, a memory card and a good spread of family-friendly games. I'm sure it wasn't the present of a lifetime but I like to think it helped get those kids back on their gaming feet and keep their reflexes warm until something else came along. Or maybe they are still using it.

(Note: The more pressing needs for this family such as housing, clothing and food were already taken care of through other means locally, which is why my workplace was contacted to help cover with toys for the family's children)

[boatofcar]

I know a lot of people weren't around when we did this, but in 2004 I heard about a lady I worked with who was having a real tough time. You can read the thread if you want to, but to make a long story short DP users ended up donating almost $700, along with a Gamecube, a GBA, tons of games and several other odds and ends. All of this was donated to someone who probably wouldn't have had a Christmas for her kids at all.

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46829

So yeah, there are (or at least were in 2004) a few good apples around here.

Do you ever see her anymore, Flack? I like to think my Gamecube went to a good home :)

[ryborg]

If I ever donated any video game stuff to one of my local thrift stores, I'd just end up buying it the next week.

[boatofcar]

I donated a nonworking heavy sixer to a CHKD thrift.

[8bitgamer]

A few years ago a kid's house burned down. His family often stayed down the street from me at their grandmother's house, so that's how I knew him. I offered the kid a Sega Genesis with about 20 games (all his games were destroyed in the fire, and I had an extra Genesis), but he turned me down and said he just wanted a Nintendo 64.

Classic Home Video Games 1972-1984 (http://brettweisswords.blogspot.com/)

[crisssybwoy]

I have given a few PSone's to homeless people hostels i have worked in over the years. they usually got stolen within a week by residents friends :(

[fahlim003]

I was going to 'donate' my Intellivision 2 to a gameshop since I had no use for it. Long story short I traded it and a bunch of games for a Genesis multi-tap. Seems fair to me.