Getting Rid of NES Machines

[Darth Sensei]

So, I have about 15 NES Machines I'd like to get rid of before I move. I figured I would put them on Ebay in Lots with some common games that I don't want to move anyway.

The problem is that I have less than half that many power adapters and AV cables.

Any suggestions? Can I get powerbricks and AV cables now? Would it be worth it anyway?

How should I get rid of this stuff?

[johno590]

I would say buy the power cords and av. You can sell NES' anywhere from about 25-50 dollars on ebay, especially if they are in good shape and come with everything.

[bazariah]

yeah definetley buy a batch of power cables and av leads, they should cost a fe dollars but for the amount of profit you can make it should be worth it...

anyways it's worth doing if only to clear some space for your new place

[video_game_addict]

If they are all old and dirty, blinking light NES decks I would just donate them to the Goodwill or Salvation Army. That's what I ended up doing with alot of mine. I had around 20 decks at one point, but selling is a hassle, especially if they don't work well. Having to spend money on hookups & controllers, and creating packages, you may want to invest a little more for new cart connectors as well. Otherwise you may get a dissapointed gamer when their cart fails to load first time. Which could me negative feedback on ebay.

[vintagegamecrazy]

Definately worth the parts, I sell consoles on Ebay for $40 with only one game and they sell like gumballs in a dispenser, go for it.

[dcescott]

Yeah I sell them on occaision when I run into one cheap, I would sell the best systems and make one lot of broken consoles. That sells good as well.

[Ed Oscuro]

Personally, I think bundling them with a game might work better than bundling them with cords (plus carts are easier to come by, IMO), though the A/V cables shouldn't be hard to find.

[Griking]

If they are all old and dirty, blinking light NES decks I would just donate them to the Goodwill or Salvation Army.


Please do NOT just donate them to the Goodwill or Salvation Army. If the store tests them they will see that they do not work and they will throw them away. And if that particular store doesn't test their electronics before selling the, then some poor kid's gonna end up spending his allowance on something that doesn't work. And to add insult to injury, most Goodwills don't offer returns on electronics.

If you want to get rid of them put them up for sale in the Buying / Selling forum here. Just make it clear that they are incomplete and possibly broken.

[InsaneDavid]

If they are all old and dirty, blinking light NES decks I would just donate them to the Goodwill or Salvation Army.

Why? So their workers can take them before they even hit the salesfloor? (and that is what happens, many, many, many will tell you that from first hand experence of either doing it themselves or knowing someone who did)

Bundle all the consoles with missing cables in lots of 5 or so, or double up the consoles per every set of cables. (ie 2 NES decks and one set of cables). Heck, you can even part them out (remove the ZIF connectors, clean them and sell them alone) and empty NES shells still sell well for people wanting to build Mini-ITX systems in them, since shipping is a lot less.

[video_game_addict]

The Goodwill's in my area all offer returns on defective mechandise. Salvation Army does not, everything they sell is sold AS/IS. But seriously if you are paying $3 for a loose NES deck, you're probably not worried about it's working status. You still need to track down the proper hookups. Not to mention they probably would work if enough time is spent on each.

I wouldn't worry myself over a thrift store employee that wants to keep them, what the hell do they need with 15 loose nes decks and no hookups?

By the time you pay for power supplies, around $10 each, AV or RF cables $3-5, possibly controllers? and still have to contend with refurbing each of them so that the carts work on them or buy new pin connectors, and maybe supply a cart or two with it so it's playable right out of the box, what do you end up with? Maybe $20 if you're lucky, and you still need to pay ebay fees, and paypal fees, and then you still have to deal with shipping..

I love to turn a buck on ebay, but I personally would just rather donate stuff like that to Goodwill before I waste my time going the ebay route.

Of course I only dontate stuff to thrifts I shop in, so I already know untested consoles line the shleves and that they wouldn't be tossed in the trash.

[Slate]

As griking said, Try selling them here at DP.

[Arkaign]

I know a place that has amazing prices and quality on power adapters and cables .. I've dealt with them personally for about a decade.

Example on a deal, I had a 3A 12v AC adapter die on an HP monitor, everywhere wanted like $40-$80 for one. This place had a perfect one (with LED light even!, the original part didn't even have that) for $6.99!

http://www.tannerelectronics.com

I don't think they normally do mail order, but you could probably work something out for qty 10 of various things. Family run small business, rock solid integrity and service.

[InsaneDavid]

I wouldn't worry myself over a thrift store employee that wants to keep them

Because that's not the point of a thrift store. If an employee there is pocketing the items before they go out to be sold then your donated items don't generate any charitable funding - which is the whole freaking reason one would donate items to a thrift instead of selling them for a bit of cash or throwing them away. ...might as well come steal them out of your garage.

In this day and age if you want your stuff to go to a charitable orginization, sell the stuff on your own and donate money or give them to things like school rummage sales.

[MegaDrive20XX]

I'm having the exact same problem right now, I have 4 systems and I can't get them out the door.

They are non working of course, but do power up nicely and such. I just need better 72 PIN connectors probably.

Yet I just dont have the time to invest in this right now. With parts and such

[video_game_addict]

InsaneDavid,

Is that a perk of the job now? Free takings to whatever they want, I bet they don't even pay for stuff do they? Just back their trucks up to the loading docks & fill them up on a nightly basis. LOL


I only donate to the thrifts I shop in. And I have found many many video games & systems & related items over the years, so I doubt very seriously the one time I drop off a load they fight over my donation and not put any out on the floor. But I really don't care either way. I had around 20 NES decks and I sold maybe two of them, threw away around 4-5, and dropped off the rest at the local SA. I know they turned out on the sales floor because I saw some on a later visit. But even if the employees fight over them, I'd be willing to bet they also pay for them, so money is generated either way. I don't think by donating a bunch of loose NES decks I'm looking to cure hunger in some third world country, but it's better than throwing all away.

By donating to a thrift, I free myself from the obligation of cleaning & tested & dealing with shipping, on something that's not gonna make me any richer in the first place. Hopefully it's a better alternative than simply throwing all of them away. By donating to a thrift, at least someone else has a shot at finding; someone who is interested in them, and they can do with them as they please. But you can betcha I won't be loosing any sleep over it.

[Niku-Sama]

As griking said, Try selling them here at DP.

yes sell some here....i'm probally gonna be looking for one soon as an x-mas present for someone

[Jagasian]

They are non working of course, but do power up nicely and such. I just need better 72 PIN connectors probably.


Many people replace their 72-pin connector with unofficial replacement parts. To cut to the chase, these parts are not made by Nintendo and they tend to suck for many reasons (just search these forums). A much better approach, in my often hated opinion, is to do a little more work: Remove the original official Nintendo 72-pin connector, and clean and clean and clean it until it is as good as new. The end result is a non-blinking NES with an official Nintendo pin connector, but it requires far more effort.

The technique I use makes use of inexpensive materials: white paper towels, 99.9% pure anhydrous isopropyl alcohol (search the tech forums for my posts on this), a plastic credit card, and a can of compressed air (computer can-air duster).

Wrap the credit card in a layer or two of white paper towels, cut to be the size of the credit card. Wet the paper towel with the alcohol, and then with removed 72-pin connector in hand, insert the alcohol soaked paper towel covered credit card into the connector, as if it was a cart. Move it in and out, and try not to tear the paper towel. If that happens, replace it and start over. Repeat this over and over again, until the pins are clean. Also, do it on both sides of the connector. One side is for the cart and the other for the NES. Use a bright light to look at the contact points of the 72-pin connector to see how dirty they are. Keep working at it until there is no more grime.

Once that is done, let the alcohol dry. It should do it fast because it is pure. Then use the can air to blow out any paper towel particles left over.

When I am done with that, I use Stabilant 22, as stated in other threads. It might be worth trying to use WD-40 on the pin connector before the credit card method. WD-40 can be great for stripping grime and corrosion, but it can damage circuits, so you would want to completely clean all WD-40 off of the 72-pin connector after you are done using it.

[googlefest1]

from my experience i would just sell them individualy - i have sold working NES systems on ebay for 17-20$ with no hookups or games - just a pick with the system working

on a side note - i have purchased working nes systems on ebay with no hookups for 5$ that had no pics

[Captain Wrong]

Please do NOT just donate them to the Goodwill or Salvation Army. If the store tests them they will see that they do not work and they will throw them away. And if that particular store doesn't test their electronics before selling the, then some poor kid's gonna end up spending his allowance on something that doesn't work. And to add insult to injury, most Goodwills don't offer returns on electronics.

This goes for all electronics and I can not agree with this enough. It seems like all our thrifts out here are the dumping ground for broken electronics. You're not helping anyone by putting something that's not worth it to you to fix in a thrift store.