SINGLE TOOTH Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 I thought of a cruel and funny joke to pull. OK, here's how it goes. Take a few repro Air Raid, Chase the Chuckwagons, Tooth Protectors, or what-have-yous, and donate them to a thrift store. Put a little identification mark on the label, and see what happens. It would be funny to see someone get exited about finding these rare games at a thrift, but not too funny if someone actually bought them from the guy for a profit and loose money..... I would never do it, but its fun to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PressureCooker2600 Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 I would think that would piss somebody off big time. Especially someone like me who never finds shit at a thrift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jboypacman Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 I agree with Pressure Cooker on this one seeing i have found only 2 5200 games in my thrift store travels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetset Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 I thought of a cruel and funny joke to pull. OK, here's how it goes. Take a few repro Air Raid, Chase the Chuckwagons, Tooth Protectors, or what-have-yous, and donate them to a thrift store. Put a little identification mark on the label, and see what happens. It would be funny to see someone get exited about finding these rare games at a thrift, but not too funny if someone actually bought them from the guy for a profit and loose money..... I would never do it, but its fun to think about. You don't get out much do you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SINGLE TOOTH Posted August 18, 2007 Author Share Posted August 18, 2007 I would think that would piss somebody off big time. Especially someone like me who never finds shit at a thrift. You're not alone there... But would you not laugh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2600Lives Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 It would never hit the actual floor. The manager or one of the employees would snatch it up and ebay it that same day. That's why you never find anything good in thrifts anymore. Used to, before ebay, I could go in and find literal garbage bags full of carts (once, literally, I found 50 or so carts in a garbage bag, and they gave me a price on the whole thing). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SINGLE TOOTH Posted August 18, 2007 Author Share Posted August 18, 2007 (edited) It would never hit the actual floor. The manager or one of the employees would snatch it up and ebay it that same day. That's why you never find anything good in thrifts anymore. Used to, before ebay, I could go in and find literal garbage bags full of carts (once, literally, I found 50 or so carts in a garbage bag, and they gave me a price on the whole thing). You're right, it is harder to find stuff at Thrifts. I knew some friends who worked at goodwill who would ebay stuff. And give me Gamecube and Atari stuff. That is, until this one chick (who was also an Atari fan) got a job at goodwill and hoarded all the atari stuff to herself... She became my rival after that. Later on, I went over to her house and played Beat 'em and Eat 'em Anyway, there is still a chance the carts may slip in unnoticed. Pack them in with a box of Pac-mans and combats for camouflage. Or, I could just walk in the store, put a tag on them (wouldn't really have to) , and leave them on the shelf. Edited August 18, 2007 by SINGLE TOOTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artlover Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 It would never hit the actual floor. The manager or one of the employees would snatch it up and ebay it that same day. That's why you never find anything good in thrifts anymore. Used to, before ebay, I could go in and find literal garbage bags full of carts (once, literally, I found 50 or so carts in a garbage bag, and they gave me a price on the whole thing). You're right, it is harder to find stuff at Thrifts. I knew some friends who worked at goodwill who would ebay stuff. And give me Gamecube and Atari stuff. That is, until this one chick (who was also an Atari fan) got a job at goodwill and hoarded all the atari stuff to herself... Both are against Goodwill's policies. First, an employee can not buy anything for themselves until it's been on the floor for a minimum of 24 hours first. Not that anyone actually follows this. I used to work for goodwill years ago. Yes, employees buy the best stuff for themselves first. Second, since employees get a 10% discount, they are not allowed to sell anything they buy because Goodwill honestly considers that theft of their profit. Punishment if caught is immediate termination. Not exactly sure how they proposed to find people doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SINGLE TOOTH Posted August 18, 2007 Author Share Posted August 18, 2007 Yeah, both are bullshit policies. Those policies don't mean shit when the one in charge is corrupt. The girl, though, they tightened management by then, and she had to buy the items fair and square. But, she didn't have to let them sit on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rheffera Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 It would never hit the actual floor. The manager or one of the employees would snatch it up and ebay it that same day. That has happened to me, but slightly diff circumstances. this second hand store had some star trek books i wanted, and i kinda let it slip i was an atari collector and so the store guy offered me a trade. the books for a CX-40. IT DOES HAPPEN PEOPLE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rheffera Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 It would never hit the actual floor. The manager or one of the employees would snatch it up and ebay it that same day. That has happened to me, but slightly diff circumstances. this second hand store had some star trek books i wanted, and i kinda let it slip i was an atari collector and so the store guy offered me a trade. the books for a CX-40. IT DOES HAPPEN PEOPLE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2600Lives Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 Goodwill may have that policy, but your average thrift store doesn't. I've gone to the local Goodwill hundreds of times, and I've found games, even way back before the retro boom, maybe 3 of those times, and they've all been stuff like busted Sega CD and Saturn stuff. Never any old carts or anything. Thrifts on the other hand, I used to be able to find craploads of good stuff there at any given time, from working complete systems to level 5-6 rares for a buck each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opeygon Posted August 18, 2007 Share Posted August 18, 2007 I agree with Pressure Cooker on this one seeing i have found only 2 5200 games in my thrift store travels. that sucks jboy i have found probably eight or nine 5200 games in the last three or four months where i live. i always snatch them up when i see them even though i don't currently have a 5200....one day i will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandmountainslim Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 I thought of a cruel and funny joke to pull. OK, here's how it goes. Take a few repro Air Raid, Chase the Chuckwagons, Tooth Protectors, or what-have-yous, and donate them to a thrift store. Put a little identification mark on the label, and see what happens. It would be funny to see someone get exited about finding these rare games at a thrift, but not too funny if someone actually bought them from the guy for a profit and loose money..... I would never do it, but its fun to think about. Only Single Tooth would smoke an opium so powerful as to come up with this mean trick! WP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PressureCooker2600 Posted August 21, 2007 Share Posted August 21, 2007 slim must have a penchant for opium.....as this is like the second time he's said something in the tune of "he be smoking some strong opium...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PressureCooker2600 Posted August 22, 2007 Share Posted August 22, 2007 make that third time today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolt Posted August 23, 2007 Share Posted August 23, 2007 It's been done. I don't remember where I read it--2600 Connection or here maybe?--but there was a case in the Northwest where someone faked a "damaged" Pittfall III test cart, all the way down to fake acti-plaque on the sticker, and left it in a thrift store, knowing that a rival collector he hated would find it. I don't remember how it resolved but it was damn funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SINGLE TOOTH Posted August 24, 2007 Author Share Posted August 24, 2007 It's been done. I don't remember where I read it--2600 Connection or here maybe?--but there was a case in the Northwest where someone faked a "damaged" Pittfall III test cart, all the way down to fake acti-plaque on the sticker, and left it in a thrift store, knowing that a rival collector he hated would find it. I don't remember how it resolved but it was damn funny. Heh Heh. Always good to thwart the enemy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+FujiSkunk Posted August 24, 2007 Share Posted August 24, 2007 It sort-of happened to me once. I think it was an eBay lot I bought back when I first started eBaying. One of the cartridges had an Imagic shell and no label, just a piece of tape that someone had written "A Team" on. There was no mention of this in the auction, and frankly I didn't believe it was my lucky day (I knew The A*Team was an Atari game, not Imagic). The cartridge wouldn't work at first, but after enough scrubbing of the contacts, I finally got the game revived and discovered, to my complete lack of surprise, it was Demon Attack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockman_x_2002 Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 In my experience concerning thrifts, I have had zero luck with known thrift shop chains. I have no local Goodwill stores, just Salvation Army stores. To date I've found a single Intellivision cart... Football. I have no Intellivision, thus I left it sitting where I found it. My best luck has been in locally-owned, mom 'n pop thrift stores. Down here, these people tend not to look at the Internet or search eBay. They also tend to be folks that generally everybody "knows", so they're not prone to rip you off either. I've managed to pick up some fairly decent deals from local thrift shops. A copy of "Earth Dies Screaming" for $1. A stack of 2600 and 7800 carts (about 30 or so) for just a little over $20. Unfortunately the place where I bought "EDS" closed, and the other shop doesn't have anymore 2600 or 7800 games (they were just some that the shop owner's older son had "laying around" and "didn't want them anymore."). Of course, still the best place to find Atari stuff, at least in my experience? Word-of-mouth. People still have them in their basements or attics, without even remembering they actually have one until you mention it. And you never know when you'll bump into a fellow collector in the local area who will be willing to cut you a fair enough trade or deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ulij20 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 I thought of a cruel and funny joke to pull. OK, here's how it goes. Take a few repro Air Raid, Chase the Chuckwagons, Tooth Protectors, or what-have-yous, and donate them to a thrift store. Put a little identification mark on the label, and see what happens. It would be funny to see someone get exited about finding these rare games at a thrift, but not too funny if someone actually bought them from the guy for a profit and loose money..... I would never do it, but its fun to think about. ??? I don't follow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rik Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 (edited) Man ,that would really suck!Thats a really cruel joke you thought of!But,i dont find tampering with merchandise in real life for ones selfish gain and someone elses loss funny at all. Edited August 31, 2007 by Rik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Beard Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 It would never hit the actual floor. The manager or one of the employees would snatch it up and ebay it that same day. That's why you never find anything good in thrifts anymore. Seems to me it's just as likely they get chucked in the trash as worthless, unsellable crap. I recall a pal who worked at St. Vincent's de Paul who told me exactly that for his particular store. They had a small box of carts out on the floor, but if it was already full (and it usually was - with Combats and Pac-Mans), the rest just got dumped. I doubt any employee of that store knew a rare cart from a common - as far as they could tell, Atari games simply never sold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Aren't all the units that are in existance already trashed or thrifted? How much of the junk is left to go around?? Emulation is the way to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrAtari2600 Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 i could not have the heart to do that, All the thrift stores in town have my name and number im usually a regular so basically they get a game in like atari they keep it for me to check over first, if i don't want then they sell on floor. only place I dont have control over is Value Village, And ONE pawn shop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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