Thrift stores raising prices in response to Ebay "flipp

[Anthony1]

Man, in my local area it appears that all the various thrft stores that I've been to have increased their prices quite a bit. When I first got into retrogaming I started hitting up thrift stores with great regularity. I was always on the thrift hunt. So I got a pretty good feel for the prices.

Then I started to move away from the collection side of the deal, and became more of a strict gamer.


Recently I've started to hit the thrifts again, looking for extra systems, and a possible huge find, and I've noticed that after not being at the thrifts for quite a few months, the prices have seem to have shot up pretty dramatically.

I talked to one lady that works at this one thrift that you used to be my favorite thrift, my No.1 thrift, and she said that all the thrifts are raising their prices because of all the "flippers" in the thrift market. She said that so many people would come to the thrifts looking for stuff to sell on Ebay or at flea markets/swap meets. They wanted to buy stuff cheap then flip it.

She said because of all the extra business they get from "flippers" they can hike up the prices and still have lots of customers buying stuff.


The bottom line in all of this crap is that stuff is so overpriced at all the thrifts I go to, it's a freaking joke.

[dojosky]

Yep I remember my old days when I first started collecting I was able to find tons of games for 50 cents each at my local goodwills yea including Boxed crazy climber for the 2600 it was onlt 50 cents plus Malagai loose for the 2600 50 cents and Many more ... but these days have to shell out $3 or even more for a Pac-Man for the 2600 or even Combat !!! :( ...

[Kroogah]

Thrift stores are getting drier and drier here. But there's always that one damn find. You know, the one that reminds you why you've been checking the place for years, and why you'll continue to check the place for years.

For a looooong time, all I ever saw at Goodwill here was random Genesis sports stuff, always around $3 each. A couple weeks ago I walk in, and walk out with a working Colecovision and 8 working games. Cost? $10.

Now I gotta deal with another few years of $3 Madden games. LOL

[Richter Belmount]

bastards

[Lemmy Kilmister]

I hear ya, dude. It always pisses me off when vendors or thrift owners try selling me something for inflated prices, to only then tell me how much money they could get off of Ebay if they sold their items there. So go ahead and sell them on Ebay then. x_x

[Bluteg]

Yeah a Goodwill Superstore about 50 miles from me does that all Atari-era games are $3.99 and 8-16 bit era are $4.99. Its always junk games and the scary thing is these damn old ladies scarf them up thinking they are gonna make a fortune on ebay. This place can't even keep $3.99 Combats on the shelf, they are always gone in a day or less. O_O

[-hellvin-]

I'd agree on systems, but every once in a while I will find a decent game for a price which is usually much lower than I'd pay in any game store. So, ya know, it's hit and miss.

[G4MZ0v3R]

Yeah its funny to see all those 4.99$ Mario/Duck Hunts laying around. Right next to a R4-5 title for the same. I try and keep a straight face when I go to the counter :D

[Griking]

Ebay or not I think the reason that thrift stores raise their prices is simply because they can and people will still buy the used games there. Only when they get to the point where they don't sell any more will they have a reason to lower their prices. Otherwise why should they?

[Spartacus]

I stopped at a local Pawn shop last week and picked out several games I'm looking for, brought them to the counter and the first thing he say's is "Are you selling those on Ebay?" That's a comment I'm starting to hear more and more of lately whenever I bring several games to the counter for purchase. Even from places like Blockbuster and EB games where the employee's don't even set the prices. "Just a hobby" I always say, "Like collecting stamps or coins". Disbelief is the usual attitude I receive, but in this guy's case it almost seemed like open hostility.

[pookninja]

yep,ive noticed the same thing about the thrift stores in my area as well.what happends is,all the good stuff gets bought,and the thrift store(especially goodwill)are left with quite a few mario/ duckhunts,sonic 2,and old sports games that nobody wants to pay 2-5 dollars for.one of the goodwills i always like going to,used to sell all nes/genesis/snes.atari carts for 75 cents.now there all 2-4 dollars.because of that,they now have about 15 genesis sports games just laying there,taking up space,because no one is buying them,not even on half off day.

[Flack]

If the cashier asks "are you gonna eBay those?" it's only because she hears it all day long. I'm sure there are a steady stream of people coming in and buying stuff for the sole purpose of reselling it.

I've had the occasional cashier mention eBay to me too. I just usually tell them, "no, I still have my old Atari, as well as about 30 other gaming systems all hooked up and ready to go! Games are for playing!" or something like that. Half the time the cashier will break into a story about games they remember playing as well.

The best is if you find an old system or something, I've had people start conversations with me while I'm in line holding an Atari 2600 or a NES.

[GamblinMonkey]

I've pretty much given up on thrift stores around here. There never were many video games in them period. My usual place for finds is this big video game store that sells mostly used games. They seem to carry loads of obscure systems and games.

Their prices also aren't that bad either, that may be from the fact that I'm pretty much the only person who buys all of their old stuff. More than likely, it's because they're just as oblivious to what they really have as the pawn shops are. Just they don't look at something and automatically think it's gold where the pawn shops see plastic cartridges = $$$.

It's also always a fun time confusing the "knowledgable" sales people.

"Umm... what system is this for? I can't find it here..."
"That's because you're looking at the CDs. It's a Turbo Grafx-16 game."
"...."
"It's a little card. It just comes in a CD case."
"Oh..."

Speaking of which, I think I'll make a trip out there in a couple of hours... ;)

[jajaja]

Sux, but if you owned a store you would probly do just the same.
If you can get more money and still sell alot, why not raise the prices?

[kainemaxwell]

Local Salvation Army shop usually has games (various systems) for roughly $1-2 and sometimes higher.

[Slate]

My local goodwill still has NFL97 games for the saturn. Complete and mint, But at $8 per copy? Forget it.. They have had them since october 2004.

[drwily008]

I hear ya, dude. It always pisses me off when vendors or thrift owners try selling me something for inflated prices, to only then tell me how much money they could get off of Ebay if they sold their items there. So go ahead and sell them on Ebay then. x_x

Yeah totally pisses me of, GO SELL IT THEN MAN!

I've got this guy at a flea market by me that always says that crap! Yet, strangely his horribly priced beat up nintendo & loose genesis games are always the same week in & week out! Sell them lower to turn them over quicker! Should get the hell out of the business. I'm always so nice to him but he's rude back to me (for trying to haggle...it's a DAMN FLEA MARKET)!

[Cauterize]

I hear ya, dude. It always pisses me off when vendors or thrift owners try selling me something for inflated prices, to only then tell me how much money they could get off of Ebay if they sold their items there. So go ahead and sell them on Ebay then. x_x

Yeah totally pisses me of, GO SELL IT THEN MAN!

I've got this guy at a flea market by me that always says that crap! Yet, strangely his horribly priced beat up nintendo & loose genesis games are always the same week in & week out! Sell them lower to turn them over quicker! Should get the hell out of the business. I'm always so nice to him but he's rude back to me (for trying to haggle...it's a DAMN FLEA MARKET)!

I Saw the same today, a banged up Megadrive II for £25 with 4 loose common games... (Just sighed and walked on...)

Another point is after paying £xxx/$xxx how do we know it will work when we get home?

[JJNova]

Ebay or not I think the reason that thrift stores raise their prices is simply because they can and people will still buy the used games there. Only when they get to the point where they don't sell any more will they have a reason to lower their prices. Otherwise why should they?

Damn Supply and Demand!

:P

[vintagegamecrazy]

I hear all of you, everyone needs to shut up about ebay in thrift stores. Too many brag about selling when they shop, and they're stupid for doing that, the longer store owners and the like stay ignorant, the better it is for us as collectors and resellers. I feel for all of you that have to pay such high prices for stuff, in isn't any fun but stay faithful and it will pay off someday, it always does for me.

[drwily008]

Too many brag about selling when they shop, and they're stupid for doing that, the longer store owners and the like stay ignorant, the better it is for us as collectors and resellers.

Yes, if anyone brags about how MUCH money they are making of of these people STOP NOW! These people are not in the videogame business they are in the THRIFT business. So dont give them a reason to become game sellers.

[YoshiM]

But here's the thing: there are people willing to spend the money on those higher prices.

Yesterday the local Goodwill had an Atari 4 switch VCS with two Atari joysticks, a set of paddles and I think a third part stick (but I couldn't see a power supply or RF switch, but they could have been buried in the mess of controller cords). Price: $25 The store also had about maybe 10 or so common carts (Combat, Centipede, Night Driver, Space Invaders, Breakout, Donkey Kong and a few others I can't recall) for $3 each. As I was going through the audio tapes, three teens who could BARELY be 18 came up to the media table and began going through the carts. One of them, a girl, had the VCS bundle in hand and was giddy she had it. I don't think they were actively collecting or for selling on eBay (quotes: "Get this one [Space Invaders with picture] instead of this one [Space Invaders with just text]." "Why?" "'Cause it has a picture") moreso than possibly curiosity (quote:"Hey, they had Donkey Kong? Cool! I've got Donkey Kong on Nintendo."). Or perhaps boredom fueled by money burning a hole in the girl's pocket as they grabbed a cart and started snagging a bunch of board games.

As JJNova said: supply and demand dictates pricing. If the items sell for more than you know they are generally worth, there's no reason for the store to drop prices. A Genesis/controller combo Goodwill was selling for $15 (no hookups) about two weeks ago was reduced to $7 for the deck and $1 for the beat up controller.

[Nature Boy]

If a retailer can sell a game for $20 why wouldn't they? "Value" isn't a number printed in a book or available online. It's how much someone is willing to pay.

And the only way to lower the price is to stop buying at higher prices.

The last thing they want is a bunch of inventory sitting around *not* making money. They want to find the line between it selling too fast (i.e. too low) and not selling at all (i.e. too high).

I went to a flea market that had Atari 8-bit diskette games. Flipped through a few and saw some i'd like, figured they'd be a few bucks each and i could buy a whole wack of them. I ask the price and she said "$15 each." Did I freak out? Nope - why bother? I just put them away and say I'm not interested anymore. I bet I can go back in a year and they'll still be there - and she'll ask for less than $15 too,.

[RockyRaccoon]

I hear ya, dude. It always pisses me off when vendors or thrift owners try selling me something for inflated prices, to only then tell me how much money they could get off of Ebay if they sold their items there. So go ahead and sell them on Ebay then. x_x

Yeah totally pisses me of, GO SELL IT THEN MAN!

I've got this guy at a flea market by me that always says that crap! Yet, strangely his horribly priced beat up nintendo & loose genesis games are always the same week in & week out! Sell them lower to turn them over quicker! Should get the hell out of the business. I'm always so nice to him but he's rude back to me (for trying to haggle...it's a DAMN FLEA MARKET)!

I actually only have had one expereince with the "I Can get this much for it on Ebay" crap from one guy at a Flea Market who was only there ONCE. Nowadays theres a guy there who'll actually ask "How much is that cart?" and then immediatly will say he'll take a few dollars less for it, too...and he does AWESOME Lot prices if you buy a lot... (Example..I bought a few NES games and Super Mario RPG - Legend of the Seven Stars and a few Atari Games... payed 18 bucks for it all... Legend of the Seven Stars was 15 bucks priced alone... so I got a lotta freebies that day if ya think about it. :) ) and my friend bought a Sega Saturn there for 20 bucks (Orignally priced 25...) with TWO Included games he offered from his big Game tub when my friend did'nt wanna buy it without any games...

He says he makes more money from the RARE titles offa E-bay (So he never really has anything ULTRA Rare because of this...he knows his games...) but he does have the GOOD titles for sale. and thats how he's able to cheap out when selling at the Flea... good deal I say.

As for THRIFTS... I've never been to one, as they seem ULTRA RARE in this area. And theres no super local goodwill anymore... as both the Goodwill and Salvation Army shutdown here in "Walk in shop" Terms. I should really find a thrift shop with my friend in the local area....

So yeah....I've not had much expereince with being told "I Could make more on it from Ebay." except maybe once.

[Griking]

If a retailer can sell a game for $20 why wouldn't they? "Value" isn't a number printed in a book or available online. It's how much someone is willing to pay.

By the way, this philosophy applies towards eBay as well.

[Nature Boy]

By the way, this philosophy applies towards eBay as well.

Absolutely.

At some point I figure the popularity of retro collecting will wane, just like it does with sports cards or comics or other collectibles. And if that happens you'll be able to get your 'steals' again (although whether you'll consider them a steal in light of what the market is like at the time is another matter).

[joshnickerson]

I have my own Goodwill story. One opened up in my area around November last year, and I remember going in there several times during November and December and they would have STACKS of old NES games for like $1-$2. Most of 'em I already had, but I did find some nice gems there. I even found some old tin NES game boxes on three separate occasions. Every time I go in they'd have a fresh inventory of games and systems.

But now I go back and they barely have any good games anymore. And the ones they do have are way overpriced for my tastes. They had a Rad Racer that looked like it'd been through the wash up for four bucks. Oh well.

[Cmosfm]

Game hunting has been a pain in the ass lately, I agree, it seems as if everyone wants top dollar for there games now. Why? Because there hot on eBay. But the thing is, games are hitting an all time LOW on eBay. I can't get shit for some good common NES games anymore when I could get 5 bucks for em last year at this time. x_x

I was in a pawn shop the other day that I normally visit, have been going for the last 4 years, I know the fellow that runs it and most of the employees. I usually buy a few games when I go in there. Anyway, last time I was in there, I spotted a Final Fantasy Anthology I needed. I go to the counter and ask the guy I know to let me take a look at it. He the looks over at his other employee and says "Hey, eBay guy here needs some help". :eek 2: So just because I buy games now and again, I OBVIOUSLY sell them on eBay. :roll:

I'm getting a bit fed up over it, but eh, life goes on. It'll get better in the upcoming years when people get over there "everything sells for millions on eBay" kick.

[Darth Sensei]

Thrift stores are getting drier and drier here. But there's always that one damn find. You know, the one that reminds you why you've been checking the place for years, and why you'll continue to check the place for years.

For a looooong time, all I ever saw at Goodwill here was random Genesis sports stuff, always around $3 each. A couple weeks ago I walk in, and walk out with a working Colecovision and 8 working games. Cost? $10.

Now I gotta deal with another few years of $3 Madden games. LOL

I've given up on Thrifts completely. Even if you do find a deal such as Yash did, you still spend a ton of money on gas (and your time for that matter) continuously looking and coming up empty.

You spent several hundred dollars on that Colecovision.

[Raedon]

One good thing about higher prices locally is most people don't pay $5 for Atari 2600 games nor do they know exacly what is rare so you have a better chance of finding that R7+

[aaron7]

Ebay has ruined flea markets, yard sales, and goodwill stores. Damn Ebay. I hate it!!!

Goodwills around here NEVER have game stuff. If they do, it's beat up crap for way too much. Same with the Salvation Army, and the local pawn shops. Flea markets are getting way too much for games and even yard sales!!

There's 2 problems. First, less people are getting rid of games. Secondly, even though these games are priced double or more what they are worth, people are buying them... thus making the sellers think that they are rare or something.

So, my collecting has come to a near halt. Not many places to go and find a good find anymore :(

[LocalH]

If I went into such a shop to buy something, and the guy asked if I was going to sell them on eBay, I'd tell the guy that it's none of his damn business what I do with the game after I buy it. What, are they going to suddenly raise the price if someone says 'Yes'? Where I come from that's called bait and switch, and is illegal.

[Slate]

I was in a pawn shop the other day that I normally visit, have been going for the last 4 years, I know the fellow that runs it and most of the employees. I usually buy a few games when I go in there. Anyway, last time I was in there, I spotted a Final Fantasy Anthology I needed. I go to the counter and ask the guy I know to let me take a look at it. He the looks over at his other employee and says "Hey, eBay guy here needs some help". :eek 2: So just because I buy games now and again, I OBVIOUSLY sell them on eBay.

LOL x_x :hmm:

I'd hate to know what that person thinks i'm going to do once i buy that sega saturn...

"Are you going to sell that on ebay?"
"No, i'm going to play it. I've been looking for one for more than a year.."
"Why do you want to play it? the graphics STINK!"
"It isn't yours anymore. It's mine now. So get it through your head."

:roll:

[Griking]

If I went into such a shop to buy something, and the guy asked if I was going to sell them on eBay, I'd tell the guy that it's none of his damn business what I do with the game after I buy it. What, are they going to suddenly raise the price if someone says 'Yes'? Where I come from that's called bait and switch, and is illegal.

Firstly I don't think trh bait and switch laws apply to resellers like pawn shops, unless of course you have one that runs ads in the local paper with advertised prices. Secondly if you were to say something like that to a store owner he would have every right to refuse service to you altogether.

[esquire]

If I went into such a shop to buy something, and the guy asked if I was going to sell them on eBay, I'd tell the guy that it's none of his damn business what I do with the game after I buy it. What, are they going to suddenly raise the price if someone says 'Yes'? Where I come from that's called bait and switch, and is illegal.

No its not. "Bait and switch" is when a retailer runs an ad for Product "A" for "X" amount of dollars, and then tries to sell you Product "B" for "Y" amount of dollars (with Y being more than X) telling you that they don't have Product "X" in stock.

[PentiumMMX]

Goodwills around here NEVER have game stuff. If they do, it's beat up crap for way too much. Same with the Salvation Army, and the local pawn shops. Flea markets are getting way too much for games and even yard sales!!

There's 2 problems. First, less people are getting rid of games. Secondly, even though these games are priced double or more what they are worth, people are buying them... thus making the sellers think that they are rare or something.


I have the same problem. I can go to a yard sale and they want $30 for an N64, when I can go to Gamestop and get the same system for $20 LOL . Also, The local Goodwill is not that great, but I sometimes will find stuff I'm looking for (NES Cleaning Kit for $1.49). One time, I went to a sale and found a table with N64 games ($5.00 for NFL BLitz), A Dirty Genesis 2 System, and an Atari Plug-&-Play TV game, claming that "This is cheaper then pawn shops! At pawn shops, you have to pay sales tax! You can only get these games at a Pawn Shop!". This was 3 months after Gamestop opened x_x

...and here is the worst, I went to a yard sale and found a SNES with a Super Game Boy, Super Mario World, Mortal Kombat 1 and 2, and some other games I forgot, The ladies runing the sale where ready to make a deal with me, when (I'm guessing) the husband came out and said (In a redneck voice) "You know, $25 is a good deal!". I tried to make him go lower (I only had $10), but he would not buge, because "$25 is a good deal!"

Overall
--
Pros

+ Not as many people buying games here
--
Cons

- I cannot find an SNES anywhere under $25 :(
--
Final Words on "Thrift Store jacking up prices because of eBay":

Until thrift stores start marking down games, I'm stiching with yard sales :)

[Slate]

Goodwills around here NEVER have game stuff. If they do, it's beat up crap for way too much. Same with the Salvation Army, and the local pawn shops. Flea markets are getting way too much for games and even yard sales!!

There's 2 problems. First, less people are getting rid of games. Secondly, even though these games are priced double or more what they are worth, people are buying them... thus making the sellers think that they are rare or something.


I have the same problem. I can go to a yard sale and they want $30 for an N64, when I can go to Gamestop and get the same system for $20 LOL . Also, The local Goodwill is not that great, but I sometimes will find stuff I'm looking for (NES Cleaning Kit for $1.49). One time, I went to a sale and found a table with N64 games ($5.00 for NFL BLitz), A Dirty Genesis 2 System, and an Atari Plug-&-Play TV Game, claming that "This is cheaper then pawn shops! At pawn shops, you have to pay sales tax! You can only get these games at a Pawn Shop!". This was 3 months after Gamestop opened x_x

...and here is the worst, I went to a yard sale and found a SNES with a Super Game Boy, Super Mario World, Mortal Kombat 1 and 2, and some other games I forgot, The ladies runing the sale where ready to make a deal with me, when (I'm guessing) the husband came out and said (In a redneck voice) "You know, $25 is a good deal!". I tried to make him go lower (I only had $10), but he would not buge, because "$25 is a good deal!"

Overall
--
Pros

+ Not as many people buying games here
--
Cons

- I cannot find an SNES anywhere under $25 :(
--
Final Words on "Thrift Store jacking up prices because of eBay":

Until thrift stores start marking down games, I'm stiching with yard sales :)

Now that i read that, I remember seeing an Atari 2600 for $55. x_x I Can't remember wether it had the hookups or not, But i do know that it came with a lot of games and the Case to keep dust off... I didn't know about DigitPress.com then, though.. So It's a good thing I can't remember the games! :)

[Cmosfm]

Well, I decided to check back at the Local Salvation army again that I "swore off" once they jacked game prices up and moved all the records to the boutique and started asking 5.00 each for em. I figured about 3 months is long enough time to see if they changed there ways

Seems as if all the records are back in the "thrift store" area, with the 5.00 price tags marked out and .75 on them all again.

I guess if you leave em alone, they'll learn there lesson over time. :) I bought about 8 records. LOL

EDIT: Speaking of overpriced systems in thrift stores.

Someone I know that lives near me found an Atari 2600 in a local thrift, 25.00.

...The fool bought it.

To top it off though, it didn't even work. LOL He has officially "sworn off" all thrift stores. Leaves more for me than. ;)

[chadtower]

[
As for THRIFTS... I've never been to one, as they seem ULTRA RARE in this area. And theres no super local goodwill anymore... as both the Goodwill and Salvation Army shutdown here in "Walk in shop" Terms. I should really find a thrift shop with my friend in the local area.....

I know you're fairly local, but where exactly? The Salvation Army has stores all over MA.

[RockyRaccoon]

[
As for THRIFTS... I've never been to one, as they seem ULTRA RARE in this area. And theres no super local goodwill anymore... as both the Goodwill and Salvation Army shutdown here in "Walk in shop" Terms. I should really find a thrift shop with my friend in the local area.....

I know you're fairly local, but where exactly? The Salvation Army has stores all over MA.

The Lowell Area, thats the DECENT amount of time to travel (10 minutes to 15 minute drive from where we are... heck..if I felt so inclinded I could ride a bike / Walk there in an hour / hour and a half :P). While I know there are OTHER places in Mass.... I don't think it's worth traveling about 45 minutes an hour to get to a place that may or may not have a find....

Do you know of any Salvation Armies that usually have something on hand for finds?

~Rocky

[SegaAges]

Thrift stores are getting drier and drier here. But there's always that one damn find. You know, the one that reminds you why you've been checking the place for years, and why you'll continue to check the place for years.

For a looooong time, all I ever saw at Goodwill here was random Genesis sports stuff, always around $3 each. A couple weeks ago I walk in, and walk out with a working Colecovision and 8 working games. Cost? $10.

Now I gotta deal with another few years of $3 Madden games. LOL

This is the same exact situation for me. There are always $3 genesis sports games and nothing else.

There was one time when i found a dragonball: final bout (jap) for 2.99. I thought that was a pretty good deal. I also found a boxed legend of zelda for 2.99. Sometimes there ar good finds, and sometimes I should buy stuff and miss the chance.

One time they were selling a sega cd model 1 with a model 2 genesis for 29.99. what i didn't know was that they were including 10 genesis games with it. how do i know? one of my friends bought it up.

[FABombjoy]

The VOA near me has not only raised prices, but implemented some kind of bizarro "palandromic pricing". I saw a boxed Radio Shack pong system for $42.24, some Combat carts for $5.05. My buddy bought a couch for $32.23.

I'm guessing that whoever provides thrift stores with that "spray-on funky odor" that they all seem to use has begun putting mercury into the formula.

[crusader]

Ebay has ruined flea markets, yard sales, and goodwill stores. Damn Ebay. I hate it!!!

Goodwills around here NEVER have game stuff. If they do, it's beat up crap for way too much. Same with the Salvation Army, and the local pawn shops. Flea markets are getting way too much for games and even yard sales!!

There's 2 problems. First, less people are getting rid of games. Secondly, even though these games are priced double or more what they are worth, people are buying them... thus making the sellers think that they are rare or something.

So, my collecting has come to a near halt. Not many places to go and find a good find anymore :(

The Thrift store next to my house want to keep the prices up. Once a month, they takes the unsold games and trow them away. WTF...they could lower the prices, but they rather trow them away to maintain the high prices on the recent addition. I told the employe there that I would buy some games she was about to take off the rack, only if they cut the price in half. But they could'nt do that because of store politics. So they thrown all the games in the backstore garbage container.

What is wrong with these people.

[skaar]

The Thrift store next to my house want to keep the prices up. Once a month, they takes the unsold games and trow them away. WTF...they could lower the prices, but they rather trow them away to maintain the high prices on the recent addition. I told the employe there that I would buy some games she was about to take off the rack only if they cut the price in half but they could'nt do that because of store politics. So they thrown all the games in the backstore garbage container.

What is wrong with these people.

Sounds like a good enough reason to dumpster dive ;)

[swlovinist]

I am lucky to still find deals near me. I am happy to have still scored some cool stuff yesterday. I went thrifting with Rick Weis, and scored 4 boxed Nes Games(Alien 3, Bill and Ted, Gauntlet Tengen, Dungeon Magic) all for $20. I also scored some random Sega Stuff which is always cheap locally. I dont blame places charging more, I mean they have to pay for overhead somehow. It is easy for the consumer to bitch about how our hobby has gotten to be expensive, but remember that there are people who sell these items for a living to survive on. I believe that there is a balance between "the fair price" and "greedy". The bottom line is that the value of video games will and has skyrocketed due the increase of people getting into collecting. I think that we all need to just roll with the times, and if a place is charging too much, just choose to not buy the product. Actions speak louder than bitching.

[Fighter17]

Thank goodness most of my gaming purchases are imports.

[Griking]

I hear ya, dude. It always pisses me off when vendors or thrift owners try selling me something for inflated prices, to only then tell me how much money they could get off of Ebay if they sold their items there. So go ahead and sell them on Ebay then. x_x

So is everyone still claiming that eBay doesn't set the bar for what a game (or any other item) is worth? I firmly believe that an item's average sale price on eBay ultimately becomes the item's actual value elsewhere. Shop owners set their prices based on what they see things go for on eBay so regardless where you buy your collectible the prices are usually going to be the same or close to eBay's. After all, why should a shop owner sell an item to a store customer for significantly less than they can sell the item for online?

Of course, this may all change down the road as eBay gets greedier and greedier and their fees go up and up. Eventually people are going to have enough and not bother selling low value items on eBay any longer.

[Technosis]

Ebay has ruined flea markets, yard sales, and goodwill stores. Damn Ebay. I hate it!!!


Nearly every collecting hobby has been impacted by on-line auction sites like eBay. The same technology (The Internet) that gives us the chance to interact on the web has also spawned a whole lot of eBay "resellers". It's even worse in other hobbies. For instance, nearly any used bookstore that I go to checks all new aquisitions on AbeBooks or eBay before pricing. So you'll nearly never find anything for cheap. A local Goodwill nearly always has someone in the in-store office checking the internet at any given time. I have no idea where the stuff goes as it never hits the floor.....

[cyberfluxor]

eBay and other online trading/auction sites have really pissed me off at times, lucky for me however sometimes these stores have lazy ass employes. Sometimes they don't want to deal with a stack of older and newer games and instead just slap the same price on everything. It's really nifty to stumble across a bunch of PS1/N64 games for $2 each, PS2/GC/Xbox for $5 each, or of course a ton of Atari/SNES/NES/GEN/SMS carts in a $1 bin. I've shopped tat these places for over 2 years now and show up 1-3 times a week so they just ring my stuff up and don't care.

However, even with local stores that sometimes don't care online pricing does dictate the indy stores. I use to see them sell FF7 for $12 but now it's over $40 because they don't want those eBay sellers comming in and raking in big bucks over their business.

[NES_Rules]

Luckily the Goodwill I go to every Monday, Wednesday and Friday is still in the dark about prices. Every Sega and Atari game is $1.49 and every Nintendo game is $1.99. Which provides for some awesome deals and some crap that sits on the shelf for months.
But another thrift I used to go to is different. Last time I was there, they had a shoe box full of various games, all $25 each. They also had the worst looking Atari VCS (dirty, no cords and a broken paddle) for $45. I quit going there unless I happen to be in the neighborhood and I'm really bored.

[theshizzle3000]

If the cashier asks "are you gonna eBay those?" it's only because she hears it all day long. I'm sure there are a steady stream of people coming in and buying stuff for the sole purpose of reselling it.

I've had the occasional cashier mention eBay to me too. I just usually tell them, "no, I still have my old Atari, as well as about 30 other gaming systems all hooked up and ready to go! Games are for playing!" or something like that. Half the time the cashier will break into a story about games they remember playing as well.

The best is if you find an old system or something, I've had people start conversations with me while I'm in line holding an Atari 2600 or a NES.

Yeah I always get stories about some obscure game somebody remembers playing on the NES its never Super Mario or Tecmo Bowl, but instead Trog! or Othello its cool though to each his own.

[mills]

This is true now and it upsets me greatly. It's not worth it to go hunting for games anymore because I can't find a good deal.

You guys think some of those prices were bad? My local cash converters wants 69.99 for an SNES and the same for an NES. 49.99 for a dreamcast. 39.99 for a ps1.

NES games are anywhere from 7.99 to 24.99. And dirt common ps1 titles are no less than 19.99.

Funny though, it's the same place I got dragon force for 3.99.

[Steve W]

I used to make two different thrift store rounds, one in a town west of me and one in the town north of me. When I started thrifting a few years back, I came across a good deal of stuff. Nowadays, nothing at all. The resellers have stripped clean anything videogame related out of nearly all the thrifts. It used to be that a local Thrift Town store would never let me down, but now it's almost vacant. There's only one thrift that has any games in it, and it's the only one I bother going into. It's built like a maze, and I don't think resellers ever locate the places where they keep the games.

Nowadays, when I go on vacation out of state, I use Google Maps to find all sorts of out-of-the-way thrift stores and flea markets. Every thrift in the city is picked clean, so I have to venture further out.

[GuyinGA]

I haven't really seen too much of a price increase at thrift stores -- but maybe that's because I've only started to look at them. I always check eBay to see the average price and to see if I actually got a good deal. Thrift stores/local stores are worth it in the sense that you don't have to pay a ton on shipping -- some of the people I've seen charge close to $8 (sometimes over the price of the game you purchase!) for 'shipping charges.' Maybe when that has pissed people off enough then the thrift stores might get cheaper (then again, probably not).

[Technosis]

This is true now and it upsets me greatly. It's not worth it to go hunting for games anymore because I can't find a good deal.


You are not the only one who feels that way.

The reality is that many people are just holding on to their old games now, so less used games are hitting the market. For instance, while hitting up garage sales last year, I was amazed at the number of people who said they had the old stuff but they or their kids were keeping it. Years before people were quick to dump their stuff as soon as a new system replaced it.

One problem here is that some of the more aggressive collectibles dealers have "pickers" or cronies that they pay (minimally) to hit up all of the thrifts and estate auctions. Since these pickers are usually the unemployed or retired they will often be seen squatting for hours at a time at the thrifts and grabbing stuff from the bins as they are wheeled out. They don't necessarily target games only, they generally grab anything remotely worth money. Of course the thrifts see this and raise prices for everything.

[Fighter17]

I don't even go to out and hunt for games. I just get them all off the internet.

Well, it got some advantages..... like, you know.

[Damaramu]

Heh. There's a Goodwill right down the street from my bank and I'll often visit it when I'm in the area (it's a good distance from my place). Occasionally I'll find games there, usually priced at the $1.99 to $2.99 range.

Although, this one time they had a model 1 Genesis, rf switch, AC adaptor, a 3rd party controller and a ratty copy of Sonic 2.....all for $39.99. I was shocked when I saw the price tag and passed on it of course. 2 weeks later when I stopped by I noticed the Genesis was gone. Bought? Maybe. Shipped off to that Goodwill online auction center? Probably.

[xfrumx]

Mine is still decent

couple weeks ago got a n64 all hookups and expansion pack/1 controller $12

almost all games are 3.25 any system from atari-n64

ps1 are 1.99

ds/other newer titles 3.99-9.99

I got 4 sealed the Urbz DS for 3.99 each(target donates unsold stock to my goodwill), and mario kart 64, mario party 2, super mario 64 and a few others 3.25 each

[Wavelflack]

When they ask if you're going to sell something on ebay, why not just respond with something along these lines:

"What's an 'Ebay'?"

"Where is the ebay?"

"No. I was planning on selling it on one of those auction sites."


Just remember: Sometimes it pays to let the other guy think he has one up on you.

[jpark203]

The thrift stores are even getting into auctioning games. I went in one hoping to find something and came to a glass case with 2 SNES', 2 Genesis', and an Atari 7800, each with a couple games. But they were all on silent auction. Granted, it wasn't e-bay, but I like going to these places to avoid that kind of crap.

[bangtango]

However, even with local stores that sometimes don't care online pricing does dictate the indy stores. I use to see them sell FF7 for $12 but now it's over $40 because they don't want those eBay sellers comming in and raking in big bucks over their business.

Even if an indie game store was selling FF7 for $12 today, the only person with egg on their face is the idiot who traded it in for all of $2-3 in store credit :)

I was in a music store the other day that happens to sell used games and Ebay came up. I grabbed a fairly new Xbox release for $5 used, one that still sells for over $20 some places, and told the woman that it was a great price for the game. Naturally the clerk brought up Ebay, even though it is a game I intend on keeping in my Xbox library. She proceeded to tell me all about a regular who comes into the store during the occasional $1-2 sales for sealed music cd's that aren't selling fast enough.

So I talked a little with this lady. Apparently the guy she mentioned strikes up conversations with clerks all over town at various thrift stores, pawn shops and second hand stores talking about how much he makes on Ebay. I'd say it has to be pretty bad since the woman told me the guy is nicknamed "The Ebay Hustler" in my area. She says a lot of people, working in retail stores, know who he is. Worst of all, this bastard is about 18-20 and I suppose that is why he is thickheaded enough to boast about his "success" on Ebay to anyone who will listen. As a result, I have to pay more for games I just want to friggin' play. I need another copy of Sonic 1 for Genesis and it is all over town but always above $5, all thanks to toads like him who can't shut up.

[davepesc]

My thrift is pretty crazy too. They have an entire shelf of Genny Madden games priced way too high and a boxed 2600 E.T behind glass for $25!

But I go every couple of weeks for those rarer finds, like the $4 Mr. Do's Castle next to the $10 Pitfall! You win some, you lose some.

I do wonder, however, when they'll get tired of looking at the same games that just won't sell, like the $10 SMS Outrun or $8 junk NES titles. Only time will tell.

Once in a while, they'll even have an item with a completed auction taped to it in order to "prove" its worth. I hate that the most.

[ryborg]

The rise in thrift store prices did not happen overnight, nor did it happen recently. It started when ebay first became fully mainstream in early 2000 or so. By fully mainstream, I mean the time where everyone knew at least one computer-illiterate person who tried selling junk on ebay.

Of course, this is also the time where any old junk stopped selling. Your average buyer started to realize that old books, ugly knick-knacks and common NES games were not worth a ton and they were not rare.

However, the thrift stores in my area are still gold and incredibly cheaply priced. Also, it helps to know the exact restock times and days, along with knowing every employee and manager there. It helps even more to live in an economically depressed area, which means the thrifts can't get away with charging $3.99 for Madden '94, King's Knight, and Sonic 2 cart only. Every so often they try, but the games sit there until they're marked down.

Normal prices here are $.79-$1.49 for NES/SMS/Genesis/N64, $1.49-2.99 for anything in a thin case (PS1, PS2, SegaCD, etc), and oddly enough, the Atari/Intellivision games are the most expensive, anywhere from $.99-3.99, typically on the upper end of that, seemingly only because "they're old." Most video game strategy guides are the standard softcover price of 3/$.99. I recently picked up 10 mint condition N64/PS2 strategy guides for under four bucks. Hard to argue with that.

That said, most of this stuff doesn't stay on the shelves for more than a few hours, before myself or a friend slurps it up. We are the Thrift Store Mafia (pretty sad, huh?).
________
WEED VAPORIZER (http://weedvaporizer.info/)

[cyberfluxor]

Even if an indie game store was selling FF7 for $12 today, the only person with egg on their face is the idiot who traded it in for all of $2-3 in store credit :)
Actually, the indie stores around here are very nice with trade-ins. Most of them give around 2/3 their sell price, which is pretty darn good. I usually unload duplicate games to them due to the good trade-in values. Chances are they gave $7-9 instead of the $2, and today they'd give someone more like $28-30 for the $40 game, which you could still make more money on your own but it brings more modern gamers to them than EB or GS. Real good alternative to eBay.

[boatofcar]

The thrift stores/pawn shops in my area sometimes try and hike up the prices on their games, but so much of their business is reliant on moving merchandise that they don't hesitate to knock the price back down again when stuff doesn't sell.

[scaleworm]

Luckily the Goodwill I go to every Monday, Wednesday and Friday is still in the dark about prices. Every Sega and Atari game is $1.49 and every Nintendo game is $1.99. Which provides for some awesome deals and some crap that sits on the shelf for months.
But another thrift I used to go to is different. Last time I was there, they had a shoe box full of various games, all $25 each. They also had the worst looking Atari VCS (dirty, no cords and a broken paddle) for $45. I quit going there unless I happen to be in the neighborhood and I'm really bored.


in seattle ALL of the goodwill stores now collect all nintendo games...bundle them and then do their own ebay listing of them...

all that is left is genesis and atari... maybe sms...

wanna see?

http://search.stores.ebay.com/Seattle-Goodwill_nintendo_W0QQfcdZ2QQfciZ6QQfclZ3QQfromZR1 0QQfsnZSeattleQ20GoodwillQQfsooZ2QQfsopZ3QQftsZ2QQ saselZ57338117QQsofpZ0

arggg!

[ryborg]

in seattle ALL of the goodwill stores now collect all nintendo games...bundle them and then do their own ebay listing of them...

Ouch, I can imagine that sucking for locals who want cheap games and other thrift store wares. They seem to do pretty good sales on ebay, though, especially for a thrift store. What is the actual store like? The worst of the worst, all stuff that won't sell on ebay?
________
Prilosec lawyers (http://www.classactionsettlements.org/lawsuit/prilosec/)

[zer0cool]

"Here's how Seattle Goodwill works:
Goodwill helps low-income/low-skilled people with multiple barriers to employment get the skills and support they need to become economically self-sufficient through work. Donations of quality reusable items from the public are sold in our thirteen retail stores and through our online eBay store. Net proceeds from the sale of these goods and financial donations from the community make it possible for us to operate our free job training programs. Your donations and purchases help support these important programs and make the community a better place for all of us."

Im glad goodwill is getting decent money for their stuff.However regular thrifts/pawns are crazy here anyhow.The pawn shop in town wants 20 bucks for super mario 3 and 30! for megaman 2.Um,no...Let them sit there and collect dust for another 20 years.

Goodwill by me never has games.I guess they are either snatched up right away or sent off to auction.

[MarioMania]

a couple months ago I was in a little shop with this old man I always buy stuff from him...

One day I was walking in there I saw a 4 switch Atari 2600 with games..I asked him how much just for the system he said $60. I also asked about the VCS Manuals, He would sell me it for $15, The Atari lot was there for 3 weeks til someass bought it

[scaleworm]

don't it just make ya wanna puke?
If i WAS selling i could see it as competition...but i'm just collection bound...fer me no less...

goodwill has SO much crap... HUGE store with ebay Vultures everywhere...

i consider them parasites of society... doing a "job" (they claim)... har har...
it really changed my way of finding stuf... alas... no more cheap great deals..

even garage sales are insanely over priced now...

greed begets greed...

[Damaramu]

Heh. I was in a Goodwill a couple years ago where I scored a Genesis model 1 with 2 six-button controllers (but no power or tv hookups) for a whopping $7.

One of the floor guys who was carting out stuff from the back saw me with it and goes "Ha! I bet your putting that on Ebay!" LoL, this really surprised me so I told him "Naw, this is for me." He looked equally surprised by this statement and gives me a perplexed "Really? Huh."

But I have found some good stuff at that particular Goodwill. Stuff like Dreamcast games and Streets of Rage 3. All for under $5 a pop. I really haven't been there in a while....I should go check it out.