How are the "wild finds" in your area?

[candiru]

I ask because sometimes I see posts where somebody will say something like

"I just got into collecting about 3 months ago, and I've got 437 Atari 2600 games, and 5 of them are lab loaners. All together I've probably spent about $14.17."

Well, not exactly, but are some areas just much better for finds at thrifts/pawns/flea markets/garage sales? Can some of you go into just about any thrift store and find at least a Pac-Man or Combat? Things are pretty dry around here when it comes to finds, so I was just curious.

[joeybastard]

It's very dry near me. I buy most of my stuff at a place called GamesUSA because they stuff for all of the classic systems. The thrifts seem to only be good for Genesis, NES, and DC stuff.

[oesii]

yeah I'm one of those annoying guys, I've only been collecting for a little over a year and a half for the classic consoles (the PC and Dreamcast took 5 years of my gaming life ) If you know where to look in my area, 2600, Coleco, and Intv stuff is abundant. I used to think that I was picking up stuff that people had passed over for months but I see new stuff out there pretty regularly.

 

I'm in the Tampa Bay area, I used to say I didn't want to collect for the 2600, just maybe get the 20 or 30 carts that I most wanted to play but since I've been finding a lot of them cheap around here, I now have close to 200 carts. And a have a pretty hefty Intv total too about 60 carts. I don't think I'll get bored for awhile because I only have about 12 Coleco carts, that's a lot of future hunting

[StanJr]

They really suck here. All of the thrifts are dry (and I'm talking no Combats dry), there are two undisclosed locations where I get my games, but even there I have unknown (to me) competition for the stuff.

 

I'd say I find new stuff once every 2 months or so at the very most.

[IceCold]

It's pretty dry here at the thrifts, but that could be because King Atari is taking all the stuff from Northeast Ohio Although garage sales are like the best here. I've been to maybe 5 garage sales and I've found a boxed commodore 64 with disk and tape drives all working for $2 and a Bally Astrocade for $2. So that's two pretty good finds out of only like 5 times looking . I can't wait until garage sale time again!

[Trey]

the finds in the wild are gone here (virginia). i remember just a few years ago the joy of going to the flea mall and seeing 2600's all over the place. those were the days ...

[sku_u]

I thought my area was completely dried up until a recent large collection fell my way. In CT it depends on the time of the year. No one's having garage sales or open flea markets with snow/ice storms happening every other day.

[bcprs1]

Massachusetts is very dry also. Very rarely do I come across anything. The only guy near me has a bunch of commons, but he wants too much for them. I have been able to pick up 3 Pitfalls II's and a Hero from him, but that is about it.

Recently, I did pick up a complete 7800 for $7, but the sound doesn't work on it. It was still worth it for the power supply though.

[AtariLeaf]

October and November were pretty good around here but after that I've only come across one heavy sixer and 7 commons with a bunch of controllers.

 

Hey, thats dry for me

[MattyXB]

Here in Berlin (Germany) looks very bad too. I have found no games since some month. Only on ebay I gat rare and good games.

 

But nothing in the wild since years.

[AtariLeaf]

Hey MattyXB, is it a coincidence that you're from Germany and your avatar is a scorpion?

 

One of my favorite rock bands of all time is the Scorpions.

 

Sorry its off topic, just something I noticed.

[candiru]

Some of these posts reminded me of something else. It's a good thing I really only look for Atari 2600 and NES. I think in all my thrifting, besides A2600, NES, SNES, and Sega Genesis, I haven't seen much of anything else. Just 1 A7800 game, 1 Jaguar game, and a small batch of Intellivision carts. Even the used game shop where I find a few things only has 2600 stuff. It makes me wonder if anyone around Kansas City ever had a 5200 or 7800.

[trusty]

2600 carts are fairly abundant here (Phoenix) IF you know where to look. I usually don't have a problem with finding good carts. What I seem to have trouble finding here is Sega Master System carts. For some unknown reason, they are scarce here? Just one of those mysteries of the universe I guess!!

[CPUWIZ]

Most excellent, I find protos and rare carts all the time, just gotta know where to look. One unfortunate thing is that people around here kind of know the rarity of some of these items and jack up the prices pretty good.

[sku_u]

Most excellent, I find protos and rare carts all the time, just gotta know where to look. One unfortunate thing is that people around here kind of know the rarity of some of these items and jack up the prices pretty good.

 

That's one of the drawbacks of living so close to "the source."

[dwh]

Ironically, I live too far in the "wilds" to find anything in the "wild".So ebay and other online purchasing is all I got.

[MattyXB]

Hey MattyXB, is it a coincidence that you're from Germany and your avatar is a scorpion?

 

One of my favorite rock bands of all time is the Scorpions.

 

Sorry its off topic, just something I noticed.

My Avatar has nothing to do with the band Scorpions.

 

Its an Atari Lable from the Brazil Company Genus. From my game Jungle Hunt (Genus).

[jhd]

In about 4 years of occasionally searching the thrifts here in Edmonton, Alberta, I have found exactly 2 Atari 2600 carts: Ms. Pac Man and Trick Shot (both at the same thrift, several years apart). If memory serves, the same store once had a pile of Intellivision carts, but no console.

 

Sega Genesis consoles are very common; NES consoles somewhat less so. Carts of any sort are bloody rare, but NES is probably the most common found.

 

I have never seen any SNES (or even more recent games) at the thrifts and I don't hit the pawn shops or specialised game stores.

 

When I was home for Christmas, the biggest thrift shop in town had 4 Sega Genesis ($8 Cdn. each) and a few sports games.

[Brad2600]

Drier than a desert here. I find everything except for Atari.

 

Looking forward to the flea markets in the Spring. Some people bring video games from Flea markets in Florida to sell in Vermont. It's true. At least I know 1 reliable supplier of Atari stuff at flea markets.

[SS]

They really suck here. All of the thrifts are dry (and I'm talking no Combats dry)

 

I'm even dryer than Stan.

 

My last "in the wild" was something like October or November.

 

Luckily, PhillyClassic is only 3 months and 50 miles away!

[MaxSpeed]

Here in Austin Texas, I have never found anything in the wild. Only been looking a few months, but maybe I am just looking in the wrong places. Going to start going to garage / yard sales.

 

My collection has cost me some cash, but has been worth every penny.

[krisjohn]

It's picking up here at the moment but I have a problem with the charity shops -- most refuse to accept any electrical equipment. If you toss a, say, C64 into their collection bin they will throw it in the thrash.

 

After one law suit surrounding a secondhand heater that burnt a house down, most of them refuse to touch anything that plugs into the wall.

[AtariLeaf]

I buy most everything I can - NES, SNES, Sega, C64, etc and mail it to Mike at Cards and Collectors. I've done two straight trades with him that have netted me 20 Atari carts, some 5's, for a bunch of these other carts I have no interest in. Just costs me shipping so it works out great.

[IceCold]

I buy most everything I can - NES, SNES, Sega, C64, etc and mail it to Mike at Cards and Collectors. I've done two straight trades with him that have netted me 20 Atari carts, some 5's, for a bunch of these other carts I have no interest in. Just costs me shipping so it works out great.

 

You know how I was just telling you in PM that I was thinking about buying a 800XL for a pretty good price? Well I was planning on getting one from Mike at Cards and Collectors

[AtariLeaf]

Yea I'm toying with the idea of getting a Colecovision from him