20 replies to this topic

[FPSGamer]

Not quite sure if i'am in the right sticky or forum, since i'am not selling this auction. However, i followed this auction from day 1 out of general gamer interest (That and i recently picked up a XE and a 800 with orinigal box and a bunch of extras for $50 off the local craigslist).

But the ending price...is there some amazing SUPER RARE GAME in this lot i just dont know about?

http://www.shopgoodw...?ItemID=9628472

[school_girl_in_a_short_dress]

yep,..Pastfinder

[Atari_Bill]

Wow, I saw this auction when it first started and considered bidding on it, but found something else that I wanted more and spent all my money (plus some) to get.  That price is insane!  Probably $300+ more than I thought it would be.  Glad I didn't waste my time.

[atari181]

shopgoodwill used to be a little known site, but now it is known by Ebays and much much more. I used to find multiple deals every week. Now it is rare if Ieven bid on anything as it goes higher than an Ebay auction.

[Zwackery]

[Coolhand20th]

atari181, on Tue Mar 27, 2012 7:16 PM, said:

shopgoodwill used to be a little known site, but now it is known by Ebays and much much more. I used to find multiple deals every week. Now it is rare if Ieven bid on anything as it goes higher than an Ebay auction.

yep pretty much, and the shipping quotes you get from there are a joke now. I was gonna bid recently on a wood tube radio from the '50s for my dad. The price was right at 8 bucks, but they wanted 34 dollars for shipping which is a crock of you know what. I've shipped bigger tube radios for 15 bucks to Cali as recently as last year and it was bigger then the one I was gonna bid on.

You can find a lot of stuff on there, but you gotta watch the shipping costs. Nothing wrong with supporting a not for profit company, but I will also not be ripped off either.

[FPSGamer]

The big thing with the website for me has been the effect it's had on goodwills in the areas that sell on shop. I've noticed a dry up of any sort of collectible stuff in these areas, and it's clear by the descriptions on some of the items that the staff has been instructed to google or something. Not only on atari stuff, i collect several other stuff i look for on auction sites as well. The other bit is anything that looks "old" ends up in these glass cases all my local goodwills have at insane prices, and the prices have been going up in general. In addition, any of this old or perceived collectible stuff now gets print outs from ebays or collectible sites stuck to it to make the insane asking prices look like a "deal". But it really kills the "hunt" when it's plain that goodwill has told its staff to research any items that look worthwhile rather online or off.

I talked to one guy at a good will on my regular weekend route and he said anything that's perceived to still have retail value that comes to them (say from thier partners) they must always end it in .99 cents. Which is WTF, i go to thrift stores to get used stuff cheap or find hobby stuff i can't normally, not to pay $40 for a NES cart.

Also, i'am pretty sure the shipping is due to some deal shopgoodwill has worked out to ship in those dimension sized boxes with UPS, which inflates the price - not much the individual stores can help.

[thevnaguy]

Ya, I used to go to a local store called Trade it! and find all sorts of great Atari and other items dirt cheap.  then one day as I was checking out they told me to wait while they went to the back to "check" the pricing.   When they came back 15 minutes later (Im sure they were checking Ebay), the .99 cent games went up to 9 to 20 bucks a piece!!!!

Now when I tried to sell them some extra games I had (where they had them priced to sell for 20 bucks) they only wanted to give me .10 cents per cart.  Sheesh.....

Goodwills and the like are almost impossible to find cool stuff cheap.   I know hit swap meets and such and have been finding some cool rare items cheap.

[Coolhand20th]

Legally if they have a sticker on it with a price of .99 cents or if the game is on a shelf and the shelf sticker or sign says .99 cents. They can not sell it for higher. That is illegal in every state in the country. I've been through this before with even walmart. They mis marked a Weber grill for 115 dollars. When it was supposed to be 300, but they tried to say well it is 300 when I went to check out. Told them flat out if they want the police involved thats fine, but they are gonna get in trouble for false advertising amongst other things.....Guess what that Weber grill went home for 115 dollars. It isn't your fault they screw up on pricing if they mark it that way. They have to sell it that way. And if they refuse, report it to the BBB and the local Police. They will get in a bunch of trouble and end up with fines over it.

Edited by Coolhand20th, Wed Mar 28, 2012 6:13 PM.

[GonzoGamer]

Even if for some reason some nut does not over bid on almost everything worth buying on this site, then Badwill will try to burn you big time with the highest shipping you are likley to see anywhere, i don't even bother with them anymore.

[labrat]

I don't get the hate for Goodwill.  Goodwill does good things.  They give jobs to people who want to work but have trouble getting into the work force.  The brick and mortar stores sell everything.  Yes condition and quality varies but they sell clothes, dishes, furniture, etc for decent prices.

Putting collectible things for sale online, or pricing collectible things based on online prices is the sensible thing to do.  Its what any of us would do if we owned a thrift store.  Yes they are sometimes deluded about what a reasonable selling price (rather than asking price) is, but less so than many ebayers.

Plus, as a buyer, if I'm going to spend 10 bucks and maybe 8 of it is profit for Goodwill versus something like half of that for some guy on ebay, plus some for ebay, plus some for paypal...  I'm gonna give my money to goodwill.

On top of all of this, while some things do go for inflated prices I have scored some nice deals on shopgoodwill.

[SlammedNiss]

Coolhand20th, on Wed Mar 28, 2012 6:12 PM, said:

Legally if they have a sticker on it with a price of .99 cents or if the game is on a shelf and the shelf sticker or sign says .99 cents. They can not sell it for higher. That is illegal in every state in the country. I've been through this before with even walmart. They mis marked a Weber grill for 115 dollars. When it was supposed to be 300, but they tried to say well it is 300 when I went to check out. Told them flat out if they want the police involved thats fine, but they are gonna get in trouble for false advertising amongst other things.....Guess what that Weber grill went home for 115 dollars. It isn't your fault they screw up on pricing if they mark it that way. They have to sell it that way. And if they refuse, report it to the BBB and the local Police. They will get in a bunch of trouble and end up with fines over it.

Well even if this is true, which I have a hard time believing that it is, they can refuse to sell it to you. Have you ever seen the signs that say "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone"? As long as they don't refuse to sell it to you based on race, religion, sexual orientation, etc., all they have to do is pull it from the shelf and change the price. Pricing mistakes happen all the time, and from my understanding, companies aren't required to honor them. Do you really think the police are going to come and force the company to sell it to you at that price?

Edited by SlammedNiss, Sat Mar 31, 2012 2:20 PM.

[Coolhand20th]

I've seen it happen before in this state with police showing up.They can get into loads of trouble in this state for it.

[ianoid]

The Goodwill auction site has never been a little known source for deals. The prices there have always sucked.

And Goodwill sucks. The stores are of variable corruption and quality and the prices aren't that good for used stuff.

When people donate their stuff, they don't expect it to be side-dealed to dealers.

And I despise their attempted makeover. I'd rather they kept prices low than spent tens of millions trying to attract the Walmart crowd. People either buy used or they don't, and all the neon in the world won't change that.

I sense they'd rather toss a ton of good used stuff and keep their prices too high then to price things as they should- to fly out the door.  Boo to Goodwill. Boo to thrift store corruption. And boo to the Goodwill auction site. It sucks.

Edited by ianoid, Sat Mar 31, 2012 2:54 PM.

[SlammedNiss]

Coolhand20th, on Sat Mar 31, 2012 2:24 PM, said:

I've seen it happen before in this state with police showing up.They can get into loads of trouble in this state for it.

Interesting, as the police are there to protect the public, not enforce pricing mistakes. Also, what keeps customers from sticking prices on an item that they took off another item? Are you sure you aren't getting confused with bait-and-switch?

Edited by SlammedNiss, Sat Mar 31, 2012 3:53 PM.

[Coolhand20th]

Idk  just going off what I've seen and dealt with. If they mismark it in this state, they have to sell it for that price.

[SlammedNiss]

Coolhand20th, on Sat Mar 31, 2012 3:55 PM, said:

Idk  just going off what I've seen and dealt with. If they mismark it in this state, they have to sell it for that price.

Then I'm moving to WI and buying myself a pricing gun.

[Coolhand20th]

lol trust me you don't wanna live here. For the most part its not a bad place but lately politically its a hell hole from both sides. We have a minimum markup law on everything here from gas to all products sold, it sucks. If I could move someplace else, I honestly would consider it. But with all my doctors being here, I really can't.

[SpendTooMuchOnAtari]

school_girl_in_a_short_dress, on Tue Mar 27, 2012 4:46 PM, said:

yep,..Pastfinder

I'm not sure how much Pastfinder alone is worth but I figure the ending price is about $7.34 per cartridge.

Digital Press gives Pastfinder a rarity of 6 with a dollar value of $40.

If Pastfinder is hard to find, this was a pretty good deal for someone: eBay Auction -- Item Number: 300630062734

[school_girl_in_a_short_dress]

SpendTooMuchOnAtari, on Sun Apr 1, 2012 12:58 AM, said:

school_girl_in_a_short_dress, on Tue Mar 27, 2012 4:46 PM, said:

yep,..Pastfinder

I'm not sure how much Pastfinder alone is worth but I figure the ending price is about $7.34 per cartridge.

Digital Press gives Pastfinder a rarity of 6 with a dollar value of $40.

If Pastfinder is hard to find, this was a pretty good deal for someone: eBay Auction -- Item Number: 300630062734

Pastfinder sold last for 250.00 dollars

[SpendTooMuchOnAtari]

Wow, $5.50 was a good deal then!