The modern console collecting topic (PS2 to PS3)

[The 1 2 P]

Its good to see someone getting good luck and collecting the way I have always wanted to collect.

To be honest, at least here in the South(Tennessee) it usually takes last gen systems almost 2 full cycles to go down in price to where I would even consider buying the games I want for them. Game shops around here are notorious for charging 17.99-24.99 for old XBox/PS2/Gamecube games, most of which are dirt common/ multiported/already on PC or are basically shovelware in my opinion. These gameshops got smart and now look online and know the current going price for almost every game so its kinda ruined the fun of going game hunting for me .Really the most I want to pay for a retro game if it isn't rare is 9.99 with full cover and box with the other majority being 5.99 or something like that.2.99 on your dirt common if you want me to clean your shop out of games and buy something I don't even need for you not being evil. Not to say I wouldn't pay more if it was a true classic and rare but who wants to pay $14.99 for Soldier of Fortune 2 on Xbox? That is honestly the trend with PS2/Xbox Collecting with Gamecube being even worse when it comes to Mario related games. Yeah I want Silent Hill 3 on PS2 but why is it still 24.99 when I know it will just be ported in a Silent Hill collection pack on PS4/One for like 39.99. Why spend that money if its taking away your current gen gaming budget and gaming experiences.

As for flea markets down here I usually can find an old worn out NES or subpar overpriced loose PS2 games by a stingy vendor who thinks what he has is pure gold. I have been to many Goodwills around Memphis,TN and I can safely say in this city you won't find people throwing anything of value out or a majority of the population never even had it to begin with. The most rare thing I found in the wild was a Gamecube Broadband adapter, thats it. Even Goodwill will overprice a PS2 more than Gamestop and mark it "as is". Its almost laughable to try to be a collector in this state.

I recently started the pawnshop routine but its seem the systems you find they always stuff that people have worn out to where it barely turns on, like the original 360 for example and they still want 40 bucks for just the system no accessories. You can't go through and test every system like you want to because some guy on drugs wants to sell his lawnmower and hold up the sales associate. They really want to take the junk someone passed onto them for 10 bucks and have you buy their broken electronics for triple the price. Its like its engrained in pawn shops to prevent you from getting a good deal so I am now done with them.

Basically,because the market has gotten so greedy on even the common games from that generation and just from overall disappointment in 10 years of collecting I have been forced now to softmod and emulate . I have no problem spending money if the price is fair but its been like this for years and years and doesn't seem to be getting any better in all honesty. All I can say to the new gen of collectors is good luck. Every vendor has his iPhone ready so you can't get that deal anymore.

You can start looking for clearanced games before a system completely dies. Start off with places that are moving away from selling games like Sears, Radio Shack or HH Gregg. All of my Sears have withered down there full gaming aisles to about one or two four feet inline sections but soon most probably won't have any. I actually got two of my copies of Metroid Prime Trilogy at Sears for $14 each. Target sells clearanced games year round and Toys R Us usually gets rid of stuff during Summer sales to make room for the new upcoming holiday games. My Staples just started selling platinum hits 360 games via a huge front-of-the-store display. I doubt they will sell many there so once they get marked down I'll be there.

You already know about Goodwill, Savers, Salvation Army and other thrift stores. They are hit or miss in this area but I can find good stuff at Goodwill and Savers most of the time. The Salvation Army never had anything good before it closed down, which means a pawn shop was more fruitful than Salvation Army because I've found things twice at the same pawn shop. I've also experienced those shops you described where they mark common stuff up to $20-$30 and mark popular stuff like Mario games even higher. I believe it was GameGuy who experienced that at a certain store and use to take pictures of the games with their ridiculously high prices. Still, I would swing by whatever local stores you have atleast once a week, especially if it isn't too far out of the way.

Then theres craigs list. It's good for searching game deals but it's also good for placing game ads for stuff you are looking for, especially if you just want to trade stuff you already have. Another tip is to search areas that are not just where you live. Most people only search craigs list by whatever city they live in but checking neighboring cities(provided they aren't too far away) from time to time doesn't hurt either.

The market has gotten alot more competitive, particularly in certain areas. We actually have a few threads on that. But there are still deals to find if you are persistent. Around here theres plenty of dry spells but stuff still pops up enough that I can use alot of my finds to help supplement my income. And you can always ask friends to keep an eye out for you if they happen to travel thru areas you can't normally cover. Just stick with it and eventually you'll find a score that was worth all the trouble.

The 1 2 P,
The PSP has many exclusives, though a decent number are japan only.
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Of all those systems mentioned the PSP is the only one I don't have any import games for, something I didn't realize until you brought it up. What Japanese imports would you recommend for it? If it helps I usually like shooters, action/adventure and some quirky puzzlers when it comes to my handheld gaming. I also like racing games but my PSP's analog stick is broken so those aren't as enjoyable as they'd be if it was fixed.