Are flea markets good places for finding older games at a good price?

[duffmanth]

This topic might already be on here somewhere, so my apologies if it is. I'm simply wondering if flea markets are places where you can pick up older games? It doesn't matter if they're boxed w/books, just cartridges, factory sealed, used, or whatever. I'm looking for any random games from the NES era up until the PS1 era. Obviously I would prefer games that are complete with everything and in good shape. I'm just tired of going into Indy game stores and online and seeing a boxed TMNT: In time for $70!

[ryborg]

There's about a hundred threads like this and the answer is usually the same: Plenty of places sell vintage gaming stuff, but the prices are usually ass. Be prepared to pay "ebay prices" or possibly higher.

[buzz_n64]

flea markets are the best for older games, good luck. Don't buy from the dedicated game vendors, buy from the regular folks, you'll get a great deal because most the time they don't know the value of their stuff.

[Deadpixels]

I've had good luck with flea markets in the past. A few examples of things I've picked up...

Sega CD model 2- $15.00
Virtual Boy w/ game- $20.00
Boxed, unopened Game Boy with Link's Awakening pack-in- $20.00
Atari Lynx- $5.00

Though keep in mind these finds aren't every day occurrences and you'll likely find junk more often than not, but you'll never know if you don't go.

[gamedude45]

I'd say about 75% of my games came from flea markets and i'm well over 2000 games so i'd say so. You just have to be patient when looking thru a flea market and look under and behind everything cause you never know what you'll find.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

Unless you come across a true junk vendor, good prices are hard to find. From time to time you'll still find some gems that slip through the cracks at the dedicated game vendors, but don't count on it. Good deals are harder and harder to find on classic games. Everyone has the internet and they research just about everything they bring in.

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

I recently went to a large flea market and found most of the games to be above E-bay prices. You do have to weed through a lot of sports games (Madden etc.) to actually find games you want. There may be a few hidden treasures there from time to time, but I would have to go on several return trips to find them.

[skaar]

Is the Pope Catholic?

[pseudonym]

You're missing out If you haven't been going to flea markets. You have to go on a regular basis to find anything good, but check both the regular game sellers for something that they might have misprinted, and the people who are there for the weekend only to get rid of their excess junk and/or junk that their children used to own.
I picked up three boxed Game & Watch handhelds and a bunch of older games from a lady that was in the second category one time, you just have to keep going and looking around.

[Slate]

Well, They have potential. My best finds were at yard sales, goodwills and random stores but I've had my days at flea markets. The most notable is probably a complete Nintendo NES Power Set with two or three boxed/complete games for $10. If you can go through a flea market rather quickly I say give it a whirl.

[Profoundemonium]

A large part of my older collection came from flea markets. I used to go to a local market every week and pick up a bunch of unboxed (and sometimes boxed) games. That was years ago, before online buying and selling was as popular as it is today. I started going again recently but I rarely even come across anything game related, other than the odd PS2 or Xbox, and when I do come across something it's usually ridiculously priced. I guess ebay has killed the fun of looking through peoples junk.

It's all down to being lucky though. A few weeks ago I picked up a ZX Spectrum +2 with about 30 cassettes and the voice synthesis module for just £10, when a thrift store down the street is selling just the console for £35.

[duffmanth]

flea markets are the best for older games, good luck. Don't buy from the dedicated game vendors, buy from the regular folks, you'll get a great deal because most the time they don't know the value of their stuff.

This is the problem I face partly because I live in the big city. The indy game stores around here know what's rare and they price it accordingly. When I walk into some of these places and see Suikoden II for $80-$100 or more, that doesn't surprise me. However, when I see Silent Hill 2 going for $50 used, that just makes me shake my head in disbelief. Flea markets in the urban areas are hit and miss. Sometimes like you say the dedicated game vendors will price some games fairly high, and sometimes not. But, it's definitely the "regular folks" where you can find the deals. I have found most flea markets and indy game stores in smaller towns to be more affordable.

[Xomoi]

It really depends on the particular flea market and understanding the different types of vendors there. There are really three basic categories of vendors at flea markets. (1) The career vendors: These are vendors who make their living at flea markets. As far as those that specifically sell video games, I would stay away from them as they are usually overpriced (as stated above). They buy and sell video games from the flea market. (2) The garage resell vendors: These vendors get their product from going to garage sales and reselling that product at the flea market. These vendors are pretty good for finding deals as they usually want to sell through their product over the weekend. I bought a Secret of Mana cartridge for like 8 dollars from one before. (3) The traditional flea market vendors: These are individuals who go to flea markets only like once or twice a year to sell off their items like most people normally would at garage sales. I say traditional, but here in Texas they are the rarest vendors nowadays. These are the best to buy from in that you get garage sale deals.

Large flea markets have predominately more category 1 and 2 vendors, while small flea markets have more category 3. Try to stick to the small flea markets for the best deals. Another thing about category 1 and 2 vendors: They leave their product out in the sun every weekend, meaning that the video games and consoles have noticeable fading and yellowing.

[phreakindee]

Are flea markets good for old games at a good price?

That's like asking is a casino a good place to make money. Sure, I suppose there's that chance, but often it's just luck and most of what you see you can't be too sure about.

I, personally, have had bouts of great luck at flea markets and thrift stores... but it's a gamble. More than 75% of the time I find almost nothing, yet some days I hit the jackpot.

[shopkins]

Sometimes they can be fantastic. A lot of the time you come up empty, but I've walked into flea markets and bought Guardian Heroes for $5 or a box with an NES, some games, and a Sega Genesis for about $5. I got a a CDI for $20 because a lady thought it was just a CD player. I know that's not the greatest deal but she probably thought she was overcharging me and I thought it was a good price for something I never saw in the wild in my area. I found an Interactor vest complete in box and other weird stuff. It really all comes down to luck but it's one of the few places you can get lucky, its just not going to happen on Ebay and in vintage game stores where you have sellers and buyers who know their stuff and are focused on games. You can also find comparable deals at yard sales and in some, not many, pawn shops.

[Xtincthed]

sometimes i waste my time going there.. the other time i get home with 5 bags full of games and systems at crazy prices
it really differs.. you only need luck

[Sosage]

The pre-answer, answer: Coincidink, I walked by my collection this morning and thought to myself about how 90% of my pre-PS2 collection came from a flea market. I'm 500 deep in my NES collection and I guarantee 450 of those were from the flea market.

The short answer to these threads is, "yes".

The medium answer is that you need to know how to work it. Some flea markets are lost causes right off the bat (in my experience: Tucson). Some are lost causes that require a lot of time investment (in my experience: San Jose). Others are goldmines as long as you play them right (in my experience: I'm not telling). All require that you "play the game".

The longer answer: All of them require that you play two games rolled into one bigger meta scavenger hunt. The "beat the vendors" game and the "work with the sellers" game. Here are the rules:

-Vendors want your finds more so than you do

-Therefore, Vendors are working against you

-Joe Blow random Sellers hate vendors (Free market, capitalism, blah blah blah! The reality is that selling something, just to see the buyer walk ten entire feet away before slapping a price tag for 3-4 times the price, is not a very good feeling. It makes people feel like they were con'd and then had it flaunted in front of them. It makes the seller feel embarrassed and stupid while making the buyer look like a dick.)

-Joe Blow random Sellers will be suspicious that you are a vendor (buying games in bulk will do that...be prepared to "assplane yo' self").

-Joe Blow random Sellers are usually like you and I...they want a good deal...haggle, but learn the subtleties. Get use to shrugging off the word "eBay".

Pro-tips:

-Every flea market is different, so you may need to disregard every pro-tip dropped here

-Go early. I mean EARLY. When people are just starting to set up. Vendors will send their people out looking for shit constantly throughout the day, but this is usually the most important sweep. They can gut every damn game in the market system for the rest of the day just off hitting all the Joe Blows in that first hour.

-Learn to quickly identify video game stuff on the surface. You need to be the fucking Terminator here, because again time is crucial during that first hour. Radio? VCR? Tapes? Controller?! *SCREEECH*

-When you have found something, put your hand on it. Even if you're not sure, put your damn hand on it. This doesn't just establish that you are possibly interested in it, but it is also the universal "I was here first, fuckers" flea market signal. Box of possible games that no one is near. B-Line and put your hand in it. Controller? Crouch down and pick it up. Even if you're following the wires visually to find the system/games. Vendors WILL step in as soon as you have "untouched" the item. If you're piling games to one side that you're interested in, you need to make sure they are close to your body. Everyone has had the, "I put those there because I am going to buy them...I was here FIRST"/"but your hand wasn't on it" incident.

-Learn your vendors. Really. A month or two in at least be able to identify them and their people in the crowd, because in my experience, they will damn well know you (if not following you...or racing to get ahead of you).

-Also get to know them because they can be friendly and occasionally kick down deals. They aren't all "the enemy"...they aren't all assholes, but you are both working against each other at the same time.

-Some people have said "go late". This only worked for me once, hitting twice on one day, but I hit big (Chiller, OK...not rare but not exactly SMB/DH either and a N64 Prototype). Some people unpack shit late. Some just don't want to repack shit back into the van/truck/pack mule, so they're willing to let stuff go for a song. Other regular Joe Blows (not quite a video game vendor, not really Joe Blow clearing out the garage...some folks are like "garage sale" wholeseller, selling all kinds of crap they found throughout the week from various garage sales, instead of just one thing...anyways) know about the vendor game and wait till later in the day to let the game stuff out.

-Read people. Really. That's kinda the secret sauce to the entire thing.

Someone else pro-tip haggling and working with sellers. I've spent too much time writing this stupid post this far. >:P

[duffmanth]

Are flea markets good for old games at a good price?

That's like asking is a casino a good place to make money. Sure, I suppose there's that chance, but often it's just luck and most of what you see you can't be too sure about.

I, personally, have had bouts of great luck at flea markets and thrift stores... but it's a gamble. More than 75% of the time I find almost nothing, yet some days I hit the jackpot.

Yeah I guess it's really hit or miss. I've only been to a flea market a few times in the last 10-15 years and really haven't found much. At the same time, I've found some gems in pawn shops for dirt cheap. A few examples are a mint black label, complete Silent Hill for PS1 for $10, and Metal Gear Solid w/ box and book for Gameboy Color for $5. I rarely go into the indy game stores around here anymore, simply because their prices are beyond retarded.

[Dr. Dib]

I've only been to two flea market and been to a few "weekend flea markets (Open for a day or two)."

At the established flea market I remember seeing a ton of games and got a few good deals. Nothing completely rare though. As others have said, there probably isn't any reason to go to the established dealers, stick to the garage sale type people if there are any. Or at least go to them first since I guess I did find a few good things from established dealers.

The "weekend flea markets" seem to be hit and miss. I've went to some where I got some deals, and others where I walked around just trying to find something to buy. I do believe I got better deals at these places though, probably because they are mostly filled with the garage sale type people.

So in short yes.

[DefaultGen]

.....

[ReTrO-pLaYeR]

It's been a terribly long time since I've done any Flea Marketing- but I do remember finding a Genesis with the hookups for maybe 10 dollars as a younger child. Places like Goodwill are pretty good, though. I got three NES games and a PSX game for about six dollars- flea markets and Slackers stores would charge maybe 50 dollars for all the games. And, they all work and are in nice shape. You can also try and bargain with them, but don't go too low.

[betamax001]

I wish there was a good flea market by me...the closest one is one in Richmond. And it SUCKS. It seriously is a junk market filled with dusty broken crap. The video games they have there are MAJORLY over priced. I mean 10 bucks for SMB/DH???

"The scary part is that I bought it >.<"

[retroman]

hell yeah...you can find all sorts of older stuff...get it cheap also if someone dont know what its worth...i have found lots of stuff at flea markets for dirt cheap...one of the best places to look for the prices..

[The 1 2 P]

I haven't been to a flea market in awhile but there was usually a decent selection of classic games there. Of course the prices vary heavily from vendor to vendor. Luckily, even the high price sellers will sometimes let you talk them down in price alittle bit. But not all of them are like that.

[duffmanth]

I wish there was a good flea market by me...the closest one is one in Richmond. And it SUCKS. It seriously is a junk market filled with dusty broken crap. The video games they have there are MAJORLY over priced. I mean 10 bucks for SMB/DH???

"The scary part is that I bought it >.<"

This is unfortunately what most of the flea markets around my area are like. Nothing but dusty old shit for the most part.

[duffmanth]

I haven't been to a flea market in awhile but they was usuallya decent selection of classic games there. Of course the prices vary heavily from vendor to vendor. Luckily, even the high price sellers will sometimes let you talk them down in price alittle bit. But not all of them are like that.


Yeah I guess I'm gonna have to get to a flea market in the near future and check it out for myself. Hopefully if I find something that I want, and it's a bit pricey, maybe I will have some luck in talking them down on the price? That's rarely the case at the indy stores around here. It blows my mind how stubborn these places are when it comes to knocking a few bucks off a game! Some of these places have been sitting on the same inventory forever, at the same prices. I've offered numerous times to buy certain games, like a used Silent Hill 3 for $40 (I later got off ebay for $20 in mint condition : ), if they knock $10 off, but they won't do anything for me. Needless to say, I rarely go into these places anymore.

[Shadow Kisuragi]

I'm an oddball when it comes to the haggling. I typically buy a large lot when I first go to a new store. I get to know the owner/manager, talk with them a bit, grab a large lot, and they'll give me a discount for buying the large lot of games typically. Then, when I come back, I'll start buying smaller lots and still get the discounts because they know I'll be willing to come back and buy their stock.

For many of my common places now, I usually get Buy2Get1 deals now because I help them move stagnant stock, and 10% off or more on the total deal. It's just about getting to know the people and having them work for you.

The Flea Market is great for this as well. You can play off competing vendors by price-checking items you want. At my Flea Market, one vendor is a collector downsizing his personal collection to get his store running and another is a reseller trying to maximize his profit. The collector only has Battlesphere Gold left to complete his Jaguar collection and the reseller has 2 copies, but he's holding it over the collector's head until he gets something rare in that he wants.

Needless to say, I get great discounts at the collector's store because I'm a fellow collector and I get great discounts at the reseller's store because I get a finder's fee for Craigslist and other finds.

Know and embrace the vendors, as you can get great deals and guarantee that you'll at least come away with something.

[understatement]

I don’t understand why most everyone says to stay away from the “dedicated vendors”. If you go enough (every weekend or every other weekend) you will know what sales and what doesn’t. If what doesn’t sale is something you want after a month or so you can just about name your price and if it’s more than what they paid for it (more than likely it will be) they will sale and if they don’t just walk away but keep coming back and asking about it. At some point they’ll see that it won’t sale and write it off (to you).

I’ve got a lot of things like that 2X TG16 one with a turbo buster on it for $15, CIB Mega Man 5 for $10, CIB Saturn Magic Knight Rayearth for $15, and a lot more.

Never try this on things the masses know about like: Mario’s, Killer Instinct’s, Donkey Kong’s, and the like will always be over priced at the “dedicated vendors” because the masses will buy them at that price when they don’t know where to get them for cheaper.

Like what Kisuragi said its about knowing the person and knowing what stock they’re willing to go down on and what they’re not. Although I have never got the kind of offers I give to work at a store no matter how much I spend at it.

[mobiusclimber]

Flea markets are pretty much always hit and miss. There aren't any around Seattle and the closest ones tend to have overpriced resellers. I don't even bother. But it really depends on your area. Flea markets, yard sales and Craigslist can be great or useless, all depend on your location.

[The 1 2 P]

I don’t understand why most everyone says to stay away from the “dedicated vendors”. If you go enough (every weekend or every other weekend) you will know what sales and what doesn’t. If what doesn’t sale is something you want after a month or so you can just about name your price and if it’s more than what they paid for it (more than likely it will be) they will sale and if they don’t just walk away but keep coming back and asking about it. At some point they’ll see that it won’t sale and write it off (to you).

Although thats how you would envision an ideal selling atmosphere to be like, this is hardly the case for some sellers. I could easily point to many ebay sellers who have had the same items listed at the same buy it now price for years. But since we are talking about flea markets and thrift stores I'll keep it based on that. However, sometimes it's pretty much the same case. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has gone to certain vendors who have the same items month after month, year after year. Every few weeks you try and talk them down a bit and even reason with them that if they don't lower their prices their items will never sell. But common sense never kicks in and they just don't get it.

Luckily, it isn't always like that and thats why I pointed out to Duffman that you can definitely try to haggle with any flea market vendors. Many are very receptive to this, while others swear they know everything about video games and will refuse to lower their prices because(and I quote) "I can get this much money if I sell this on ebay". If that were true than he wouldn't still have the same copy of Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt on his table for the 78th week in a row priced at $25:frustrated:

[Sosage]

Many are very receptive to this, while others swear they know everything about video games and will refuse to lower their prices because(and I quote) "I can get this much money if I sell this on ebay". If that were true than he wouldn't still have the same copy of Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt on his table for the 78th week in a row priced at $25:frustrated:

Here's a scenario that I see happen every once in a while: someone who doesn't do flea markets at all decides to check it out. He/She isn't into video games either. Walks by the 25 dollar SMB/DH and stops. Goes back. Picks it up. Says, "Oh man. I remember this game. Only 25 bucks? hmmmm....".

They keep it at that price for at least 2 reasons. 1, eventually that scenario plays out. 2, they don't want to get "out vendored" by someone else (the ultimate crime to a vendor is doing the same thing to them...buying their wares cheap and reselling at a higher price). Including Ebay.

[understatement]

Here's a scenario that I see happen every once in a while: someone who doesn't do flea markets at all decides to check it out. He/She isn't into video games either. Walks by the 25 dollar SMB/DH and stops. Goes back. Picks it up. Says, "Oh man. I remember this game. Only 25 bucks? hmmmm....".


Yea, that's why I stated that it will not work on the games the masses know about. A dedicated vendors will never come down on games like any Mario, Contra, Punch Out, Final Fantasy, and so on.

Also I guess it all depends on the flea market too the one I go to you have to pay a good bit ($40 and up per-day) for a booth so it's more of a "if it sits here all I do is lose money" mentality. I hate that it's so much because I sale at it every once in a while (that's where the really good deals are you won't believe what some people will sit in front of you for little to nothing) but it does keep prices down on most things.

[sniperCCJVQ]

Guys, what are "big" (big = 100+ sellers every weekend, lot of junk not just chinese crap, antiques....) flea market in the US east coast (NYC, Boston, Buffalo....)

[shopkins]

How dumb do you guys play it at the flea market? I find that with the average Joe sellers that if I show any knowledge of video games or any hint of being a collector I often get the super high price because they're worried that if I'm looking at it, it's a hidden treasure and I'm going to rip them off and flip it on eBay. I usually just walk around asking people "Got any Nintendo tapes" like I'm stupid and don't know anything about games, but that has its drawbacks too because they try to rip me off in other ways like telling me Sega CD games work on Playstation.

I also try to never let any strong interest in anything show, like I'm meh and just on the verge of putting it down and walking away even if it's one of my grails.

[PentiumMMX]

I find that with the average Joe sellers that if I show any knowledge of video games or any hint of being a collector I often get the super high price because they're worried that if I'm looking at it, it's a hidden treasure and I'm going to rip them off and flip it on eBay

I run into this with small resale shops from time to time. For example, I show up at one wearing a Zelda t-shirt, and happen to find an Atari 2600 game I had been wanting (Pitfall. Nothing impressive, but I loved that game and didn't own it yet). No prices where marked on anything, so it was whatever they felt the price should be, judging on the person buying it. Automatically, the person who runs it assumes I'm a collector (After all, nobody else but a collector would wear a shirt with a Nintendo character on it) and wants me to pay $30 for it because "it sells for 2k monies on teh eBay". Naturally, I put it back, but I show up again the next day, wearing a plain t-shirt this time. I try to buy the same game again, but this time, the price they said was $.50, because it's "worthless junk". Naturally, I buy it at that price.

That's why trying to hide the fact you're a collector when you're dealing with mom-&-pop resale shops or booths at flea markers is a must; especially when the prices are not marked. If they pick up any hint as you being a collector, they'll try to jack up the price to unrealistic highs; because they assume you'll pay top dollar for a beat-up copy of Madden '95.

[staxx]

Yeah I never show much of an expression when haggling (poker face). Namely if you show that you want the item, they will jack up the price. When I haggle, I say I'll give you so and so $XX for it and remind them that you will get money right now vs having it sit there. Plus I pull out the money and show it in their face. Another thing I do is tell them that I only have so and so cash on me. Take it or leave it (quite a few times this works out).The problem with flea market nowadays is that a lot of people recognize that there is money to be made in retrogaming. Yup I do here the "ebay sells it for $50, I'll sell it to you for $40" even though it is worth no way near that price. You do have to go to flea market early since I have seen other vendors buying from the mom and pop and try to flip it (I really hate that). Most of my collection is from flea markets though, but the mass was bought about 5 years ago. Back then, it used to be 2 for $5 and no one cared what titles they were selling. Final Fantasy, Megaman, Chronotrigger, Mario, Dragon's Quest etc all $3 each or 2 for $5. I think thrift store's is becoming a place that you should check out often as they have very decent prices in my area (example Boxed Darth Vader Atari 2600 for $6 was something I bought last week).

[duffmanth]

I run into this with small resale shops from time to time. For example, I show up at one wearing a Zelda t-shirt, and happen to find an Atari 2600 game I had been wanting (Pitfall. Nothing impressive, but I loved that game and didn't own it yet). No prices where marked on anything, so it was whatever they felt the price should be, judging on the person buying it. Automatically, the person who runs it assumes I'm a collector (After all, nobody else but a collector would wear a shirt with a Nintendo character on it) and wants me to pay $30 for it because "it sells for 2k monies on teh eBay". Naturally, I put it back, but I show up again the next day, wearing a plain t-shirt this time. I try to buy the same game again, but this time, the price they said was $.50, because it's "worthless junk". Naturally, I buy it at that price.

That's why trying to hide the fact you're a collector when you're dealing with mom-&-pop resale shops or booths at flea markers is a must; especially when the prices are not marked. If they pick up any hint as you being a collector, they'll try to jack up the price to unrealistic highs; because they assume you'll pay top dollar for a beat-up copy of Madden '95.

Yeah there's a local game store that does the same thing. They have a few display cases full of what they consider to be rare games, which some aren't really, and none of them are priced. You ask them how much a certain game is, and one of the sales clerks will go over and ask another one what the price is, and they have a little quiet discussion and pull any random price out of thin air. I laughed my ass off one time when they told me $100 for a black label FFVIII...which I found two days later for $14.99 at a pawnshop.

[armonigann]

Ive definately found my best deals at the fleas and the ole' Craiglist..Ebay sux monkey nuts unless you buy lots or win an undercover auction.