Anybody know anywhere I can get lots of NES, SNES or Genesis games for a reasonable price? I am not looking to resell these games, just build a collection. I already have a 20 games for each system, mainly my favorites from childhood.
Just started collecting
Anybody know anywhere I can get lots of NES, SNES or Genesis games for a reasonable price? I am not looking to resell these games, just build a collection. I already have a 20 games for each system, mainly my favorites from childhood.
Depends on where you live for store recommendations, but the easy start is buying in lots on ebay. Lots will generally save you a good deal of cash over individual purchases.
http://www.g2kgames.net/visitourstores/
Check and see if there's one of these stores near you. That's where I buy my games and they always have good stuff for lower-than-ebay prices.
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Check your local Craigslist, Facebook Buy/Sell/Trade pages, etc. You can sometimes get some really crazy deals.
Garage sales(community preferred due to bulk of anything), craigslist if yours isn't drowned out by con men and scalpers asking ebay+, maybe flea markets if your area is good for it, and definitely NOT retail as they all think they need to match or exceed ebay since you can 'see it so it is worth that much.' Sad thing is if you want NES and SNES you jumped into it about 3-4 years too late as it's all a predators game now which I've more or less quit being active about coming up on 2 years now. I stay informed, I don't turn a blind eye, but it went to crap.
Good thing though is you said Genesis. Sega mostly gets no respect. You can get most of the Genesis games for little money thankfully as it hasn't turned into the $100-1000 game range stuff NES/SNES has for the really good and/or rare (legit or hype fake rare) games. You'll pay a bit more for paper (manuals/boxes) but just the game alone even with a nice label still isn't much at all.
Personally my suggestion, if you really want to do Nintendo of the 2D style stick with Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance. That will get you all the NES/SNES quality stuff and you can get so much of it in the $1-15 range it's nuts, take the cap up to $30 and you'll get most of any of it. If you hate the little screen, understandable, but you can easily use a Retron5 ($140) which fires them up on your TV full screen in HDMI along with other good stuff, or if you have a Gamecube already get the GB Player for maybe $40~ with the unit+required disc and again have a nice view area to use on a TV too.
Im glad i got my collection over the years when they were cheap and nobody wanted old games, because I would never collect today with the crazy prices they are selling. If I sell my collection, I could buy a brand new car with the money, I never collected for the money and never expected these games to be so overpriced. If you really want to enjoy the games on real hardware, I strongly suggest to get everdrives for your favorite systems, not worth it nowadays to buy loose nes carts for stupid insane prices.
I like the way Snrub thinks!Originally Posted by PreZZ
I still do the thrift store crawl. I gave up on the flea market thing because for around here the one I can make it to might as well be an ebay brick and mortar store. I've gotten so many "I can get $XXX on ebay for it" and my response is either "then why isn't it on ebay?" or "well this isn't ebay, I'm here now with cash in hand no fees or shipping costs" either way I am not nice about it and I don't think I should be.
the other reason is because of my work schedule I cant ever make it to the once a month one that actually had some cool off the wall gaming stuff, like a 1942 arcade marquee, some one was selling it because it was "WWII" related and that's all the stuff they had at their booth.
any way not all thrifts are looking their crap up. I've noticed around here the goodwills rotate on weither or not they will try and scalp a game or system or not. some times you'll walk in and find a bag with a sega Saturn and hookups for $15 and the next one could be trying to sell a nes no hook ups or any thing, loose system, for $50.
theres always the little known "outlet" or "as-is" stores and that is usually priced at what ever the checker feels like or, if your in a bigger area, its all done by price per pound. If its done by what ever the checker is feeling like and you think the price is high you can always haggle with them, just don't point out flaws or broken parts as to your reasoning to why you think their price is too high. if it was a decent piece it wouldn't be there, most of the stuff is battered, scratched or beaten and is there for that reason because it wouldn't sell in that condition. just say something along the lines of "how about $xxx instead" and go on from there till you find a middle ground where they'll accept
every region I have gone thrifting in has one of these stores some where near by, goodwill is a regional chain, often times one will have no relation to the other down the road 5 minutes in another town.
I live in a small town and there are 2 of these places near by, they aren't very big, in some random warehouse and there are generally tubs or bins of random stuff so theres often a lot of digging going on. some times if its been gone through as a tub they will take some things out and set them out on a electronics wall but not always. its a weird place. its also the last time goodwill tries to sell things before they are dumping them in the trash so its a last chance to get in and save some of that gaming history too. some of the one in more populated areas are in HUGE warehouses, like holy crap big. it would literally take you ALL DAY to dig through all of the bins and they are changing them out all day aswell.
on a rare occasion they will deem an item not worth their time to try to sell at a retail store so it goes directly to the outlet/as-is.
I have gotten TONS of stuff from this place
I've gotten any thing from a common PSX, NES or Gamecube system or game to an uncommon N64 system type (atomic grey) or uncommon stacks of games like Gortek and the microchips for C64 or final fantasy for NES to some pretty rare stuff like a Vectrex system loose with 2 games, boxed complete Zelda games on N64 with conkers bad fur day boxed opened but never used (no marks on cart edge connector) and most recently, last week I found a Miracle Piano for genesis.
to put into perspective most things were $5 or $10 bucks us. as an example the Vectrex was $5, the games were a buck each. the N64 games were $5 each. Most of the other systems were $10, if not $10 then less than. the Piano was $10 aswell.
a lot of these things are loose but you check the places for cords and stuff too, often times an a/v cored is a buck or 2 as is an ac adaptor. over time you get enough built up to piece things together to make complete sets.
take the Miracle Piano, I bought it loose for $10 bucks, years and years ago I bought an ac adapter for one knowing what it was but thinking I'd probably never find one and trade the ac adapter for a game I wanted. well I forgot about it and tossed it in a box with other game related cords and now I have they keyboard that it goes too and i'll need it for that aswell.
adding that ac adapter I probably paid a buck or 2 for years ago to the keyboard I got last week will probably double what the keyboards value is over what I paid for it.
any way some tips and places to check out
Last edited by Niku-Sama; 06-17-2015 at 05:07 AM.
Hero.I do the same thing. The two fleas here both have interior 'retail' locations that use ebay, but sometimes you do find one higher and lesser chance lower so they get a skim. Outside at both they rarely turn up, it's not a weekly consistency and even then it's the 'on ebay...' to which I'll say this isn't ebay it's a flea market or something like you did. Screw them. There are no thrifts in my area that get stuff enough to keep looking, and one that kind of does is this one goodwill and they want like $10 on what ebays for $5 if you're lucky stuff so it's pointless, and boxed systems they go over ebay paid. I just have given up the active search and it's just one I look for while looking at other goodies at flea markets and elsewhere as it's not worth tolerating anymore as the scalpers wrecked it. People around here tend to take games online or to a local only (mostly just in town) mini chain or half price books, the latter started pricing the high end of ebay and caused the other to match it as they got poached. I find both now don't get all that much because the high prices have caused a stagnant sit on the same games and little new coming in because of that as the collectors/players around here aren't stupid to fall for it. Since both stores do far more than games they can afford to sit on the stuff and let it cover in dust.
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I get a good Goodwill find now and then as well. Awhile back I ran into Super Mario 64 and Goldeneye for $3 a piece. I had them both, so I grabbed them for my brother.
Like Niku-sama's AC adapter story, knowing what you're looking at always pays dividends. When I buy Famicom games and PC Engine stuff online, I almost always buy in lots that show pictures, but don't list titles. I've saved hundreds of dollars buying expensive games for well below retail because I knew what I was looking at, and there's less bidding/shopping competition who can spot the same things. Take Getsu Fuuma-Den. A loose cart typically goes for about $15. I knew what the label looked like, and got it in a lot with 3 other games for about $7 shipped, whereas buying all if those games on their own would have run me about $30 before shipping.
Knowing what you're looking at is what can help you find a CD-i or Nuon instead of walking past what you thought was a DVD player, or getting power cords and controllers way below retail. If you don't know from experience like some of us old folks, take the time and read up. It can bw interesting, and it'll save you more money than you'd imagine.
If you have a smart phone, you can download the ebay app. That way when you are out hunting games, you can check the value of the game by using ebay's 'completed items' search function. That way, you'll get an idea if they are charging too much, or if the item you are looking at is missing any items like a map or something.
Also for you guys that like to give lip to re-sellers who are asking high prices, whip out the ebay app when they say "it goes for $XX on ebay". Look it up and say "well I'm on ebay right now, and it goes for $XX".
I did that a couple of times since getting an iphone later last year. They get mad and stand their ground saying I fished for a cheap one, or it was old, or some other excuse. Then it's either they stop talking or they stupidly ask again if you're going to buy it. One time, I did, online, in front of them, then left. I'll usually add if they snark about it being right there, I'll bring up flea markets don't accept returns on broken stuff and I don't care what you say I don't trust you'll be here next time or will give me the money back.
one thing I forgot to add about the ebay thing is that most people are looking up current listings that haven't sold yet. I'd say about a good 90% of people look these up this way.
lookin up what some one is asking for an item isn't an indication of value its an indication of what that person wants from the item, it doesnt mean they are going to get that much for it.
there is a way to look up sold listings, I think its within the last 6 months or so, to get an idea of what something goes for on ebay. sure some people are going to pay that crazy high price because they can or don't care they just want it.
I'd say price charting is going to be a good middle ground for prices. its only as good as the information that its able to gather though so there will be some things that get mis listed and sell for crazy high or there isn't much sold in terms of volume so it'll throw off the average so you still have to pay attention.
Good points. It isn't just games too, it's anything really even semi-trendy or cool that isn't made anymore for the most part (Amiibo being a weird one as it's made still.) It got to the point even in the last few years Pawn Stars and American Pickers guys will even remind people pulling dumb prices out of their butts who saw it sell online that 'was it for sale or what people were asking' before they'd try and negotiate again. There's plenty of foolish types who just take the asking for a chump listed BIN as fact when it's hardly the case on a lot of things. Sadly enough people don't care or don't think so it happens anyway or things wouldn't be where they are now with people like myself advising you to be careful.
NES&SNES worst time to collect for since demand is at a all high time.Unless you just stick there japanese counter parts the famicom&sfc but it's prices have been creeping up.Genesis there are deals to be had still but for complete copies,prices have been going up as well.Still id suggest buying flash carts to play the more expensive titles and buying the cheaper games when possible.Where to buy for deals i wouldn't know if you have a mom&pop place check there or crigs-list.Getting good deals on ebay now is rare with all the buyitnows
Last edited by Tron 2.0; 06-18-2015 at 05:29 AM.
Hi Ryan, if your wanting to stay away from Ebay then I would suggest Lukie Games. I've had very good luck with them. Plus all orders over $25 ship for free.
http://www.lukiegames.com/
Although, scouring flea markets and garage sales has also netted me some very rare pickups. Best of luck building your game collection.
Don't collect video games.
If you want to play games, get flash carts for your systems.
OP, a brief word of advice.
Don't buy games in bulk as an investment. If you like the aesthetic, fine, I'm the same way. However, the absolute best advice that I can give you would be to remember that they're games, and they're not really worth paying tons of cash for if you don't intend to play them. That's what the stock market is for.
Disclaimer out of the way, the best place to go is the local flea market. The retrogaming market has shifted recently as people have decided that dirt common games are super valuable and rare pieces of nostalgia. Games like Mario, Contra, etc. are among the most common, but frequently also sold at the most expensive prices. eBay will bleed your bank account dry in short order. Craigslist is sometimes a good source, but people on there are pretty shady in my experience.
The buying and selling forums here are typically excellent, if not as active as they used to be.
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One thing to keep in mind: for game stores, you're not always going to be dealing with the owner. In fact, you rarely deal with the owner. While clerks might hide behind the "that's what it's going for on eBay" or "that's the market price" defense, what they really SHOULD be saying is, "My boss won't let me negotiate prices" because the reality is, that's usually the case. If I'm unsure about a place, or I want to try and haggle a bit, I'll say something to the effect of, "I'd like to have this game, but not at that price", or "I really want this, but that's more than I want to pay for it." That will usually garner 1 of 3 responses:
- "I can't negotiate prices - what's on the label is what it's priced at."
- Total apathy *crickets chirping*
- "I could maybe go down to X", usually $3-$5 less than the asking price, occasionally more, if the clerk has the authority and/or knows the game's price is horribly inflated and is throwing you a bone.
I like to try and build relationships with game store clerks, and owners, if possible. Become a frequent visitor, even if you don't buy something each time. And when you do buy something, it doesn't have to be a lot. The first time I stopped into a new game store recently, I bought 2 games, and spent maybe $15. Last time I was in there, the same clerk, knowing more what I was looking for, pulled a box of loose manuals out from underneath the counter, and I bought a whole stack of them for games I was missing manuals for. I also picked up a cheap NES game, and a GBA SP charger. I ended up spending more the 2nd time in, because I had already established that rapport with the clerk. She recognized me, remembered what kind of stuff I was into, and was good about catering to that. Most every good game store will have at least one of those clerks, and I'd suggest finding them and getting that relationship going. Chances are, if you're a frequent customer, you're more likely to get a better deal, or get in on good stuff. That same clerk also took down a list of games I'm looking for, and said they'd email me if/when they came in so I could get first shot at them.
I'd warn you about being too rough with the clerks. Again, building the relationship is key. If you're unwilling to pay their price, definitely point that out, and let them know that market value doesn't equal ACTUAL value, but don't be a douche. Just because the clerk might be a jerk about it doesn't you need to respond in kind. "Kill them with kindness" as the expression goes. You'd be surprised how far that will get you in negotiation, and how that might spark better deals and opportunities in the future. I tried being the hard-nosed guy for a while, and it doesn't work. If you're too much of a jerk, you'll get labeled as "that customer", the game store equivalent to the now-infamous "Special Guest" at Disney parks. It just doesn't accomplish much.
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Ugh. That's happened a few times when I've wanted to buy something that isn't priced, and they'll look for it on eBay - right in front of me, mind you - to figure out how much to overcharge me. One store (which is now gone) had some British Dreamcast games that weren't released over here (Headhunter and Evil Twin), so they went behind the counter, looked for several minutes with me standing there waiting on them, and then told me they couldn't sell them because they couldn't find any on eBay to figure out how much they're worth. I'm guessing they were looking on US eBay rather than UK eBay. They told me to come back at a later time and they'd have the prices worked out. Two months later I went back, and they did the exact same thing. Meanwhile another forum member here went in and bought a huge stack of Japanese Dreamcast games for $45, games worth far more than that, because they didn't read Japanese and couldn't search eBay for prices. Damn, I hate people like that.
I don't do much in the way of flea markets and thrift stores now because there's just no point. The vendors that sell games out at flea markets that I like have all closed down, and there's so much competition from resellers in my area it's virtually impossible to find much of anything. 6 or 7 years ago I'd come home from a thrift store or flea market trip with a bag or two full of stuff, now there's nothing left. When I find anything it's usually a fluke.
It'd be nice if the original poster told us what city he lived in, maybe some of us could point him towards some good retro game stores.
Last edited by Steve W; 06-24-2015 at 08:06 PM.
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