Are thrift stores in my area going crazy or what?

[MissingNo_1231]

as of late I've noticed that the Goodwills and other thrift stores around where I live have this really annoying habit of selling all the games for the same system in one set. So, you can't pick and choose, it's all or nothing.

Now, sometimes this is great, but when the set contains 3 nes games, and 2 of them are RC Pro-Am, and the third one isn't along the lines of Bio-Force Ape, I'm not really interested anymore.

The other day I did buy a set of nes games that had 8 games which I already owned, but that's because the games I didn't have already were the likes of Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior III and IV, and they came in a cool box.

Just yesterday, I came across a set of 15 N64 games taped together in a huge stack so I could only see the front one, some football game. Now, I was about to ask if there was a way I could see the rest of the games (a prospect which in these parts is 50/50), when I noticed that they were bundled with a system. So, an N64, 3 controllers, and 15 games for $55. If the games were good, that's an amazing deal. BUT, they're all untested and sold as is.

where am I going with this.... oh yeah, it's really annoying to have to buy video games from thrift stores in large bulk sets. Now, since I'm thinking of starting to sell any extras, this annoyance could come in handy, but for those who just collect this could be a serious hassle.

[BloodyThumb]

Yes I totally feel your pain! As far as the N64 carts go though you shouldn't have any problems if they aren't tested as there is not much that can go wrong with them. But yeah if you can't see the titles...LOL they could just keep all games in a bag at the checkout and then when you say "i want games" they'll reach in and give you random crap that you'll buy LOL ... I've found that many thrift stores including Goodwill are actually pulling ALL video games and either selling them online themselves or atleast checking to see if they have anything of value. This also leads them to believe that they can sell the crap games at a higher dollar in the store.

Summer is coming to an end but I think that old school gamers have better chances for finding low cost games at garage sales than thrift stores.

[Trumpman]

What I've found is that thrift stores are better for finding old PC games (and maybe PS1 as well) rather than consoles, or cartridges. This is because, at least where I am, anything in a jewel case gets thrown into the CD section. So, if you look through the CD's carefully enough, you can find some real gems. PS1 games can be found as well in jewel cases, but sometimes the giant "PLAYSTATION" on the front of the case makes the thrifts move it. However, most of the time they don't distinguish between music CD's and PC games.

In the past month I found these games (all in the music CD section)

Descent II
Descent 3
Independence War
Freespace 2
X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter + expansion Wings of Liberty
X-Wing Alliance
Planescape: Torment (aw yeah!)
Rise of Nations + Expansion Thrones and Patriots

All but Rise of Nations were in jewel cases or cardboard cases, and all were $3 or less. I also found a complete copy of NFL Blitz for PS1, again for $2 or $3. Basically, this is my new strategy for thrifts, and I think it can work elsewhere.

[pseudonym]

This thread probably could have been in the other "complain about thrift stores" thread. Anyway, I agree with you.

[Baloo]

In the past month I found these games (all in the music CD section)

X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter + expansion Wings of Liberty


The expansion for X-Wing Vs. Tie Fighter is called Balance of Power, not Wings of Liberty...

As for me, I had to do this once myself, a $20 bag of Genesis stuff that was a controller, a bunch of games and a pink Genesis cleaner. I managed to get my money back plus a small I think after reselling the games at a flea market, but in the end it wasn't worth it. All the games were crap, and there are still a couple I can't get rid of :S.

But yeah, it kind of annoys me when they do stuff like that, it makes it impossible to pick and choose, and you can end up with a ton of crap in the process if you do buy the bag of stuff.

[Steve W]

Well, while we are complaining about thrift stores, does it bug anyone else when you look at games they have in a glass counter, and they always seem to have the labels facing away from the customer? I guess that's so they can see what they are from their viewpoint, but it doesn't help the consumer make a decision. It in fact makes the customer have to pester the employees, which I would think would motivate them to stack the cartridges and discs better.

[NayusDante]

First they sell all the cords separately, now they make you buy the games in bulk... What's it all coming to?

Oddly enough, I've been seeing all of these trends recently, in the same stores even. One week I'll find loose items sold separately with a game here and there, the next they have a giant cube of PSX games taped together and complete PSX system+controller bundles. I've been lucky so far, though, with the only worthwhile taped-up stack-o-games being four SNES carts for like $7.

[MissingNo_1231]

I found a pack of 11 xbox games for 55 bucks.

Not quite that bad, if they're complete and not scratched. But since they're taped together tighter than Fort Knox, I have no way of knowing. Not to mention they're the kind of games I could pick up at Gamestop for less and with a warranty.

I once found a huge lot of individual Dreamcast games in the cd section, but I don't have a Dreamcast. I would have bought the one they had in the glass case, but it was as is, no memory cards or games, $40. Again, not that bad, but I could no doubt get a much better deal off ebay.

and yeah, I love finding PS1 games in the CD section. Got FF IX and Resident Evil Director's Cut for like 5 bucks total.

[Gameguy]

It depends on who prices the items, I remember getting some consoles bundled with games for a cheap price, but later everything was sold separately. Some places I've been to have consoles in the glass case and sell them with all hookups, others just sell the parts all separately out in the open. In a way it's better if everything is bundled together as it won't be picked through by ebayers, if there's something good in it you'd have a better chance at buying it if it's a bulk lot. When I buy things off classified ads I often buy a big lot to just get what I want so I'm used to it. That's how I get the really good stuff, most people aren't willing to buy everything.

That being said, I don't really recall getting anything truly amazing at thrift stores for a few years, for the last while I've been getting the greatest stuff off the classifieds. Yard sales haven't really been too good, the odd time I've found some good stuff for a really cheap price, but 95% of the time I don't find anything at all. Now I pretty much just want to sleep for the weekend so I don't bother, I get up 4:30am weekdays with maybe 4-5 hours of sleep each night so I want to sleep in later when I can. Maybe it's just me, I don't find stuff all too often anymore as a whole, or maybe I'm just being pickier to what I'm willing to buy when I come across stuff.

[ScourDX]

I think the thrift store doing it to clear up their stock. If they sell them individually, sometimes no one will buy them. (IE: Sports Game)

[Steve W]

I had a great find this way, getting a console with a bunch of games scotch-taped to it. Years back, behind the counter at a good little thrift, was an Atari 5200 console. I asked to look at it, and it was a 4-port model (with the plastic still over the metal trim) and a dozen games taped to it, along with the power supply. The cost written on it? $7. It was also half-off day, but they didn't count it and I didn't mention it since I knew I was getting a bargain with all the good games that came with it (James Bond, Star Wars Arcade, etc.). The controllers turned out to be late revision models, and worked perfectly (also with plastic on the metal trim). Too bad that thrift doesn't put consoles behind the counter anymore. They put it on the shelves so that the little Mexican children can strip them down and beat the shit out of them to ensure they won't work when I get them home. :(

[FamicomFreak]

the store near me does that but with consoles only. I have had good finds and it's easy to tell if the console is worth the purchase especially if you see a lot of controllers and accessories under the tape. Got a genesis, sega cd, 32x combo for 12 bucks at one time.

[Steve W]

I once passed on an Atari 7800 because [A] it was too high priced, and [B] there were about ten games taped to it (nearly all Atari 2600 games), three joysticks (Atari 2600 sticks), and FIVE power supplies taped on top. I'm not even sure if the 7800's power supply was on there, but there were a couple of cell phone chargers, a printer PSU, and one that charged remote control car batteries. The ladies at the thrift that package these things together tend not to have a clue about electronics, so therefore threw in a bunch of junk they didn't know what to do with. There was so much garbage taped on the 7800 that I couldn't see what half of the games that came with it were.

[Therealqtip]

All I find is a bunch of sports games for 5 dollars. I found a Sega CD game I was tempted to get it just cause it was the only time I've seen a Sega CD game there but the case was cracked and... it was a sports game.

[Ed Oscuro]

Excuse me sir, but you've removed the price sticker off the N64's Jumper Pak

A separate price sticker for each of the NES Advantage's plugs.

[MissingNo_1231]

Excuse me sir, but you've removed the price sticker off the N64's Jumper Pak

A separate price sticker for each of the NES Advantage's plugs.

craziness.

I mentioned earlier that I got Resident Evil Director's cut for PS1, but I forgot to relay the story behind that.

I found the case for the game in the CD section for about $2.50, but luckily I looked inside and found that it was empty. I looked around a bit more, and found the disc in an unmarked case, which was also going for $2.50. Well, I sure as heck wasn't going to pay 5 bucks to buy a game and case separately. I just took the game out and put it in its proper case. Problem solved.

[BHvrd]

I imagine the other alternative is to raise the prices of the rare games. Since that takes time and effort i'm sure corporate said to just bundle them all up and sale as one since i'm sure some sit forever and never sell.

So you get a couple of common games with rare ones, seems like it could be worse.

[MissingNo_1231]

I imagine the other alternative is to raise the prices of the rare games. Since that takes time and effort i'm sure corporate said to just bundle them all up and sale as one since i'm sure some sit forever and never sell.

So you get a couple of common games with rare ones, seems like it could be worse.

yeah, I mean if they had like 3 copies of FF7 bundled together for 10 bucks, that would be a great find.

But I'd rather go back to the pick and choose single, $2 or $3 titles so I can build up my collection with random, but kind of fun looking games.

[Streetball 21]

My local Goodwill has all of their games/systems/accessories in a case at the front. Tons of good games, and they are having a auction for it. $50.00 is the starting bid and the buy it now price is $700.00.

[garagesaleking!!]

i tend to prefer games being bundled, for the reason that first of all if games are bagged, then people cant steal the discs from the cases which is very common around here, and also so that ebayers and flippers cant grab every copy of a good game they see and leave all the junk behind, having stuff bundled causes ebayers and less educated gamers to pass on a bundle when maybe they only recognize a certian game. And the prices for a bundle from what ive seen personally are usually very cheap compared to what a single game would be priced at.

[Atarileaf]

I once passed on an Atari 7800 because [A] it was too high priced, and [B] there were about ten games taped to it (nearly all Atari 2600 games), three joysticks (Atari 2600 sticks), and FIVE power supplies taped on top. I'm not even sure if the 7800's power supply was on there, but there were a couple of cell phone chargers, a printer PSU, and one that charged remote control car batteries. The ladies at the thrift that package these things together tend not to have a clue about electronics, so therefore threw in a bunch of junk they didn't know what to do with. There was so much garbage taped on the 7800 that I couldn't see what half of the games that came with it were.

Reminds me of the way Homer Simpson taped up his tax return in one episode into a giant ball.

I got my first TG-16 back in the spring at a Value Village. It was 7.99 and it had the PSU, two gamepads, a turbostick, the back plastic cover (because it had the turbobooster attached) and the rf unit all taped together into a giant ball that took 20 minutes to unravel at home.

[Rickstilwell1]

The last time I checked the only two local thrift stores near me, only one of them had something game related and that was a Genesis RF switch for $3 with its original plug replaced with a normal red RCA cable...

I don't think I should even bother looking in there for games.