Tips and stories on your retro collecting

[nobble]

I recently started collecting games for the nes, snes, and genesis. I was wondering if all you gamers had any tips for me when starting my collection. I know someone out there has something they would like to share about their collection. Maybe some insane bargain you found or how you had to go without something just to get your hands on a game. Tell me anything. I want to hear you and get to know you guys in the forums. :monkey:

[AB Positive]

Collecting video games can lead to some crazy stories if only because you never know when someone will turn up an old system or computer and go "what should I do with this?"...

I used to work at gamestop from 03 to 05... about six months into my tenure there the company stopped taking in games earlier than Playstation 1 and just started selling off the old stuff en masse. Plus, people kept trying to trade it in. Admittedly we'd just do side deals with cash off-property because... well all the collectors in the area were working there!

I don't have these exact systems anymore but I can't lie - I got a Sega CDX with 10 complete CD games for $35... a Turbo Express for free because a customer came in and tried to trade it in. We couldn't take it so he left it. I was the only TG16 fan in the store so I got it!

That was my best luck, but it was skewed because I worked at a game store. I don't have the luck some other folk on here do finding stuff in the wild. But that era was fun for me as a collector. :D

[retroman]

yea, have fun and enjoy all the games from the past you have missed.

[mobiusclimber]

Don't spend more than you can afford and always pay less than "fair market value." I've yet to have trouble securing a game for "cheap," whatever that is relative to the game itself. Sometimes I've had to wait years, but I've always eventually found a good deal. Sometimes it's been Craigslist, sometimes it's been forums, sometimes it's been gametz and sometimes it's been Ebay.

Decide what exactly you want to collect, set some goals, and be methodical about it. I have a friend who wants every NES, SNES and N64 game, cartridge only. He bought a copy of the big DigitPress guide and just marks em off when he gets em. My main focus is on RPGs, but I collect any game I like and know I'm going to play. I have a list and I punch in titles into search engines and just keep looking until I find it at a reasonable price. It's also a good idea to buy up extras of games if you find them cheap. This will be your trade bait, basically. Know the value of games so you'll know if you're getting a deal or not.

[Porksta]

I only collect games I will eventually play, others I just sell. So here I am with a couple hundred games and maybe a 3% completion rate.

[Compute]

Don't be afraid to haggle, never be afraid to walk out. And don't pull a Kamino.

[Enigmus]

Never leave the power box to ANYTHING plugged in on extremely windy days. Learned that the hard way when the neighbor's tree hit the power line and destroyed my Wii's and SNES's power supply. Still haven't found a replacement for the SNES. :bawling:

[BetaWolf47]

Maybe some insane bargain you found or how you had to go without something just to get your hands on a game.

There is indeed, but that's for another forum. Check out the Classics Discussions forum (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=19), where we've already got a lot of discussing going on. Most notably, this thread on best finds in the wild and finds we passed up and regret:

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15666
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26968

I've had some great finds in the wild. I know it's cliche, but persistence is key. You'd be surprised by this: a lot of times, you'll walk into one of those stores which you only see PS1 sports games in, and find a $20+ game for NES or SNES for $2.

My latest case in this example is a Goodwill where I had never found anything other than a few decent Genesis games. I went in randomly one day and they had a copy of Super Metroid sitting in the back of the store. I nabbed it, since I knew someone who was looking for Super Metroid.

[MachineGex]

My advice is to carry lists around(in your car if possible). I printed out list from this site(the DP lite versions) and I check off all the games I own. Then I highlighted the games I wanted to get.

Figuring out what games are "good" was the most difficult. I researched threads on this site (for good SNES, Genesis, NES, Coleco, etc.).

I read others sites like:
http://www.videogamecritic.net
http://www.rvgfanatic.com
http://www.sega-16.com/reviews.php?sys=Genesis
http://www.snescentral.com
http://www.digitpress.com/reviews

[LaughingMAN.S9]

I personally got into it when gamestop was having that firesale 4 years back getting rid of everything ps1 related, so i walked in, and one of the gamestop employees saw me looking through the bin and asked if i was an rpg fan, i told him that was my basically my favorite genre and he ran to the back and came out with a copy of persona 2 and vagrant story, i couldnt think of anything else to do with my money at the time and just said fuck it lol, bought both for under 50.....but i couldnt stop


...the next day, and the day after that i would just walk in with my brother and steal every rpg or big name must play release right from the bin, think i managed to rack up 15 games, all major titles


i paid for all da games after that though, mostly from retro stores and flea markets, ebay and the buy sell forums here for everything else, im shooting for a complete us ps1 rpg collection, think im about almost halfway there...no seriously i pay for these now, pinky promise U_U



P.S. .....FUCK GAMESTOP

[nobble]

sorry this can be moved if need be. i didn't know where to post it as im still getting used to this forum. but thanks for some of the stories guys i liked reading them. hope theres more!

[7th lutz]

Here is a few tips for you with the systems that you are collecting since your starting out:

1.) Buy the most common games first, unless you find rare games at good prices.
2.) If you find an expensive game cheap, buy it! I got Earthbound for $12.00 at Flea Market over 8 years ago. That is a steal for Earthbound compare to Ebay prices.
3.) Compare prices on the same game if it online of offline. Some places offline or online have the same game, but at different prices.
4.) If you have a flea Market in your area take advantage of of it, unless the vender has outrageous prices for common games.
5.) If you drive and have know classic gaming conventions exists in your area, try to to go there. I found stuff at the 2002 Classic gaming convention that I didn't expect like a Klax and Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sms.

6.) Write a list of games that you want.

7.) Use a spreadsheet or write down all the games you currently have by using a notepad.

8.)Do an internet search out on the systems you want for games for finding out out what games you want.

9.) Have a budget for how much you spend a month. You can go broke by speeding to much on collecting. It has happen to people on the past on Digitpress and on other classic gaming sites.

10.) Know the value of the games you want before you buy them. That is one of the reason I like to compare prices.

[darkslime]

One thing that helps me out so much is having an iphone. I can look up game and dvd values anywhere on things I"m not sure about.

[Steve W]

It occurred to me today as I was hitting various thrifts that I visit certain stores more to look through their toy section rather than to see if they have video games. A couple of thrift shops on my route almost never have console games, but I've found old classic game handhelds and stuff from the early '80s mixed into their toy sections, so I'll stop there anyway. I've really been getting into old electronic games lately, after walking empty-handed to the exit of a thrift but suddenly spotting a Coleco Donkey Kong tabletop in their toy racks a couple of years back. That really started the ball rolling for me. I've found a few other electronic gaming toys at that same thrift, so I keep going there although actual console games are pretty scarce. I would say that half the stores I visit I'll head straight to the toy aisle first because I know they won't have anything else of interest for me. And I'll drive a decent way out of my area to hit stores that have large toy sections, just on the off-chance I'll find something cool.

Another thing I like to do is to go thrifting on an out-of-town visit. I'll go spend some time with family members out of state for a few days, but I'll use Google Maps to plot all the thrift stores and flea markets in the vicinity and spend a few hours in unfamiliar territory hunting down games. It's pretty fun for me. It gives me that 'thrill of the hunt' kind of feeling.

[PentiumMMX]

One important tip is, even if you don't see anything video game related at a garage sale, don't be afraid to ask if they do; you never know, they may have a box full of games they don't want anymore that they are willing to get rid of at a reasonable price. You may not get immediate results, but it's still worth trying.

[Sosage]

Your games aren't an investment. Get into this to collect and play first. Make money back second. Or else you're in for a shitty time.

[MASTERWEEDO]

My advice, well the only thing i can really add is, watch the people you let in your home, when my stuff got taken, it was odyssey2, atari 2600, nes, genesis, and n64. Im sure most people wont try to steal your games, but some might, be careful. also, insure them, renters insurance is a good idea.