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    Insert Coin (Level 0) SonicBoom's Avatar
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    Default How is game hunting in your area?

    Around were I Live (Jersey City, New Jersey) Video game hunting isn't good. 1 Goodwill that normally gets nothing (Best deal was 5 Boxed Genesis games for 2 bucks a piece) Two retail stores that overprice. (One had metal gear on the NES for 9 bucks) and one flea market that is about 20 minutes away that is okay. How easy is it to find video games were you live? And around were is that?
    I Need a life....Wait! I DO HAVE ONE! CLASSIC GAMES ARE!

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    Great Puma (Level 12) jb143's Avatar
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    Off the top of my head, I can think of over 15 different stores in the St. Louis area that sell retro games...a few that have more uncommon stuff, and one that has a good selection of imported games. As for thrift stores around here, there are a bunch of those as well. They are pretty hit and miss as you would expect, but it's where I've found probably 80% of my collection and generally at a really good deal.
    "Game programmers are generally lazy individuals. That's right. It's true. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Since the dawn of computer games, game programmers have looked for shortcuts to coolness." Kurt Arnlund - Game programmer for Activision, Accolade...

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    Quote Originally Posted by jb143 View Post
    Off the top of my head, I can think of over 15 different stores in the St. Louis area that sell retro games...a few that have more uncommon stuff, and one that has a good selection of imported games. As for thrift stores around here, there are a bunch of those as well. They are pretty hit and miss as you would expect, but it's where I've found probably 80% of my collection and generally at a really good deal.
    STL sure is good for gaming, huh? I've found a lot of cool stuff, even though there are no flea markets around here anymore.

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    It's really hit or miss in Buffalo, NY...I generally don't even bother going to Goodwill anymore as they suck - most of my finds come out of Amvets, garage sales, and the occasional estate sale.
    Currently attempting to complete my Genesis collection! Always looking for hard to find complete games! Send me a PM
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    Here in Utah it just plain sucks. I get all my games online.
    Atari: 2600, Jaguar
    Microsoft: XBox, XBox 360
    Nintendo: NES, GB, GBC, SNES, N64, GameCube, GBA SP, Wii, New 3DS, Wii U
    Sega: SMS, Genesis, Game Gear, Nomad, Sega CD, 32X, Saturn, Dreamcast
    Sony: PS1, PS2, PS3
    Wanted: 7800, Neo Geo CD

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    As far as thrift store shopping goes, the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area is pretty dry. I don't think I've found anything of interest in a while. Flea markets outside of the Metroplex are much better for me, although there's a good dedicated vendor out at Trader's Village flea market in Arlington. As far as brick-and-mortar stores go, it's a bonanza of retro gaming. There's several locations of Movie Trading Company stores, with plenty of games from the Atari 2600 onward. I love those stores, because they don't have any rarity lists for pre-NES games so they mostly get a blanket price of $1.99. And then there's "local" chains like FX Game Exchange (in Plano and McKinney) and Console Game Exchange (in Irving Mall, Stonebriar Mall in Frisco, and probably Collin Creek Mall in Plano). There's also a few Play N' Trade stores around, along with one or two independents.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Polygon View Post
    Here in Utah it just plain sucks. I get all my games online.
    I Feel bad. Online, You can get whatever you want but you will pay alot more than you should.
    I Need a life....Wait! I DO HAVE ONE! CLASSIC GAMES ARE!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Genesaturn View Post
    It's really hit or miss in Buffalo, NY...I generally don't even bother going to Goodwill anymore as they suck - most of my finds come out of Amvets, garage sales, and the occasional estate sale.
    Amvets is awesome indeed.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tupin View Post
    STL sure is good for gaming, huh? I've found a lot of cool stuff, even though there are no flea markets around here anymore.
    Have you been to Bam! in Mid Rivers Mall? That's the newest store I've discovered. They haven't been open too long and are where the Borders used to be. One floor is used books. The other floor is DVD's and a ton of retro games. You could easily spend hours in that store.


    Quote Originally Posted by Polygon View Post
    Here in Utah it just plain sucks. I get all my games online.
    My CIB nearly mint NES came from a D.I. in Utah...3 bucks it cost.
    Last edited by jb143; 04-10-2012 at 10:22 PM.
    "Game programmers are generally lazy individuals. That's right. It's true. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Since the dawn of computer games, game programmers have looked for shortcuts to coolness." Kurt Arnlund - Game programmer for Activision, Accolade...

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    Quote Originally Posted by jb143 View Post
    Have you been to Bam! in Mid Rivers Mall? That's the newest store I've discovered. They haven't been open too long and are where the Borders used to be. One floor is used books. The other floor is DVD's and a ton of retro games. You could easily spend hours in that store.
    I've been to one of their other locations, they call themselves V-Stock now. They have a good selection, I'll admit that. Strangely enough, it's mostly the modern games that are overpriced, most PS2 games I saw were $10 at least no matter what, even if they were sports titles. Yet earlier games are cheaper.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tupin View Post
    I've been to one of their other locations, they call themselves V-Stock now. They have a good selection, I'll admit that. Strangely enough, it's mostly the modern games that are overpriced, most PS2 games I saw were $10 at least no matter what, even if they were sports titles. Yet earlier games are cheaper.
    Yeah, we just happened upon it. I was surprised to see so many Lynx, TG16, and NGPC games...though I think I manly bought books at the time. Also it's not far from Game Trader, a pretty cool local store.
    "Game programmers are generally lazy individuals. That's right. It's true. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Since the dawn of computer games, game programmers have looked for shortcuts to coolness." Kurt Arnlund - Game programmer for Activision, Accolade...

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    It's always been hit-or-miss in my area (Northeast Georgia) for games.

    Last week I picked up a boxed Game Boy and blue Game Gear at a local thrift. Before that? Well, unless I drive 30 minutes to one of the major population areas, I usually don't find anything. There's one pawn shop that carries vintage games but they're usually overpriced. There is a mom and pop "thrift" store (aka resale general stores) chain but outside of a 3DO marked as a DVD player, their selection has been historically terrible in the two years or so they've been opened. I sometimes find games at local thrifts or yard sales but it's pretty hit or miss. I rarely see gaming items at local auction houses but I can snatch them up for cheap when I do.

    However, two of the three flea markets I regularly frequent almost always do well for me. The third flea market is very small but will sometimes have some decent merchandise.

    You also have to keep in mind that I live in a town of ~2500 and a county of ~25k. I usually have no competition for games and electronics unless I travel to one of the large cities.

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    Cherry (Level 1) hellraiser's Avatar
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    Sf bay area sucks. Just plain sucks. I don't bother with thrift stores anymore. There's a tiny handfull of retro game shops. Inventory don't change much. Flea markets are your best bet and its spotty at best.

    Sadly if it wasant for flea bay my meager collection would be half it's size.
    I'm the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn't very nice. -James "Logan" Howlett

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    Quote Originally Posted by hellraiser View Post
    Sf bay area sucks. Just plain sucks. I don't bother with thrift stores anymore. There's a tiny handfull of retro game shops. Inventory don't change much. Flea markets are your best bet and its spotty at best.

    Sadly if it wasant for flea bay my meager collection would be half it's size.
    That's one thing I don't miss about living in SF. The retro community there is cool though, but slim pickins unless you want to go down to San Jose.

    New York isn't terrible - there's a retro game store just a few blocks away from where I live, but it's very expensive. I need to hit up more flea markets, because I've found nothing in Goodwills here.

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    Quote Originally Posted by hellraiser View Post
    Sf bay area sucks. Just plain sucks. I don't bother with thrift stores anymore. There's a tiny handfull of retro game shops. Inventory don't change much. Flea markets are your best bet and its spotty at best.
    I have to agree with this assessment. It's been this way for a long time, too. Maybe more people around here are into classic games, and therefore there's more demand. Or maybe people are more savvy and never turn their stuff in to thrift stores etc. Seriously, thrift stores here NEVER have anything decent. Some of the used game shops have good stuff -- in particular, Phoenix Games in Concord and 4Jays in Antioch tend to have pretty decent selection -- but they never really have any deals. It's always priced to eBay or whatever. (In fairness, it's probably not too easy for them to acquire cheap stock.) Flea markets are the same, even when I find good games, they're usually the same price that I could get them off eBay for. Though sometimes you can haggle or they'll give you a discount for buying multiple. I've never ever had any luck with garage sales either. The one place I've had some decent finds is Half Price Books. But they're pretty limited. I haven't been impressed with Craigslist either, although I only check it from time to time.
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    Quote Originally Posted by o.pwuaioc View Post
    That's one thing I don't miss about living in SF. The retro community there is cool though, but slim pickins unless you want to go down to San Jose.
    What's in San Jose that I'm missing? I'm there often. They have two flea markets but last i went there was nothing to get excited about.

    In regards to craigslist here, It's like a game itself ! You better check often and have quick reflexes!
    I'm the best there is at what I do. But what I do best isn't very nice. -James "Logan" Howlett

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    Default How is game hunting in your area?

    I live in Central IL, and here it sucks eggs! No swap meets or flea markets and town wide garage sales blow chunks.

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    Peach (Level 3)
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    Quote Originally Posted by hellraiser View Post
    What's in San Jose that I'm missing? I'm there often. They have two flea markets but last i went there was nothing to get excited about.

    In regards to craigslist here, It's like a game itself ! You better check often and have quick reflexes!
    GameWorld is what I heard, there are a few others. Phoenix World in Concord, 4Jay's in Antioch. I missed out on them while I was there, regrettably.

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