You know what pushes my buttons (rant)

[PressureCooker2600]

I mostly have to get all my Atari games off E-Bay since I only had a few surviving since I was a kid. (Though with NES games, theres always a local video game shop carrying them so I don't need to use Ebay as much) I hate it when the Ebay STORES that you order from always list their games as having been cleaned, tested and in working order...but when you get the game, it looks like a kid chewed on it and the connector is so dirty its brown. yea they tested it all right....in their friggin imagination. every single game i've bought from many different sellers and ebay stores have all said the same thing Clean, Tested and in Working Order. I practically have to Q-Tip the games to death. You can't tell about the games either because most of the time the sellers have 100% seller rating. sometimes i wish they would say Condition of game unknown or may need some cleaning. Don't tell me it's clean and then when i get it....i go %*!@#!!! I've only bought games from ONE Ebay store that have been actually decent and clean when I Q-tipped them after getting em in the mail. Retro Game Spot is the store. At least someone knows how to clean games. Heres three perfect examples of what I was bitchin about:

1: This is the funniest...I ordered an extra copy of Fishing Derby from some guy in Canada of all places. It gets here and I dont notice it at first but as I'm cleaning it...all these little black dots are coming out. After awhile I looked in and it looked like there was black sand all over the place and caked in the tiny crevices. I don't know what the hell that stuff was but I wasnt going to stick it in my Atari. When we emailed the guy about it...he was like "Cartridges get dirty as they age so here are some cleaning tips" I aint a friggin two year old. I know how to clean my damn games. What I don't know is how all this sand got caked in my cart. He finally sent me a better copy WITHOUT sand in it.

2: I get a copy of North and South for the NES the other day and like all other sites. Cleaned Tested and in Working Order. I turn it around to look at the contacts and it looked like Pippi friggin Longstockings had shed her hair into my game. There was hair all over the place. How the hell did it get stuck to the connector??? Where did it even come from?????

3: I got a copy of the Mutant Virus for NES today and it works after a good cleaning but the cart looks like hell. Its got bubbles all over the place. I thought I've seen shitty carts but damn. It looks like someone tossed this little game in the microwave for awhile. And of course , the picture provided by the REPUTABLE store showed no signs of any cartridge damage. But, lo and behold, it gets here and its all bubbly.

 

Whew....at least I got that off my chest. It just kept building up so I had to let it out somewhere.

[Scumdogg]

I never buy anything from Ebay, but i do browse..and i notice more and more Ebay Stores are using stock photos instead of actual merchandise photos...you've really gotta look out for that. If they don't say that the photo is stock, you can probably report them to ebay for your merchandise arriving in drastically worse condition than pictured...take their precious 100% feedback down a peg.

[BassGuitari]

Whew....at least I got that off my chest. It just kept building up so I had to let it out somewhere.

 

Yeah, you're a regular pressure cooker.

 

(I'm sorry, I HAD to say it.)

 

But you're right, eBay can be annoying and frustrating as heck. In my early days of collecting, I purchased a copy of Atari Defender...the auction even pictured the Atari-branded, blue-lettered cartridge. So of course, he sends me the Sears one.

[Omegamatrix]

I have bought hundreds of carts off of eBay and have yet to find one that has been cleaned. It's like an industry standard. It used to bother me until I realised everyone does it, and well I like to clean my games my self anyhow. With that Fishing Derby you bought it sounds like the original black foam that came with some carts. That shit is brutal. It disintegrates to the touch and turns into fine grains of crap that cling to everything. It sounds like the foam was removed long ago but some of it is still stuck in there. I've had a Fishing Derby and a Boxing cart both like that, and I had to take a can of compressed air, a vacuum, and some qtips with rubbing alcohol to get it all out. If you have some regular Activision carts stack them with your fishing derby and look inside. Towards the back you will see some small "teeth" that stopped the foam from going all the way back.

[shadow460]

I clean every game I get. I think I even cleaned the last new game I bought, too.

 

Seriously, though, half of what's said on ebay is said just for marketing purposes.

How else do you explain titles like "Atari 2600 game Outlaw 7800"? Outlaw's got nothing to do with the 7800, but they keyword spam it so that people who are looking for 7800 titles have to dig through that auction.

I saw another auction that led readers to believe that this particular game was a rare "one of only two" that was made back in the Atari hey day. I pointed that out in the marketplace and that seller had the gall to log on here and start yapping.

 

Let the buyer beware. Ain't no tellin' what kinda crap yer gonna git 'n the mail. Makes me real glad I know how to fix games, fix labels, an' I ain't got no problem fixin' 'em, either. sometimes I'll even pick up a game that looks ratty just so I can restore another cart to its intended state.

[Omegamatrix]

Yep, "Clean and Tested" is right up there with "Rare".

[the 5th ghost]

1: This is the funniest...I ordered an extra copy of Fishing Derby from some guy in Canada of all places. It gets here and I dont notice it at first but as I'm cleaning it...all these little black dots are coming out. After awhile I looked in and it looked like there was black sand all over the place and caked in the tiny crevices. I don't know what the hell that stuff was but I wasnt going to stick it in my Atari. When we emailed the guy about it...he was like "Cartridges get dirty as they age so here are some cleaning tips" I aint a friggin two year old. I know how to clean my damn games. What I don't know is how all this sand got caked in my cart. He finally sent me a better copy WITHOUT sand in it.

 

That probably wasn't sand, but deteriorated foam!

 

Activision used to put foam inserts inside the cartridge to protect the chip from getting dirty. There are two different colors of foam used: light tan, and charcoal. Over time, the charcoal colored foam deteriorates and just makes a mess. The foam was only used for the earliest run of these games:

 

Dragster

Boxing

Checkers

Fishing Derby

Bridge

Skiing

 

So, as a general rule of thumb, if you see the charcoal color foam (or remnants of) do not insert it into your Atari! In fact, do not even touch it with your finger, as it will crumble apart on touch. The light tan colored foam, on the other hand, is usually good to go, but I would still try to not use it, since finding an Activision cart with the foam in any condition is extremely rare!

Edited October 17, 2006 by the 5th ghost

[MegaManFan]

Well we've all been there dude. "Cleaned and tested" is more of a seller's catchphrase than an actual statement of fact, because I'd say anywhere from half to 2/3rds of carts I've bought from the Bay had to be scrubbed (70/30 and cotton swabs) laboriously before working properly. The only time that's not true is when the seller is a long-standing AA member - people here understand what a pain it is and wouldn't put that misery off on someone else, plus there's a lot of neat freaks around here who keep stuff clean and store it in dust-free containers which I wholeheartedly approve of. In fact I've been totally blown away just by carts I've gotten in buy or trade in Marketplace - one AA member sold me about 40 NES carts in one shot when I was completing my collection and I think I only had to clean one. Compared to any purchase on eBay that's so much ridiculously better of an average it's not even funny.

Edited October 17, 2006 by MegaManFan

[II_DeLo_II]

I saw another auction that led readers to believe that this particular game was a rare "one of only two" that was made back in the Atari hey day. I pointed that out in the marketplace and that seller had the gall to log on here and start yapping.

 

I just saw an "Out of Control" on Ebay and the buyer wants $500 for it.

 

The game is rare, but not $500 rare.

 

I love the Atari 2600 lots that say "RARE gems" and have 10 games composed of:

 

Pac-man

E.T.

Combat

Space Invaders

[Tompkins]

All of the games I have bought on ebay, have turned out to be in good condition.

[Captain Beard]

Heh.

I can't decide if it's the sellers who are dumb for what they post or the buyers who are dumb for purchasing from sellers who post stupid crap.

That said, I've yet to actually win a defective cartridge - I just clean'em all myself before sticking in my Atari and I've never had a problem.

 

Along similar lines, I still occasionally buy laserdiscs on eBay, but I refuse to do business with any seller who proclaims "Out of Print!"

Of course it's OOP - it's a freakin' laserdisc!

I've yet to see that in an Atari auction, but it's just as applicable.

[shadow460]

I agree with Mega Man Fan about buying in the Marketplace here. I've bought from jpfalcon, mcgrail, Shawn Sr, and some others.

Shawn's carts were spotless when I got them. I think jpfalcon and mcgrail really cleaned the carts before they sent them to me. The deals with mcgrail were ebay sales, and IIRC, he's the person I got Mean 18 from. He didn't know then I was an Atariage member, but still the Mean 18 cart was clean and ready to play when I got it. Same deal the next time I bought from him--the game was ready to plug in and play.

 

You won't get that from just any ebayer. Be prepared to fix labels and circuit boards, because some day, you'll run across an utra rare game that's either been completely trashed or won't boot up. A little TLC is all it takes to save 90% of 'em.

[Deteacher]

I think the term "Cleaned" has a different meaning between us as collectors and the guy who just wants to get them out of their sight. To us, "cleaned" means getting in there with the Q-Tip and alcohol and cleaning the contacts. To the average Ebay seller, "cleaned" means wiping the dust off the shell of the cart with a dirty, dry rag.

 

I, too, clean everything I get from Ebay. Nothing goes into my Atari until it has passed my own QC.

[A.J. Franzman]

If you have some regular Activision carts stack them with your fishing derby and look inside. Towards the back you will see some small "teeth" that stopped the foam from going all the way back.

The teeth were to keep the foam from falling out -- as originally installed it did go "all the way back" to the bulkhead molded in the cartridge.

[homerwannabee]

wait don't most of the carts still work even if you don't clean them? Most of the Atari carts I have run across have worked dirty or not dirty.

[Phantom]

http://stores.ebay.com/Dreams-Unique-Boutique/

 

Well here is a store that actually cleans and tests everything he sells singularly. as far as console games as in a system with games, I know he tests them but think he generally gives them a quick once over unless theyre a rarer game. Space invaders would get a general glance to make sure it wasnt visibly dirty where Mario Bros would be cleaned for example. But that is the reason I was on a rant a few weeks back. Alot of these other Ebay sellers sell crapola and my friend actually does all this work and didnt sell as well as I thought he should. Especially when I had my game doubles up that week. My games are spotless unless noted. Labels and cleanliness included. And with 100% FB my friend has and the great pics I took of my stuff, I couldnt believe only about 1/3 of mine sold with a mostly .99 starting price and manuals and complete combined shipping. If anyone bought from here they know they got charged 5$ whether they bought 1 thing or 32 as 1 person did. Fact is, he sells quality and most dont. I trade only clean stuff too. Just ask Shawn Sr in a week how his Ghost Manor is that Im trading him. Like new if I do say so myself. Or CPUWIZ bout the game I sent him a few months back(Polaris). Some people do take things seriously when it comes to clean games and I agree, its mostly people tha collect and are from here. Id say 95% of ebay is a crapshoot, then there are a few good sellers. Youre right, feedback isnt a tell-all about what you'll recieve. But if you buy anything on ebay, check out my friends store above or the ones that have stores that are AA Members and youll be much more happy with your purchases. Lets face it, true collectors are gonna take care of those games alot better. Ciao

[Godzilla]

as a former seller of 2600 carts on ebay, i can tell you, i did hand clean all my carts just as i stated in my auctions. but i stopped selling em because i wasn't honestly getting near as much money as i was time putting into cleaning and testing, it was working out to like less than a dollar an hour. so i can see why others dont do it, but they should at least say they dont. i prided myself on the fact that i actually DID clean and test the carts...

[Phantom]

as a former seller of 2600 carts on ebay, i can tell you, i did hand clean all my carts just as i stated in my auctions. but i stopped selling em because i wasn't honestly getting near as much money as i was time putting into cleaning and testing, it was working out to like less than a dollar an hour. so i can see why others dont do it, but they should at least say they dont. i prided myself on the fact that i actually DID clean and test the carts...

 

I actually just chatted with my bud that has the store above Godzillas post and he just echoed the same sentiment as Godzilla and I think his Ebay days are numbered so if you want something that works, check there but not past christmas is my best guesstimate to when he calls it quits. Ciao

[PressureCooker2600]

as a former seller of 2600 carts on ebay, i can tell you, i did hand clean all my carts just as i stated in my auctions. but i stopped selling em because i wasn't honestly getting near as much money as i was time putting into cleaning and testing, it was working out to like less than a dollar an hour. so i can see why others dont do it, but they should at least say they dont. i prided myself on the fact that i actually DID clean and test the carts...

 

I actually just chatted with my bud that has the store above Godzillas post and he just echoed the same sentiment as Godzilla and I think his Ebay days are numbered so if you want something that works, check there but not past christmas is my best guesstimate to when he calls it quits. Ciao

 

 

I was just checking out his stuff and i really want that 7800 system with games. Always wanted a 7800, even though there are not that many games...but it does have FOOD FIGHT!!!!!!!!! Gotta start working extra to get that now.

[Godzilla]

7800 robotron rules. i much prefer it to the arcade. true dual stick joy. Xevious is great too. Two player asteroids and centipede... mmm, tasty.

Edited October 20, 2006 by Godzilla

[Atari Charles]

Rants about Ebay sellers:

 

-People advertising E.T. or Adventure us RARE WOW BOOM ZAP POW ***RARE***

 

-Shipping costs being quadruple the actual cost of postage

 

-People using stock photos

 

-the bad, the dirty, the ugly Charcoal, Sand, Dirt, Grime filled carts

[JacobZu7zu7]

When I sell, 2600 games ... I always give them a royal cleaning before I ship them out, so I am a seller who's not lieing. No complaints yet.

I wonder if I am wasting time by doing this? hmmm.

Just seems like the thing to do.. q-tip clean 'em. Afterwards,

I remove any q-tip shedding out of the game with a cloth. So there's no mercury or fuzz still in there. It's almost a game itself.. cleaning them.

[madhatter667]

I just always assume that carts are dirty and give them a once over. If the once over reveals a lot of grime, I'll go over it more until I am satisfied. I have heard that goo-gone is safe for cart pins... as it is gentler than alcohol (I am guessing, as a game shop employee told me this), but works great on removing "mystery goo."

 

Cd based games have rarely presented the same amount hassles when it comes down to cleanliness.

[Video]

I'm pretty sure that "cleaned" means "I dusted it off" but it coulc just be a hook, to try to get buyers to buy it.

 

I try to stay away from stuff with 'stock' images, as there's no telling that your actually getting the item they say, to heck with the condition (I've gotten a few games and movies on burned discs for instance)

 

All I can say, is if you recieve something in lousy condition, report them to ebay, or at least give them a bad feedback (and the reason) Help people to become aware of bad salesmanship.

 

AS for me, I sell lots of stuff on ebay, though I rarely clean anything for that purpose. Especially in the instance of Atari stuff, as it costs more to clean it, than you will get for it in auction. Though I do tend to say that it may need cleaning. And I never ship dead stuff either. That's just wrong.

[madhatter667]

"I've gotten a few games and movies on burned discs for instance"

 

That's Balls right there. It may be ok if a prototype was produced on CD-R media (debug consoles play them), but it is NOT ok to sell bunred disc items as the real thing if they are not. That's where you straight up report them for the nefarious act. Not that I am opposed to obtaining burned media, as sometimes ya gotta take what you can get. But in the case of an auction... that is questionable at best, especially if that fact isn't listed.