Do people ever tell you "I'll keep an eye out for you?&

[Jumpman Jr.]

Hey everybody,
This has been a fairly frequent occurance for me, especially lately. I tell a lot of my friends and family about my collection (only when they're interested and ask about it... I don't go around just yelling out what I have in my collection), and they usually are stunned at how many games I have or even more so; how little games I need to complete certain collections.

Recently, as now I only have 1 game to go to complete my N.A. NES collection (the Myriad), I've been telling people that (naturally), I only have 1 game to complete my collection. '

They always respond with: "What game is it?", probably assuming that it's Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt or something like that.

So, in response, I'll say: "Well, it's called the Myriad 6-in-1", and they usually say that they've (obviously) never heard of it.

Then, they usually say "Oh, if I ever see it at a store, I'll buy it for you."

It's not that I don't appreciate the fact that they're trying to be nice, but it just gets annoying to try to explain to people that there's virtually no chance of them finding it in the wild, especially in Canada, especially when they don't know anything about where to look for games.

Just curious. Does this happen to anybody else?
Jumpman Jr.

[Steven]

I had a few say "I'll keep an eye out" ... recently Pookninja was kind enough to do this for me for Battletoads & Double Dragon. I found it though and PM'ed him it's cool.

Good luck finding the last game. I never even heard of it before :P

[ProgrammingAce]

I collect prototypes and devkits... and i work in the industry. I have family and friends say that "they'll be on the lookout"... to which i always just reply "Thanks"

Sometimes you just have to let it go...

[Synergy]

Recently, as now I only have 1 game to go to complete my N.A. NES collection (the Myriad)

Nice! Here's hope you get it soon. Good luck!

[jonathonwillie]

only 1 game left jumpman...i'll keep an eye out for it for you...

[Lemmy Kilmister]

Yeah, I have a few buddies that keep an eye out for certain games, movies or records I am looking for. Works good too.. after all, they snagged a nice looking complete copy of Lunar: Silver Star Story on the Sega CD for me for 10 dollars around a year or two ago.

[Flack]

It certainly can't hurt to let other people look for it. You might come up with a funny response like, "well good luck, I've been looking for it for x amount of years and haven't found one yet!" or "the last one on eBay went for x amount of dollars!" or something like that that conveys the fact that it's a tough game to find. My guess is they aren't actually looking for the game but rather giving a polite response, much like people passing each other and saying "how are you?" don't really want a detailed response about your financial situation or health status -- they're just making friendly/polite conversation.

That being said, at an auction last month I bought Icbrkr a coin/bill changer for his home arcade. A year or two ago a co-worker that was "keeping an eye out for arcade games" led me to a garage sale where I got my nearly perfect Q*Bert cabinet for $100. My old realtor (a family friend) constantly gives me tips about people who are moving and may be getting rid of gameroom equipment. Every week I search eBay for a Rock-Ola Fantasy arcade game. Ain't nothin' wrong with keeping an eye out for one another.

[icbrkr]

and I'm not sure if I thanked you yet Flack!

I'm keeping an eye out for certain things for certain people. If I come across any Amiga stuff that I've already got, I'm keeping an eye out for Rob.

If it's 5200 stuff or 7800 stuff, I'm keeping an eye out for Grimbal.

Any Turbographx stuff, I'm keeping an eye out for Sangdrax.

[ClubNinja]

Just about everyone I know - even casually - always tells me they'll be on the lookout for arcade gear for me. A few times, they've come up with dirty old JAMMA conversions, for which I've thanked them extensively for the heads up, but never followed through. If they ask what happened with the lead, I'll just tell them that it didn't work out, but it was still great of them to do. More often, I get leads to things that are way overpriced by actual seller-type people or not even for sale in the first place.

All that said, the Ninja-in-laws connected me with an old friend of theirs who needed two pins out of his basement ASAP. I went by to check them out and they were both games on my specific wantlist. Amazing. The trouble there was getting them out of a basement that they'd been brought into before the new (narrower) doors had been installed... yikes.

[jboypacman]

My friends and my wife do this for me.

[Pantechnicon]

I don't have anyone looking out for anything in particular. My mother and aunt - both avid garage salers ("garage sailors"?) - always say they'll keep an eye out. The problem is that they seem unable to internalize any specifics about consoles, etc. So they have standing orders to call me via if they run across anything that looks game related and describe it. More often than not it's a Genesis with an inch of dirt and some crappy sports titles. But I've gotten a couple of Pongs and a few other things so it's ok.

Fortunately my brother is a little more up on this kind of thing. He works in home renovation so his job takes him inside a lot of houses where other buildings where he gets glimpses of game rooms with pins and occasional cabs. He always propositions to see if someone's interested in selling "that old thing". Haven't found any good deals yet but one day, who knows?

[christhegamer]

Yep, it's happened to me alot. I've always asked mom for NES games on Christmas, and shes always said that if she "stopped by target she'd get some!"

O_O

[bangtango]

The select people who "keep an eye out for me" will buy scattered games here and there that they see in the wild. The good news is they pick up the games, mostly $1-5 titles, and never expect me to pay them back since they did it as a favor.

I usually get rubbish I would never play or doubles, but it helps fill up my trade box or Ebay auctions. It works well since this type of thing never costs me anything. Every so often, I get something I really do like.

[StakeRaiser]

Ever notice how most people say things they don't really mean?

Kind of like when someone is in your way at the store, and you say "excuse me", but what you really mean is "wake up and move"

Not that most people aren't trying to be nice when they say they will be on the lookout, but usually they forget about what they said 10 minutes later

[Sothy]

Whenever theres a vendor or someone selling stuff and I ask if they have any old "tendo" games they say no but "I will keep an eye out for ya" Wont happen but I say thanks anyway cuz ya never know I guess.

[FullCircle]

There's a used game and CD store locally that I'll stop in to once in a while looking for anything good, but lately they've been pulling the good stuff and eBaying it. When the yfirst opened, I asked the owner repeatedly if he'd look out for certain things for me, and he assured me he will. Soon after, I was discussing the shop with a co-worker, and he said the place was great because he found a game there that I had told the owner to set aside for me! So it seems that even people in the know are not likely to actually stay "on the lookout" for stuff.

[chaoticjelly]

There is a couple of flea market guys that ive had games from in the past, and they've taken my number and promised to ring when they get more games etc.. guess what.. never heard from them..

You just have to go anyway and see what there is.

Relatives can never be bothered to get me any old games, besides "I have too many anyway - what do I need more for" etc

My sister just says "where would I find them" and when I suggest maybe she could ask a few friends of hers, if they had any old games stashed in their parents lofts, she seems disgusted at the suggestion LOL

[Jibbajaba]

Yeah, my mom says she keeps an eye out for me. Once she found a couple of Sega CD games for me at a thrift store (including Dark Wizard!), but that's about it. She goes to those "Bazaar" type sales, but you don't generall find games there. She isn't much into yard sales or flea markets, unless I am in town to go with her. Guess she just isn't into going by herself, because we always have a good time when we go together.

Chris

[Undertaker]

I actually had a good experience last fall with this.I told a guy at the flea market to let me know if he found any Dragon Warrior games for the NES.He said he would let me know.Well 1 year later he brings me Dragon Warrior 1(complete),Dragon Warrior 2 (complete),Dragon Warrior 3 (everything except the box),and Dragon Warrior 4 (everything but the box).All in mint shape.He also brought me Both Zelda games minus the boxes and a complete Final Fantasy for the NES. :eek 2: I cringed to hear what he wanted. :eek 2: $35.00 O_O .He said since I bought a lot from him.I said thanks a lot. :evil: So I guess that's the 1 in a million shot.

[rick weis]

i have some people that keep an "eye out for me" and once in a while they do find things for me. i also keep an eye out for them and find some things for them as well. i think it really works best when they don't collect what you collect and you don't collect what they collect.

but i will say there are times that i tell someone that, and i will forgot who i was looking for, for that one certain item once i see it. :embarrassed:

Rick

[MachineGex]

My Mother-in-law sent me a bunch of super common 2600 and NES games. I had them all of course but I called her and thanked her anyhow. I told her I wasn't sure if a had a couple of them. I thought her effort was really sweet considering she never sends my wife anything. :evil:

[The Shawn]

Yeah, my niegbors wife is really into strawberry stuff, ie:classes,plates ,lamps,strawberry shortcake,,vases, anything with a freakin' strawberry on it.
So when we bought the house I said I would keep a look out for the shit at yard sales and goodwill. And I did.
I've goton her like 4 things.
Now her and her sister go yard salin' every weekend,(with the promise of "Keeping an Eye out for me and my games"
Guess what, I still have yet to receive anything.

Even though they know how into games I am cause their over about every night.
So I just don't put much stock in anyone else finding me anything, If it happens it Happens.

[Perkar]

a former co-worker of mine lives quite a distance from where i do and hits a couple of thrift stores that i am not usually able to get to (at least on a regular basis). whenever there are games he'll give me a call and let me know what they have. it's worked out pretty well for me, i probably get stuff from him every 2 or 3 weeks.

[Nukie]

My sister has been doing that for me. I'll tell her some of the stuff I'm looking for on the off-chance she finds it. I've gotten some decent stuff but nothing amazing.

[Arasoi]

People do say that sometimes, I just politely thank them.

People just have no conception of how rare a lot of the collectibles are. Like Id ever expect friends to find Vampire Killer for Megadrive, or an Akumajo Dracula arcae board with inserts LOL

[k8track]

My fiancee (who is Japanese) has several male otaku friends in Japan who keep an eye out for stuff that I want.

I've received (as gifts from my fiancee) a Sharp Twin Famicom Disk System (red), Beatmania controller and game, Konami Guitar Freaks Controller, Donkey Konga with Tarukonga controller, Doki Doki Panic, an original Famicom system, a Japanese PSOne, Namco Museum Encore, Intelligent Qube and I.Q. Final, the Famicom 20th anniversary book, and the Fami-Complete Encyclopedia, to name a few things.

She loves me.