All Hail Bira Bira!

[Sniderman]

Was visiting RGVC and someone made a Bira Bira reference. Got me to wondering, has Bira Bira been tossed to the wayside by the newest generation of game collectors? This was a HUGE part of classic game collecting years ago, but I can't remember the last time I even thought of The God of Good Thrift Store Finds. (Though I did work Bira Bira into my Thriftin' card game.)

So, a show of hands - from the old guard and the new. Do you still practice the Bira Bira rituals? Anyone have a Bira Bira statuette?

And for those who need a refresher:
http://birabira.chaosmagic.com/

[norkusa]

I stopped worshiping Bira Bira 4-5 years ago, when all the thrifts around here started to dry-up and Goodwill started up their own auction site. What's the point of praying to a video game god that lets shit like this happen?


Who has Bira Bira now anyway? Not talking about those plaster reproductions but the real deal. Wasn't he passed on from collector to collector for a while?

[Goblin]

I gave thanks last year when I found an INTV playcable. I do agree he has been lost on the youngins.

[nebrazca78]

I stick with Jesus. That way you get full coverage, not just video games.

[scooterb23]

I had forgotten about Bira Bira! Maybe that explains why I haven't found anything in years!!

/me bows to the power of Bira Bira

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I don't have a statuette, but I give thanks to Bira Bira when a great find comes my way.

I think Bira Bira is really the patron saint of the bargain hunters among the Atari generation. As the NES/SNES generation has taken over the bulk of the hunting, poor ol' Double B has fallen by the wayside.

:hail: 'Tis okay though. More for me.

[ubikuberalles]

The only ritual I go through with Bira Bira is when I actually find someting worthwhile at the thrifts. If I don't find anything at the thrifts, I don't curse the old BB, I just don't think about him. No point in pissing him off. When I do find something, I thank BB as I walk to the car with my loot. Usually I do it inside my head but I have been known to whisper a prayer of thanks to the double B when my find is especially good.

[Jorpho]

Bira Bira has entered into a deep slumber, but will one day re-emerge and wreak a terrible vengeance as... BIRATHULU!

[NE146]

I dunno but I never got into the Bira Bira joke :p

[Sanriostar]

Still a Bira-Bira devotee, still have Reef Store dreams, still shun Mr. Friendly. I Invoked him when I recently found a Panda label Stuntman at a Sally Ann, of all places. Who has BB? (as in the original statue?) I wouldn't mind being his custodian for a bit.... ;)

(copied from one of my own earlier posts...)


Bira-Bira is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me drive down The 605 South, to green pastures, filled with Flea Markets:
He leads me beside the Streets with Thrifts.
He restores my Trade Pile:
He leads me in the paths of rarity and fun games for His name' sake.
He leads me to righteous R8, R9's and prototypes.

[rbudrick]

Bira Bira has entered into a deep slumber, but will one day re-emerge and wreak a terrible vengeance as... BIRATHULU!

LOL. Owns.

Oh worshippers of BiraBira, teach me the way of the Good path of gaming.

Being familiar in name to me, but not in experience, who is this earthbound God? Tell me, oh followers! Spread the gospel, says I!

-Rob

[Gapporin]

I gave Bira Bira a quick thought this morning, and only found a loose copy of Columns for the Genesis.

It's a start.

[Steve W]

I'm also one of those who never got the whole Bira Bira joke. But I still find stuff in the wild without him. Bought a $10 Vectrex this afternoon, no mysterious thrift store deities involved.

[NYLatenite]

I've got two of the plaster Bira Bira's (one painted standard, the other as a Santa Claus Bira Bira - for the holiday shopping), but since I haven't been that active in my classic collecting of late, he hasn't seen much use.

Worse still, he fell off the shelf awhile back, and I've yet to try and glue his head back on. That's gotta be a bad omen or something.

[Lemmi_Is_God]

this is the first im hearing of this Bira Bira thing, is this a DP site only thing?
because i dont think ive ever seen this mentioned anywhere else before

and ive been collecting since 1996 and from message boards and websites since 2001 :D

[neuropolitique]

I think od Bira Bira all the time when I'm in a thrift. As I approach the electronics sections I say to myself "Come on Bira Bira, be nice to me today." I also referenced a reef dream this past weekend when I saw the basement of Joe's store.

[Cryomancer]

It still crosses my mind from time to time. I'm sure it'll be more of a ritual once I get income again, and when garage sale season starts back up.

[Sniderman]

this is the first im hearing of this Bira Bira thing, is this a DP site only thing?
because i dont think ive ever seen this mentioned anywhere else before

and ive been collecting since 1996 and from message boards and websites since 2001 :D

Oh, good lord NO. Bira Bira's been floating around since the active days of rec.games.video.classic and I first heard about ol' Bira back in 1996. It is NOT a "DP thing." Interesting you've been involved for so long yet never touched upon His Mythos.

EDIT: Searched RGVC and found the oldest Bira Bira ref I could find. This post is from July 25, 1996, but it references an even EARLIER post. So the Bira Bira Mythos has been active for 11+ years. (I believe ol' Chris "Crackers" Cracknell himself started it up...) This post explains and discusses the first appearance of the Bira Bira tiki idol tucked amongst a box of Atarti carts found at a thrift. Upon buying it (and the carts) the finder had CRAZY good luck at the thrifts that day. And the next day. And the next day. A cast was made and copies sent out to the faithful. Then THEY had crazy good luck. And a legend was born.

Big assed clickable link (http://groups.google.com/group/alt.games.video.classic/browse_thread/thread/76e03f90ee3d31bb/d601da199cd9f309?lnk=gst&q=%22bira+bira%22+1996&rnum=1&hl=en#d601da199cd9f309)

[Lemmi_Is_God]

heh maybe thats it, i think ive only read maybe 3 newsgroup threads in my life
the one you posted being #3 :D

but from the many websites ive been visiting, and the many "Stuff found threads" ive read i never seen bira bira mentioned before
which is a shame because it sounds like something i needed to pray to when i was collecting back then :D