The thrifts have died...

[hedgehog]

I have been looking at every thrift thats within 100 miles of me, and can't find a simple 2600 cart, not even one. It's like a great depression or something, I don't know where else to look.

[ATARIPITBULL]

Others here have found games at thrift stores, but not me, the only few that I have found were at a local comic book store.

 

[Rick Weis]

maybe it's not as dry as you think! maybe "someguy" is getting all the games before you do!!

 

there is this one goodwill near me that i always went to every week (on tuesday) and would never find anything... well i went there 2 weeks ago on a friday and they had over 30 2600 carts (1.50 ea.) and a 7800 system w/power supply for 7.00 i took the system and left the carts! i went back on tuesday and ALL of it was GONE!! (needless to say i go there on fridays now!)

 

Take care,

 

Rick

[krisjohn]

Sometimes it is really difficult to tell the difference between a shop that never has what you want and one that turns over the stuff you're after quicker than you visit. Two suggestions:

 

* Ask

* Leave your number with them

 

I had to leave my phone number with a local Cash Converters to secure a Dreamcast. They don't turn up very often and they disappear straight away. Possibly you could get to know a batch of the closest charity stores and tell them that you'll take anything that looks like an Atari game.

 

Possibly you could even volunteer for a peak time, or one currently unserviced. Many of my local "op-shops" close at midday on Saturday and aren't open Sunday. Some don't open before 10am. There are laws to do with trading hours, but it would be much more useful if they were open at times I could actually get there.

[atarimastermarty]

I ahve the same problem. I have found maybe 10 2600, but i go once a week. The chances are sumguy is near you. Genesis are easy to find.

[Andrew]

Yes, it is all a matter of timing. On rare occasions, there will be a small lot of Atari stuff at the thrifts around me -- but most of the time, maybe because people already got rid of it since the system is nearly 20 years of now -- it's harder to find any worthwhile stuff than it was say 5 or 10 years ago. I don't see as much Nintendo stuff as I used to either -- don't know if people are selling instead of donating it.

 

eBay has at least killed a lot of the crazy finds at the flea markets and thrifts -- either through people that frequent them every day or from people afraid to donate anything because it "could be worth something 45 years from now." And on the instances where I have seen "old" and "rare" things at the thrifts -- they mark up the price anyway -- there was this Columbo board game at one for $17.99 and a ton of beaten up scratched-to-hell Beatles records for like $25 - $50 a pop.

 

That being said, it does make your thrift/flea finds that much sweeter when you do find something you want -- but it can get pretty annoying not turning up anything for months. I recently picked up a loose Bubble Bobble 2 for the Nintendo at a thrift for 2 bucks.

 

Keep digging!

Andrew

[MoonlightKnight]

I know the feeling here. It's very hard to find anything in a thrift shop by me. It seems like everytime I happen to find even a joystick I've got no money on me and when I get some and bring it back the stuff is already gone anyway!

[Heavy Sixer]

A single Atari cartridge is all I've found lately. I stopped at the Salvation Army this morning after class and found a single Ms. Pac-Man cartridge. I bought it for 55 cents and decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. :wink:

 

HEAVY***6***er

[jhd]

There are two thrift shops that I hit on a regular basis. I visit 1 once per week and the other about once very two weeks. I occasionally hit some other places.

 

The first place virtually never has any video game stuff. In more than a year, I've seen 1 NES cartridge (for the power Pad, aerobics?), 1 Genesis sports game, and 1 Genesis console w/o corntollers or ps. This sat on the shelf for several months. Oh, and, once, a Sega Pico that sold within the week.

 

I have fond a few decent PC games there for cheap (Daggerfall, anyone?).

 

The other place usually has something -- the ubitiquious NES SMB/DH, some Genesis games, the occasional Intellivison game, Vic-20 stuff, etc. Oddly, I only ever see NES consoles.

 

For only the second time, I found a 2600 cartridge there last week -- Imagic Trick Shot! (I previosly passed on a Ms. Pac Man). This is the first new cartridge I have found in years!

 

There are a few other places that I occasionaly visit, but they never have any video game stuff -- no hardware, no carts, nothing!

[Adrian M]

You are not alone in your inability to find classic gaming items

in the thrift stores around your area

I too have had great difficulty in my various searches.

 

Why are certain geographic locations prone to such shortages?

Is it due to a rift or did a giant hole open up in the ground

swallowing up all available retro games and systems?

Whatever the reason, it brings me great pain

when I hear of how fortunate others are on this very forum.

 

But we must continue to search

for this could merely be a temporary case of delayed gratification.

perhaps we are destined to make a large find, be it a complete Quadrun

or perhaps an extra Waterworld.

Also possible is the fact that we are in a down cycle.

What comes up, must come down goes the saying. Maybe we are due for an upswing.

Whatever the reason, do not get discouraged.

Play your XBOX in the meantime

and continue to scour

our dilligence will pay off.