Has the crap economy put a crimp in your thrifting?

[RickHarrisMaine]

Today I was at a Goodwill and I came across a bunch (well about 5-6) Dreamcast games, and a bunch of SNES games too. They were all marked at $3.99 apiece. All in good condition, too. And as I was walking around with Hydro Thunder and Tennis 2k2 and whatever I'm thinking, Geez, do I want this at all? I mean, I just don't have the spare cash for this stuff anymore and if it was really worthwhile stuff I'd have been all over it, but commons? Meh......

 

So I left them all. Did the same thing at another Goodwill yesterday, left some nice PS1 air combat games right there.

 

Am I the only one thinking like this? Like, it better be GOOD or I'm not buying it.

[shadow460]

The blue top Hydro Thunder is actually somewhat rare. It's the first run with the glitches. I used to have one that played perfect. The instruction manual that goes with it lacks the "Hot New" sticker.

 

Hydro Thunder is worth the $4 on the Dreamcast.

 

Now to answer your question, yeah, it's put a little cramp in my thrifting. Thrift prices are going up, and gasoline to get to and fro costs more. The main thing that's reduced my thrifting is a drying up. Games seem to come and go in spurts, and there are a couple of times each year when it's easier to find games. the rest of the year just seems dry to me.

[Crimefighter]

I thought thifting was what was done during a crap economy???

[jetset]

Nope. There ain't squat in South Florida to begin with so there's nothing to crimp. There's a Salvation Army literally next to my work, and a Goodwill within walking distance of my house (ya I know, sounds like I live in the ghetto huh?). The SA in 2 years has yet to have a single videogame item. The Goodwill has had a few PC controllers, some boxed Genesis games (which I snagged), and several N64's (I picked up 2). I have scaled down ebaying, but thrifting? For me it has nothing to do with the economy.

[Reaperman]

Only in that the economy has dropped the prices of the online auctions I normally go for by a few pegs. Lately I've picked up games for less than half what I would have expected them to go for online. Because of this, I've been shopping on ebay quite a lot more than usual, winning a couple auctions a day, versus maybe one a week.

 

it also doesn't cost me gas or time.

As for my thrift shops--they never have anything anyway, and when they do, they want more than top dollar for a few beat up commons.

Edited July 1, 2008 by Reaperman

[Atarifever]

What crap economy? I'm buying a lot more than usual with the strong Canadian dollar.

 

Seriously though, I buy things from the U.S. now online for $1-$1. My other hobbies are cheaper. For example, my usual monthly comic books have dropped over a dollar in price to settle at the U.S. price. Books are selling for a couple dollars less. Basically, while gas has gone up, it's become cheaper for me to buy these "at home" hobby things than to do much of anything else.

[wccw mark]

nope,im still thifting as usual.what the crap economy has done is stopped me from buying any full priced current gen games.which is good for me as im usually to busy playing my classic games anyways and the current gen games pretty much just sit there,or get played just a few hours a week(example gta 4)so i made a rule about current gen games,i only buy the games i want if there at least 50% off of the original retail price.thats what the economy has done to my game buying.

Edited July 1, 2008 by wccw mark

[nathanallan]

For me, the price of gas is putting a crimp on everything. And strangely I am the only one at my job who has voiced any kind of concern over it. It's like people take the price of gas/maintenance for granted. So yes, the state of things has changed my thrifting.

 

Nathan

[holygrailvideogames.com]

Today I was at a Goodwill and I came across a bunch (well about 5-6) Dreamcast games, and a bunch of SNES games too. They were all marked at $3.99 apiece. All in good condition, too. And as I was walking around with Hydro Thunder and Tennis 2k2 and whatever I'm thinking, Geez, do I want this at all? I mean, I just don't have the spare cash for this stuff anymore and if it was really worthwhile stuff I'd have been all over it, but commons? Meh......

 

So I left them all. Did the same thing at another Goodwill yesterday, left some nice PS1 air combat games right there.

 

Am I the only one thinking like this? Like, it better be GOOD or I'm not buying it.

 

Hydro Thunder was the first game I bought for my Dreamcast on 9/9/99. 9 Years later it still is my favorite game for the Dreamcast. For about the same price as a gallon of gas you could have had Hydro Thunder. There is no way that I would have passed that up.

[Seob]

Don't know what the current gas price is in the usa but i think you're way better of with your gas price then we over here in the Netherlands.

Have been on holiday for a month in the usa last year and the gas prices where really cheap compared to our prices.

The current gas price in the netherlands is € 1,65 a liter. So a US gallon (3.79 liter) costs around $ 9,86.

[zerodin]

Not really, I've been picking up alot of great games pretty cheap.

Hey, all of those 2005 360 games are new to me!

[RickHarrisMaine]

Today I was at a Goodwill and I came across a bunch (well about 5-6) Dreamcast games, and a bunch of SNES games too. They were all marked at $3.99 apiece. All in good condition, too. And as I was walking around with Hydro Thunder and Tennis 2k2 and whatever I'm thinking, Geez, do I want this at all? I mean, I just don't have the spare cash for this stuff anymore and if it was really worthwhile stuff I'd have been all over it, but commons? Meh......

 

So I left them all. Did the same thing at another Goodwill yesterday, left some nice PS1 air combat games right there.

 

Am I the only one thinking like this? Like, it better be GOOD or I'm not buying it.

 

Hydro Thunder was the first game I bought for my Dreamcast on 9/9/99. 9 Years later it still is my favorite game for the Dreamcast. For about the same price as a gallon of gas you could have had Hydro Thunder. There is no way that I would have passed that up.

 

 

Okay, you shamed me into getting it! It was still there.

[thrax]

I would say the HIGH COST OF GAS keeps me from buying. I've used craigslist before and i don't even bother looking at ads for outside the city or even the other side of my city. Also i only go to the closer thirft stores and usually if i happen to be going that way.

[Crimefighter]

Don't know what the current gas price is in the usa but i think you're way better of with your gas price then we over here in the Netherlands.

Have been on holiday for a month in the usa last year and the gas prices where really cheap compared to our prices.

The current gas price in the netherlands is € 1,65 a liter. So a US gallon (3.79 liter) costs around $ 9,86.

 

 

The Netherlands is a small country. You don't really have all many places to drive to. And the Netherlands have much higher taxes and has to import most of its oil.

[godslabrat]

Indirectly, yes. The price of gas has all but stopped my thrifting, and I don't plan to hit yard sales this year. For the amount I'd burn in gas, I might as well just hit eBay or chasethechuckwagon.com. I've also redirected a lot of my luxury spending to things that I can get through the mail or online services.

 

I still buy games, but now it's less about "The Hunt" and more about producing results. And, I've been getting a lot of mileage out of the unplayed games already in my collection.

 

I don't think that's an indictment of the economy as a whole, just the gas prices. I admit they are closely related, but one does not equal the other.

Edited July 2, 2008 by godslabrat

[+remowilliams]

I think it's more the thrifts that keep me from thrifting.

 

3. Search the thrift shops, be forced to mingle with the unwashed inbred masses in the hopes of finding a working NES that doesn't smell like cat piss or have some kid's 20 year old boogers caked in the controllers, all the while hoping my car doesn't get stolen in the kind of neighborhoods where the thrift shops are located...

 

[RickHarrisMaine]

Don't know what the current gas price is in the usa but i think you're way better of with your gas price then we over here in the Netherlands.

Have been on holiday for a month in the usa last year and the gas prices where really cheap compared to our prices.

The current gas price in the netherlands is € 1,65 a liter. So a US gallon (3.79 liter) costs around $ 9,86.

 

 

The Netherlands is a small country. You don't really have all many places to drive to. And the Netherlands have much higher taxes and has to import most of its oil.

 

 

PLus the Netherlands has excellent public transport......not so here in the states. Stupid Jackass Eisenhower gave the rails to the freight carriers and now theres a real need for Amtrak......I have no choice but to drive to my job, even though the amtrak goes right from my town where I live to the town I work, stupid freight rails keep the schedule from being anything that anyone could use for commuting......

[wccw mark]

Don't know what the current gas price is in the usa but i think you're way better of with your gas price then we over here in the Netherlands.

Have been on holiday for a month in the usa last year and the gas prices where really cheap compared to our prices.

The current gas price in the netherlands is € 1,65 a liter. So a US gallon (3.79 liter) costs around $ 9,86.

 

 

The Netherlands is a small country. You don't really have all many places to drive to. And the Netherlands have much higher taxes and has to import most of its oil.

 

 

PLus the Netherlands has excellent public transport......not so here in the states. Stupid Jackass Eisenhower gave the rails to the freight carriers and now theres a real need for Amtrak......I have no choice but to drive to my job, even though the amtrak goes right from my town where I live to the town I work, stupid freight rails keep the schedule from being anything that anyone could use for commuting......

in my town,we have a bus system called the interurban trolley(the buses look like trolleys)and i can get on one for $1 each way and with a little walking hit 3 goodwills,1 sal army,2 cd/game/dvd used media stores,2 small flea markets,3 gamestops,and 1 gamecrazy in one trip, all for the grand total of $2.i was taking the bus only when i was home,my wife was at work and had the car,and the kids were in school.now i take it to look for games weather my wife has the car or not.i usually go about 2 times a week.

[christianscott27]

When my Xbox 360 died out of warranty I held off on repairing it with MS for $100 and went back to playing all the original xbox titles I never got around to. I'm not going to be paying $50 for a game anytime soon, it helps if you stop reading EGM and watching G4. I still hit the thrifts around my neighborhood but like others have said theres nothing there to spend my money on. Likewise I had intended to buy a virtual boy multicart but I've decided to keep my spending low and focus on building up my savings. Mostly when I thrift these days I buy cult VHS films, Legos, cook books and whatever the kids scream for. Its hard to say how much is related to the crappy economy, I'm a natural cheapskate anyways.

[Seob]

Public transport is great if you live in a city. But if you live outside a city in a small village, then public transport isn't great.

My easiest way of getting transport is to cycle 12 km to the trainstation. A bus runs trough my village but is only going once every 2 hours.

[Atarifever]

Don't know what the current gas price is in the usa but i think you're way better of with your gas price then we over here in the Netherlands.

Have been on holiday for a month in the usa last year and the gas prices where really cheap compared to our prices.

The current gas price in the netherlands is € 1,65 a liter. So a US gallon (3.79 liter) costs around $ 9,86.

 

 

The Netherlands is a small country. You don't really have all many places to drive to. And the Netherlands have much higher taxes and has to import most of its oil.

My country is pretty big (Canada is the second largest I believe) and you don't have to drive anywhere at all. I live in a small town (which is the only way to really live anyway; cities are only good for rats, not people) and am about a 10 minute walk from work (in a small town, that's generally the case anyway).

 

Besides, unlike here in NA, there're lots of places to go over there. Where can you go in the U.S.? Texas? Florida? Canada? Mexico? Whoopie-doo. In the Netherlands you can get up one morning and say "think I'll cross a few borders and visit the historic birthplace of western civilization." If anything we have less reasons to travel. If you're from North Dakota, is South Dakota really going to blow your mind?

Edited July 2, 2008 by Atarifever

[RickHarrisMaine]

Don't know what the current gas price is in the usa but i think you're way better of with your gas price then we over here in the Netherlands.

Have been on holiday for a month in the usa last year and the gas prices where really cheap compared to our prices.

The current gas price in the netherlands is € 1,65 a liter. So a US gallon (3.79 liter) costs around $ 9,86.

 

 

The Netherlands is a small country. You don't really have all many places to drive to. And the Netherlands have much higher taxes and has to import most of its oil.

My country is pretty big (Canada is the second largest I believe) and you don't have to drive anywhere at all. I live in a small town (which is the only way to really live anyway; cities are only good for rats, not people) and am about a 10 minute walk from work (in a small town, that's generally the case anyway).

 

Besides, unlike here in NA, there're lots of places to go over there. Where can you go in the U.S.? Texas? Florida? Canada? Mexico? Whoopie-doo. In the Netherlands you can get up one morning and say "think I'll cross a few borders and visit the historic birthplace of western civilization." If anything we have less reasons to travel. If you're from North Dakota, is South Dakota really going to blow your mind?

 

 

Actually, South Dakota WILL blow your mind. Ask anyone who's driven across I-90 in South Dakota. After awhile, you must see the Corn Palace, and Wall Drug........

[Atari5200]

what crap economy? is this in the US?

[jetset]

what crap economy? is this in the US?

Yes. What country are you from?

[Atari5200]

I'm north of Pittsburgh PA.

 

I keep hearing of the "terrible" economy, but yet to see any of this doom and gloom, other than gas prices. Especially with the business I'm in that is extremely dependent on other companies making money, we are having a record sales year, which should be the opposite if the economy was as bad as the main stream media would let you believe. Maybe is just area by area?? When I first started at my job, the economy was in worse shape than it is now.

Edited July 3, 2008 by Atari5200