Originally Posted by
Cmosfm
Looking For Games In All The Wrong Places
So, not satisfied with just playing games anymore, You’ve decided that it’s high time you start collecting games. You know that a few of the local game stores carry recent as well as classic games, and there’s always auctions up and running online, but of course those won’t net you the kind of deals you hear about here or on the Digital Press forums. You want the good deals! You want the kind of deals that dreams are made of don’t you? Well, I’m here to help with the definitive list of where to hunt and where not to hunt.
Flea Markets/Jockey Lots - This is where you will probably net your best deals! People bring there old “junk” here with two things in mind, getting rid of it and making a little cash. Remember, you’re not the only one looking for gaming goodness, that’s why you have to get up and out early before the good stuff is snagged. Never be scared to haggle here! Saving a few bucks on each item you buy just means you have more to spend later on down the line.
Yard Sales - Just like flea markets, except it requires a little more traveling. One key element to yard sales you need to keep in mind is always remember to ask if they have any games. You’re at the persons house, who knows, they may have a treasure trove of games inside that they didn’t think anyone would want to buy. Always keep that in mind.
Thrift Stores - Depending on your location, this will probably be your next best bet. With thrift stores, the games can come in any day, so check often. 2-3 times a week should do. For the most part haggling here is a no-no, the prices are usually set in stone.
Pawn Shops - These can be on and off here when it comes to finds. You rarely ever see anything pre-NES here, and anything pre-PSone is lucky. Usually pawn shops don’t require as much repetition hunting as thrift stores do, but you need to get the feel of each one you’re in. Ask if they ever carry what you’re looking for, that will determine how often you visit that particular store. If ever again.
Video Rental Stores - Want to jump start your collection? Of course you do! This is the way to do it. Crazy talk you say? Nah, visit you’re local and even non-local mom-n-pop video rental stores that’s been around for a good 10-20 years. Lots of times they have games that they stopped renting many years ago either in the stock room, in storage, or out for sale. Usually the owners are willing to sell them all out cheap just to make room for new rentals. Being that the stores usually keep the boxes for the games it just sweetens the deal even more. Just like yard sales, you might not get anywhere if you don’t ask about them.
Those places should be your normal “hunting grounds” for finding good deals. Now, where to stay away from you ask?
Game Stores - Not naming any names here, but game stores are usually not good for getting deals. Don’t get me wrong, you can get what you pay for here…bad games at low prices or good games at expensive prices. Occasionally you’ll run across something special, but that doesn’t happen too often. Don’t make this your only stop for game finds.
Online Auctions - For the most part, online auctions like eBay are a sellers field only. Game prices get blown out of proportion, shipping is usually high, and deals are far from being good. Stay away from online auctions unless you know the tricks of the trade, which I will hopefully get into in a future column.
Consignment Shops - Welcome to the land of expensive gaming! That is, if you even find games here. The thing to keep in mind here is that two people are out to make money on the items in the shop. The person who owns it, and the person who owns the shop. So hitting a consignment shop is usually a waste.
Antique Stores - I get this question a lot. Have you ever found any games at antique stores? My answer? No. I have never found a single game at an antique store, so unless you’re extremely bored one day, don’t even bother.
There you go! The definitive list of where to go and where not to go when looking for gaming deals. Keep in mind that everything varies by area and from store to store and to still give your local game stores a look every once in a while. While a consignment shop may have a box of NES games for 10.00 each, look through it anyway, you may just find a Stadium Events in there and just because I‘ve never found anything at an antique store doesn’t mean you won’t. Make friends, talk to people, be nice & ask questions. Never turn down an opportunity to look in a new place for games, follow your instincts, games are all over the place….you just have to find them.
Places to start!
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), which kind of sucks. You can sometimes get some decent deals on Saturn and Genny games. I picked up a Panzer Dragoon the other day for 7.99. Not too bad.
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