Where do you have the best luck finding games?

[phuzzed]

In my experience, it's getting tougher and tougher to find Atari related merchandise in the wild. Plenty of NES and SNES stuff though...

 

Was curious to know, where do most people find their stuff in the wild, (Pawn Shops, Flea Markets, Garage Sales, Thrift Stores, etc), or do you now resort to online places such as Ebay and others?

[+Psionic]

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=96220

[8th lutz]

I got good luck finding games at a state fair I go to in terms of find games in the wild. The had copies of 2 Mr. Do's castle for the 2600 last year. It is not like it was back in the late 80's and early 90's for find some games or systems at flee Markets. You don't sms or tg games a lot at flee markets anymore in the area I live.

 

I go online to buy stuff for stuff on tg16, atari 7800, and Atari 2600.

 

Some of my older systems you can find games for more often in stores that sell older games for snes, nes, genesis, game gear, n64, game boy and Gameboy color.

Edited January 21, 2008 by 8th lutz

[cyberfluxor]

Every now and then I'll find a console or old computer (TI, Atari, Amiga) at thrift store but the games almost never pop up. Also cords, controllers and other peripherals generally come individually or not at all so it's an extreme hit or miss. Just about the only things local thrift stores are good for (me) is records.

 

As for indie game stores and pawn shops they're abundant. Many people dig through their house to find classic and retro games thinking they're worth something and sell them off at a pawn shop or game store that'll accept them. VCS loose carts are abundant while 5200 and 7800 titles like to hide. I did stumble across a bunch of CIB O^2 games at a Cash Converters pawn shop a few months ago but were all sports games and I've yet to see an O^2 system anywhere.

 

As for on-line puchases, not many on my end. I just prefer hunting things out while I still have some free time.

[Ghost Soldier]

I tend to find the best stuff at pawn shops and yard sales.

[Atari5200]

there's a junk store by me that sells all 2600 games for $1.99, even boxed. I've found some uncommons to rarity 6 games there, everything else at the store is super expensive.

 

I have a couple stores I find good stuff, including a couple of Neo Geo AES and CD games, The Exchange and Cash n Culture, their prices seem to be taken straight from Ebay on some things, but some of their stuff is pretty cheap, found my 2600 Track n Field at the Exchange for $1.

 

Flea markets in my area suck, to many vendors. The people that have games think that just because they are old they are worth a lot of money. So I tend to stick to garage sales, those people usually don't care and just want rid of it, so you can normally get things pretty cheap.

[phuzzed]

I tend to find the best stuff at pawn shops and yard sales.

 

Pawn Shops usually have some stuff, even if it isn't on display. Sometimes you have to ask for it, and the guy will go in the back and come out with a big ass box of games or something. Of course, now he thinks he can ask $10 for a Combat catridge now, because he knows you are actively interested and looking for Atari stuff.

[phuzzed]

Flea Market's *used* to be great in my area, but now they are horrible. The Flea Market is now all about selling shirts, personalized license plates, and more clothes.

 

I'm actually seeing some older games for Atari, colecovision,and Intelivvision pop up at some of the used games shops around town too--but they are typically just a pile of common catridges, and nothing of real value. Nevertheless, I still dig through them.

 

We also have some stores called "Vintage Stock" in this area, (Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Kansas), that carry a great deal of the stuff, but if it's rare, be prepared to shell out some cash. They currently have a complete (Not in box), Atari 5200 4 port on the shelf, and they want $250 for it! They also have a Vectrex and want $140 for it.... the first time I have ever seen a Vectrex in a store.

[shadow460]

Flea Market's *used* to be great in my area, but now they are horrible. The Flea Market is now all about selling shirts, personalized license plates, and more clothes.

 

I'm actually seeing some older games for Atari, colecovision,and Intelivvision pop up at some of the used games shops around town too--but they are typically just a pile of common catridges, and nothing of real value. Nevertheless, I still dig through them.

 

We also have some stores called "Vintage Stock" in this area, (Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Kansas), that carry a great deal of the stuff, but if it's rare, be prepared to shell out some cash. They currently have a complete (Not in box), Atari 5200 4 port on the shelf, and they want $250 for it! They also have a Vectrex and want $140 for it.... the first time I have ever seen a Vectrex in a store.

 

Sounds like you've been to AMC recently! (or whatever it's called, Plaza San Miguel, I think). Around here, Game X Change is where I go. It's worth going in every so often just to find one or two R6 titles per year.

 

I tend to shy away from that vintage stock in Midwest City. I tried to get them to part out that 5200 a long time ago, and they wouldn't. They claim the controllers have been rebuilt, which I do not think is true. Also, the Centipede cart on the "bulk" shelf does not work--I brought it back after finding that out.

Have they still got Tomarc and Motocross in there for $45 each? I haven't been there in a couple of months, and if those two stick around, I might pick them up even at that price.

 

Some of the thrift stores have a game or controller or two once in a while.

[phuzzed]

I used to have pretty good luck out at Old Paris Flea market several years ago. Best deal i ever got, was literally over 100 carts and several game systems for like $20... and I had some really good carts in there too....

 

I remember seeing Tomarc, but not Motocross in the display case at Vintage Stock. I thought $45 was a little steep, but, like you, I considered it.

 

I actually was in Tulsa a couple of weekends ago, and hit all the locations of Vintage Stock stores, and came back with some decent finds---nothing I would call rare, but, some stuff for the 7800, and Pitfall II for the 5200. i ended up buying a bunch of Sears cartridges that day--weird. I typically don't go out of my way to pick up Sears stuff, but there seemed to be an abundance of it that day. So, I figured, I'd pick them up, at .99 each.

[shadow460]

It seems that the game booths at Old Paris are usually overpriced on classic stuff. The place is usually a madhouse when I go anyway. I might hit there this weekend or next, as the wife was wanting to go shopping last Saturday (we went to an IMAX film instead).

[chrisbid]

i have a pt job at a game store and have first dibs on any classic era stuff, nobody else working there cares about it at all. i scored a crapload (more than 20) of R5 and 6 coleco carts last week, along with smurf saves the day cart for the 2600.

[orangest]

heads-up to L.A. people: saw a boxed 5200 w/5 games and 2 wico controllers for $75 at an out of the closet thrift store in atwater village today. it had the box for the switch box, but not the box itself. the logic of not having enough space for more of stuff i already have finally gave me the will power to pass it up, but it's out there for someone...