What crazy good deals have you found?

[jahvybe]

One of the reasons I am a retro game collector is basically because I don't have a lot of money and it can be an inexpensive hobby if you look for stuff at thrift stores and garage sales like I do. I know it can be expensive too, but I am all about gaming on a budget.

So last Saterday I went to my local Goodwill and in the glass case was a Xbox 360 with a sign on it that said: "Won't play games". With a price tag of $39.99. I have fixed a couple of regular xbox's and so I figured it was worth the risk. I could at least make my money back from parts if it couldn't be fixed. So I bought it, took home, fired it up and............ it works perfectly. I have been playing it everyday since with no problems.

Everyone I know that I tell about it can't believe it. A Xbox 360 for 40 bucks? Yes it is true. I would never have bought a 360 otherwise. I couldn't afford it.

Anyways, what super sweet deals have you found?

[PallarAndersVisa]

I found Snatchers for Sega CD, near perfect condition for $8. sold it on ebay for around$70

[Policenaut]

I got Radiant Silvergun for $17.

[ClassicGameTrader]

Taromaru on Saturn for $50, Panzer Saga $50

[joedick]

Probably my favorite was responding to a local ad that was offering a complete in box NES Deluxe set, 30ish NES games and a power glove for 80 dollars. Not bad, I thought and made arrangements to complete the deal the next day.

When I got there, the seller brought out the goods, and mentioned he found an extra item, and just threw it into the package. My heart jumped when I realized that throwaway was a boxed copy of Stack Up, complete with the plastic tray and all parts!

[Dreadstar]

I picked up a gold zelda and mike tyson's punchout nes for $5 total.

[cyberfluxor]

To name a few off my head:
Crazy Climber (VCS) - $1 (loose)
Sonic Adventure L.E. (DC) - $2 (missing back insert)
Spider-Man: Web of Fire (32x) - $1 (loose)
Psychic Force (PS) - $1 (complete)
Dragon Warrior III (NES) - $2 (complete)
Phantasy Star II & III (Genesis) - $1 each (both lacking manuals)
No Escape (SNES) - $2 (complete)


There are a lot of awesome deals people find on here.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Let's see...

A Genny / Sega CD dev system (bought for $10, sold for $500)
A Bandai Pippin prerelease system w/floppy and memory card (bought for $8, sold for $500)
A CIB Miracle Piano Teaching System (NES) (bought for $15, sold for $250, I think)

Of all the stuff I buy and sell, I've kept:

Final Fantasy VII ($5)
several semi-rare or uncommon PC games ($1-5 each)
My famiclone bootlegs

I'm in it for the money, but I love finding rare and strange stuff.

[Sailorneorune]

Shining Force CD - $5
Lunar 2 - $15 for one, $35 for another. both complete.
Panzer Dragoon Saga - $50 + Shining Force CD

[Streetball 21]

It's not a big find but a few years ago I found Ogre Battle 64 (loose) for $5 at a pawn shop.

[ScourDX]

Tactics Ogre PSX - $10
Sonic Adventure LE (Complete) - $8
Policenaut PSX - $2
Bust-a-groove PSX - $5

[InsaneDavid]

Double post, see below.

[InsaneDavid]

Some top finds I can recall off the top of my head for the past couple years, all at the local flea market...

JVC X'Eye system ($2.00)
JVC X'Eye branded RF box ($1.00)
JVC X'Eye branded power supply ($1.00)
JVC X'Eye branded controller ($1.00)
Boxed and complete Colecovision ($20.00)
TurboGrafx-16 system, two controllers, TurboTap, 15 games - 9 complete ($5.00)
Japanese Sega Pico system, 9 complete games, fishing and keyboard accessories ($10.00)
Genesis 1 + Sega CD 2, Virtual Boy system + Virtual Boy Wario Land ($10.00)
NES - Caesars Palace prototype (FREE)
VCS - Artillery Duel/Spike's Peak ($0.50)
PS2 - Guitar Hero II boxed complete ($30.00)

[jcalder8]

My best:

Vulture Attack for the 2600 paid 1.50 worth about 150
FF VII $5
Tengen Tetris $25

[PallarAndersVisa]

I also bought back (yes, bought back from someone who stole it from me years ago) my Toploader and about 25 games, 2 controllers for 50 bucks.

[cyberfluxor]

FF VII $5

Found FF7 today for $5 and passed on it. Disc #2 had too many scuffs and didn't want to deal with it.

jeffg:
I wouldn't be able to sell a CIB Aerofighters.

[DigitalSpace]

A few that come to mind:

-Earthbound for SNES, cart only for $4. Later on, I got the strategy guide that was packaged with the game for 49 cents at Goodwill.
-TMNT Tournament Fighters for NES (R6), cart only for $1.99 at Goodwill.
-Star Wars Jedi Outcast: Jedi Knight II for Gamecube, complete and minty, for $4.99 at Goodwill.
-Castlevania: Bloodlines for Genesis, cart only for $1.99 at GameCrazy.
-Contra Hard Corps for Genesis, cart only for $1.99 at another GameCrazy.
-Herzog Zwei for Genesis, cart only for $2.50.
-Joshua & The Battle of Jericho for Genesis (R7), cart only for 63 cents at GameStop.
-Intelligent Qube for PlayStation, disc only for $1.

[ShinobiMan]

I'd have to say the best deal I ever got was a Sega CDX in the box mint with all the trimmings... $10 at a pawn shop! It was a steal I tells yah!

Plus most of my Sega Master System collection was acquired at $5 dollars a game from unsuspecting department store clerks. I can't tell you how many BRAND NEW SEALED SMS games I got because I convinced the salesman that they were obsolete and that the store shouldn't even be selling them.

[ssjlance]

All cartridge based games are loose unless noted as otherwise:

Earthbound - $3 at a Flea Market
Virtual Boy - $10 at GoodWill
Mike Tyson's Punchout Complete/Near Mint - $5 at another Flea Market
Vectrex w/ 3 Games - $40 at semi-local Play 'N Trade
Mars Matrix - $7 at Level Up (local game store)
Alundra - $3 at thrift store, complete with map and everything.
Atari 7800 w/ approximately 42 games - $10 at Level Up
Final Fantasy VII (Greatest Hits) - Traded for Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen
Gunstar Heroes Game Gear CIB - $11 on eBay
Neutopia - Free. Won it in a bet against my father. He said I couldn't beat the boss he was stuck on in Zelda: Minish Cap on my first try. I could.
Neutopia - $3 at Level Up
Approximately 15 CIB US SMS Games - $20 at Thrift Store
Panic Restaurant - Around $1.67. Bought in a lot of about 15 NES games.
Odyssey2 w/ 6 Games - $10 at Level Up
Super Smash Bros. - Free. Brother left it in my room for over a month and said I could keep it.
Super Mario All-Stars - $0.50 at GoodWill

Not sure how "crazy good" the Gunstar Heroes on Game Gear is, but I'm proud of it and it's one of my favorite games.

[-hellvin-]

NES - Stadium Events for 5 at a pawn shop
NES - NTF2 Test Cart for 1.99 at Value Village
2600 - Quadrun for 5 bucks at a yard sale pawn store
2600 - Swordquest Waterworld for 1.99 at a Bookmans
Intellivision - Diner Complete for 1.99 at a comic/used game store
Saturn - Guardian Heroes Complete for 9.99 at Gamecrazy

300+ Genesis boxes for 80 bucks
2000+ SNES Boxes for 120 bucks

The huge amount of boxes was from a closing video game store out in Arcadia in AZ. I still have MANY of them today that I've been too lazy to sell. I've made complete games out of almost all the genesis ones, and I haven't started filling the SNES ones at all, I've only pulled what I've wanted to keep. Out of the 3 lots of snes ones I sold a few years back, I made nearly 1k off them, selling at 300+ a lot. It's probably been one of my most worthwhile investments, hehe.