Salvation Army, do you have any luck there?

[PDorr3]

I'm pretty fortunate that I have a goodwill 5 min drive away from my house, and a salvation army 10 seconds down there road from there. I have yet to actualy go into the salvation army, and I was wondering if any of you have actualy had any luck in there, and if people actualy bring their games to trhem instead of goodcwill, as my mom tells me that salvation army is nothing but clothes and furniture.

Theres also a small thrift store inbetween both of them, which I moight check out as well. 3 thrift stores all right next to eachother...and I have only gone in goodwill.

[DJ_DEEM]

i've personally had all my best finds at a salv, hell all my neo games came from a salv for $4 each, ive gotten numerous games for every systems. It's good to make friends with the d00ds who work there as part of there community service becasue if you tell them to hold all the game stuff and give em 10$ they will load you up hahahahha thats the way me and aaron7 do it hahahaha salv rocks!!!

[PDorr3]

thats a good idea, lol but I doubt I would do that. I will be sure to check it out tomorrow then

[Cirrus]

Basically, I had the same question about thrift stores in general, and I got a few comments.

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=50689&

There's the thread. In general, I have had little luck. I recently tried the salvation army and she had a bunch of nintendo carts behind the counter. I had to buy 11 for 15 dollars and I could mix and match. Unfortunately, there weren't even 2 games I felt like picking up. All junk. I'm sure you could get lucky, but from the 20 or so visits to those stores in the last six months, I have had no luck at all.

[-hellvin-]

Never had luck at this store. They always seem to be selling all this mass amounts of headphones or something weird when I go in there and a bunch of old 8 tracks and records. Only thing I ever found at any of the locations I've visited was Contra for 3 bucks.

[Muscelli]

i scored a nes there for 10 dollars, and i shoved a random cartridge in the port, then closed the cartridge door... so a nes and tmnt 3 for 10 bux, not bad!

[Emily]

I used to live in Oregon, and their are a shit load of GoodWills and Salvation Armies, but I was too poor. I couldnt afford much + I wasnt into games at the time. But, I found Soooo many games up there, damnit.
Next time I go up their Ill hit em up,and Ill visit BillyGalaxies store: you rock dude!

[grimbal]

I hit my local S.A. a couple times a month but in the last six months I've only gotten one decent haul. And they are way overpriced but still I go "just in case" ;)

[unbroken]

i dont have any luck at my local salvation army, best thing i ever found was a loose secret of mana for 8$, and that took weeks of going there almost everyday. though, my friends have found some good deals there, like a toploader for 20$, ive seen some games there every once in awhile, but for some reason ive had better luck at the crappier thrift stores.

[FlufflePuff]

I've probably been in 15 or so different Salvs between 3 states and I've yet to find anything I wanted to buy. I occasionally find loose systems, but they are always overpriced and in terrible condition. I rarely find games, and they are always behind the counter and are usually dirt commons like SMB and Combat. I've pretty much stopped going and focused my attention on Goodwill, Value Village, and Savers.

[Emily]

You just have to be persistant! Its all about being in the right place at the right time. x_x

[PDorr3]

how many times a week do you guys hit up goodwill?

[DigitalSpace]

Hit up the Goodwill, Salvation Army, and that other thrift store as much as you can. You never know what you may find if you don't check them out.

[Jibbajaba]

I have found some decent stuff at Salvation Army. By far the worst thrift store chain for me has been Goodwill. Unfortunately the Salvation Army here in town closed recently, but I had found numerous NES and Genesis games there, a Genesis cartridge storage drawer, a boxed and complete Auto Race handheld, atari computer carts, and once they even had a stack of PS2 games! I also find their prices to be the most reasonable, and they have a rule that if an item is there in the store for a certain about of time (like two or three weeks) the price starts dropping. If you live that close to one, you should defintely be going in there on a regular basis checking for stuff.

Chris

[Charlesaway]

Almost all thrifting involves timing and pure chance.

Myself personally, I have picked up many excellent finds at the Sally Anne. Like a Coleco Telstar Arcade for $1.99. Or loose NES games for $0.99. Boxed complete SNES games (Breath of Fire II, FF: MQ, Realm, Earthbound) for $1.99 each or LESS (Earthbound was $0.69).

But, if I were to guess, I bet I visit these places 10 times more often than I actually get anything. In any given month, I probably make 100 or more visits to thrift stores. I add about 30-40 things to my collection every month.

Best of luck, and always keep hunting. :)

[kainemaxwell]

Sometimes I have luck there. It's been pretty dry there but on occasion there's a basket of various games I usually root through for any to keep or to buy to sell later.

[retroman]

never looked..

[Aussie2B]

I have a Salvation Army a couple blocks from my house. I've only been in there 2 or 3 times since September, but I'm lazy and the place smells like dead, old people. They had a fair amount of game stuff, though, but it was mostly overpriced. However, I did buy a minty complete Golden Axe for $5 and the official US-released Parasite Eve II OST for about $3. So yeah, I'd say Salvation Army stores are worth checking from time to time.

[esquire]

With the Salvation Army you have to religiously check them every week. Sure, many times there's nothing more than Genesis sports games and overpriced Atari 2600 commons, but the last few times I've been there I have scored the following:

Sealed Atari 2600 BMX Air Master (R6 at Atari Age) $1.49
King's Quest IV complete for the PC $2.99
Black Sega Sports Dreamcast $10 and assorted DC games at $2 a piece
Various Sega Saturn games for $2 - $3 including In The Hunt, Sonic Blast and Virtual On
Wireless Sega Saturn Controllers $3

Another thing with Salvation Army is that they frequently have 50% sales.

The key is patience, because the one time you don't go, you'll probably miss out on something.

[Cryomancer]

I get complete, older PC games at mine a lot. They recentely starter wrapping them in plastic with the case wrapped around itself, so you can see everything inside, and therefore no price sticker to rip off the box either. they were also in the random section, which gets half off sales now and then. Only bad part of that is you can't see what condition the cover is in, but hell, $2 complete PC games...

[vintagegamecrazy]

Goodwill generally usually produces decent stuff, Salvation Army is thin, I have found some decent stuff but it is so rare that I do. Most of my time is spent at Goodwill.

[yoursisterspretty]

there's this really scary Salvation Army that's kind of in the bad part of town. its in this really old building with hardly any lights and its just crappy and really dirty all the way throughout. i just felt so out of place there. i found zero game related items (well hardly anything electronic). i know i should go back everyonce in a while just to check, but i usually have my baby daughter with me and I just don't want to take her some place like that. i think we'll just stick to the nice old Goodwill that sometimes gets items in (they had 2 DC games for $5 added recently so I know they get stuff, I'm just not hitting at the right time...).

[Chainsaw_Charlie]

i go to one every day and pick up 2-3 things a week

[EnemyZero]

ive had a few finds, i got a boxed atari 2600 with 8 complete games for 15 bucks, and theres another one that doesnt accually display there games out they hide them behind a glass case with a cardboard cover so u cant see them...so thats good for collectors who accually ask....i usually walk out with 5-10 games a week for 67 cents a pop

[autobotracing]

I never have any luck at the sally .

All they ever have is a bunch of old speakers and those old school stereo holders with the glass doors on it.


Now goodwill I hit at least every other day .I usually dont get anything but once every 2 -3 weeks though .

[grayejectbutton]

I've never had any luck at the Salvation Army. Goodwill is way better, IMHO, but it also depends which member of staff priced the items. Their games are MEANT to be $2.99 each but usually they are priced at $4.99 and the woman behind the counter throws a fit if I dare to suggest the games are overpriced. I did score a Castlevania IV and Rock n Roll Racing for $5 each...also scored some Genny stuff there before, but nothing major. It's kind of hard to take Goodwill seriously when they want $25 for a barebones Genesis, especially now they've stopped accepting returns.

Quick tip: always check the book section. You might find some gaming-related stuff.

[Kamino]

It's so hit and miss with me.
I'm currently in one of my "Screw it" spells, not checking.
In 6 or so months of looking, I dragged out 3 systems and maybe 30 games. Only item worth the hunt was a pong system.

[BIGMIKE]

every once in awhile i would pop in and find something. best thing i got there was an intellivision for $3 , oh, and then they closed down :(

[slip81]

I hardly ever find any game related stuff at SA, and when I do it's all commons. I don't know how good Goodwills are because there aren't any in my area.

[SegaAges]

somebody already said it, getting good things at a thrift store is pure luck and chance. the more you go there, the better your chances are. i have had normal finds (genesis sports games and such), but if you frequent them enough, a good deal will come in. i know it is not as rare as the us version, but i scores a jap dbgt:final bout for like 1.99 or something. actually, over the weekend i hit it up and scored 8 2600 games for .99 a piece.

i go about once every other week, and almost always find absolutely nothing. there are times when there is good stuff, but you will never know until you check.

[snorter]

Never found any decent hardware or software at the Salvation Army ... just underwear. Cheap, looks brand new, and fits great! The only drawback was the "Bill Clinton" stamped in the waistband.

Snorter (feeling good all under!)

[aaron7]

Yah, like DEEM said, make friends with the people working there! Not the old ladies, but the other people that look like they have no place volunteering; because it is manditory community service lol

I've gotten many games there, as well as books and videos that have to do with games. Usually there isn't much, but the one I go to isn't that big either.

[Crush Crawfish]

I never find anything good at ANY type of thrift store, and yet I always check them when I can. The best thing I ever found was a complete Street Fighter 2 for Genesis for $3.99. :/

[esquire]

Never found any decent hardware or software at the Salvation Army ... just underwear. Cheap, looks brand new, and fits great! The only drawback was the "Bill Clinton" stamped in the waistband.

Snorter (feeling good all under!)

Glad to see the Genesis Collective is back up and running. It's my favorite site, next to DP that is. :)

[josekortez]

The Salvation Army down the block from my job mismarks items pretty often, so I wait to stock up. That's how I got 12 loose NES carts at 50 cents each and 6 boxed or loose Genesis games for $2.80 total there.

[gamemaster5378]

At the S.A. near my house they dident have a THING. Not 1 video game.

[grayejectbutton]

At the S.A. near my house they dident have a THING. Not 1 video game.

I know the feeling. I've only ever once seen video games in my local SA and those were all common Gennys. Goodwill is, in my opinion, infinately better. You just have to be prepared to put up with the smell. :/ (Well someone had to say it!)

[PDorr3]

well I just made my firsrt stop at SA, I made a topic on it view it here:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=52710

[Dimitri]

There's six thrift stores within a bout four blocks near where I live, and if any of them ever have game stuff they're always picked clean before I get a chance to look around. Stopped in three shops today and all I found was Wolfenstein 3D manual and Dragon's Lair 3 for the Mac...I didn't even know there was a 2, much less a 3. Needless to say, I didn't buy any of it, spent the money on lunch instead. :roll:

[Nesmaster]

hell yeah ive had luck, as well as bad luck (due to missing things by a couple minutes). for the most part they suck but ive got some great stuff there.

Action 52 complete
14 nes games for $30
complete snes Zelda LTTP
and other stuff that slipped my mind... i do however remember missing a complete chrono trigger for $4.99 by a few mins, as well as both breath of fires complete :(

[Slate]

I find stuff at SA every now and then.

I got a Mint nes with all hookups & game for $6. Also i got an odyssey 2 with 30 games (Most had manuals, Half of the batch had MINT boxes) for $5.

They can be pricey With some items, But going there pays off.

[SuperNES]

i never have luck there, but then again i dont go to thrift stores very often. igot super mario/duck hunt at some thrift storre, and i almost bought a n64 wood-grain game rack(it was falling apart) for 5 bucks.