GoodWill

[GamerTheGreek]

OK ill ask the question, I thought good will was all about clothing and baby items. i didnt realize they had games. whats the moral feeling about this particular store. but theres a store in hackensack nj and i know its not the best area in the world so i was wondering whats the moral feeling and such in the gaming community

[Neil Koch]

Not sure what you mean by "moral feeling"... the profits from the stores go to help poor/disabled people if that's what you're getting at.

Like any thrift/pawn store, it's kind of a crapshoot. The one around me used to have dirt-cheap game stuff, but now they've marked them way up (like $10 for a NES Super Mario Bros. cart).

[Gapporin]

I always raid my local Goodwill whenever I get the chance. I've found everything from an Atari 5200 to some old Infocom games.

As long as they get money, I don't think they care who buys the stuff.

[Nez]

If your on the "dark side" of things I could see a moral issue. But hell if they've got some good games grab em. I've found some good shit thrifting.

[Habeeb Hamusta]

OK ill ask the question, I thought good will was all about clothing and baby items. i didnt realize they had games. whats the moral feeling about this particular store. but theres a store in hackensack nj and i know its not the best area in the world so i was wondering whats the moral feeling and such in the gaming community

I don't understand what your asking. What do you mean by "it's not the best area in the world"? what do you man by moral feeling? If we think it's moral for us to buy games from goodwill? Or for them to sell games?

[Captain Wrong]

Pre-eBay (yes, some of us go back that far) Goodwill and the other thrifts were the backbone of this hobby, and many others. I don't think there really is a moral dilemma there at all as these stores generally put their profits towards good things. You will, however, notice a large degree of righteous indignation when a thrift has the nerve to price something more in line with "what it's worth" rather than the near giveaway prices people expect from this type of retail establishment. Personally, I have a moral problem with that, but that's kind of a different issue altogether.

[GamerTheGreek]

the old salvation army store near where i live used to make it known they were out to raise money for the poor and such. thats why they placed a shop in the well to do area ( wealthy). but this is down where people are lower middle class or lower. i just worry im taking a from the poor. who barely have enough to get a game. in paramus and washington township i dont think many poor people are gonna travel there to get stuff . just was wondering on what you all thought.

[Videogamerdaryll]

Goodwill :store in hackensack nj ..huh.. ...........

[ScottK]

I hear people all the time say what good prices and finds you can find at goodwill. I went to 2 stores last week for the first time and I don't think I'll ever return. The only games I found were a few crap 3DO games for $4 each, Virtual Tennis for Dreamcast for $5, and a Dreamcast web browser for $5. Prices probably vary per area, but I don't think I'll ever be able to find any deals where I am from.

[Icarus Moonsight]

By moral issue do you mean "all they have is sports titles"? Cause that's all I can find at the 'will here! HA! Now that's immoral.

[AFGiant]

I hear people all the time say what good prices and finds you can find at goodwill. I went to 2 stores last week for the first time and I don't think I'll ever return. The only games I found were a few crap 3DO games for $4 each, Virtual Tennis for Dreamcast for $5, and a Dreamcast web browser for $5. Prices probably vary per area, but I don't think I'll ever be able to find any deals where I am from.

It's a day-by-day hit or miss thing, man. One day you go and there's nothing there, the next day you go and there is an NES, a Genesis ($10 each), and a stack of games for each (at $2 each). That happened to me. The guys here have much, much better stories and mine is just one example of how day to day it can be. I'd go back. I'd also buy that $5 Web Browser, though

[it290]

I wouldn't worry that you're taking from the poor. If it's some retro title, odds are the only other person who's going to purchase it is going to be another collector. Goodwills are scavenged all the time by collector types, not just games but also people who are into retro clothing. That's why it's been getting harder and harder to find good stuff at them for the past several years. The proceeds still go to charity, so I wouldn't worry about it that much.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Don't feel bad...ok feel bad...for about 2 minutes after you just realized you walked out with a mint 5200 lol

[Icarus Moonsight]

There have been alot of horror stories surrounding Goodwill about employee theft concerning valuable donations. Funny that most the people involved in this shady behavior don't really see VG's as valuable. I wouldn't feel bad about buying anything from Goodwill, it is serving a just and honorable cause. When you do find a worthwhile purchase feel grateful that your getting a deal and someone in need is getting that need met. Better that then some unscrupulous bastard 5-fingering the goods and throwing 'em up on eBay! I hope that the lowest level of hell is reserved for traitors and charity theives...

[norkusa]

Goodwill used to be a great place to find games 3-4 years ago, but now anything halfway decent that ends up there is either snatched up by employees before it hits the floor, or put up for auction on shopgoodwill.com.

I want to cry every time I look at the shopgoodwill.com auctions. Just about every decent game related item I see there is posted by my local Goodwill store.

[pookninja]

i have bashed goodwill in the past for raising prices on games.i believe they have raised the prices so if they dont sell for the high ticket price,it will sell on half off day,and goodwill makes more money off the games.but,after finding a working top loading nes today at goodwill for 2.50,i love goodwill again

[christianscott27]

i've always thought that buying from charitible thrifts was a positive side effect of collecting, feeding my addiction and doing a good turn all in one. as far as the store marking up prices, well honestly its such a scattershot thing who cares. even in the ebay age most goodwill pricers wouldnt know a combat cart from a chase the chuckwagon.

i have more of an issue with the stealth for profit thrifts like savers/value village. i cringe everytime i see some well meaning family dropping off a station wagon load of stuff there - ITS A FOR PROFIT STORE, go to goodwill or amvets...what do you donate food to the grocery store?

the age of thrifts being a place for poor familes to get clothing and housewares is pretty much over. in todays world those poor folks go to walmart and old navy like the rest of us. most thrifts actually operate a clothing donations filter where they take the items that will fetch a good price for the retail and the less desirable items go to third world clothing operations - thus the starving kid in sudan wearing the LA Clippers tshirt.

ohh and avoid planet aid, they're a for profit cult.

[DigitalSpace]

Goodwill has stores all over town here. I've never made any finds there though - the closest I came was when I found a stack of about 6 or 7 SNES titles, but I already had the ones I would have wanted (Yoshi's Island, SMW, and a couple other commons I forget) and didn't care for the rest. Then again, I don't check Goodwill that much.

On a side note, one of the local Goodwill stores has about 10 or so boxed and complete Genesis sports titles that have been sitting there at $3.99 at least since the summer.

[whoisKeel]

ahh, goodwill...so what's the moral debate? i've picked up games there before just to selll, and i don't think that makes me a bad person.

some of you sound like you went to goodwill 3 times and gave up. man, i'm lucky to find one single game, even a loose madden for genny, one out of every 3-5 times i goodwill. but it's that 20th random visit that pays off. just don't go in expecting to find a duo lying around or something.

what i do is just stop by goodwills when they're on my way to or from somewhere, maybe take the long way home once or twice a week and stop in...of course, i just like rummaging through old junk anyways, its just the way i am

[swlovinist]

second issue of EGM for .........29 cents.........nuff said