Consoles / accessories / games in the worst shape you've ever seen?

[Slate]

I saw the worst conditioned Super Nintendo that I may ever see yesterday, Oct 21 2006, which got me thinking: what is the worst conditioned Console, Game, or Accessory you've ever seen?

The worst I have seen has to be this:

The Super Nintendo I mentioned, which was completely yellow on both halves, and the plastic by the controller ports (in the seams) was completely gone. It weighed a little bit too much in one area comparing to the other two SNES Systems that were there, too.

[NES_Rules]

I bought a 32x that was actually caked with mud, it took a good hour to get it clean.
I also bought some SNES games that looked like they were covered with Barbeque sauce. There were 25 of them and took at least 5 hours to get them all clean.

[Cambot]

I always see this SNES at a pawn shop not even in the case with all the other video game stuff. It has a sign next it that says "$5.00 as is." The poor system is yellow on both sides (almost green even) and has multiple cigaarette burns and all sorts of other dirt, crud, stains and muck.

[Push Upstairs]

My infamous "Gamecube infested with roaches" story, or the 2600 with 20+ years of dust, dirt, & mouse poop on it.

Thank a deity or your choice i wore gloves when cleaning *ANYTYHING*.

[mrmark0673]

My infamous "Gamecube infested with roaches" story, or the 2600 with 20+ years of dust, dirt, & mouse poop on it.

Thank a deity or your choice i wore gloves when cleaning *ANYTYHING*.

Roaches?!?! Thats the most disgusting thing I have ever heard. Does it work now? I just bought a lot of SNES games and a system along with a Sega Saturn. Cleaned them up nice, but they were all coated with a somewhat slimy brown/yellow layer of god knows what. Thats the first time i only got one use out of a Mr. Clean magic eraser. Clean as a whistle now, but I can't understand how anyone get let ANYTHING in their house get so filthy that its covered in a layer of brown/yellow film.

[c0ldb33r]

Hearing about these systems makes me sad :(

The worst system I've seen? Well, it's not a system, but stilla funny story. My wife's grandparents computer stopped working. I cracked her open to see why not, and found a pile of cat food inside.

They think a squirrel may have snuck in and was hiding the cat's food inside the computer. They were missing a PCI slot cover in the back, I guess he must have squeezed through there. LOL

[Ascending Wordsmith]

Ever see that segment in Creepshow 2 where Stephen King's character touches that meteor, and he begins to sprout grass/moss all over his body?

I saw a Sega CD attachment like that in the flea market. It had stains of a liquid that had spilled all over it. Attached to these stains were years of lint and dust.

[theshizzle3000]

Yeah my problem was not with a system but with a Ninja Gaiden cart I picked up from a goodwill for cheap. The cart litralley looked like a smurf had been shot by it, because there was a splatter of blue crap all over the cartridge. I spent the better part of that afternoon cleaning it off and the towel I used was stained completely beyond washing out. The good news in all of this is that the game worked. The bad news is that Ninja Gaiden is still ridiculously hard.

[Push Upstairs]

Roaches?!?! Thats the most disgusting thing I have ever heard. Does it work now?

We took the Gamecube apart as much as possible and there was still creepy-crawlers hiding in spots all over that thing.

We set it outside in the cold and they still lived.

We left it in a bag full of bug spray and sealed it up and that didnt work.

But in the end the roaches won as they got to keep thier home and the GC (for whatever reason) quit working.

I could understand a 10-20 yr old game system being infested (been sitting around for awhile) but for a fairly new system to be infested with 2, possibly 3 different kinds of roaches? :puke:

[xtremegamer]

One of the worst systems I have seen came from a huge lot of Nintendo stuff I bought this summer. Systems had staines of ever color from yellow to blue to red. It looks like someone went crazy with a set of markers. When I got the system opened up, it was full of spider webs and of course, dead spiders. The AC adapter casing looked to be held together by duct tape, but that had worn off and now the AC adapter was just held together by the sticky film left behind. Needless to say I cleaned it up a little and was quick to get rid of it.

[bangtango]

I always see this SNES at a pawn shop not even in the case with all the other video game stuff. It has a sign next it that says "$5.00 as is." The poor system is yellow on both sides (almost green even) and has multiple cigaarette burns and all sorts of other dirt, crud, stains and muck.

Don't tell me you can't drop a fiver on it and restore it a little. That's what I would do. It'd make for a decent thread.

In a side note, this topic makes me wary of opening up my systems now.

[tornadostormxl]

I got a xbox that didnt come with a cover

[gamesniper]

I bought a Colecovision in a pawn shop in Atoka, OK, in which the owner smoked like a chimney. The Coleco was absolutely filthy, caked with cigarette smoke residue, full of dead spiders and various other creepy-crawlies, and the video cable ended in bare wires, no phono plug.

I bought it for $5 as-is, completely disassembled it, cleaned every part extensively, re-ended the cable and it works fine. I think that the level of filth of the system actually worked to keep its usage down, as the two controllers are still in decent shape, performance-wise.

[Push Upstairs]

In a side note, this topic makes me wary of opening up my systems now.

Any used system i buy i open up and clean out.

It's part of the ritual of becoming its new owner, cleaning out the previous owners filth (mostly dust bunnies).

[Videogamerdaryll]

I always see this SNES at a pawn shop not even in the case with all the other video game stuff. It has a sign next it that says "$5.00 as is." The poor system is yellow on both sides (almost green even) and has multiple cigaarette burns and all sorts of other dirt, crud, stains and muck.

Don't tell me you can't drop a fiver on it and restore it a little. That's what I would do. It'd make for a decent thread.

In a side note, this topic makes me wary of opening up my systems now.


For $5.00 I'd buy it for it's internals..(switch the insides with a nice outer shell)


.................
Roaches:
I usually look the systems over pretty good before I buy them..any sign of roaches and I won't buy a system no matter what it is nor the price..

I check the systems when I bring them home..If I see any sign or roaches I throw the system out...Sealed in bags and in the garbage outside...
..Again,no matter what it is nor the price..

[Push Upstairs]

The problem with that Gamecub i mentioned was that just looking at it you couldn't tell it was infested.

The only reason any of us at the store i worked at knew there was bugs in it was when one popped up to say hello from the opening where the laser eye moves.

[Damaramu]

I always see this SNES at a pawn shop not even in the case with all the other video game stuff. It has a sign next it that says "$5.00 as is." The poor system is yellow on both sides (almost green even) and has multiple cigaarette burns and all sorts of other dirt, crud, stains and muck.

Holy shit. Aren't you in Houston? Is this pawn shop in a strip center next to a Radio Shack?

LMAO, I was just about to mention the same exact SNES! Too funny. That same pawn shop had an X-Box with no cords or controllers "As Is" for $50. Closer inspection showed that it had been opened at one point.

[googlefest1]

Model 2 sega genesis

was kind of nasty on the outside - so i handeld it with gloves and doused it with alcohol.

next - open the system up for cleaning (like i do will all my systems )
first thing that happend - i was hit in the face with a horrendus odoor (like a 10 year old never cleaned porta potty) - i began to fight the urge to vomit - also i didnt want to drop the peices any where in my house so i ran them out side (holding my breath all the way). Outside i was able to breath better and noticed it was filled with roaches -- i mean filled. I had the urge to just throw the system away but i couldnt. i took a bucket and filled it with 91% alcohol and dumped the system in. put 3 pairs of examination gloves on, grabed a tooth brush and started scrubbing. I did this a few times (the cleaning cost me more than the system). I scrubbed everything. I had my doubts that the system would work after all that but it did and its the system that i use today and abuse (what i mean by that is - i don't take super care of it like all my other stuff)

Oh the other thing about this is that the house it came from must have been the same way - i belive the system was used in foul conditions and must have been a roach motel becasue there was a great concentration of dead roaches all around the voltage regualtors and heat sink leading me to belive that they huddled around the warmest area. Those bugs were every where inside but it was like the regs had a cocoon made of roaches

[c0ldb33r]

I always see this SNES at a pawn shop not even in the case with all the other video game stuff. It has a sign next it that says "$5.00 as is." The poor system is yellow on both sides (almost green even) and has multiple cigaarette burns and all sorts of other dirt, crud, stains and muck.

:( :( :(

I kind of want to find wherever that is and buy that poor little SNES. Man, I feel like an idiot for feeling bad for a piece of plastic, but I do! :(

[Ascending Wordsmith]

I kind of want to find wherever that is and buy that poor little SNES. Man, I feel like an idiot for feeling bad for a piece of plastic, but I do! :(

You're not alone. I had to rescue a Genesis from my cousin many years back. It just sat on his dresser, unused and neglected. Dust collected in the casing in layers. It was almost like layers of sediment it was so dusty. You could've put the dust under a microscope and seen the fossils of dust mites! I took it in and cleaned it up. Still have it to this day. 8-)

[mrmark0673]

Waaaaaay too many roach stories in here (one is too many). It never even crossed my mind that some of these old systems I'm pulling into my home, more importantly, my bedroom, filled with all these bugs. Its freaking me out. That same SNES I received with the brown/yellow film on it has a mild stink to it, I may just have to buy a security bit and open the thing up. I cleaned up the outside nicely, but haven't gotten around to the inside just yet. I'd rather know it has something gross in it than leave it in my room unopened. What are the sizes for those security bits again? Is it 3/8 mm for NES or something and something a little larger for SNES, i'm sure someone knows off hand.

[Slate]

What are the sizes for those security bits again? Is it 3/8 mm for NES or something and something a little larger for SNES, i'm sure someone knows off hand.

3.8 mm Torx For SNES games, NES games and the like. 4.5 mm Torx Plus for SNES, N64 and Gamecube Systems. But do NOT buy them off of ebay, You're likely to get some junk steel from taiwan.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Roaches found in a slim model PS2, still alive...that was a trip.

Mostly found "bug graveyards" in NES systems mainly.

Worst console I've ever seen, was one I got for a $1 from a flea market down in Temple, TX. This was a Super NES that survived a house fire. The entire console was completely blacken with smoke deposits and ashes in the inside, shell casing was trying to melt from the heat of the fire. Apparently the previous owner saved it in time. Only downside was when he ripped it from the sockets, out came the DC connectors, leaving two pins sticking out from the back. However, regardless of the black smokey Super NES, it still worked.

Also, had to clean out an N64 that had fruit juice spilled in it. That was a wreck

Worst condition game I've ever seen. Street Fighter Alpha 2 for PS1, this was a rental copy from Block Buster Video. The actual disc label was scratched out and placed a BLOCK BUSTER video logo, the disc was cracked in the center about 5 times.

Worst Accessory I've ever seen, mostly NES RF Switches that have the tips ripped off, which confuses me on how people actually find the time to destroy them.

[mrmark0673]

What are the sizes for those security bits again? Is it 3/8 mm for NES or something and something a little larger for SNES, i'm sure someone knows off hand.

3.8 mm Torx For SNES games, NES games and the like. 4.5 mm Torx Plus for SNES, N64 and Gamecube Systems. But do NOT buy them off of ebay, You're likely to get some junk steel from taiwan.

Thanks for the advice, I'll see if I can swing by the local home depot today and grab a set. Where are you guys getting most of these systems that are filled with roaches? Yard sales, flea markets, private sales, mail? I am curious to know how these came into your possession. Also, how much did you pay for these systems and could you tell they were in bad condition before you opened them? I'm opening all my systems outside tonight because of all these creepy stories.

[Slate]

Could you tell they were in bad condition before you opened them? I'm opening all my systems outside tonight because of all these creepy stories.

Sometimes you can, Sometimes you can't. Push Upstairs' experience with the gamecube proves that.

[bangtango]

What are the sizes for those security bits again? Is it 3/8 mm for NES or something and something a little larger for SNES, i'm sure someone knows off hand.

3.8 mm Torx For SNES games, NES games and the like. 4.5 mm Torx Plus for SNES, N64 and Gamecube Systems. But do NOT buy them off of ebay, You're likely to get some junk steel from taiwan.

Thanks for the advice, I'll see if I can swing by the local home depot today and grab a set. Where are you guys getting most of these systems that are filled with roaches? Yard sales, flea markets, private sales, mail? I am curious to know how these came into your possession. Also, how much did you pay for these systems and could you tell they were in bad condition before you opened them? I'm opening all my systems outside tonight because of all these creepy stories.

I saw this post and your other post. I feel the exact same way you do. This thread creeps me out. I was disturbed enough that I decided to get cracking on some of my systems. I'm the type who never opens them up or cleans them, unless there are signs they need to be.

Tonight, I opened three PSX/PS1 systems. All three of them were acquired second-hand through the Salvation Army (which is why I had them in one pile). I was fortunate enough to find they were all very clean inside with no bugs, no food fragments or anything like that. That is a credit to the previous owners, since the Salvation Army sure as hell doesn't clean everything they put out for display.

I've got several more systems to check. However, I think I may luck out. Nearly all of them were acquired from "trusted" sources and I have a good feeling they are bug-free. As Slate said though, you can never tell.

Cambot and Damaramu:

Just my opinion but one of you needs to buy that Super NES for $5, since you seem to live in the area. I'm sure somebody on here, maybe even myself, would give you your money back (for the console and shipping). I understand it'd be a headache to restore it, or ship it, but it seems kind of pointless to leave it rotting there. I agree with cOldb33r on that subject. I'd have a hard time passing up any console for $5, even a 2600 or Game Boy.

[Porkchop]

My infamous "Gamecube infested with roaches" story, or the 2600 with 20+ years of dust, dirt, & mouse poop on it.

Thank a deity or your choice i wore gloves when cleaning *ANYTYHING*.

I have had several of those 20+ years of dust and mouse poop 2600s also my first O2 fit that discription.

Reading these post made me think cleaning up old video game systems might make a good subject for the show about Dirty Jobs. LOL I can see that guy on the show now with Goo Gone, Qtips, WD40, windex etc. cleaning systems and games.

[shadowkn55]

What are the sizes for those security bits again? Is it 3/8 mm for NES or something and something a little larger for SNES, i'm sure someone knows off hand.

3.8 mm Torx For SNES games, NES games and the like. 4.5 mm Torx Plus for SNES, N64 and Gamecube Systems. But do NOT buy them off of ebay, You're likely to get some junk steel from taiwan.

Thanks for the advice, I'll see if I can swing by the local home depot today and grab a set. Where are you guys getting most of these systems that are filled with roaches? Yard sales, flea markets, private sales, mail? I am curious to know how these came into your possession. Also, how much did you pay for these systems and could you tell they were in bad condition before you opened them? I'm opening all my systems outside tonight because of all these creepy stories.

You'll need security bits, not Torx. Torx is a completely differrent animal. It is used to take apart xboxes. Plus, security bits are not something you'll find at home depot or fry's for that matter. You'll most likely have to order online. I have bought a couple sets from ebay and they work just fine. Just because something comes from Taiwan, doesn't mean its junk.

I usually open up consoles for a different reason but I'll clean it if its dirty. Canned air usually does the trick.

[Mr.collection]

I had a dreamcast that was fadded to a nice piss yellow. I sold it to Sniderman.

[Damaramu]

Cambot and Damaramu:

Just my opinion but one of you needs to buy that Super NES for $5, since you seem to live in the area. I'm sure somebody on here, maybe even myself, would give you your money back (for the console and shipping). I understand it'd be a headache to restore it, or ship it, but it seems kind of pointless to leave it rotting there. I agree with cOldb33r on that subject. I'd have a hard time passing up any console for $5, even a 2600 or Game Boy.

I live less than 5 minutes from this pawn shop, almost literally around the corner. I'll swing by there tomorrow to see if they have it. The guys there are nice and are buddies with a guy I know. I wonder if that X-Box sold? LOL

[Cambot]

I always see this SNES at a pawn shop not even in the case with all the other video game stuff. It has a sign next it that says "$5.00 as is." The poor system is yellow on both sides (almost green even) and has multiple cigaarette burns and all sorts of other dirt, crud, stains and muck.

Holy shit. Aren't you in Houston? Is this pawn shop in a strip center next to a Radio Shack?

LMAO, I was just about to mention the same exact SNES! Too funny. That same pawn shop had an X-Box with no cords or controllers "As Is" for $50. Closer inspection showed that it had been opened at one point.

That's hilarious. It's the pawn shop on Westheimer, right? They have some decent games from time to time (got a Dreamcast there). Also got a boxed NES Ninja Gaiden there with all original inserts. Wow, that's so weird. (sorry to sidebar, folks)

[Cambot]

Cambot and Damaramu:

Just my opinion but one of you needs to buy that Super NES for $5, since you seem to live in the area. I'm sure somebody on here, maybe even myself, would give you your money back (for the console and shipping). I understand it'd be a headache to restore it, or ship it, but it seems kind of pointless to leave it rotting there. I agree with cOldb33r on that subject. I'd have a hard time passing up any console for $5, even a 2600 or Game Boy.

I live less than 5 minutes from this pawn shop, almost literally around the corner. I'll swing by there tomorrow to see if they have it. The guys there are nice and are buddies with a guy I know. I wonder if that X-Box sold? LOL

Sorry to double-post, but I hope you give that poor SNES a happy new life. I feel sorry to see it in such poor shape, but I already have two in my home. My fiancée would start throwing stuff out the window if I brought that little mutant into our house. Then I'd have a whole list of consoles to add to this thread!

[mrmark0673]

What are the sizes for those security bits again? Is it 3/8 mm for NES or something and something a little larger for SNES, i'm sure someone knows off hand.

3.8 mm Torx For SNES games, NES games and the like. 4.5 mm Torx Plus for SNES, N64 and Gamecube Systems. But do NOT buy them off of ebay, You're likely to get some junk steel from taiwan.

Thanks for the advice, I'll see if I can swing by the local home depot today and grab a set. Where are you guys getting most of these systems that are filled with roaches? Yard sales, flea markets, private sales, mail? I am curious to know how these came into your possession. Also, how much did you pay for these systems and could you tell they were in bad condition before you opened them? I'm opening all my systems outside tonight because of all these creepy stories.

You'll need security bits, not Torx. Torx is a completely differrent animal. It is used to take apart xboxes. Plus, security bits are not something you'll find at home depot or fry's for that matter. You'll most likely have to order online. I have bought a couple sets from ebay and they work just fine. Just because something comes from Taiwan, doesn't mean its junk.

I usually open up consoles for a different reason but I'll clean it if its dirty. Canned air usually does the trick.

You're right about Home Depot not having them, went last night and came home empty handed. I'll make some phone calls to some of the larger hardware stores and then resort to online if I can't find anything locally. I'm not worried about most systems that I have, they all function just fine. I just think after reading all this stuff that I should pop them open to take a look and at the very least give them a good internal cleaning. I've gone through all my toaster NES a few times and haven't found anything horrific yet so I am hoping to keep up with the good luck. Thanks for the security bit advice. Oh, and if someone does save that SNES, can we get some before and after pics?

[googlefest1]

What are the sizes for those security bits again? Is it 3/8 mm for NES or something and something a little larger for SNES, i'm sure someone knows off hand.

3.8 mm Torx For SNES games, NES games and the like. 4.5 mm Torx Plus for SNES, N64 and Gamecube Systems. But do NOT buy them off of ebay, You're likely to get some junk steel from taiwan.

Thanks for the advice, I'll see if I can swing by the local home depot today and grab a set. Where are you guys getting most of these systems that are filled with roaches? Yard sales, flea markets, private sales, mail? I am curious to know how these came into your possession. Also, how much did you pay for these systems and could you tell they were in bad condition before you opened them? I'm opening all my systems outside tonight because of all these creepy stories.

that genesis I wrote about was from ebay -- i won an auction for lot of genesis systems I forgot how many (between 13 -17 ) - 2 didn't work, all were dirty, and one was the way I described - that smell that hit me is still perfectly remembered by my brain - the shock of it is what must have burned the memory in - I get sick thinking about it.

that was the worst case in my experience - I don't think anything else will beat it for me - and it has kind of desensitized me from nasty systems - in addition to that genesis - I got another model 2 genesis from ebay (and games) that were super greasy (as if they rested near a fryer in a diner or something) -- I also received a model 2 sega saturn that had a live spider (and one dead spider) in it with webs (spider was one of the less scary (booger colored ) looking ones -- other bad systems were just plain dirty with caked on dust w crud

[googlefest1]

edit for above post

Forgot to mention the first system I got that was nasty inside

I purchased a model 2 sega saturn from a dirty and greasy looking kid for $10 at a gamestop (they wouldnt buy it so i made an offer). The outside looked pretty good, the controller on the other hand did not - it was taped together. The controller and the look of the kid is what made me open it to see how clean the inside was - it was filthy - huge dust balls - animal hair balls - and plain animal hair. That was a good lesson - I open everything now! - thankfully

[c0ldb33r]

Oh, and if someone does save that SNES, can we get some before and after pics?
I second this. I love before and after pics, especially for something like this :D

[Slate]

I didn't mention this, But last week I bought a NES for $3 last week, And guess what was weird with it?

It had 3 types of screws holding it together (One wich is a security screw) And part of the case was melted by a soldering iron. It was only in one spot, though, So I figured I may aswell buy it. I haven't tested it yet, But I'm fixing the case.

While this may not be the worst condition NES that I will ever see, It sure seems interesting.

[Push Upstairs]

Seeing that "ebay lot" post reminded me of my Genesis Ebay lot.

I won a lot of three Genesis systems and the two Model 1 sysems were ok (both still work and one is the system i region modded and use to this day) but the Model 2 system was another matter.

It had dead bugs in it (not roaches or spiders) but the part that reallt bummed me out was that the shielding on the inside was rusted all to hell. I know the system powered up, but i don't think i was ever able to get it to work...either the cart port was nasty or i didnt have any Genesis 2 AV connectors.

[Wavelflack]

I spent several days de-smoking and de-mildewing the one and only Bally Astrocade I have ever come across. That's the only reason I didn't simply pitch it.

I couldn't believe how much stench that machine generated. I left it out in the sun for a day, to air out and have the odor sunbaked out. Then I wiped the outside off with soapy water, then windex, then alcohol. THEN I put it in the garage for a few days, and after all of that, even with absolutely no air circulation in the garage, it managed to stink up the garage to nauseating levels. There was no way I would bring it in the house like that.

So I took the machine completely apart. First of all, whoever engineered the Astrocade should be ashamed of themselves. The "a series of afterthoughts" layout of the circuitry and internals is just pitiful. I've never seen a more poorly designed bit of electronics.

Anyway, now that I had everything reduced to the smallest components, I took all of the casing and plastic parts, and gave them a full bubble bath..in the bathtub and everything! The water was a vile yellow/brown shortly, so I repeated the process. Then I followed with more alcohol, then windex, then Pledge. THEN I let the plastic air out for a few weeks, in the garage. You could still smell it, even after all of those steps.

And the guts? I wasn't thinking about the age of the boards, and so as I went around wiping down everything with alcohol, I eventually noticed the board was feeling stickier and stickier. Then the light clicked on, and I realized I was dissolving shellac on that old board! Luckily I had stopped in time, but I could have easily ruined what I had worked so hard for.

Anyway, that's by far the nastiest thing I've ever had.

[noname11]

how much bad luck does everyone else have ? I have literally something like 22 PSX systems, 5 PSones, 4 Dreamcast and countless genesis systems and at least 2 of most every other system..... and have never found any bugs / weird smells or any of the disgusting ailments you all are talking about... and almost all those systems were bought used/ off ebay ..


I used to complain when my systems would smell like cigarette smoke...sheesh , Ill take that any day over anything you guys have had to deal with

[Push Upstairs]

If/when you get a system that has/had roaches living in it you can tell just by the *smell* alone.

Anyone who has found a system with roaches in it knows the smell i'm talking about.

[Damaramu]

I always see this SNES at a pawn shop not even in the case with all the other video game stuff. It has a sign next it that says "$5.00 as is." The poor system is yellow on both sides (almost green even) and has multiple cigaarette burns and all sorts of other dirt, crud, stains and muck.

Holy shit. Aren't you in Houston? Is this pawn shop in a strip center next to a Radio Shack?

LMAO, I was just about to mention the same exact SNES! Too funny. That same pawn shop had an X-Box with no cords or controllers "As Is" for $50. Closer inspection showed that it had been opened at one point.

That's hilarious. It's the pawn shop on Westheimer, right? They have some decent games from time to time (got a Dreamcast there). Also got a boxed NES Ninja Gaiden there with all original inserts. Wow, that's so weird. (sorry to sidebar, folks)

Yup, the one on Westheimer. I didn't get a chance to swing by yesterday so I plan on doing so today.

[bangtango]

how much bad luck does everyone else have ? I have literally something like 22 PSX systems, 5 PSones, 4 Dreamcast and countless genesis systems and at least 2 of most every other system..... and have never found any bugs / weird smells or any of the disgusting ailments you all are talking about... and almost all those systems were bought used/ off ebay ..


I used to complain when my systems would smell like cigarette smoke...sheesh , Ill take that any day over anything you guys have had to deal with

That is a lot of stuff, dude. Most of mine come from stores in the northeastern part of the US, in Maine, where roaches and other gross creepy crawlies aren't such a big problem (too cold). You don't see many either, do you Shawn (if you are reading this)?

I rarely buy systems off Ebay, since the damn shipping is so expensive. Truthfully, roaches and other crap like that is usually the exception, rather than the rule. As for having a system covered with food, if it isn't smeared on the outside then the likelihood of food fragments being on the inside seems unlikely. But that is just my opinion.

I never had a problem with consoles being yellowed or slightly smoke stained. It just makes them look like shit, and kills some of the resale value, but all I care about is their performance 8-)

[bangtango]

I always see this SNES at a pawn shop not even in the case with all the other video game stuff. It has a sign next it that says "$5.00 as is." The poor system is yellow on both sides (almost green even) and has multiple cigaarette burns and all sorts of other dirt, crud, stains and muck.

Holy shit. Aren't you in Houston? Is this pawn shop in a strip center next to a Radio Shack?

LMAO, I was just about to mention the same exact SNES! Too funny. That same pawn shop had an X-Box with no cords or controllers "As Is" for $50. Closer inspection showed that it had been opened at one point.

That's hilarious. It's the pawn shop on Westheimer, right? They have some decent games from time to time (got a Dreamcast there). Also got a boxed NES Ninja Gaiden there with all original inserts. Wow, that's so weird. (sorry to sidebar, folks)

Yup, the one on Westheimer. I didn't get a chance to swing by yesterday so I plan on doing so today.

Great. You should try restoring it. If not, list it on the Buy/Sell forums, since I am sure somebody would be interested in tinkering with it, including me. I don't even own a Super NES anymore. It could become my main unit ;) Ha ha!

[MarioMania]

Eww. How do Spider get in there...I have seen a real dirty Genesis 1

[Push Upstairs]

Vent openings on cases.

[Damaramu]

I always see this SNES at a pawn shop not even in the case with all the other video game stuff. It has a sign next it that says "$5.00 as is." The poor system is yellow on both sides (almost green even) and has multiple cigaarette burns and all sorts of other dirt, crud, stains and muck.

Holy shit. Aren't you in Houston? Is this pawn shop in a strip center next to a Radio Shack?

LMAO, I was just about to mention the same exact SNES! Too funny. That same pawn shop had an X-Box with no cords or controllers "As Is" for $50. Closer inspection showed that it had been opened at one point.

That's hilarious. It's the pawn shop on Westheimer, right? They have some decent games from time to time (got a Dreamcast there). Also got a boxed NES Ninja Gaiden there with all original inserts. Wow, that's so weird. (sorry to sidebar, folks)

Yup, the one on Westheimer. I didn't get a chance to swing by yesterday so I plan on doing so today.

Great. You should try restoring it. If not, list it on the Buy/Sell forums, since I am sure somebody would be interested in tinkering with it, including me. I don't even own a Super NES anymore. It could become my main unit ;) Ha ha!

Well, I swung by the pawn shop today and checked out the SNES again. Upon closer inspection I noticed that the power "socket" is damaged. All that is left is two tiny metal prongs. I think someone else in this thread had mentioned a SNES with this same problem.

Well on top of that, there was some corrosion going on the back of the system (RF video plug). I noticed a bit of grime on the bottom of the system and opened the EXT port...and found it loaded with dirt and grit. When I gently shook the SNES I could hear that it was also loaded with foreign particles!

Needless to say, I couldn't bring myself to buy it. Yeah, I pussied out....but seriously I don't know if this system salvagable. It almost looks like it was caught in a flood.

Now the pawn shop did have 2 PSP's, a Gamecube, at least 4 or 5 N64's, 2 or 3 PS2's (inlcuding a slimline), and 2 other SNES (one overpriced for $54.95 and a heavily yellowed one they appeared to just acquired).

I left with TMNT IV: Turtles In Time; Mickey Mania for $5 each for the SNES and Night Caster for Xbox for $6.

The ball is in your court, Cambot. Are ye brave enough to buy this forsaken SNES? LOL

[Cambot]

No, but you should have at least bought it give it a proper burial. LOL

[bangtango]

No, but you should have at least bought it give it a proper burial. LOL

Damn, I would have like to have obtained it somehow to have a "project."

[RARusk]

I found a GameCube at a thrift store for $20. When I examined it I noticed that it came with no controller or power adapter. Hell, it was even missing the nameplate that goes on the top.

I had trouble opening the lid due to the fact that it was stuck shut due to having some juice spilled into the unit.

When I acquired a power adaptor I found, not surprisingly, that it didn't work. So I decided to open it up to examine the unit. I found that the juice had gotten everywhere inside the unit. I also found that a couple of the screw posts were broken off and that the handle was also cracked. It also had lots of dust inside it as well.

After cleaning out most of the juice I went and used a multimeter on the power board. I found that the power stopped at a component that looked like a small white block. The numbers on it looked like a fuse rating so I soldered a small wire to both ends of this small part to see what would happen. The GameCube came back to life. I replaced the wire with a ferrite/wire part and repaired the plastic with plastic welder. I also finished cleaning out the rest of the juice. I also repainted the sides and even replaced the system battery, which was killed by the juice, with a battery holder salvaged from one of my dead PS2s and popped a new CR2032 into it. All that's missing is a new nameplate.

What I think happened to this unit was that a child spilled juice into the unit which fried it then it got thrown across a room which caused the damage to the plastic. Shortly therafter it was sent to this thrift store where I would later find it. I swear, people just don't know how to take care of electronics anymore.....

[Slate]

Good Greif charlie brown! I almost never find stuff like that gamecube just described. Must be because people around here take care of their stuff.

Hey! I don't remember who bought this, But I remember someone posting in a finds thread that they bought a Sega CDX for a quarter and it had a LOT of dead bugs in it. Don't know if they got it working.

[bangtango]

I found a GameCube at a thrift store for $20. When I examined it I noticed that it came with no controller or power adapter. Hell, it was even missing the nameplate that goes on the top.

I had trouble opening the lid due to the fact that it was stuck shut due to having some juice spilled into the unit.

When I acquired a power adaptor I found, not surprisingly, that it didn't work. So I decided to open it up to examine the unit. I found that the juice had gotten everywhere inside the unit. I also found that a couple of the screw posts were broken off and that the handle was also cracked. It also had lots of dust inside it as well.

After cleaning out most of the juice I went and used a multimeter on the power board. I found that the power stopped at a component that looked like a small white block. The numbers on it looked like a fuse rating so I soldered a small wire to both ends of this small part to see what would happen. The GameCube came back to life. I replaced the wire with a ferrite/wire part and repaired the plastic with plastic welder. I also finished cleaning out the rest of the juice. I also repainted the sides and even replaced the system battery, which was killed by the juice, with a battery holder salvaged from one of my dead PS2s and popped a new CR2032 into it. All that's missing is a new nameplate.

What I think happened to this unit was that a child spilled juice into the unit which fried it then it got thrown across a room which caused the damage to the plastic. Shortly therafter it was sent to this thrift store where I would later find it. I swear, people just don't know how to take care of electronics anymore.....

I found a Game Cube for the exact same price in a thrift store, was yours from Goodwill? Mine was. This Cube had an open button that was stuck or jammed and you could not close the lid. There was evidence somebody had been trying to squeeze into the small space with a screwdriver or pen, something like that, so they could get the button unlodged. The top of the system was all scratched up. I managed to open it enough to clear up this problem with the button. Aside from this, the system works great and even came with a loose game inside so I thought $20 was a nice bargain, considering I bought the thing about a year ago. Some little kid had probably gotten the button jammed and his or her parents could not fix it. As a result, it was assumed to be broken and taken off to Goodwill. I already told this story a couple times before in other threads.

[ganondorf]

This goes to show how much eb games has went down the tubes. I bought an xbox there, I didnt get a chance to see it. It was completely dirty, It took me an hour to get it all washed off. than I got disk read errors for 2 months, I got that fixed. pisses me off :angry:

[NES_Rules]

While its not THAT bad, this NES controller I picked up (25 cents) is the worst I've seen. http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/Mike_2_0_0_6/IM001434.jpg
The new one is on the bottom, the top one is for comparison.

[goemon]

While its not THAT bad, this NES controller I picked up (25 cents) is the worst I've seen.
The new one is on the bottom, the top one is for comparison.

I think your new controller has jaundice.

I haven't seen anything terrible myself -- the worst I can remember was an unnaturally brown NES covered in sunday school stickers being sold at the same price as clean looking ones.

[Jeff-20]

I once almost bought a TurboDuo infested with smallpox! Of course, you couldn't really see the virus, but you knew it was there. So I didn't buy it.


(Okay, I guess I just made that up)

[Slate]

I'm bumping up my own topic from nearly 16 years ago, because why not - I do have something to add to it, and this much later, maybe there will be a few more stories to tell beside mine.

[1:]

In 2005 or 2006 (and I'm surprised I didn't mention this when I first made this thread,) I bought several boxes of systems and games for $30. There was a Model 1 Genesis, a Model 1 Super NES, an Odyssey 2 with the box, maybe one other system but I don't think there was, and some games.

This was bought from one particular hole in the wall store in the middle of nowhere that (counting this lot) I actually got a few lots of cool stuff from, for fairly cheaply. However, this particular load was the worst conditioned lot I ever got from the store. All of the systems smelled like cigarettes or cigars, for starters. After that, the Super NES and Genesis games had blue-green metal corrosion on the contacts. Bubsy II and Boogerman were in the lot, semi-appropriately. I destroyed the contacts on Bubsy II trying to repair it (not knowing that I should just stop sanding at a much earlier time,) but Boogerman lived to disgust another day. Bubsy II had label damage then, so it was already in poor shape.

[2:]

An Atari 2600 bought in maybe 2005, with its original box, for $4. The box was very well damaged and missing flaps on one side, but the system was fine.

[3:]

A Sega Saturn in 2016. The save battery had leaked acid all over the board. The system works, but I have no games for it now.

[4:]

In 2017, I bought a GBA SP cheaply. One accidental drop later, and it's a parts system because as it turns out, the plastic at the hinges becomes very brittle.

[5:]

This year, I found a GBA SP that has the same problem as 4, but I didn't buy it then. I might buy it if it's still there when I return.

- Austin

[Slate]

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I bought a broken Sega CD (model 2) in May 2024. Inside the CD Tray, it smelled horrible. Someone seems to have spilled burnt pan drippings in it. I cleaned it up, but as of this posting time, I haven't yet replaced the fuse.

...

Also, I was reminded that in 2005 or so, I found one 80s system that took batteries. I was about ready to buy it (and I should have,) but I looked inside the battery compartments and found the batteries had leaked all over the place. It would have still been worth it, it was a semi-obscure one, but I can't tell you what it was now unless I see another one.

...

Edit:

I wired in a fuse holder to this Sega CD. This system keeps popping fuses for some reason, and I'm not sure why. It's too late at night to determine that yet.

Edit 2:

The SCD has some capacitor leakage, and it kept shorting out through the RF Shielding, so I just put electrical tape on the shielding. This isn't the best fix, but for the time being, it's working.

- Austin

[fluid_matrix]

So, a couple months ago, one of my friends sent me a text stating that his brother was cleaning out his shed on his farm. He knew I was into retro games and systems, and asked if I was interested in a few 2600 systems, games and controllers. The box everything came in was full of obvious signs of birds, spiders, mice, and mud daubers (wasps) living there as well. I ended up moving everything over from the bio-hazard box to a cleaner one and gave the games a good once-over with a damp cloth. Still haven't got around to messing with the consoles yet (2x Vaders / 1x 4-switch woodiy) as the lone-included power adapter appears to not work. Many of the cartridges have water damage on the labels, but did clean up pretty good. None of them are worth more than a few dollars, so I'll likely just re-print the labels if/when I find out if any of them work. Will probably spend the $10 on a cheap power adapter for testing, that way I can see if the consoles power on. If they do, would love to have a working A/V modded Vader in the collection.

[YoshiM]

So, a couple months ago, one of my friends sent me a text stating that his brother was cleaning out his shed on his farm. He knew I was into retro games and systems, and asked if I was interested in a few 2600 systems, games and controllers. The box everything came in was full of obvious signs of birds, spiders, mice, and mud daubers (wasps) living there as well. I ended up moving everything over from the bio-hazard box to a cleaner one and gave the games a good once-over with a damp cloth. Still haven't got around to messing with the consoles yet (2x Vaders / 1x 4-switch woodiy) as the lone-included power adapter appears to not work. Many of the cartridges have water damage on the labels, but did clean up pretty good. None of them are worth more than a few dollars, so I'll likely just re-print the labels if/when I find out if any of them work. Will probably spend the $10 on a cheap power adapter for testing, that way I can if the consoles to power on. If they do, would love to have a working A/V modded Vader in the collection.

What's that purple-looking box in the box of manuals/controllers?

[fluid_matrix]

It appears to be a box for an original Atari power adapter.
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