The Flea Market Classic Game Thread

[Steven]

Any Flea Market goers here? List the deals you got in the past from flea markets and also I'd like to pose a question to you flea market/bargain hunter veterans.

I'm fairly new at the "flea market/bargain in live person" scene. I know there are strategies, and I would like to hear from you and your experiences.

For example, is it better to suggest a price for a game, hoping he'll say "yeah ok" or better to let him start the price? Is there a difference if at all? How do you convince people to lower their prices? What "speaking phases" do you like to employ or have heard work? I know there are a ton of strategies that "supposedly work" but I just don't know what they are. Another burning question I have is... should you reveal your hand early or wait?

For example, if you want a Dreamcast game, should you immediately ask for it, or casually ask prices for Saturn, Genesis, etc. games first, THEN casually ask "oh yeah how much for this DC game?" Don't some vendors price games based on how he sees you "attack it"? So many questions to answer, heh heh.

I'd like as much detail as possible. I'm sure this topic will be very helpful/informative to countless other members as well, and that the flea market hunt may begin for many "flea market" newbies.

I have yet to get any "great" deals at the flea market, but got a lot of SNES games for about $5 a piece. Same as eBay price but without the wait for it to come hassle, makes it feel like a GOOD deal.

Come to think of it, my best deal was General Chaos complete for $7 :D (it goes for about $20 otherwise... I notice a lot of flea market vendors treat Genesis games like they're worth ziltch, but SNES games like they're gold... anyone else see this trend?)

Anyway, look forward to your responses, especially from those who "know" the run around. Thanks in advance. Hopefully this topic will be helpful to classic gamers all over. And hit those flea markets this weekend! :)

[Geddon_jt]

Here's a tip that worked for me.
Ask vendors who have loads of junk to move stuff around so you can see what is obscured in the rows and piles beneath.
A couple years ago I asked a vendor I had been visiting for years to show me a box of Genesis games that had been sitting in the glass case forever. What was in the box was a bunch of junk, but UNDERNEATH the box was a ziploc baggied, complete in box copy of NES Peek-A-Boo poker. Price? $20. It was probably sitting there for years.

So, that's probably the best one I've had.
Had some other great finds at the same vendor.
Radical Rex (Sega CD, mint/complete) - $8
Crusader of Centy (Genesis, mint/complete) - $25
Bonk 3 US huCard w/ manual - $20
Ys I and II, CIB w/MAP (original release) - $20
Project Justice (Dreamcast, mint/complete) - $15
tons of CIB SNES games for $10 or less, including some rare titles, like Brandish, Equinox etc.
Lufia 1 SNES (box and manual) - free!
... and many, many more I can't currently recall.

They know me well now, so they let me in the back behind the counters to prod through their stock. Always seem to come up with a great deal on something new and exciting.

[Ryaan1234]

A couple of months back I snagged Megaman 4, Megaman 5, and Bubble Bobble for $10 while I was at Trader's Village( A flea market in Grand Prarie, TX). I then went to the next booth over and got Megaman 3 for $2! I've also gotten The Zelda Collector's disc for $8 at the same flea market and most recently I got some 3DO games for a buck a piece. At the Canton flea market I found a boxed NES for $25( It was sitting on a shelf of antiques! LOL ) and even at my local flea market I got a Zelda Game & Watch for $0.50! And, about that trend with SNES games being considered more valuable than Genesis I think it's right. I would go to one booth and see SNES games for $10 and at the same booth they would have NES and Genesis games for $3!

[chaoticjelly]

Here's how it usually goes with me...

"How much you want for this?"
or
"How much is this Sega?" (NEVER call it by its real name.. if its made by Sega.. its a "Sega", if its made by Atari, its an "Atari" .. dont sound too knowledgeable)

"Does it work?"

- This could cause you to get it a bit cheaper.. if they are hesitant, or simply dont know, the price may go down...

"Its pretty dirty.. x is missing, x looks broken"

- Make sure you dont inadvertently insult them, but sometimes "dissing" something, can reduce the price somewhat.. especially if you say well the power supply is missing.. or look at the cut in this wire!

"Will you take x for it"

- Up to you on this one.. some sellers will simply say a silly price if you look well dressed, or wear glasses (perhaps they think your uber clever) sometimes I offer half of what they ask for.. or even less.. depends what time of day it is... later on in the day you'll get crazy discounts - IF they simply do not want to lug the system/games/whatever home with them.

If theres a load of games, and I get prices for different games.. it often can get you amazing discounts if you simply ask "HOW MUCH FOR THE LOT!?"

I mean, they have to give some kind of discount if you buy the lot.. often it can be very cheap.. just work it out in your head before you ask..

And finally.. if I get this line...

Vendor : "That goes for £x on eBay"
Me : "Well why dont you sell it on there then!!!"

(Only if im pissed off, which isnt that often.. usually just walk away... your not going to pay some silly price)

If something is REALLY cheap for what it is.. usually I just give them the cash.. after all, im going to make money on it.. and its a hell of a deal already.. although sometimes I might get a small amount off.

Usually, people will give you something off anything.. a lot of regular flea market vendors simply ask slightly more than they really want anyway..

[sisko]

Most of it is how your react. You have to keep cool, don't get bug eyes, don't grab anything quickly. Act like it's not a big deal if you get it, not a big deal if you don't. Act like it's not a big deal if the price is dirt cheap. In a nutshell, pretend you are a clueless idiot who remembers playing these things when you were a kid.



Walking through a vendor's thrift, and I spot a find 50 yards away. I walk up at normal pace, look around at some other stuff. "How much do you want for these old games?"

"I don't know...a couple bucks..."

"Each or for all of them?"

"Each."

"Hmmm....I'll take them"


That scored landed me 4 Coleco tabletops.

[Steven]

ah thank you sisko... that is very sound advice... I'll be sure to act like that next time I go out. This guy has a ton of SNES carts I wanted, but he asked for $12 each, insane mofo LOL

I have a lot of games to trade though, so hopefully he'll do a straight up swap this weekend...

[Fighter17]

My flea market is known as the "Video Game Dungon." It's inside the Daytona Beach Flea Market located where else, Daytona Beach, FL. The "Video Game Dungon" is the biggest used video game store in the flea market (there're other used game shops in the store, but the "Dungon" is the biggest one of them all).

Their section of games is just huge. A whole rack of NES, SNES, Genesis, PSX, and PS2 titles can be found there. They do have a lot of stuff, but they can't fit it in the whole store (the store area is not big at all). So for example if you're looking for 3DO games, you must ask the guy to bring out the 3DO games bucket, and etc. If you can't find certain games for a certain system, it's always a good idea to ask to see if they have it (many people simply don't ask).

Now, the store prices for the most part are great. Used Saturns for $24.95, used Genesis 3s for $20, used Dreamcasts for $20, and etc. If a rare system like the Jaguar or the 3DO is on sale, the selling price of the Jaguar is ususally $24.95 and the 3DO selling price is about $29.95. They make sure the system and games are working perfectly. One day I went to the store and they have a Neo-Geo AES for sale with three games for $160.

Time to time the store does have rare stuff for great prices. I went to the store one day and didn't find any Sega CD titles on the rack, so I ask the guy if he has any Sega CD games. Turns out he did and brings out a huge bucket of Sega CD games. I found rare titles like Heart of the Alien, Dark Wizard, and Lords of Thunder in the bucket (all complete too), but none of these games had price tags on them. After the guys at the store gave me prices on these games, Heart of the Alien was $6.85, Dark Wizard was $8.85, and Lords of Thunder was $13.25. I purchase Heart of the Alein and Dark Wizard, but not Lords of Thunder simply because the Sega CD version of the game sucks.

Now I want to look at the Genesis section of the store. Racks full of Genesis cartridges, but many cartridges are blocking other cartridges in view. When I'm looking for Genesis games, I had to pull out many Genesis carts in order to see what's behind those Genesis carts, more Genesis carts. Some of the uncommon and rare games hide behind the viewable rack. I found many of the games that I was looking for behind the viewable rack.

So what I'm saying is:

* Ask the guys to see if you have any other games.
* Dig hard behind all of those racks of games.

[Spartacus]

I've definately gotten some great deals at flea markets, plus I simply enjoy the experience of hunting games. I make a point of dressing down when I go. Nothing dirty, but a T-shirt with a small rip and my worst pair of sneakers works well for me. I NEVER ask how much something costs. I make the first lowball offer and if the seller declines, I'll start negotiating from there. If the seller insists on a price that's too high, I'll reach in my back pocket for the Video Game Collector price guide and tell them I can't go any higher than what it suggests and leave it up to them to decline the sale.
I also find that sellers who don't have a permanent booth are the best ones for fantastic deals.

[-hellvin-]

I also find that sellers who don't have a permanent booth are the best ones for fantastic deals.

Best advice in the whole thread. Don't mess around with people who are typically there with the same sunfaded shit every damn weekend. I always hit up whoever's just throwing up a lot of stuff for the day and see if they have any games. I always get the best deals from these types of vendors. Anyone permanant is most likely not going to have anything, and try to screw you. Most of the flea markets out here in AZ really blow though. I've had maybe two or three finds in the more than a year I've been attending them and nothing worth even mentioning.

[InsaneDavid]

It's honestly not something you can be taught, the most important thing is not to go rushing for interesting items unless they are in danger. Most importantly know what you're looking at, bootlegs, reproductions, how to spot damage, SMELL EVERYTHING. LOL ..seriously.

Of course some people are pricks and think everything they have is worth big money and haul it back and forth every week. You have to "read" the sellers wares. Is everything in glass cases? That usually means big money but not always. Do they have tons of random junk boxes? In that case you can usually get good deals, especially if everything is $1 or a quarter and they just don't know what they have. (I've gotten tons of Atari 2600's, NES's and Genesis systems like this - everything 50 cents and then I'll pull a bunch of them out of junk boxes) Then again sometimes the big hunt through the junk is a waste because they want the big money. I usually look for cheap stuff but you should also always consider that you may have to pay what something is worth if it's hard to come by. (no problem paying $10 for a copy of EarthBound or Super Mario RPG for instance)

For disc based systems check to make sure the laser assembly is actually there - sometimes a broken or missing assembly will be hidden behind a disc. Also check to make sure the disc spindle spins smoothly.

Wheel and deal but be prepared to know when to agree, backpedal and take a previous offer, or flat out delcine. If you've negotiating a price down but then hit too low and the seller says no, then quickly jump back to the last price they agreed upon and most of the time they'll think they got the better deal.

Missing cables can sometimes save you money. Systems like the Saturn take a standard power cable but sometimes people don't know that, try to shave $5 off since most of us have a ton of those cords anyway. "It's missing the power cord, how do you know if it works? How about $___ ?"

Look for frequent junk dealers. At the local flea market there's this old Chinese guy that has a wearhouse full of miscellaneous stuff, he'll usually cut you a good deal and as the day goes on prices come down. (he sells out every week, not one of the people that haul back and forth, those are different) I haggle with him a little here or there but it's usually when I'm also selling, it's late in the day, and everyone has made good money on the outing and is willing to play around with prices. Also for the most part these dealers make so much on each visit they give you good low fair prices.

The magic price is ALWAYS $3 each, two for $5. :D It's hard to walk away from that but I try to keep my game archives on the cheap so I sometimes do if I don't find anything I really want. Even if you can pick up a box of X amount of games for a cheap price, and they're still all big time commons, it's alright to pass it up - that can be hard but it's better than sitting on 30 copies of NES Baseball for five years.

Giant knots of controller cords and other miscellaneous bits are common. Instead of trying to go through the problem of this, go around it. :) If there's some stuff in there you want, fiddle around with it for awhile, then pick up the entire knot (the larger the better) and ask the seller what they want - they'll usually get rid of the unprofitable mess for $5 or so - it's where most of the parts for my refurbished controllers come from. Be prepared to sit down for awhile once you get home and untangle and clean everything.

Look for the signs of a seller with little knowledge of what they have - VMU's inserted into Dreamcast controllers backwards (yes, I have come across this many times, you'd think that after they had to force it in and still not make contact they'd get the hint), the wrong controllers with a system, incorrect cables, etc. Now don't bring this up right away, see if you can get it all cheap to begin with, everyone can use extra AC adapters and system specific AV cables, if that doesn't work then begin to degrade what they have slowly.

Check for battery corrosion, especially with tabletop arcade games since with heavy acid damage they can sometimes be a lost cause. Freshly leaking batteries (like in an Astro Command tabletop I found not too long ago - the rarer Epoch version - this is NOT the same as Scramble) can be your best friend, as it's one of those obvious things you can point out as you quickly remove them - which drives the value down in the seller's mind, I ended up getting it for $2, down from $30. I got the batteries out fast enough that no damage was caused.

If you frequent the same places, get to know who the regular sellers are and if there are any items that they always have and can never get rid of. When dealing with them to try to pick up those items, bring that up "aah, you've had that for months and you know no one other than me has even asked you about it" and act like you're still not all that interested. If you're buying any stuff you can usually get them to toss it in. I've gotten many Vectrex games this way since most don't know what they are.

Now the exception to the play it cool rule is like a couple weeks ago, I saw two old women of.. let's say ethnic descent, standing around some VHS tapes going through them while their kids were ripping them to shreds. Among the tapes I saw the box for Where Time Is Carmen Sandiego for the NES, one of the few irregular box NES games. Even though I have a complete copy, I pretty much pushed my way between them and grabbed the box, which had the desktop encyclopedia and all the documentation inside but no cartridge. I figured I'd grab it anyway since it would more than likely be cheap. My uncle called to my attention some NES games the guy had at a table at the back of his lot, where I found the Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego cartridge. I put it in the box and asked the guy how much.

Him: What's that?
Me: Oh, this game had a larger box with an encyclopedia inside.
Him: No kidding? Hmm.. what do you think that's worth?
Me: I dunno, five bucks maybe.
Him: Well I get $5 for just the game.. how about..
Me: Well you were going to get nothing for the box until I saved it from being ripped to shreds.
Him: Yeah, I saw that... alright, five bucks.

See, you have to bring yourself back to normality. I usually try to nickel and dime people just a bit even when I get a good deal if I feel I could save a little more. A few bucks saved from one person is a few more you can spend at the next. ;)

BEST DEALS I'VE GOTTEN

JVC X'Eye (system only) - $2, the lid close pinswitch was bad but that's common and was an easy fix. The seller (the Chinese junk dealer) wanted $3, I got him down to $2. LOL

LGB Christmas Set (blue 1996 version, complete boxed and perfect) - $20, this is a G scale train set (large scale) made by Lehmann, better known as LGB (http://www.lgb.de/index_en.htm), for both indoor and all weather outdoor operation. The set was totally complete, including the US version speed regulator, the four wooden Christmas ornaments that came with this specific set, and the circle of track which was totally clean. It had a price of $20 on it, I looked at it, looked it over quickly and asked the seller if he'd take $10, "no, those are $70 in the stores!" Seeing an old man behind me that appeared to be a model railroader as well, I quickly gave the seller the $20 and was on my way. I suppose I should explain, the list price for this set when I checked almost two years ago when I acquired it was $675, and they just go up every year. :)

Top loading NES (console only) - $5, in a box of junk from a pair of sellers I hate.

Tons of HO slotcar track, complete sets - 50 cents to $5, I grabbed one set that was full of a bunch of the indy car style bodies and chassis, which are worth about $20 each to the right people.

I've documented some of my flea market adventures, you can find them under the "Sales Yard Finds" editorials below...

http://www.classicplastic.net/dvgi/index.htm

...just click "Editorials" on the left. :) This is by no stretch all the stuff I've scored and the experences I've had, just the few I've documented.

...wow this post was long. LOL

[sisko]

I also find that sellers who don't have a permanent booth are the best ones for fantastic deals.

Best advice in the whole thread. Don't mess around with people who are typically there with the same sunfaded shit every damn weekend. I always hit up whoever's just throwing up a lot of stuff for the day and see if they have any games. I always get the best deals from these types of vendors. Anyone permanant is most likely not going to have anything, and try to screw you. Most of the flea markets out here in AZ really blow though. I've had maybe two or three finds in the more than a year I've been attending them and nothing worth even mentioning.

Don't ignore them either.

I got those Coleco table tops for a permanent vendor. As well as a 1st Party Saturn memory card for $1, as well as a factory sealed KidVid module (R9+)

[-hellvin-]

I also find that sellers who don't have a permanent booth are the best ones for fantastic deals.

Best advice in the whole thread. Don't mess around with people who are typically there with the same sunfaded shit every damn weekend. I always hit up whoever's just throwing up a lot of stuff for the day and see if they have any games. I always get the best deals from these types of vendors. Anyone permanant is most likely not going to have anything, and try to screw you. Most of the flea markets out here in AZ really blow though. I've had maybe two or three finds in the more than a year I've been attending them and nothing worth even mentioning.

Don't ignore them either.

I got those Coleco table tops for a permanent vendor. As well as a 1st Party Saturn memory card for $1, as well as a factory sealed KidVid module (R9+)

Oh, if you're in Arizona, heed my advice like the word of god.

[Yago]

Another good idea is not to negotiate a game for less money, then whip out a fiddy. not good. I keep high bills in one pocket in case I need them, and low bills in another pocket. Count your money too in front of the dealer, to act as if you were seeing if you actually have enough. In the past I have even walked away because I was short $10 (But wasn't). Came back later with $5 more and said that that was all I could get. Got the deal done anyway.

The best find for me was a working Vectrex for $10. What a deal that was, the thing was mint. Also came with 2 extra controllers.

[Sothy]

lessee...... Traders Village in Tx Sealed Guardian Heroes for 5$ "He wanted 8 but the case was cracked." Sold it for 90 somethin bux to one of those weirdo sealed collectors on ebay.


Boxed complete minty FF2 Snes and Illusion of Gaia 4$ each. Lady wanted 5$ each but Im good at haggling.

Boxed MUSHA for genesis 4 bux "was his askin price"


Admiral FleaMarket in Ok

Odyssey 2 with about a dozen games with boxes and manuals "Including Powerlords" 20$


The powerlords was my only uber rare find in the wild.

[Steven]

Boxed complete minty FF2 Snes and Illusion of Gaia 4$ each. Lady wanted 5$ each but Im good at haggling.

Wow, no kidding. I would have gladly paid 10 dollars. But then you'd be 2 dollars richer wouldn't ya

[§ Gideon §]

...wow this post was long. LOL
True, but very informative!

If I could add anything, I'd say don't go to the flea market expecting great deals--just go and expect a good time. It's much more fun that way.

[jcheatle]

Another good idea is not to negotiate a game for less money, then whip out a fiddy. not good. I keep high bills in one pocket in case I need them, and low bills in another pocket.


Good advice, indeed. As you also mentioned, counting your low bills can be of use. For example, I once haggled a guy on an SNES and a handful of games. He wanted $20, but I offered $10 because "that's all I had". Dude didn't have to know I had another $60 in my pocket and I got it cheaper. Works the same with ones and fives in my experience.


If I could add anything, I'd say don't go to the flea market expecting great deals--just go and expect a good time. It's much more fun that way.


Very true, my friend and I always just make a day of it when we go. I look for games, he looks for old books and baseball cards. Fairly often, especially in north central PA, we come home empty handed. But that's alright because we still had fun. Of course, coming home with something good doesn't suck either. :D

But definitely, when possible, haggle. Just a few weeks ago, a guy at my local flea had 10 complete, boxed NES games including Contra, Castlevania 2, Super C and so forth. I'm sure I did the bug-eyed double take, but I totally wasn't expecting it from him. Anyway, he wanted $6 apiece and I offered $3 ($30 for all). We settled on $40, a fair price and one we were both mildly pleased with. It's called compromise, nobody goes home happy. LOL

As for my best find? About six or seven years ago, I'm at the flea market and this guy has a stack of complete NES games. Lots are in super-nice condition like Ghost Lion, the re-releases of Punch Out and Zelda... and what's that in the stack? Complete Dragon Warrior 3 and 4, complete less manuals, you say? How much? I thnk he wanted 3 and I haggled him to 2 or 2.50 apiece on the lot. Definitely my best score in the wild.

[MachineGex]

I never try to get the price too low. I want to be fair about it. Remember, these people got to make alittle money or they stop bring stuff out. If it is a really good deal, I usually just take it. If it isn't a great deal, I will offer what I think a good deal should be. I have gotten some unbelievable deals at Flea Markets. Got Crystalis and Megaman 2 prototypes at same flea market two weeks apart. The Crystalis had a weird printed label(like most protos). A week later I saw a the label-less NES cart and when I picked it up knew it was too heavy and had to be a proto. It was Megaman 2, slight text difference in intro. My wife found two 2600 games that had Prototype on the label. (Frogger & can't remember second). Got all the above games for $3-5 each. Wasn't about to haggle. And then I got the holy grail(gold NWC) in a big box of about a hundred NES games. I had no idea it was in there until months later. Paid about a buck a game for that box. Think the box was $80, didn't bother to haggle and I think it was a good deal! I do believe in karma. lol
:eek 2:
I was with a friend who would haggle about any price. He saw a nice 2600 game(like Pitfall 2) and the guy wanted a buck for it. My friend asked if he would take 50 cents for it. The guy tossed him the game and said take it, you look like you need 50 cents more than I do. I laughed at his ass the rest of the day. He was just happy he got it for free.
Some good advice in this topic. I alway ask if they have any video game stuff even if I don't see it. Amazingly vendors won't put out all their stuff. I also got to know a few sellers really well and they would bring stuff for me and give me first shot at it. Some of these sellers buy storage units and then sell the stuff at the flea market. They usually have a ton of crap they don't bring because of space. They usually will load it up next week if you ask.
I also carry my money in different pockets, just like the other poster. I think this started with my T.J. trips from way back. "Welcome to Bambi's Senor Tomas, your usual table?"

[tornadostormxl]

found nothing :/

[BrokenFlight]

I went to a car boot sale a few weeks ago. There was someone with a box of PS1 stuff. I asked how much he wanted for the joystick controller.

"£3 for that on its own."

Then I saw a memory card and asked how much for that.

"£5 for that and the controller.
Or you can have the lot for £10"

I replied with "I've only got £7 on me." Which I did.

He let me have it for that. A boxed analogue joystick, 11 games, and a PS1 console for £7. When I took a good look at what I had at home, I noticed a sticker saying "£15 the lot". I took it into Gamestation and got £35 for the console and 9 games. In hindsight, I should have kept the games they gave me £1 for and taken them to the local indy shop, where he buys PS1 games for £2-3 regardless of what they are.


Another time I got a Megadrive and nine games for £10. It turned out the console didn't work. I opened it up, with no idea what I was doing, and I wiggled some stuff. That got it working well enough to trade it in for £9. I already had two of the games, so I sold them for £2 each. I made £3 and got 7 games free.:D

[Bleetness]

Just go to a flea market where a mexican guy runs it. Best deals on some not so common in the states shit. I got a sealed sparkster for 15$ But I coulda easily gotten some famicom games. I wanna go back :(
Edit:Incase someone gets offended, Im mexican as well :)

[DKTheArcadeRat]

How can i get better at haggling, preferably before tommorrow's flea Grand opening?

In response to this post, always ask if it works, check the merchandise for any and all flaws, and if the seller starts talking about the stuff- just stand and look interested. I did this when i bought my Sega CD and the guy threw in Sonic CD, it was missing its manual but hey who cares at that point.

As far as finds go,

-Boxed Sega Genesis model 2 + Boxed Sega CD Model 2 + Sonic CD = $35(i believe that is what i paid).
-Loose Master System w/Outrun, Light Phaser, 3D glasses, two controllers, and hookups. = $40
-Complete C64 = $12-15 I can't remember how much.
- probably a bunch of games but just dont remember which.

As you can see deals are there to be found, so heed the advice of the other guys, the vets. I would listen to them over me, a 15 year old, 9 times out of 10.

Dave

[Captain Qb]

Here is some finds from Flea Markets
Some are good finds.. ^.^

SMS +wires (Loose)
Controller & Light Gun (Loose)
- Alex Kidd: High-Tech World (CiB)
- Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (CiB)
- Bank Panic (CiB)
- Ghouls'n Ghosts (Loose)
- Kiwi Kraze (CiB)
- Global Gladiators (CiB)
- Quartet (CiB)

10 €

SNES +wires (Loose)
Controller (Loose)
Super Metroid (Loose)
35 €

SNES +wires (Loose)
2x Controller (Loose)
8 Loose game
25€

N64 +wires (Loose)
Controller (Loose)
Super Mario 64 (Loose)
40 €

2x SNES Loose game
1 €

N64 + wires (Loose)
2x Controller
Jet Force Gemini (CiB)
2x Loose game
9 €

Street Fighter Alpha 2 (Boxed)
7 €

MD +wires (Loose)
Controller (Loose)
Super Kick-Off (Boxed)
Sonic The Hedgehog (Loose)
10 €

NHL' 97 (MD, CiB)
1,5 €

[walrusmonger]

I don't have any flea markets near me, but I work in a game store and use these tricks to swindle good stuff off of customers before they trade it in ;)

I got a CDX for $15, many Marvel vs Capcom 2 (ps2/xbox) games for under $5, Valkyrie Profile for $10, new games from people that steal them for $10 to $20 (just got full auto for $20 new).

My favorite has to have been the 50something NES games for $12. This guy was trying to trade them in, he got $12 for everything in store credit. I offered $12 cash and made off with 50 decent NES games.


I tell them "oh we only give $xx.xx, I'll give you a few dollars less in cash."

Or "we don't take this, how about $5?"

I know it's bastardish, but hell- whatever works, right?

[MachineGex]

...I work in a game store and use these tricks to swindle good stuff off of customers before they trade it in...
I would hope the owner of the store doesn't mind, cause you are basicly taking/stealing his business. If it is a Mom & Pops shop I think they would care. That kind of stuff is their bread & butter. Is it really worth losing your job, plus, you are getting paid to work for the store and their best interest. If it is a major chain, never mind, rob them blind.

[Steven]

Just came back, not a bad day.

Traded in Doom, Battle Blaze (ugh!), Wanderers III and Captain America (SNES) for Prince of Persia, Cacoma Knight and Yogi Bear... eh, not the hottest trade ever, but doing the math in my head it comes out about even.

I bought Young Merlin for $5

GEN Ristar for $3 (WOO HOO!)

and ended the day with BlaZeon $5.

Not bad.

[Cambot]

I bought Young Merlin for $5

Wow, that a coincidence. I just got that game in a bundle. I can't get past the second mean tree. He throws rapid-fire acorns.

[InsaneDavid]

Just came back, not a bad day.

Traded in Doom, Battle Blaze (ugh!), Wanderers III and Captain America (SNES) for Prince of Persia, Cacoma Knight and Yogi Bear... eh, not the hottest trade ever, but doing the math in my head it comes out about even.

I bought Young Merlin for $5

GEN Ristar for $3 (WOO HOO!)

and ended the day with BlaZeon $5.

Not bad.

Post it up in the finds thread for this month. :D

[Niku-Sama]

man you guys suck, i never find an thing worth while video game wise at flea markets.

there an old bag though that had a dreamcast system only with a $125 price tag on it.

shes the type of person that thinks everything is worth a ton on e-bay....one time i finally told her, after giving her reasonable offers, "HEY! do i look like freakin e-bay!? if you know you can get it for that much on e-bay then why the hell are you here!?" slammed it down (it was a laserdisc unit, bad shape any way) and left. she was being a real jerk about it though.

i have no tolerance for the "i can get X ammount for it on e-bay" people and i work with one of them.

i am thinking of printing shirts for the flea market saying "we arent at e-bay i dont care what you can get for it" along with another rather offencive phrase

[Sailorneorune]

Niku-sama: if you decide to print those shirts, I will gladly buy one.

That said, I haven't really looked for games the couple of times I invaded my local flea market, but I intend to start. The Saturn game market here SUCKS, but maybe someone at the flea has some, thinking they're Sega CD games or something, heh.

[jcalder8]

I've loved the tips shared here, I wish I had something to add but I've never had any luck at fleamarkets. There aren't any near me so I've never had a real drive to try them either but after reading this I might try and hit one tomorrow.

[Steven]

This guy has a ton of SNES carts I wanted, but he asked for $12 each, insane mofo LOL

I have a lot of games to trade though, so hopefully he'll do a straight up swap this weekend...

I forgot about a game I got today, forgot to list it in the first post of this 2nd page.

OK, maybe I did an unethical thing.

I traded the dude in quote, Street Fighter II plus $2 for The Peace Keepers. SF II is damaged and doesn't play. :embarrassed:

The weird thing is, it looks MINT. The guy looked at it, was impressed with its condition, and he knew it was a good game. He just got greedy and asked for 2 bucks. I more than obliged.

The eBay seller refused to give me a refund. I don't know why the copy doesn't play. Even the ole rubbing alcohol/QTip trick does nada. It worked for a week, then crapped out on me.

But I mean, was it wrong for me to do what I did? What would you have done? I didn't want to pay $12 for The Peace Keepers, and this guy had been pretty "rough" toward me... refusing to lower his prices even though they're ridiculously high. I remember 3 weeks ago I pulled out 9 SNES games hoping for $5 each, and he picked them up, slammed each one down on the glass case saying "TWELVE DOLLAS EACH" I'm like 1. thats crazy and 2. dude you just slam games that potentially could be mine on the glass case.

Maybe I was wrong to trade in a damaged copy, maybe it was just a case of "wrong guy wrong time" (the vendor) but whatever it is... honestly, I have no regrets. Maybe some other SNES will play SF2 too, I don't know. The game's mint, it just refused to work consistently on my system.

[Anthony1]

Here is a couple of things that I always do, it might have been touched on by previous posts, but oh well....


1. Keep about 6 or 7 one dollar bills in one of your pockets.

2. Keep a handfull of quarters in one of your pockets.

3. Keep the 20's and 10's well hidden away. You don't want to lowball somebody down to $2, and then pull out a $20.

4. Don't immediately go to the video game stuff. Find something totally unrelated to video games and ask the guy about that first. Ask him how much for the blender or whatever. Then say, "oh, how much for them thar Nintendo's."



The biggest key, I can talk about is having quarters in your pocket. The difference between $2.25 and $3 is only 75 cents, but if you do it enough, those 75 cents start to really add up, and those extra 75 cents that you keep saving can help buy more games.


The other tip, is if you are there late in the day, then you really need to have a strategy to go after people just as they are packing up. If you see a guy that has a box of Nintendo games, and he wants to much for them, then try to hit him up as he's just leaving and say, "Hey man, I only have "blank" left, but I'll give you all of it for that box of games". Sometimes this strategy can work when somebody is packing stuff up on a late Sunday afternoon. The key factor though, is that you have to get to them at precisely the right time. Not before they've already packed it deep inside their van. You got to get to them as they are just starting to pack stuff away.

[MachineGex]

Quick Side-Question:
Any good Flea Markets in Colorado? I just moved here and found one small flea market in Colorado Springs. I heard there is a big one just north of Denver, but I can't get any info on it. Any help would make my weekends far more enjoyable.(It's a sad life I know) Thanks

[walrusmonger]

...I work in a game store and use these tricks to swindle good stuff off of customers before they trade it in...
I would hope the owner of the store doesn't mind, cause you are basicly taking/stealing his business. If it is a Mom & Pops shop I think they would care. That kind of stuff is their bread & butter. Is it really worth losing your job, plus, you are getting paid to work for the store and their best interest. If it is a major chain, never mind, rob them blind.

Of course it's a major chain. Why would I give some customer $2 credit for valkyrie profile only to have the store sell it for $34.99, only to have some guy buy it and sell it on ebay?

[Matt-El]

On the main point, this seems to give good advice. Most I've heard and done since I go to fleas all the time.

[Matt-El]

But sometimes nickel and diming somebody is a pain because they might put a good price on something and asking for 3 bucks instead of 4 or 5 could be an insult. If that's what they think is reasonable, then fine, I might pay it.

[christhegamer]

Among the tapes I saw the box for Where Time Is Carmen Sandiego for the NES, one of the few irregular box NES games. Even though I have a complete copy, I pretty much pushed my way between them and grabbed the box, which had the desktop encyclopedia and all the documentation inside but no cartridge. I figured I'd grab it anyway since it would more than likely be cheap. My uncle called to my attention some NES games the guy had at a table at the back of his lot, where I found the Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego cartridge. I put it in the box and asked the guy how much.

Him: What's that?
Me: Oh, this game had a larger box with an encyclopedia inside.
Him: No kidding? Hmm.. what do you think that's worth?
Me: I dunno, five bucks maybe.
Him: Well I get $5 for just the game.. how about..
Me: Well you were going to get nothing for the box until I saved it from being ripped to shreds.
Him: Yeah, I saw that... alright, five bucks.


LOL Yeah, I have that game complete (I think; It has no back-side to it...). D@mn kids :P.

awesome tips, btw: I'll have to remember that when I go to Elkhorn.

All I gots for advice is this: BARDER, BARDER, BARDER! Most of the time the people I buy from actually find-out the value of their stuff before they sell, and stock-pile a thousand copies of that item then jack them up to ridiculously high prices. BEWARE THE PEZ BOOTH! :roll:

[Slate]

My tips are:

Look like you don't collect what you buy.

If you KNOW you can't pass something up, don't.

Keep your emotions to yourself - Act casual.

Don't hang around the same table for long. Just buy what you want and go away.

Keep your eyes open and look underneath all piles of junk, boxes of junk, and all that stuff.

Remember, you are not the only one looking for Videogames.

Don't bring any handheld games or cameras unless it's something like a Game Boy Pocket. Once it's snatched, you may never see it again.

The next guy in line could buy what you want if you don't buy it then.


My favorite deal? A boxed Sega Master System with styrofoam (Missing RFU) And 3D glasses for $7. The box had some water damage, but i like this deal the best.

[cbroddy]

I remember during the my first times going to flea markets 4 years ago at how I got overexited whenever seeing any video game related items. Now I am much calmer when looking over games and systems that I find.

[ckendal]

Anyone know of any good flea markets in Central Maryland?

[Matt-El]

Remember, you are not the only one looking for Videogames.

yep, can't leave anything unlooked or unchecked.

Some people wonder why others pay more to get in earlier, and others carry their new treasues laughing as they walk away.

[VACRMH]

One tip that I didn't notice is this...

Don't wear any gaming clothing. I'll be leaving the 1-Up hat at home, it just encourages people to jack up the price (At least that's what has happened to me)

[InsaneDavid]

Transferring over some posts from the very similar flea market thread that got its lock. It's good information... :)


Today, I went to a flea market I hadn't been to and went into a vendor's cove and saw, literally, rack upon rack of NES, SNES and Genesis games on the wall behind the counter. All you could see were the first row of games, and the others were obscured behind them. I asked the guy if he could take some SNES trays down so I could look through them and he seemed pretty bothered, but he let me browse through about three (out of about 15 racks). I put a couple random games aside just to encourage him to take some more off the shelf, but it didn't work. There were some other shoppers crowded in there and he got distracted, but his wife, who didn't speak English very well (they're an old Asian couple), asked what game I was looking for. I politely said I just wanted to browse and perhaps buy a few. She said they can't do that, so I'm like "Final Fantasy?" The language barrier was thick, and I don't know if she heard me over all the loud noise, but she shook her head "no." She was actually kind of rude, so I just figured if they don't want to let me see the games, they don't get my business. So I just moved on.

The trip was worth it, though, since I did get a complete NES in its box from another, much more polite vendor with everything - two controllers, orange zapper, all hookups and manuals for the system, manual for the zapper, warranty info, a Nintendo Power ad and a huge Nintendo Poster, and four NES games:

SMB/Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet
Mega Man 4
Battletoads
Super C

All for $30.00

See, the story has a happy ending. I'll still keep my original Nintendo I've played since Christmas 1986 in the box I got today, but now I don't have to hold a séance every time I want to play an NES game. The new one works great.


Man, you guys gotta learn how to talk with the vendors. Like seriously. You should have told him you were interested in a whole BOX. "...see you've got some older games there, how much you want for all of them?" "All?" "yeah, let me see what's in there and I'll let you know" = access. Then you wheel and deal from there. Many times the "business" vendors will have the best stuff at the best prices, because to them they want to move high quantity. Like last week I came upon a new seller - "All these games are $5 (box of PS1 stuff), all these games are $5 (box of SNES stuff), etc." Pretty much anything was $5. It's from these same type sellers that I've been able to grab some Super Famicom games that fetch high prices for $5 - $10.

Also if you said that and then picked out one or two games and were questioned about the box, then you'd just keep going through it. Sometimes buying it all is worth it if there's something in there especially rare.


That is good advice. It has been some time since I have been at a flea market (two or so years), but I always ask for the whole box of games first. If you ask for individual titles, they may think you are just picking out "rare" games, and make up some off the wall prices. Asking for the whole box just shows that you like games, and want them all. Heck, I have purchased boxes of 40 or so games for like $30-$40 a shot. I also look kind of grubby when I go (not trying to, but I like to chill and dress down on days off...Guinness hat, ACDC shirt...you know) and this may play a part in getting the deals too. Dress like a business man and shop the flea and they'll think you are made of money!

[Steven]

This guy has a ton of SNES carts I wanted, but he asked for $12 each, insane mofo LOL

I have a lot of games to trade though, so hopefully he'll do a straight up swap this weekend...

I forgot about a game I got today, forgot to list it in the first post of this 2nd page.

OK, maybe I did an unethical thing.

I traded the dude in quote, Street Fighter II plus $2 for The Peace Keepers. SF II is damaged and doesn't play. :embarrassed:

The weird thing is, it looks MINT. The guy looked at it, was impressed with its condition, and he knew it was a good game. He just got greedy and asked for 2 bucks. I more than obliged.

The eBay seller refused to give me a refund. I don't know why the copy doesn't play. Even the ole rubbing alcohol/QTip trick does nada. It worked for a week, then crapped out on me.

But I mean, was it wrong for me to do what I did? What would you have done? I didn't want to pay $12 for The Peace Keepers, and this guy had been pretty "rough" toward me... refusing to lower his prices even though they're ridiculously high. I remember 3 weeks ago I pulled out 9 SNES games hoping for $5 each, and he picked them up, slammed each one down on the glass case saying "TWELVE DOLLAS EACH" I'm like 1. thats crazy and 2. dude you just slam games that potentially could be mine on the glass case.

Maybe I was wrong to trade in a damaged copy, maybe it was just a case of "wrong guy wrong time" (the vendor) but whatever it is... honestly, I have no regrets. Maybe some other SNES will play SF2 too, I don't know. The game's mint, it just refused to work consistently on my system.

I see no one has replied regarding this situation. I'd like to get some thoughts/reactions as to what I did to the vendor, but not start a new thread, lol. So, here it is one more time.

Would appreciate thoughts and similar stories, anything. I'm just curious if you consider it "unethical" or all just a "part of the game." (within the game, of our game hobby :P )

[GetImOliver]

In response Steven, I wouldn't have personally traded a game that didn't work. However, don't forget the game looked perfect, so hey may just as soon set it on a shelf to look pretty. There's no way to know, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. If he confronts you about it later, just be honest with him.

In terms of tricks --
If there is a couple of games you want contained within a box of games, but don't want to pay the $5 each, try asking for a good price on the box. Figure out what this makes each game worth to the seller. Then, after some shuffling, pick out the two or so you wanted, and offer them the reduced price you figured out in your head. Don't be afraid to act like an idiot. "You said $20 for the box, so that would be like, $3 a game right? here's $6 for these two then!" Works like a charm.

I can't stress this more either: Go flea marketing looking for fun, don't expect anything, and enjoy the warm weather!

[InsaneDavid]

...and enjoy the warm weather!

Or when it's halfway rainy and has been rained out the past few weeks and people are trying to dump stuff fast so they can at least make somewhat of a profit on the day. :)

[Kuros]

I just hate the guys that insist on being difficult.

I saw a good, complete copy of Parappa for the PS1 yesterday and it was in pretty good condition except for the case being broken. Guy wants 5 and I try to talk him down to 3.

"No I want 5."
"How about 4?"
"4.50"

I just walked away. I'd rather not deal with someone that difficult to work with and besides, I already have a complete copy, this one was only gonna be for trade bait.

[InsaneDavid]

I just hate the guys that insist on being difficult.

I saw a good, complete copy of Parappa for the PS1 yesterday and it was in pretty good condition except for the case being broken. Guy wants 5 and I try to talk him down to 3.

"No I want 5."
"How about 4?"
"4.50"

I just walked away. I'd rather not deal with someone that difficult to work with and besides, I already have a complete copy, this one was only gonna be for trade bait.

I think you're the one being difficult there, $5 and it's complete is a damn good price. If he can't get $5 from you they'll get $5 in 10 minutes from someone else.

[-SuperYoshi-]

Yeah, considering I had to pay a cool $15 for Parappa at a local Gamestop (It was complete, and I usually don't see many uncommon games at that place, I was happy either way), that would've been a good deal. At least you could've sold it on eBay or here. Oh well, to each his own.

[Sosage]

"No I want 5."
"How about 4?"
"4.50"



I think you're the one being difficult there, $5 and it's complete is a damn good price. If he can't get $5 from you they'll get $5 in 10 minutes from someone else.

Ditto. In my situations, 5 bucks is the average for PS1 games. In a situation like this, you're only losing 2 bucks in the deal for a game you would have profited 10-ish bucks off of (according to the guide). If you're both regulars, sometimes it is worth losing the small battles (although I don't think you were losing in the long run).

Anyways. Strange phenomenon is happening at my local swap. Everyone is hating on the bulk deals. Including some of my cool regulars. I don't mean not willing to work out a bulk deal. I mean actually trying to discourage me from buying more than X number of carts!?! The worst scenario was when one semi-regular actually told me that if I bought more than 3 NES carts, he'd up the price each by an entire buck!?!? I've told these guys before that I don't resell (white lie...I do pick up some dupes to trade...but I rarely clean them out of their entire stock of good shit either...no need to be greedy...actually sold dupes at CGE for the price *I* paid for them), but someone or something is royally screwing the pooch for me. The paranoid man inside of me says someone is blatantly aggravating these guys by lowballing then reselling in the same swap. Suggestions? Comments? A shoulder to cry on? ;P

Otherwise. Good suggestions so far. Go for bulk deals. Try to work up a good rep with the good regulars. Try to hit up the new guys/"just selling my shit here this weekend instead of doing a garage sale" early. Don't be an ass, because word can/will spread about you (that broken SF2 thing has the potential to bite you in the ass...all you can do is play it off if a confrontation occurs...hope you have a good poker face).

[Steven]

^ to the poster above suggesting the poker face thing; don't worry I have a minor in Theatre Arts ;)

Well, another trip to the flea market this weekend. I got to a late start -- got there at 4:30 PM. My mom and dad didn't want to go with me because in their words "all the good deals are gone now." Not for video games I thought :D Yes, I was a "bit more" optimistic.

Went to the mean guy's stand first since his stand comes before the others. This is the guy I traded the faulty SF2 to. The same guy who demands $12 for each SNES game and slammed them hard on the glass case saying "twelve dollas, twelve dollas" etc.

Well, in dealing with him today I do not feel guilty anymore AT ALL about the SF2 trade.

So I saw Contra III and offered to trade 2 SNES games for it. Bubsy and Maui Mallard for the record. He gave me the thumbs down on each and said "Nooooo."

SO I asked him how much for Contra III and he said "38." I was like "Holy shit this guy's on crack."

"How much would you buy these two for?" I asked him regarding Maui/Bubsy.

$5 he said.

I wanted to tell him to F off, LOL but of course didn't.

I just put the games back in my bag. Then I brought out MegaMan X. His eyes literally lit up.

"HOW MUCH?" He asked.

$8 I said.

He pulled out a THICK wad of bills, literally dozens and dozens of 20's I saw. Then he handed me 8 one's. As he grabbed the game he said happily "THIS GOOD ONE" like it was a CAPCOM rare treasure. Funny thing is, I tried selling MM X online for 9 shipped, but no one bited. $8 is what I'd have gotten but w/o the hassle of packing the game!

I made my way to the next vendor, the NICE guy, and he greeted me warmly. He knew me by now.

I traded Bubsy, Maui, F-Zero (remake) and $2 (all extra's the games were!) for Castlevania IV and Adventures of Kid Kleets. Then I bought 7 NES games for $21, and X-Men 2 (GEN) for $3. This vendor is SO nice to me. He told me "I sell you any Genesis game for $3, everyone else I charge 5. 3 just for you!"

Before I left, I told him how much I appreciate his services. He said "you help me I help you!" I love this guy. He gives me some nice trades. Basically, however many games you want, just trade the same quantity, plus one game more. I love vendors like this.

The only other game for trade in my bag was now Porky Pig. I wanted BattleToads/Double Dragon SNES from this other vendor, the 3rd and final stop. He wanted a ridiculous $15 for the game, or $10 with Porky Pig. I walked away laughing on the inside. $15? That is even more than what the game goes for on eBay. I hate vendors like the 1st and 3rd guy. This is a flea market, not "let's jack the price up high and rip people off" kind of deal.

Now that I'm into NES again, flea market trips will be doubly exciting...

[The Shawn]

Your right it is bastardish.

[Steven]

It's been a while since I hit up the flea markets... today was an awesome score. Saved money and gained money at the same time.

1st stand I saw Extra Innings and Super Alfred Chicken. He wanted 5 for EI and 6 for SAC.

"This is a common sports game, I'll give you 3," I said. I was surprised at how easy he accepted it.

"OK," He replied.

Hey hey I thought, lol.

Then I was examining SAC a little bit, he asked if I wanted to buy it too, I said yeah I'll take it. So I pulled out a 5 and a 1 ($6) but then he said "Gimme me $3 for it."

I was like wow ok thanks in my head. I casually handed him a fiver.

Moving over to the next stand I traded Street Fighter II (double) for a mint Lemmings... which oddly seems to command $10+ on eBay. Initially he wanted SFII and $4, but I said, "No, I want to do a straight up swap. one for one... this is a classic fighting game, lot of people want to buy it."

He accepted. I just saved $9!!! (2 on EI, 3 on SAC and 4 on Lemmings) See what happens if you just stand your ground and act like you know what you're talking about? LOL

My best score was in the third and final stand I visited.

I found Gemfire and Metal Warriors!!! Gemfire on eBay I think often hits 20+... I always wanted to try it out. I got these two games for $4 and Fatal Fury/Ms. Pac-Man (damaged label).

I drove home, then reached in my pocket and saw a $10 bill. Where the heck did this come back? I figured out it was probably the 1st guy I bought from... $5 for SAC and he gave me 2 bills I assumed it was 2 $1 bills so I didn't check it when he initially handed it to me. Turns out it was a $10 bill!

One lucky day indeed.

[MarioMania]

Wow, You guy's got good deal's at Flea Markets, I can't get to one...I don't drive :(...I would pay someone from the Bay Area to look for deal's for me...I don't know if you guy's are willing to do that

[DragonMaster Sam]

There is no way in hell that game like Contra III should be $38. It's almost as dumb as pricing Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (SNES) for $18 at some flea market I was at last week.

[bangtango]

For newbies that need flea markets to hit up, some listings are at:

http://www.fleamarketguide.com

A few may not be up each year and some may be missing, but if you punch in your state (or surrounding states), you'll get a few to start with.

[mailman187666]

I noticed usualy outdoor flea markets are where you find the grestest deals. Indoor flea markets have high prices and usually have the same games every week. The good thing about the indoor ones is that if you were to buy a couple games at the prices they have and make yourself known by talking to the vendor, usually they want repeat customers and will be willing to give you a good deal because they want you to keep comming back. One vendor i know doesn't really know the values of a lot of her games so she makes them all kinda high priced. I let her in on what titles to look out for and let her know things that could help her out. In doing so, she tends to give me a price break on a good amount of games she has. So its all about getting the vendors to like you and eventually they will help you out.

[POrkcOw]

don't get excited and buy everything you see just because it is game related. you run out of money very quickly. i had to learn that the hard way...

[Xexyz]

I noticed usualy outdoor flea markets are where you find the grestest deals. Indoor flea markets have high prices and usually have the same games every week. The good thing about the indoor ones is that if you were to buy a couple games at the prices they have and make yourself known by talking to the vendor, usually they want repeat customers and will be willing to give you a good deal because they want you to keep comming back. One vendor i know doesn't really know the values of a lot of her games so she makes them all kinda high priced. I let her in on what titles to look out for and let her know things that could help her out. In doing so, she tends to give me a price break on a good amount of games she has. So its all about getting the vendors to like you and eventually they will help you out.

Very true with the indoor flea market vendor reguards. One vendor at a local flea market I visit weekly recognizes me from buying games from him multiple times in the past. I was about to skip his isle this week (nothing new in a while) when he came up to me and said "I got a bunch of new games this week". Well, he wasn't kidding! 3 boxes full of complete NES titles, at $4 a pop (he had a 5 for $20 deal). It's a decent deal, and I didn't hesitate to pick some up. I blew $60 real fast, but I really should have wen't to an ATM machine and picked up some more. I'm praying that he's still got some next weekend as I don't come across complete NES games to often.

[mindlesspunk77]

being a long time vendor (ive been going to the markets since i was 6 months old with my dad shits in my blood and used to set up for him when i was 8 9 years old while he was at his shop inside) and long time goer of many markets in the jersey pa area again going since i was 6 months old and getting great deals cause i was a kid since i knew what i was talking about. id say its all a game some vendors are assholes and some buyers are assholes as in noticning you know what your selling and they get insulted when you tell them a fair but not flea market esque price for somthing IE somone asked me a price on earthbound i said 50 and they got all pissed n said i was crazy. i was just like your pissed i knew what i was talking about and it wasnt a dollar. but as for buying ummm always try to buy the lot. if you see priority mail bvoxes dont expect a deal they do ebay. but always ask. and if you see one game always ask if they have more. if you see kids set up or teenagers always ask if they have games even if you dont see any. always root through boxes!

[Steven]

thought I bump this and ask also, anyone got any recent flea market stories to share? I haven't been back in a long ass time, and my FM-scouring days are pretty much over... pretty much. :P

I will say my last visit was my grandest. I bought 3 games for $39, turned around and sold them and made an insane $125 profit. (sealed old games!)

[erehwon]

There are some interesting stories in this thread. I wish there were some flea markets around me.

[Kitsune Sniper]

thought I bump this and ask also, anyone got any recent flea market stories to share? I haven't been back in a long ass time, and my FM-scouring days are pretty much over... pretty much. :P

I will say my last visit was my grandest. I bought 3 games for $39, turned around and sold them and made an insane $125 profit. (sealed old games!)

Pah, amateur! I've bought four sealed games for $6 and sold 'em for $140! LOL

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

One place I haven't seen mentioned is Church bazaars. I have had really good luck at some of them. At one I got a few CIB genesis games for 50 cents each. At another, I got a Microvision (missing battery cover) on their "All you can fit in a bag for $1" day. The best one I have found is a local place that works helping men who are recovering drug addicts or alcoholics. They also run a thrift store, but I haven't been there yet. I have picked up a Shadowrun cart for the SNES for 75 cents, a box of misc genesis stuff including a dozen game, the best of which were a CIB Sorcerer's Kingdom and CIB Genghis Khan II all for $10. I never care about the prices there since I know that I am getting a good deal and the money goes for a good cause. (I usually give them a few extra dollars anyway.)

[johno590]

I used to go to the flea market ALL the time. I usually get good deals. I mean who goes to a flea market to get ripped off? If you visit some of the places often enough the vendors will recognize you. I always go to this one guy, and I even gave him a few dollars more than he asked for, because he's always given me good deals.


For newbies that need flea markets to hit up, some listings are at:

http://www.fleamarketguide.com

A few may not be up each year and some may be missing, but if you punch in your state (or surrounding states), you'll get a few to start with.

That's a cool link, I looked up some around where I live, and found some that I didn't know exsisted.

[MarioMania]

For newbies that need flea markets to hit up, some listings are at:

http://www.fleamarketguide.com

A few may not be up each year and some may be missing, but if you punch in your state (or surrounding states), you'll get a few to start with.

Great Site, Does anyone have a Site aboout Thrift Stores & Goodwill's. I saw a thread with the link..But I can't remember the threads name

[Kitsune Sniper]

*checks site*

Wow, there's a Las Palmas flea market in Los Angeles too? That explains why so many vendors come down from LA on Wednesdays to my local Las Palmas flea market!

Anyway, MarioMania, I'd check http://www.goodwill.org/ to locate any local stores near you. :)

[MarioMania]

Kitsune Sniper: It's not that site, It's like you could search out where a Pawn Shop is..Thrift Shop, Goodwill & other places

[Ryaan1234]

I had some really good luck at the flea market a couple weeks ago. I found 4 Colecovision games (Chuck Norris, Tomarc the Barbarian, Artillery Duel, Quest for Quintana Roo and Sir Lancelot) for $.50 each. They were R5, R7, R5, R5 and R6 repectively. Now here's the good part because if you thought that was the lucky part then you'd be wrong. I went to another booth and dug through a box of Atari 2600 games and found Glib(R8) and Attack of the Mutant Camels(R6) and asked the guy how much it was. He said $1 each. Now that's probably the best finds I've ever had at a flea market. Six games and none were below a R5. I even left Mountain King(R6) and Dishaster(R5?) in the box I found the 4 Colecovision games. So, that's my best buys at a flea market ( other than Earthbound for $10 at the same flea market a year before :) )

[Steven]

thought I bump this and ask also, anyone got any recent flea market stories to share? I haven't been back in a long ass time, and my FM-scouring days are pretty much over... pretty much. :P

I will say my last visit was my grandest. I bought 3 games for $39, turned around and sold them and made an insane $125 profit. (sealed old games!)

Pah, amateur! I've bought four sealed games for $6 and sold 'em for $140! LOL

So you mean you made a $134 profit. That's only $9 up on me. I say we both had it good.

[tornadostormxl]

where do you guys find this stuff the flea market i when to has nothing

[theshizzle3000]

My tips are:

Look like you don't collect what you buy.

If you KNOW you can't pass something up, don't.

Keep your emotions to yourself - Act casual.

Don't hang around the same table for long. Just buy what you want and go away.

Keep your eyes open and look underneath all piles of junk, boxes of junk, and all that stuff.

Remember, you are not the only one looking for Videogames.

Don't bring any handheld games or cameras unless it's something like a Game Boy Pocket. Once it's snatched, you may never see it again.

The next guy in line could buy what you want if you don't buy it then.


My favorite deal? A boxed Sega Master System with styrofoam (Missing RFU) And 3D glasses for $7. The box had some water damage, but i like this deal the best.

Yeah that next guy in line thing is true I missed out on a copy of Donkey Kong Country because I wanted to look around goodwill first. And bam when I came up to get it the guy in front of me had it in his hand that _________(insert noun)

[Steven]

^ True, very true. I mean, you don't want to charge it, but make sure you keep your eyes open to your surroundings and any incoming potential buyers.

The worst thing is to find a bin of say Saturn games, get excited inside but pretend to browse the PS1 section, and by the time you decide to make your way to the Saturn bin, some other bloke is there and is holding a copy of Guardian Heroes complete for $5.

Keep your eyes and ears opened, not just to the vendors, but the people walking around you. Many are aggressive and can come outta nowhere.

[NES_Rules]

I've gotten many good deals at the flea market and its alays been from the same type of vendrs; people who just wanna get rid of their junk, maybe make a few bucks and get the hell out of there for the day. The vendors that are there wekk in and week out never have any real good deals, I'l usually glance through the games and see if anything pops out, but rarely buy anything.
The only exception to this is one guy, he is there every week, has a box of $1 games which are mostly sports games but every other week or so he'll have a game that I don't have. Otherwise his games are $2 for loose NES and $3 for complete NES games. I've gotten some great bargains from him; like Krusty's Funhouse practically new for $3.
I'll usually look out for the vendors who have a little box of games and ask how much they want for it. Like somebody else said, any Atari game is simply an "Atari", Sega games are just 'Sega" and Nintendo games are just 'Nintendo'. Whatever they say the price is (unless its under a dollar) I'll offer half of it and we'll work from there. I never offer a price first, there's been many times when I feel like blindly offering $10 for something, when they only want $5 for it.