AtariLeaf Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 On the other hand, why would you want to collect things that have no value? Isn't that called hoarding? I started collecting 23 years ago and when I did there was absolutely zero perceived value on these old games. I didn't collect them because I thought they'd be worth money years down the road, I collected them because I enjoyed that era of gaming and playing these great games. The real "value" comes from the joy you get from the things you collect, not their monetary worth. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 About this time last year, I got into retro PC gaming: DOS thru Win 98SE. I'm surprised that there isn't more chatter on AA about these games, given that the era--1983 to 2000--closely maps onto the retro console era (if you consider PS1 retro). My point is that you can still find these games in thrifts, CIB. Other than owning a retro PC, you would need to 1. Not care about space too much. Big box games are huge. 2. Not care about the value or prestige of the game. These games don't sell for a lot. 3. Want to have a lot of fun playing some of the best games of the era. Lazy Game Reviews got me hooked. These older PC games are my current focus but I can't seem to find any of the ones I'm looking for locally. I'm starting to think resellers are grabbing these up too because these once easy to find items are now scarce too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+nanochess Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Extremely rare to found something in the wild, at least six months without finding anything. Besides I think I've competence raiding the flea's markets... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxpressed Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 It's getting to be that way with PC games, AtariLeaf, but it's still possible to find some great--and sometimes even valuable--stuff. Be sure to check the board game area of your thrift; a lot of big box games get put there by mistake (or on purpose, who knows?) I found an old Mac version of Broderbund's Ancient Art of War at Sea there a few weeks ago. I think collecting old PC games is a great way to shift the focus of collecting back to nostalgia and fun and away from "rarity" or "value." It has been that way for me, at least. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGQuarterly Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 Even DOS PC games hare getting crazy, price-wise. I forgot why, but somehow a picture that showed my PC game shelf (maybe it was in the background) ended up on Reddit, and someone commented about how much my CIB original Leisure Suit Larry was worth. I looked, and all of the old Sierra adventure games have gone way up un value, especially if you have the original releases. Same goes for old Lucasarts games. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari_Bill Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I lived at thrift stores 20 years ago and built most of my collection via thrift, garage sales, and fleas. That was back when you had to earn your collection and not simply who's got the most money to buy a collection as quickly as possible. Back then was a golden age. I stopped even trying probably 8 years ago when I found out all the local thrifts already had deals worked out with dealers to hold stuff for them. Now you can't even visit one without seeing the same people there at all hours of the day waiting for the next load out to search through. They grab anything of value and off it goes to eBay. It's no longer worth my time. eBay sucks but it's the only option for most items these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.Cade Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 They've been gone since the "gold mine" of the 1990's. I could stop at every thrift in Northeast Atlanta and get as many games (and systems) as I could carry for a few bucks. Everyone already donated or threw them all away by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 At this local "Computers for Kids" charity yardsale that I've mentioned a few times in my videos, I did get a bit of a good haul of CIB DOS and Amiga games about a year and a half ago but since then it's been dry for even PC stuff that isn't just modern shovelware in jewel cases. I was very happy to find a complete boxed Silpheed. That's a jewel in my PC collection though. Awesome game. Around the same time I found a CIB Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade PC game from Lucasarts at a local thrift but again, a year and a half ago and that's the last I've seen of PC games at places that traditionally had them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinjaWarrior Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I never give up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godslabrat Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 If I happen to be in front of a thrift on my lunch break or on a (very rare) lazy afternoon, I'll wander in... But I no longer make it a point to go, and I haven't for the better part of 10 years now. Today, if I want something, I just buy it. It's not as thrilling, but the effort:results ratio is infinitely higher. With a wife, kid, and 2 jobs, I'd rather spend my time playing games than shopping for them. Classic game specialty shops are still occasionally worthwhile, but even those I just visit when I'm already in the area. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homerhomer Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I still go to thrift stores if there's one that's convenient. But it's difficult out there. Thrift stores are now just ebay storefronts and Craigslist isn't any better. I actually enjoy the little indie game shops more lately. They usually will give cheaper than ebay prices at least around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I have, many years ago. All the advantages of emulation aside, I found it took too much time and effort for the amount of return. And today it's a no-brainer to not be doing this sort of baggie-chasing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatPix Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 (edited) On the other hand, why would you want to collect things that have no value? Isn't that called hoarding? ... ... It's called passion. Well since I assume you're talking about monetary value. Most of my PS1 games, I got them when they were sold for 50cts on garage sales, including today's overprices titles such as the Resident Evil games, Skullmonkeys, Driver and Driver II, Rayman, etc... I did the same with the PS2 games (tho for them, I felt like prices never dropped very low, but that's a different story). We're talking about video games. Unless you collect shrinkwrapped games, they are never of no value, because they have a use : they are meant to be played. This is why we are here. It's a passion. In my eyes, a watch collectors is doing a much futile and useless colelction since you can really only wear one watch at a time, yet he 's probably thinking that his collection is better because it's fine, hand-made, luxuxy items. To each his own, but a collection's worthiness is in the eye of who's collecting, not in the eyes of the others. I'll agree that keeping junk is hoarding, but usually hoarders are more in the "I won't throw it, it can be of use" logic. We on AA (and other websites, and even the ones not on Internet donc collect games and systems for an hypothetical "use". Because we DO use them for what they are made. Maybe then the people doing "full sets" are a bit on the hoarding side, but heh. It's not like living in a giant dumpster yet. Edited May 21, 2015 by CatPix 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Necron99 Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I haven't given up. but generally thrift shops only have some Xbox, 360, PS2, PS3, and Wii games nowadays. I occasionally find a PS1 game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Dangerous Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 Still check when i'm travelling for work, but thinking of not bothering soon. Mostly junk from the PS1-Xbox 360 era. When you do find something old it's often priced higher than ebay. What I do have good luck with sometimes is Craigslist. You can find some serious deals on lots on there! Sometimes split and divvy them with my office mate and fellow retro game collector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omegadot Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I go to the one right by work on lunch a few times a week. Picked up a Dreamcast the other day for not a great price, but it does work great. I needed a new one as mine was having issues reading discs and I'm too lazy to replace the battery on an already iffy console. But for older stuff? I did see some 2600 carts all at double ebay prices so that wasn't the day I joined the cool kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari the Jedi Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 My area has been dry for at least a couple of years now again you can find a nice classic game but it will be high eBay in the price. I had a connection to a thrift computer store actually a few of them and it finally paid off when I was able to get my Fairchild. But it had been a long time since I had gotten a deal and I'm sure it will be a long time from now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari the Jedi Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Most games that are in the wild people like to price every little thing individually I saw a box NES game in where the manual box Styrofoam and cartridge were all labeled separate prices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari the Jedi Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 My area has been dry for at least a couple of years now again you can find a nice classic game but it will be high eBay in the price. I had a connection to a thrift computer store actually a few of them and it finally paid off when I was able to get my Fairchild. But it had been a long time since I had gotten a deal and I'm sure it will be a long time from now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.Bear Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 You never find anything pre-PS1 in those shops here in the UK. PS1 games are actually pretty uncommon to find in them. Usually you just find a bunch of the most popular PS2/Gamecube/Xbox games in there. Usually about 20 copies of FIFA, 10 copies of Pro Evo Soccer and about 4 games which are non-sports games but still commonly found games. I can only assume they're all the good stuff is being bought up early by ebay sellers or people who run retro game shops in town. Sometimes some older pre-2000 PC games show up in their big cardboard boxes, but even those are a rare sight these days. Only once did I ever see anything older than a PS1 game in one of those shops, and that was a copy of Golden Axe II for Mega Drive. That was a fair few years back now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Stella Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 understandably due to time and internet, have not found it worthwhile to do this for at least 15 years. so it goes. what does work for me is buying in different countries. supply/demand and all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800fan Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Speaking of PSX, anyone ever consider stocking up? Right now they are dirt common and repairs are cheap, I got around 30 working PSX/PSOne stored for when they become scare and over $50 a pop on eBay. I did the same thing about 15 years ago when 2600 and NES were dirt common. Back when replacement 72 pins connector were quality and not cheap POS we get today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omegadot Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Speaking of PSX, anyone ever consider stocking up? Right now they are dirt common and repairs are cheap, I got around 30 working PSX/PSOne stored for when they become scare and over $50 a pop on eBay. Eh, with the PS3 and PS2 playing PSX games I couldn't see myself actually caring that much to own the PSX. I admit I have a fond memory of the disc load sound + intro sound but since Sony has had basically the same controller since the PSX and the following consoles play the discs I'm not sure how sought after it would ever be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7800fan Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 fat PS3 has rather high fail rate and later PS3 has very limited or no support for older games. Reflowing can bring PS3 (and XBox360) back to life but from what I heard, it doesn't last long. A complete redoing of solder is the only way and it's hard to clean and resolder (using lead/tin solder) BGA chips. The bulk of the problem seems to come from tin only solder to appease regulators. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omegadot Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 For the first few revisions of the plain grey PSX I thought the failure rate was also quite high. I had a working one for years but I recall a lot of friends having to tip it on it's side and eventually it just failed. Granted it's probably just an every-day cdrom that can be replaced more easily than magic-fu to fix the later systems. No idea on the PSOne. Given that these things go for like 10 bucks it's probably a worthy exploit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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