Ya...I had to do it. The ole' dumpster dive.

[bust3dstr8]

On the way home from work today I was stopped at a light when something caught my eye. It was a pointy little box with a silver label sticking out of a garbage can. Any classic gamer knows that sight, an Imagic cart!! I pulled up on the sidewalk and went over to the can. I fished out a few other carts from the top after digging around for about 30 seconds.

 

This barrel looks like someone cleaned out the garage and it was full off all lose stuff. There was a broken drill, sandpaper, wires, etc. If I was gonna do this I might as well do it right, so I dumped the barrel out on the sidewalk.

I spread the the junk out and started tossing the stuff I didn't want back into the barrel. All the while passers by are giving me looks, the headshake-eyeroll, the point and laugh, ya I got 'em all.

 

It was an embarrasing experience, but hey....that will pass and I will still have my score

Got about thirty 2600 and 7800 carts and a bare 7800 console. Only standouts where Shootin' Gallery and Subteranea.

[jboypacman]

Nothing wrong with that,good score!

[Lemmi]

hey you saved videogame stuff from the trash heap

 

thats always a good thing

 

i saved a CD-i 220 system with 12 games from the garbage

[jboypacman]

I never find nothing in the trash(except trash).

[EmOneGarand]

man... the only find I've ever found in the trash was a shitty v-tech kids computer, it looked broken but it took cartridges.. it's probly in a landfill somewhere now

[Prodos8]

Excellent find!

 

All I ever find in dumpsters is rotten meat and porno mags. I usually keep the latter.

[ewing92]

like was sadi before, nothing wrong w/ dumpster diving, i once found two good entertainment stands that were *luckily* buy my house and i used them forever until it started falling apart.

 

It's great whenever someone saves a game from death, because, obviously, they arent making anymore and eventually if they continually get thrown away, they will be all gone and there will only be a scarce few left, could you imagine 30 years from now, instead of talking about getting Atlantis II we would be talking about how rare a pac-man cart is, and how much we'd love to find one. Yes, that does not need to be the fate of classic gaming.

[20eyes]

Sounds like a nice haul, always makes for a nice day when you can get a bunch of games for free.

I love dumpster diving, I live in an apartment complex so I find tons of stuff. Found about 8 computers one worth about $300 in parts, A loose Sega Saturn, boxed 7800 + games, 5 coleco games, bunch of 2600 games, boxed genesis, couple empty PS2 boxes plus a bunch of other stuff for ebay.

Most of the computers are junk except the one, it was an AMD with and NForce mobo I oveclocked it to 3000+ saved me $130 that I was gonna spend on 2 512 ram chips.

I was embaressed the first couple times, now I have no problem. I see somthing I want and hop right in. My clothes are already dirty from work so what differeance does it make lol.

[bust3dstr8]

It's great whenever someone saves a game from death, because, obviously, they arent making anymore and eventually if they continually get thrown away, they will be all gone and there will only be a scarce few left, could you imagine 30 years from now, instead of talking about getting Atlantis II we would be talking about how rare a pac-man cart is, and how much we'd love to find one. Yes, that does not need to be the fate of classic gaming.

 

 

That's a good way to look at it. I wonder how many 2600 carts are tossed away or fail every year?

[+HatNJ]

Nice find !! and a good eye!

 

Did most everything work?

[mnbren05]

Friends dad works at a disposal center (aka landfill) and he told me they are constantly getting computers/video games. I asked him what they do with them. "The good stuff like PS2's we sell maybe even Nintendos. The rest gets crushed or compacted. Sad sad story. Even though its not a lot I wish they would give people a chance to save the games.

[shadow460]

I look in there when I dump my trash, but I have found little of interest in the trash heap.

The best things I've found are a 27 inch Sony television from 1981 or something, and a Sound Blaster AWE 64 Value that I used for parts (I had two of 'em to begin with anyway...)

 

I kinda wonder how often it is that people toss out Atari or old computer stuff in my apartment complex. I dunno, I'm repulsed by the smell.

 

Ricky29 uses a garbage picker to reach into the dumpster. She does a lot more dumpster diving that I do, and she dived for the Sterilite unit that I store my controllers in.

She just informed me that she dived for most of her dishes, too.

I'll think twice before eating at her place again...

[chadtower]

For future reference, don't dump the can out next time. That's why searching someone's trash is illegal... the mess. If you're only reaching in most of the time you won't get bothered but if you dump everything out odds are someone is going to call the cops.

[Ross PK]

Wow, it's amazing how often I hear about people finding early 80's console stuff in the trash on here.

 

Over here in Britain seeing a 2600 in a bin would be very very very rare.

 

Anyway, good on you dudes for dumpster diving and saving old console stuff, it's gotta take some balls. I could never do it myself unless there was definatley no one about and no threat of someone suddenly walking around a corner and seeing me.

[Video]

Cool find dude. Useually when I find stuff like that (which isn't often) YOu know, when someone obviously cleaned out the garage, I useualy just dupm the contents into the back of the truck and take it all home. Hey, I use the broken tools and such too. Yeah, sad huh?

 

Anyhow, nice haul.

[Atariboy2600]

Yea living in NYC I almost always fine some video games in or near trash dumbsters from old Atari 2600 to even none working Dreamcast but the rest like controllers and plugs work fine and some CD games^_^ Here's one esample of a fine I made back in 2005 with Sega Genesis and PS1

[Breakpack]

Excellent find!

 

All I ever find in dumpsters is rotten meat and porno mags. I usually keep the latter.

 

When I find porno mags,I usually get sore meat

[Technosis]

When I find porno mags,I usually get sore meat

 

OMG!

[Mock]

so...what did you do with the broken drill

[Dusk2600]

great find, i want subterennia still, i dont care what people say about me if im picking, im in the heat of the moment so i just go all out, thats how i got some nice stuff

[bust3dstr8]

Nice find !! and a good eye!

 

Did most everything work?

 

Just finished going over every thing with Q-tip and jewelry cleaner. Everything works except for 8 carts,

including Shootin' Gallery, which I was really hoping would work. These carts have heavy oxidation-tarnish

on them. I was thinking of using some fine rubbing compound and soft eraser on the contacts.

Is this ok? Anyone have any better methods to clean these?

Edited February 16, 2007 by bust3dstr8

[20eyes]

If the contacts are really bad, use some fine grip wet dry type sand paper. I've revived quite a few carts that I couldn't get working not matter how much I cleaned them. You just need to "buff" them, not go crazy with it.