Advice on where to find games in the "wild"

[NinjaJoey23]

Recently, I've really started getting out and looking for games in the wild. Well, I've had a small amount of success, but most of my trips are disappointments.

So, I'm looking for some advice on where to find some older stuff at decent prices. I have seen my share of pawnshops and thrift stores with either one of the two following scenarios:

1. They do not have any games. Some pawnshops don't even accept them anymore.
2. They have a few games that catch my eye, but they are way overpriced.

Also, my local flea market is a no-go as it only has one stall that deals in older games, and the prices are VERY ridiculous (FFVII complete - $90 or SMB/Duckhunt - $10).

Maybe my area is just a dry spot. Thoughts?

[Nintendo Gamer]

.....

[thetoxicone]

Best bet is to just keep searching daily. It's all about luck. I'm sure a lot of collector's here had a drought until they got something valuable in their area.

Couldn't agree more on searching when you get a chance.

Also I like to road trip occasionally, since there is a bigger city both north and south of here within a 90 minute drive and a few notable small towns within that range too. Otherwise where I live I could check every place I've seen classic games in my city within a 3 hour period if I liked

[ryborg]

Find out when your local thrift stores restock and go right after that time. Some stores have entire days where they don't restock anything new. Most stores have a standard schedule they typically follow.

Pawnshops are usually not worth it, but when they get something, it can be great, because the owner might not know what it is or how much to price it. I've gotten complete NES/SNES/PS1 RPGs complete for pennies on the dollar there.

Generally, flea markets suck. The only exception are the "junk dealers" who have mounds of old, usually rotting electronics and almost everything is under $5 (and usually a buck), including systems and accessories.

In good weather, look out for block sales in nice neighborhoods. Some families just want to get rid of clutter and you can sometimes get last-generation systems/accessories for almost nothing.
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[DigitalSpace]

Keep searching and don't give up. Like R-21 said, it's all about luck - and persistence. You never know when that thrift that had nothing but bare Genesis 2 and PlayStation units and overpriced Genesis sports games will get a handful of cheap NES games and some Genesis games worth buying.

If there's a craigslist in your area, it may help to check that from time to time too. Like everywhere else, there are the people who sell overpriced stuff but there's always the chance of making a great haul.

[wufners]

First of all, get used to most your trips being disappointments. I hit up several thrift stores (and sometimes a swap meet) every week and usually turn up nothing. It's not unusual to go weeks and see nothing but a handful of Genesis sports games and beat up Playstations. Then I'll suddenly have 3 or 4 good finds all within a couple of days of each other. You gotta love the hunt and the thrill of a find. Otherwise you'll lost patience.

Others have alread given good advice. Check the thrift stores regularly. If you live in an area that is pretty picked over, you may have to travel to find some better thrifts.

Swap meets are great, but good ones could be hard to find. And even if you do find a good one, good sellers can be hard to find. The guys with old beat up white vans and tons of junk or the family making a one time selling appearance are usually much better than the regular sellers.

Garage sales are probably your best bet for some awesome finds--but I've never had any luck with them. Others certainly have, though. Church rummage sales are also usually a bust, but man--if you DO stumble on something at one it will usually be CHEAP.

Pawn shops have never been good to me, and I don't think I'm unique in that way. But they're worth checking out at least once.

Check your local Craigslist. The one in my area is generally WAY overpriced ($200 for an Atari and 20 common games? Gross,) but your mileage may vary. At the very least, it can be a handy way to identify garage sales that are selling old games so you don't have to drive around willy-nilly.

The time of year seems to make a difference--at least in my neck of the woods. Good hunting season starts with spring cleaning and ends just before the holidays.

[wufners]

Some other thoughts on thrift stores--

Don't only check the electronics section--though definitely check there. Most also have a collectibles case or section somewhere and often stash their games and systems there.

Things have a way of wandering in thrifts. It never hurts to make run through the whole store. The toy section, misc. junk aisles, and for some reason kitchen appliance sections can somtimes hide secrets.

In addition to the electronics section and collectible case, the Value Villages in my area will also put games into plastic baggies that they hang up with (and behind) bagged toys or (for some reason) housewares.

These dont' happen often, but they DO happen:
Boxed games sneak into the VHS tape section
Loose 2600 (and similarly shaped) games get stashed with audio tapes.
Loose 5200 games are placed with the 8-tracks
CD-based systems get confused for and displayed with the VCRs, and DVD and CD players

[Cambot]

Let these pics serve as reminders of how lucky you can get at normally baren thrift stores. All 15 games were - and still are - in mint, still-in-baggie, pristine boxed, complete (maps, mail-ins and all) condition. Check back to your thrifts often.

Couple more:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/ckeene/castlevaniaiv.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/ckeene/mana.jpg

[Steven]

As mentioned, Craigslist can have a real gem here and there. Depends on your luck and timing, really. If you want to read some my more memorable CL experiences in-depth:

http://www.rvgfanatic.com/7485/34701.html

This will give you an idea of what it may be like to "wheel and deal". Always meet outside a public place if you can (I've met outside a local Game Crazy more times than I can count)

[Pantechnicon]

My thrift store tips:

- Best season for thrifts is March through September. This has to do with the interplay between thrifts and garage sales.

- Best time to hit thrifts is the middle of the week i.e. Tuesday thru Thursday. Again, this is because of the fact that people take their unsold garage sale items to the thrifts. Garage sales are for weekends, thrifts are for the week.

- Only visit thrifts in or on the edge of middle-class neighborhoods. Thrifts in poor neighborhoods won't have jack.

- If you're looking for carts, check wherever the store keeps their music section as well. A lot of Sega or Atari "tapes" wind up getting lumped in with the cassettes.

- Patience and perseverance.

[NinjaJoey23]

Ok, so I guess I should just be persistent. Thanks for the encouragement.

[cyberfluxor]

I just go where ever I can whenever. There's a lot of Cash Converters in my area (like 6 locations) and generally there's a few along the route to anywhere around here. Also there's a bunch of thrift stores littered down busy streets, and although most of the time they don't have jack once every few months there's something real nice (and they're a good source of records). The funny thing is I have to go out of my way to hit the actual game stores! And as for flea markets, all the "game" booths own store locations scattered throughout the area so it's not really worth paying the same price visiting a run down flea market.

[theshizzle3000]

When you go to thriftstores check the book rack. I have been able to find complete genesis and nintendo 64 games, becuase they mistakenly get put there with the books. Same thing with PSone games in with music and computer cd's

[cyberfluxor]

When you go to thriftstores check the book rack. I have been able to find complete genesis and nintendo 64 games, becuase they mistakenly get put there with the books. Same thing with PSone games in with music and computer cd's
Yeah, I check that out often. Sometimes I find stuff hidden in between things.

Yesterday a friend went to a thrift store I often go to and he discovered a core NES for $3 and Dragon Warrior for $2, and apparently they just stocked up with over 100 records. Since he's into other genres of music I won't have to worry about him picking up stuff I may want. Once I found a Saturn for $3 and traded it to a friend.

Like I said, sometimes you get lucky but most the time there's not much to look at.

[ryborg]

http://www.rvgfanatic.com/7485/34701.html

Great article!


My thrift store tips:

- Best time to hit thrifts is the middle of the week i.e. Tuesday thru Thursday. Again, this is because of the fact that people take their unsold garage sale items to the thrifts. Garage sales are for weekends, thrifts are for the week.

This is only true for smaller thrift stores. In my experience, larger thrift stores with a large back room don't put stuff out same-day or even same-week. I end up donating a ton of stuff, and sometimes I won't see it for weeks and weeks later. This is why it's good to know when the major restock days/times are.


- Only visit thrifts in or on the edge of middle-class neighborhoods. Thrifts in poor neighborhoods won't have jack.

You'd be surprised what you'd find in lower-class thrifts! I have found great stuff in the so-called armpits of cities. The main problem with higher class thrifts is that the prices tend to be higher. It's similar stuff, but with a 100-300% markup.
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[Kitsune Sniper]

Find out when your local thrift stores restock and go right after that time. Some stores have entire days where they don't restock anything new. Most stores have a standard schedule they typically follow.

As an example, here's the schedule I follow:

Monday: Flea Market A - Restock time, most vendors dump new things from 7 to 9 AM.
Tuesday: Flea Market A - Most vendors are gone, and only the scraps are left; I usually get lots and lots of things for cheap (as much stuff as I can fit in a bag for $2 or $3!) I've scored lots of good things this way, including MST3K Volume 1 on DVD, and several games I wanted.
Wednesday: Flea Market B - From 5 AM onwards, everyone's dumping stuff. I do two sweeps of the entire area (four square blocks) then go home.
Thursday: Flea Market A - Second restock day, several vendors dump stuff then.
Friday: Nothing new comes around.
Saturday: Flea Market A - Out of town vendors (from Northern California) show up.
Sunday: Nothing new.

I do this ALL WEEK. Buying stuff for eBay is my main source of income, but I also pick up tons of stuff for my personal collection. The two flea markets I visit are "lower class" ones, but I see lots and lots of people from all social levels there.

Try visiting the stores or flea markets you frequent on different dates than usual. You may end up finding a time or a person that's best for your collecting needs.

[Technosis]

Find out when your local thrift stores restock and go right after that time. Some stores have entire days where they don't restock anything new. Most stores have a standard schedule they typically follow.

Yeah this is very true. But be prepared for some really grabby competition. A few thrifts I've heard about have people (usually ebayers) grabbing stuff out of the bins as they are being wheeled out. A few stores even kicked out some people for bad/aggressive behaviour LOL



In good weather, look out for block sales in nice neighborhoods. Some families just want to get rid of clutter and you can sometimes get last-generation systems/accessories for almost nothing.

This is true, however avoid new subdivisions, unless you are looking for baby clothes or really crappy CD's. People who move into new houses don't usually bring junk with them, however you may have a chance for newer stuff......but rarely stuff older than the PS1.

[Tokimemofan]

My experience is to check local video game stores weekly and check for anything that is rare in the wild. If imports are on your list try a large anime convention, I found quite a few rare imports (mostly SFC, sega saturn, PC Engine and handheld releases) at anime-expo 2006 and many at prices that are quite cheap, however the cost of convention tickets can make it a bit risky considering the chance of finding nothing. If you live near Los Angeles then check gamedude often as although they are expensive they get rarer titles more often (3 copies of shining force III at the same time a while back) so you may be able to get rid of the hole in the collection that is about as reliable as athletes foot.

[boatofcar]

If you live in an area near a military base, visit the thrift store closest to it. Because there are always people moving in and out, they're always willing to dump their junk off to thrifts. When I lived in Maryland, the Value Village by Andrews AFB was a goldmine.

[DigitalSpace]

When you go to thriftstores check the book rack. I have been able to find complete genesis and nintendo 64 games, becuase they mistakenly get put there with the books. Same thing with PSone games in with music and computer cd's

Most of the local Goodwills around here keep a majority of their games in the book section. Boxed Genesis games are lumped in with the VHS and DVD's (keep an eye out for PS2 and Xbox stuff with the DVDs as well), and sometimes you'll even find games in those plastic rental/storage cases (or even loose).

[Famidrive-16]

Check out Garage Sales. Usually, the chances are real slim, but you never know what people want to sell. I got real lucky at a local one and managed to snag some playstation and saturn longboxes and a saturn analog controller. If you have a local newspaper, check it out, because it might have a listing of sales.

Sometimes school/church sales have games, sometimes not. There's a school right across the street from me that holds a sale every month, mostly it's a bunch of crap, but every now and then there's a PSX disc or something hidden in the CDs section.

If you ever go to another thrift store, check out the music CDs and DVDs. Chances are some type of CD game will sneak into those piles. It's happened to me several times.

[Technosis]

Sometimes school/church sales have games, sometimes not. There's a school right across the street from me that holds a sale every month, mostly it's a bunch of crap, but every now and then there's a PSX disc or something hidden in the CDs section.


These sales can be OK, I've found the more disorganized they are the better. If for example its just a parking lot fund raiser where families show up to "dump" their used goods, its much better than a sale where stuff is collected for a while and then sold on a specific date and time. I think the reason for this is anytime you get a bunch of people together looking over used stuff, there's a really good chance that any thing collectible gets bought by one of the "volunteers" (hint..hint LOL), especially if they are eBay savvy.

The absolute worst rummage sales that I've been at are ones run by senior citizen centres. They typically have a very iron clad start time (that results in a big line up), they have next to nothing for sale, and what they do have is priced at like 2/3's retail price or something...and there's seldom any video games. Usually just Herb Alpert record albums or Victor Borge videos LOL

[dcescott]

The best way is to ask at the thrift store when they go through the weekend's donations.
I started calling Tuesday "super tuesday", that's the day this thrift store unloads games/electronics
Another one was on Wednesday, hence"wild wednesday". I went there during lunchtime.
Flea markets are hit and miss. Some flea markets that have a garage sale feel is what you need to find. Those have good games at great prices. People are unloading stuff quick.

It is most luck, because some of the games shouldn't be there.

I just found (and sold) a rare wrestling game for the Intellivision for a buck. I went back to a dealer who forgot to lay out a box full of boxed games. Oh did I ever jump on that!
So days are good, other days are crap. Then there's those days when you find a serious gem. All I have to say is better have a poker face and play it down. The game above was a "how much for the older games?" line. That sounds better than "man, I never see those anywhere, how much??";)

[cyberfluxor]

Sometimes school/church sales have games, sometimes not. There's a school right across the street from me that holds a sale every month, mostly it's a bunch of crap, but every now and then there's a PSX disc or something hidden in the CDs section.

Yeah. I just recently started to go to my university's monthly clearances. It opens at 9AM and if you're not there by 8:55 then you're out of luck. We're talking 52" projection TVs for $200 a pop, nice chairs $1 each, computers $20 and under, desks for $3-10, monitors $2-20 (they had a 32" monitor last month already sold!), and tons of other stuff. It's insane deals and totally worth it to get up early and head over there.

[Steve W]

My advice? Use Google Maps and locate all the thrift stores, flea markets, and resale shops in your area. Print out maps, figure out some easy routes, and hit some of them on your days off. You'll start figuring out which stores have something good and which ones have squat, and you can start bypassing the lousy ones and focus on the good ones.

I used to have a good routine. On a day off, I'd spend around an hour or so hitting all the stores in the town west of me. On my next day off, I'd hit the stores north of me. I ended up finding a lot of good stuff. But nowadays, the eBay reselling a-holes wipe out pretty much everything of value in the western stores, and the northern stores rarely put anything out game related. I only bother hitting one thrift now, once a week, and I usually come away empty-handed. They have cartridges for all sorts of systems, but I don't have any interest in most of them, and I'm not the kind of guy who buys stuff just to resell it.

[NinjaJoey23]

Bumping this up to ask another related question.

How do you guys find things for good prices at flea markets? It seems like time after time I go to different flea markets and while all of them have games, they are way overpriced, usually more expensive than Ebay at its worst. So, what's the secret to that?

[Sniderman]

Bumping this up to ask another related question.

How do you guys find things for good prices at flea markets? It seems like time after time I go to different flea markets and while all of them have games, they are way overpriced, usually more expensive than Ebay at its worst. So, what's the secret to that?

You gotta be willing to walk away. "I'll give you $X for that." "I can get it for more on eBay." "Good luck then." <walk away>

<next month, approach same booth. odds are, it's still there>

"Howdy. I think we spoke last month. I'll give you $X for that." "I'll come down to $Y." "Good luck then." <walk away>

If you keep this up, they'll eventually come down to what you offered, or at least to a price you're willing to pay. If they don't, screw them. Find someone else to give your money to. You need to be willing to make an offer and walk away if it's not taken. If you try to "barter," they know you really want it and will either dig in their heels (knowing you'll eventually pay what they're asking) or they'll come down ever so slightly, still making much more than is necessary.

[Kevincal]

I dunno...I've found so many good deals on eBay, even with the shipping price included. I'll just stick with that. :)

[Technosis]

Bumping this up to ask another related question.

How do you guys find things for good prices at flea markets? It seems like time after time I go to different flea markets and while all of them have games, they are way overpriced, usually more expensive than Ebay at its worst. So, what's the secret to that?

You can almost always get a bargain if you're willing to buy multiple items. However, if the prices are insane to begin with this might not be a good strategy. Also, if they sell alot of stuff, see if you can trade in your extras. This is especially good if all of the games are priced the same regardless of rarity/popularity.

In some of the smaller markets all the vendors care is that they make their booth rental cost.....yeah it doesn't make alot of sense business wise, but I think many people vend because they have nothing better to do. So expect some crankiness if they are having a slow day and are "down" money LOL

[mb7241]

(NinjaJoey23: You messaged me one time saying you were going to college around where I am...so here goes.)

Generally, the area around here is rather dry...either because of me or someone else who happens to have a few extra dollars at a particular time. It's somewhat possible to find stuff at yard sales around here, but don't expect too much to come up cheap, as a lot of people around here that don't work at game stores or are over the age of 40 seem to think N64s are still worth $50-$70...

Btw, which flea market are you talking about? Big D in Dalton, by chance?

[Steve W]

One of the things that annoys me when I hit local flea markets is that the majority of the vendors out there tend to be Hispanic, and I believe that they charge me higher prices because I'm a goofy white guy and they think I have a lot of money. It's pretty insulting when someone tries to charge me $10 for a worn out Atari joystick. There's a small flea market near me I've been to in the past where I am literally the only white person out there, and people in the crowd actually stare at me, I'm so out of place. I've had people charge me ridiculous prices there for common stuff, which is why I don't go there anymore.

[Technosis]

and they think I have a lot of money

This is funny! LOL Have you considered dressing down and hiding under a ball cap or something...LOL! Note: In a few rural flea markets around here the favorite customers are migrant farm workers...they buy tons of stuff like old bicycles and other items, sending much of it back to their homeland. But it's always the Caucasian people vending......


Btw, which flea market are you talking about? Big D in Dalton, by chance?

Big D ????? This sounds like a hip-hop flea mkt!

[mb7241]

Big D ????? This sounds like a hip-hop flea mkt!

Haha... It's not, by any stretch. Most of the music you might hear there is Latin. About 40% of the vendors there are Hispanic (as the population of Dalton is about 60% Mexican, and another 5% or so of other Hispanic descent), and the other 60% of vendors are Caucasian. But there is a certain older (40's) woman inside the building there, tucked into a corner, that charges a minimum of $10 each for N64 games, even sports titles, and was trying to pass off a cart-only Final Fantasy NES for $50 (!)...

[NinjaJoey23]

Btw, which flea market are you talking about? Big D in Dalton, by chance?

Um, the one near Chattanooga right at the GA/TN border. Also, I've been to the one north in Sweetwater.

As far as the finds go, I've had moderate success through different outlets. I'm just trying to figure out some regular routine to fall into.

mb7241, it's interesting that in a place as small as where we live, we probably are competition to one another. Hopefully not too much so.