Be a good citizen...help a noobie collector!

[Sebastian]

Sup guys&gals… I just got into RETRO game collecting. I was thinking of getting into this “business” by starting a SNES collection a long time ago – but never got to it. Then I finally did when we were talking about random stuff with friends and the conversation got to SNES (somehow.) Anyway, one of my friends said they still have their old SNES in some box somewhere…so lucky me! I got my SNES for free – just few days ago.

Right now I have a nice (and very small) collection of stuff: Console, 2 controllers, 10 games. Hey! It’s a start isn’t it? Now, now…I know my “collection” might seem funny, but stop laughing for few minutes and help me out! I need tips about game collecting (SNES to be specific). I’m totally new to this. How to buy? Where to buy? What to buy? What are good books or sites about SNES collecting? Any other general tips? & anything and everything u think a noobie game collector should learn. Plizz help!

Thanks =]

[GrayFox]

Look at thrift shops.
Check out local places that sell 'retro' video games.
Look on Ebay for good prices. Yeah, this will be tough, especially with Snes games.
Look at rummages.


Search everywhere!

[potatobob]

Buy cheap at flea markets, yardsales, look in the paper, thrift stores. Anywhere where people are trying to get rid of stuff they don't want.

[badinsults]

I have got about 60% of my snes collection from snes packages on ebay. If you wait it out enough, you can get some really good deals.

[max 330 mega]

buy a neogeo instead and watch your snes look like an atari :D
sorry, had to do it.

if there is a store called gamecrazy near you , they are at this moment doing a buy 2 get 1 free on all older systems, so if you can , go load up on snes carts quick!

[Sebastian]

thanks guys...all great tipis; well except for the neogeo thing LOL

Got anymore? :P

[vision89]

Well, the first thing you'll want to decide is what type of gamer are you? Do you want to collect for the SNES solely? Or do you want to collect for any and every system? Then you'll need to decide whether you want complete collections for the systems you collect for, or whether you just want the games you know you will play. Last you need to decide whether you want games cart only, or complete. If you don't mind shelling out the cash then Ebay is probably the #1 place to shop. Many of the local game stores still take in and sell SNES games. Sometimes you can find good deals at the local game stores though many times they are just as high if not higher than ebay. The good thing about game stores is that you get to walk out with the game right there, there's no waiting for it to be shipped y'know! The bad thing is most game stores throw away the boxes and manuals and sell the games cart only. Next there's always the flea market,thrift stores and yard sales. In my experience flea market vendors tend to charge a lot for games many times, though there are usually a few reasonable vendors and many times there are people selling games at pretty low prices. Thrift stores tend to be hit and miss, and the same goes for yard sales only worse. There are days where you'll hit 25 yard sales and not find anything and days where you'll hit 2 yard sales and find the deal of a lifetime. These are also a good time to find items to use for trade. Then there is the buying and selling page here on digital press. People on this site tend to be very fair and also very reasonable in their transactions. The buying and selling page is also a good spot to trade off some of those unwanted items youmanage to dig up, for some items you want. It's also a good idea to look at the bottom of people's posts "hint hint" as many times they will have a link to their trade page and are usually very fair to trade with. Hope this helps ;)

[Sebastian]

sorry for my stupidity...but what exactly are thrift stores?

[potatobob]

sorry for my stupidity...but what exactly are thrift stores?

WAWAWAWAWA! The salvation amry.

[Sebastian]

Yea...well, I would prefer if u just answered my question LOL

[gamergary]

New Jersey is pretty dried up since at least 50 people on this board are currently in New Jersey right now (me included). Best bet is to get what is left at Gamestop before they get rid of their snes stock which they are in the process of doing right now. Just have fun while you are playing the games and the search will be worth it to you.

[Sebastian]

don't you think the prices at gamestop are a bit of a ripoff?

[vision89]

Depends on the game. Right now they are doing the buy 2 get one free so it's not too bad. I once got a copy of Castlevania: Legends there for $12, I thought that was a pretty good deal. You also get a certain percentage off if you have a Gamestop membership card which helps. So yeah, their prices usually are high, but there are some reasonable deals also.

[vision89]

Just a side note here, you will find rip off prices wherever you go. Flea markets, yard sales, game stores, thrift stores, ebay. There's a guy at a flea market I frequent that has a boxed Super Famicom system there every week and he's asking $350 for it, he also has a boxed x'eye and is asking $160, I think those are rip off prices, which is why I don't buy from him. I've gone to yard sales where the prices would make ebay look like a yard sale. Thrift stores that will mark an item a given price without any idea what it is. Ebay sellers sometimes mark prices with ridiculous bins hoping to lure in some rich newb. Rip offs are everywhere, look past them and that is where you'll find the deals.

[Sebastian]

wow this topic is getting very helpfull...i might even print it out or something.

Come to think of it - maybe there should be a noob-friendly section on DP with a collection of tips, guides, info, "starting up" ideas, colecting tactics/ideas....and everything and anything noob related.

I think this would be really helpfull, expecially that I think a community of very advanced collectors scares a lot of newbie people away.

[AFGiant]

I haven't been a collector long myself, but when I decided to get started, I all ready had a nice background in gaming and a decent little pile of games to go on (about 200 for various systems). From my time at DP and my short time in collecting, here's what I've come up with (some of this is summary from the above posts):

1. Thrift stores and charities, meaning Salvation Army, Goodwill, and any of those type of places
2. Flee markets/yard sales. Apparently, there can be some good deals to be had here. Check any and all.
3. Trading, swapping, buying and selling from other collectors. You might just find what you're looking for.
4. Gamestop, EBGames, Gamecrazy (if your local one didn't happen to dump their games :o ), Microplay/Megaplay, and any such stores. I've seen and purchased some pretty decent cartridges at my local EBGames. Don't be afraid to shell out a few dollars for something you want. It's only money. You'll get more of it.
5. Ebay or other online sites. Deals to be had there.
6. This isn't a collecting tip, but a DigitPress tip. You've been respectful so far, and that's great. I was when I came in and I love this community. It's just like any other decent message board etiquette: you don't purposely try to make people angry. This is a great site. I'm sure you'll fit in here just fine. :)

[Sebastian]

I'm sure you'll fit in here just fine.

Thanks man


1. Thrift stores and charities, meaning Salvation Army

Wow :eek 2: I was thinking the "salvation army" was a joke...when the first guy mentioned it (look far above)
LOL....silly me

[AFGiant]

Wow :eek 2: I was thinking the "salvation army" was a joke...when the first guy mentioned it (look far above)
LOL....silly me

:D
When I first heard this, I was a bit skeptical myself. But I went anyway, and lo and behold, there was a stack of NES/Genesis/SNES games for $1.99 each. There are better bargains there than you would think. The only thing is, it's a hit or miss deal. One day there might be nothing and the next day some mother might have donated her son's entire videogame collection when he went off to college or something. It's all luck.

[pixelsnpolygons]

I was going to post a similar question, but I think I'll just thread-jack this one as the info might be helpful for you too.

Is there a good place to find boxed SNES games? Probably the same places as listed above - but I thought I heard a few years ago that various game conventions are full of people with boxes of boxed games that they got from liquidators or something. So would conventions be the best place to get a good selection of boxed NES, SNES and N64 games?

[potatobob]

I'm sure you'll fit in here just fine.

Thanks man


1. Thrift stores and charities, meaning Salvation Army

Wow :eek 2: I was thinking the "salvation army" was a joke...when the first guy mentioned it (look far above)
LOL....silly me

That's right silly you.

[AFGiant]

I was going to post a similar question, but I think I'll just thread-jack this one as the info might be helpful for you too.

Is there a good place to find boxed SNES games? Probably the same places as listed above - but I thought I heard a few years ago that various game conventions are full of people with boxes of boxed games that they got from liquidators or something. So would conventions be the best place to get a good selection of boxed NES, SNES and N64 games?

Having never been to a convention, I can't answer that for you. You'll have to wait for a more experienced collector to answer that for you. However, I can give two tips.

1. Yard sales are good for finding boxed games. They're better than stores most of the time. You might find some there.
2. For boxed N64 games, it'd be worthwhile to check out a Blockbuster or maybe some independant videostore. They sell N64 games oftentimes, and they're frequently boxed.

[vision89]

Wow I was thinking the "salvation army" was a joke
Nope, it's as real as you and I. There's also Goodwill and St. Vincet DePaul(that may be just in my area, I'm not sure). You know you can also try going to local auctions to find games. I've had people tell me they've done very well at auctions but in my experience they suck. Everything I've ever bought at an auction has been broken. The only good deal I got was when I showed up early. The auctioneer had a bunch of his items stored inside an NES Deluxe set box, you know, the one with R.O.B the robot on it. I asked him if he'd just sell me the box and he let me have it for $1, since that was enough to get him a Coke.

[pixelsnpolygons]

Much appreciated, AFGiant! :)

[Balloon Fight]

I haven't been a collector long myself, but when I decided to get started, I all ready had a nice background in gaming and a decent little pile of games to go on (about 200 for various systems). From my time at DP and my short time in collecting, here's what I've come up with (some of this is summary from the above posts):

1. Thrift stores and charities, meaning Salvation Army, Goodwill, and any of those type of places
2. Flee markets/yard sales. Apparently, there can be some good deals to be had here. Check any and all.
3. Trading, swapping, buying and selling from other collectors. You might just find what you're looking for.
4. Gamestop, EBGames, Gamecrazy (if your local one didn't happen to dump their games :o ), Microplay/Megaplay, and any such stores. I've seen and purchased some pretty decent cartridges at my local EBGames. Don't be afraid to shell out a few dollars for something you want. It's only money. You'll get more of it.
5. Ebay or other online sites. Deals to be had there.
6. This isn't a collecting tip, but a DigitPress tip. You've been respectful so far, and that's great. I was when I came in and I love this community. It's just like any other decent message board etiquette: you don't purposely try to make people angry. This is a great site. I'm sure you'll fit in here just fine. :)

Well done. Let me stress on some though and add some more.

1. Thrift stores, etc. - I personally never find anything in thrifts but it seems like on the east coast there are finds to be had. Check them twice a week and you will score regularly.

2. Flea markets/yard sales. - This is my turf. Local flea markets are the BEST thing for games imo. I have gotten at least 1/2 of my collection from them.

3. Trading, etc - This site is EXCELLENT for trading. I've done at least 40+ deals on here and have had great transactions everytime. There are also other good sites to work deals on (atariage is decent too).

4. Game conventions. - Since you are on the east coast, Philly Classic would be a great place to trade/work out deals with others. Other collectors also hold get togethers to trade/relax/play games. Christianscott holds a great convention every 6 months or so.

5. Get the DP Guide Advance - This book has the best SNES guide out there with Rarities/pricing/notes/fun facts/whatever. A must buy.

6. Ebay is also a great tool. Learn how to use it wisely and it will pay off.

[Aussie2B]

For boxed N64 games, it'd be worthwhile to check out a Blockbuster or maybe some independant videostore. They sell N64 games oftentimes, and they're frequently boxed.

I find that while they often have boxed games, they quite frequently lack the manual. Video rental places usually aren't the greatest places to get complete games.

[Sebastian]

ok this topic is 100% going into my printer...and I bet I'm not the only one who can use it. Or am I the only noob here X_x

Anyway dont u ppl think this should be a sticky? Would help a lot if more helpfull collectos (and noobies) saw it. Just an idea.

Anyway I'm thinking about geting a dreamcast. Any ideas where to get stuff for that machine? and what is a reasonable price to pay for a dreamcast in good condition (working and with no cracks and other visual spoils)

[vision89]

I believe a lot of game stores still carry Dreamcasts and they usually sell them pretty cheap. I know my local EB only asks something like $20 for theirs, which is usually cheaper then what flea market vendors ask. Just be sure to save your receipt as they are usually refurbished and untested. You will find Dreamcast games in all the places previously mentioned.

[Sebastian]

ok another question. When is a collection complete?

Is it when you get 1 CD for every single game...
For example if there is a JAP, US, and EU versions u only get one.

Is it when you get all CDs from all areas?
example if there is a JAP, US, and EU you buy all 3

Is it when u get all CDs from all areas and all editions?
that is - if there is a "greateast hit" or "gamer's choice" series of the game u must also have it.

[Sebastian]

as much as I hate bumping...i have to in order to bring this to someone's atention. Can some1 pliz answer the question above?

[norkusa]

as much as I hate bumping...i have to in order to bring this to someone's atention. Can some1 pliz answer the question above?

It really can't be answered because it's a totally subjective question. A collection is complete whenever you think it is. Some people think getting a complete collection means picking up just the domestic releases. Other say imports too.

It's whatever you decide to go for.

[v1rich]

I collect only SNES and a couple of NES games.

When I started my goal was to have my collection pay for itself, ie buy extra stuff and sell it for a profit to pay for what I am keeping. So I found what had the highest demand and prices and bought extra of that and sold when the market was high (christmas and right after).

Digital Press (this site) has a great rarity list.

Amazon.com has the ability to browse through their entire list of SNES games (like 32 pages of them). I found that really helpful when I started collecting. If you can get a good idea of prices for games you can know when you are getting a good deal.

Ebay has a feature that allows you to save searches and get an email when a new item is listed that matches the search. The only drawbacks from this are that it has to be in a certain category (games vs systems) to be effective and that only about 10 matching items come in the email (you have to go to ebay to view the results if there are more than 10 items). I have put some searches in both category locations (games and systems). This is a very helpful feature if you are trying to get hard to find stuff.

Half.com has a feature that allows you to put in pre orders for a game at a price you set to encourage new listers to sell the game to you for the price you set. That has worked for me twice but it worked out really really good. Got a complete Aero Fighters for $30.00 which is a great price for that game considering it is never listed for sale that I have ever seen (amazon and half.com). Seen it at auction twice but never complete.

Half.com also has a feature that allows you to save games to a wishlist and receive an email when a new one is listed. It is kind of buggy sometimes but it has worked for me enough to be worth the time. Also it is cool to have a wishlist page where you can see all the games you want and the current lowest price for it.

Amazon.com also has a wishlist feature although they won't email you when new items are listed. You just have to go back every now and then and check on it.

Some of my favorite ebay searches:
in games, super nintendo:
box
boxed
instructions
book
manual
complete
new
sealed
guide

In systems:
"games"
guide

In Accessories, Strategy guides:
I just search on blank and browse the entire section.

Good strategy for ebay - Search for things 3 days in the future (minimum legit auction listing time) and add to your watch list. Bid on the last day of the auction listing if you are still interested. That way you are searching only every 3 days but you can just view your watch list items every day and decide if you want to bid on any of them. Buying lots is a good way to get resale stuff but there is stiff competition and the prices go a lot higher now than they did when I started so I have stopped doing that. Also in the late summer lots seem to go for a lower price than at other times of the year.

LOL I just realized I am teaching you how to be an ebay fanatic like me! On second thought maybe you should not spend that much time on ebay. LOL

[anagrama]

as much as I hate bumping...i have to in order to bring this to someone's atention. Can some1 pliz answer the question above?

There's no hard & fast rules about collecting, and there's no 'right' way or 'wrong' way. Some people try for a full library, others think they're crazy for buying so many crap games ('cos every system has them).

Collect what appeals to you, and don't think there's a rulebook. We're all here because we enjoy games afterall...

[Sniderman]

When is a collection complete? Define "collection." Take the Atari 2600. Do you want:
- All games ever released worldwide?
- All games released only in the US?
- All games released by one specific company (ie, all the Activision releases or all the Mystique releases)?
- All label variations (some games were released with both picture and text labels, as well as silver and later red-label releases, ergo, multiple carts of the same game just to make sure you have all of the label variations)?
- All games of a particular genre (ie, all Realsports titles, all arcade adaptations, etc.)?
- All games in their original packaging with boxes and instructions, or just loose carts?

In other words, YOU must define what you want your collection to be defined as. What do YOU want to do? Do you plan to collect just the games you're gonna play and enjoy? or do you plan to collect ALL of the game, even the incredibly sh!tty ones that will only sit on a shelf and gather dust?

Collecting is subjective. Just like comic books. Do you collect "all of the comics that ever featured Gambit" or do you collect "all of the comic books Marvel has ever printed since 1962?" There's a big farkin' difference. Define what YOU want rather than asking any of us how WE define a collection. Collections are personal. You shouldn't have to have US define it for you.

As a follow-up, do NOT bump a thread after only 24 hours has passed without an answer. Bumping is fine, but give folks some time to reply before your impatience gets the best of you. The "bumpity-bumpity-bumpity-answer-me-dammit" game is a sure-fire way to make sure NO ONE answers. Thanks.

[maxlords]

Yeah, a "complete" collection is mostly a myth. For myself, I don't buy every game for a system. I only buy the ones I like to play. I'd consider a collection complete when I had every game for the system that I liked to play. Many would disagree with me though.


And yes, one of the BEST sources for games cheap are thrift stores and pawn shops like:

Salvation Army
St. Vincent De Paul
Goodwill
Value Village
any local pawn shop

If you go and check with em every few days, you'll eventually find some good stuff. There will be stiff competition in your area tho :)

[Sebastian]

thank you guys....u have been the most helpfull. To this time I believed that there is some general RULE on what a complete collection is.