How to grow that collection

[Raktageno]

Hi there! I've been a lurker for quite a while, and have recently decided to stop just drooling and start collecting. I've got Atari 2600 games coming in the mail all the time, but my hunger grows! My collection currently stands at 37 including duplicates and those with poor or detached labels. I want more! My main place for acquiring said cartridges is eBay, and it's a real crap shoot. Right now, I have four carts on the way, and a bid going on another four cart lot (both for a couple bucks). Sadly, it's either pay more for an individual game, or pay less for a lot and most likely get one to several duplicates. I don't mind these duplicates as I'm more concerned with quantity right now, which brings me to my inquisition.

 

In your experience, where do you go to grow your game collection?

eBay is nice. I can look through other people's collections without getting my hands dirty (or even putting on pants!) and they show up at my door in a couple days (the games, not the people). Unfortunately for me, people who take the time to list things online typically do some research into the value of those items, and want a little more than I'd like to pay for something that's been collecting dust in their mother's attic since 1983. Do I brave the "shadier" parts of town and check out thrift stores? Will pawn shops usually carry Atari 2600 carts? Will that pawn shop not charge an arm and a leg? Is it worth getting up early on Saturdays and fighting off the elbow throws of old ladies at garage sales? Do I keep an eye on Craigslist and meet up with the scary guy whose scheming to build a supercomputer out of an Apple II and finally complete his space beacon? (I actually got my 2600 console, controllers, and initial 32 games this way. The guy wasn't that crazy, but it was pretty close.)

 

I want to know, people! I'm certain there's people in my local area who have just decided to clean out some old boxes and come across their collection from 30 years ago, and decided not to just toss them in a landfill (see what I did there?). You, who have been doing this much longer, may have knowledge you can impart into my eagerly squishy brain. Teach me, show me the way.

 

[bennybingo]

Buy in bulk from members here in the AA marketplace. You will get a ton of games for fair prices.

[Hyperboy]

Yard sales, thrift stores and auctions are my go to places on a weekly basis.

[kb9snl]

I hit yard sales, flea markets, especially "Hamfests", or Ham Radio flea markets, where I've found a LOT of old computers and Atari stuff. I also kinda like Gamegavel.com.

[Indestructible Hulk]

I have found some Atari stuff at yard sales but unfortunately I don't see a lot anymore. EBay is mostly overpriced but sometimes I find decent deals still. There are some online stores that have decent prices on loose carts. Try Atari2600.com for example.

[atari181]

Hit me with a PM. I have lots of doubles to sell. Most in the $1-$3 range

[bikeguychicago]

I've primarily built up my collection in a few ways. I had a great number of games (and consoles) that I had originally bought. At some point I decided I wanted to upgrade most of my games to complete in box. I have been mostly successful in doing this by buying lots and buying games individually. Yes, I have had instances with the lots where I have acquired multiple commons but I have either sold off those or traded for some other games.

 

Most of my games have come from eBay or from other members on AtariAge (either through direct purchase or through trades). I have also used Atari2600.com and have had good experiences with them as well. I really haven't used Game Gavel as most of the games I've seen on there are ones I already have in my collection.

 

In regards to resale/pawn shops: I have had no luck finding anything older than PlayStation at Pawn shops and have only seen sporadic Atari-era systems and/or games at Savers and Salvation Army stores. I have had no luck finding anything at Goodwill stores except for games/accessories for current or last gen consoles. The Shopgoodwill.com site often has retro consoles but quality and whether it works or not is often of concern. Most often, materials sold on ShopGoowill are untested so it's at your risk.

 

There are a couple of descent independent retro gaming stores in my area (Chicago) and I have picked up a few items there (including the full Star Raiders package) for a lot less than what it goes for on eBay. But, depending what's available in your area, YMMV.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited May 14, 2014 by bikeguychicago

[Raktageno]

That does help! It looks like so far the main go-to seems to be online. This actually saves me from going all around here this weekend looking for something I may not find. I'm not going to completely rule out thrift shops and whatnot, but I don't plan to rely on them.

[bikeguychicago]

If you search Craigslist for Atari, you can also find garage sales with games for sale. People have also reported finding things at estate sales. I have not been so fortunate.

[mtilly]

Craigslist...Craigslist...Craigslist.

[Bald_Bull_jr]

kb9snl, on 14 May 2014 - 09:48 AM, said:

 

I hit yard sales, flea markets, especially "Hamfests", or Ham Radio flea markets, where I've found a LOT of old computers and Atari stuff. I also kinda like Gamegavel.com.

 

"Hamfests" - ? Sounds awesome! I'll bring the mayo, gravies, and brown mustards!

 

GoodWills, yard sales, thrifts, fleas, etc.etc....yep. Been at this for close to 40 years and its still a blast.

 

Best of LUCK and welcome, Raktageno!

[Raktageno]

Thanks! I'm really excited about having a huge cartridge collection!

[DeusVult]

Ebay in huge lots (to bring down the per cart cost)

Bulk purchases from AA

Craigslist if your lucky

 

Flea markets (don't bother if not near a major metropolitan area)

Garage sales/yard sales (don't bother if not near a major metropolitan area)

Pawn Shops (if they happen to have any too $$)

Goodwill/Thrift stores (I go to them but not specifically for Atari.)

[Raktageno]

Yeah Craigslist is a little crazy right now. Two separate people have big lots listed but want $100 or more for them.

[English Invader]

You can sometimes find retro games/hardware in the wild, but it's not something you can bank on and, more often than not, sellers will try it on with eBay prices for stuff they can't guarantee or even test properly. I have seen a few odd bits of 2600 stuff; one VCS, a Junior model 2600 and some common games, but Sega stuff tends to come up most frequently and Nintendo to a lesser extent.

 

If saving money is your priority, I recommend buying flash carts where possible (Harmony is one of the cheapest and most reliable IMO) or using emulators for the expensive games. If you want the real deal, eBay is the most reliable source but there are sites like eStarland that sell and trade retro stuff. I like a site called Retrogames. It's UK based and some of their stuff is expensive, but they have a vast catalogue of software/hardware and their service is very efficient (pretty much next day delivery if you live in the UK).

 

http://www.estarland.com/

http://www.retrogames.co.uk/