So, I just found a Wii in the garbage.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

While walking to my car I found a perfectly good Wii stacked with some other abandoned electronics - a VCR, a cordless telephone and a composite DVD player.

The only thing that the Wii was missing was Wiimotes, of which I have a bunch.

Judging by the condition of the system (excellent) and the game save files on it (lots of kids games), I'm going to guess that the family that disposed of it upgraded to a Wii-U.

I believe Gamestop gives less than $20 for a Wii presently, and based on the saturation of the system it's probably even a tough thing to give away to friends/family.

I saved it from total disposal. Couldn't help myself.

A Wii in the trash. An interesting social commentary as to where we are in this console generation and what the current "value" of the Wii is.

Here are some photos of the main unit for posterity:

[Kitsune Sniper]

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE VHS DECK

Don't tell me you left it there!

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE VHS DECK

Don't tell me you left it there!

Yeah, sorry didn't save the rest of the stuff.

I already have VCRs and DVD players that I don't use for anything. Hell, I don't even have any land-line phone jacks in my place.

[SOL BADGUY]

A Wii in the trash. An interesting social commentary as to where we are in this console generation and what the current "value" of the Wii is.

Its a game console, to women(if theyre not into games), theyre these invading alien boxes, and they got to eradicate them from our planet.

But anyone who isnt into games will just toss them out, they threw away those other old electronics after all.

[Flashback2012]

While walking to my car I found a perfectly good Wii stacked with some other abandoned electronics - a VCR, a cordless telephone and a composite DVD player.

The only thing that the Wii was missing was Wiimotes, of which I have a bunch.

Judging by the condition of the system (excellent) and the game save files on it (lots of kids games), I'm going to guess that the family that disposed of it upgraded to a Wii-U.

Or they got a real gaming system like the PS3 /kupo
So the Wiimotes were missing but the sensor bar and cables were tossed out with the system?

I believe Gamestop gives less than $20 for a Wii presently, and based on the saturation of the system it's probably even a tough thing to give away to friends/family.

I saved it from total disposal. Couldn't help myself.

A Wii in the trash. An interesting social commentary as to where we are in this console generation and what the current "value" of the Wii is.

Personally I think it's a damn shame this family didn't have the good sense to recycle their electronics instead of designating them for a landfill. I realize that requires some time and effort on their part so if you are able to profit in any way off of their shortsightedness, that would be awesome.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Or they got a real gaming system like the PS3 /kupo
So the Wiimotes were missing but the sensor bar and cables were tossed out with the system?

Yes, it had everything but the Wiimotes. the Wii-U pro system comes with a sensor bar, so if they had Wiimotes and Wii Motion Plus attachments that would be all that they would need to keep.

Personally I think it's a damn shame this family didn't have the good sense to recycle their electronics instead of designating them for a landfill. I realize that requires some time and effort on their part so if you are able to profit in any way off of their shortsightedness, that would be awesome.

Yeah, though I hear a lot of "electronics recycling" programs are financially collapsing under the sheer volume of donated technology that is literally 100% useless.

[The 1 2 P]

A Wii in the trash. An interesting social commentary as to where we are in this console generation and what the current "value" of the Wii is.

It would have been much more amusing if you had found a Wii U in the trash. I would have to question the sanity of whoever threw it away but still have been slightly amused. As for finding the Wii in the trash, I will agree that it is a bit of ironic symbolism there.

[ProjectCamaro]

Wow, nice find!

Why can't I ever find items like that in the trash when going to my car?

[needler420]

Did you actually test the console to see if it works?

I'd imagine it's most likely broken as that's why is was thrown away. In which case even if you are techy and can solder it depends on how bad of shape the wii is in. More likely then anything you just grabbed a door stop.

Test it, if it works leave it sitting around the house.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Did you actually test the console to see if it works?

I'd imagine it's most likely broken as that's why is was thrown away. In which case even if you are techy and can solder it depends on how bad of shape the wii is in. More likely then anything you just grabbed a door stop.

Test it, if it works leave it sitting around the house.

Judging by the condition of the system (excellent) and the game save files on it (lots of kids games), I'm going to guess that the family that disposed of it upgraded to a Wii-U.

I didn't find out what game saves were on it through osmosis.

Fully tested, it works perfectly.

[RP2A03]

I didn't find out what game saves were on it through osmosis.

Fully tested, it works perfectly.

You could have just transplanted the NAND chip to your Wii without even powering on the trashed Wii that you found.

[BricatSegaFan]

You could have just transplanted the NAND chip to your Wii without even powering on the trashed Wii that you found.

Does the nand have some kind of snap on ribbon cable? I've never opened a Wii.

[RP2A03]

Does the nand have some kind of snap on ribbon cable? I've never opened a Wii.

Nope. I was being sarcastic.

[Oldskool]

With how many millions of Wii's were sold throughout the years, it doesn't surprise me that you found one in the garbage. Give it a few more years and the thrift stores are going to have them stacked up to the roof for $4.99 each. It's just a matter of time.

[needler420]

I didn't find out what game saves were on it through osmosis.

Fully tested, it works perfectly.

Yeah but just because the game saves are good doesn't mean everything else is till you finished testing it.

If the wii didn't read discs or had a bad laser etc it would be a worthless paper weight with game saves on it. Which I see quite often. Someone takes a electronic out the trash and thinks because it powers on that it works then they find out the disc drive is broken etc.


Pretty dumb on the people that threw it away. I've seen people get rid of stuff because they think it's broken when all it needs is the smallest fix.

With how many millions of Wii's were sold throughout the years, it doesn't surprise me that you found one in the garbage. Give it a few more years and the thrift stores are going to have them stacked up to the roof for $4.99 each. It's just a matter of time.

Yup in another year they will be common like PS1 console. I see PS1's every where because the new consoles have PS1 BC.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Yeah but just because the game saves are good doesn't mean everything else is till you finished testing it.

If the wii didn't read discs or had a bad laser etc it would be a worthless paper weight with game saves on it. Which I see quite often. Someone takes a electronic out the trash and thinks because it powers on that it works then they find out the disc drive is broken etc.

Pretty dumb on the people that threw it away. I've seen people get rid of stuff because they think it's broken when all it needs is the smallest fix.

Yeah, well, I wouldn't get it to a place where I could check the saves (connected, Wiimote synced) without testing the rest of it. That would be silly.

Laser intensive dual layer games like Smash Bros and Metroid Prime Trilogy run fine. If it had needed it I also have the official Nintendo fixed-position lens cleaner which unlike spinning brush cleaners is actually decent at cleaning a Wii lens.

[calgon]

Thread just reminded me I have a bricked wii given to me by a friend that I swore I was going to one day take the time to fix...that was two years ago.

[theclaw]

May as well use it. You aren't going to get enough money out of a Wii, compared to the entertainment value offered.

[Polygon]

I can't believe someone would throw a perfectly good Wii away. I hope none of my family members do. I'll gladly take them off their hands. That will make a nice spare system for you!

[Rickstilwell1]

Even Wii's with dead disc drives are very useful because you can put homebrew on any Wii via SD card and make it so you can even boot Wii ISO's from a hard drive on top of all the other SD card functional emulators. The Wii is literally one of the easiest game systems to mod. The only totally useless Wii is a bricked one, or one with a dead SD card slot.