Keep an eye on the 8-bit prices at Funco

[candiru]

A manager at Funcoland told me that they will soon stop trading and selling 8-bit stuff, and they will probably have some huge sales this summer. I didn't think to ask at the time if it was going to be just local or a nationwide policy.

 

Maybe this isn't new information, but I thought I'd try to give a heads-up to anyone it might help.

[Jasoco]

Does this only count FuncoLand or Babbages and GameStop as well?

[MegaManFan]

A manager at Funcoland told me that they will soon stop trading and selling 8-bit stuff, and they will probably have some huge sales this summer.  I didn't think to ask at the time if it was going to be just local or a nationwide policy.  

 

Maybe this isn't new information, but I thought I'd try to give a heads-up to anyone it might help.

 

If it was national, it would be kind of stupid. The Funco/GS in Des Moines does a brisk business in NES games. Before Christmas they had several hundred, when I stopped in afterward they had maybe 70 left (and I still found 5 I needed out of that). They get them in all the time and sell them out all the time, and I'm there at least once a month buying stuff and I always see two or three other people at the counter getting some too. I just can't think they'd ditch NES altogether.

[King Atari]

What Mega Man Fan said definitely applies to my Funco, too. After Christmas, they had maybe 40 carts left (Still got Jurassic Park, though!). I doubt they'd phase them out nationally.

[glitch]

The GameStops in my area are fazing out all of their Sega Genesis (I know it's 16bit) games & systems. Currently they're doing a buy 2 get 1 free and they are not accepting any more in. They've reduced their NES inventory and cut their buy in prices to about half but said they aren't getting rid of it yet.

[MegaManFan]

The GameStops in my area are fazing out all of their Sega Genesis (I know it's 16bit) games & systems.  Currently they're doing a buy 2 get 1 free and they are not accepting any more in.  They've reduced their NES inventory and cut their buy in prices to about half but said they aren't getting rid of it yet.

 

I took advantage of the Genesis clearance at the one in Des Moines and got three boxed games for $5, two with instructions (one was Marble Madness, so I was pretty stoked). Sadly the rest was all loose or sports so that was the only stuff worth getting. Genesis seems to get a bad rap and I've never really understood why. Is it the "Sega curse" of the failed push on Saturn and Dreamcast coming back to haunt the Genesis now?

[Brad2600]

The Gamestop here in my area still has a decent selection of NES and Genesis games...as well as some SNES games. I haven't bought any more games for a while but I do plan to hit the Gamestop if my friend sells his SNES to me...hopefully.

[chrisbid]

i think its on a store by store basis. for small mall stores, there is only so much shelf space

[Nintendo Penguin]

My local GameStop is a smaller store. This thread really peaked my interested, because the other day I went in there and there was only about 20-25 NES carts... I was awefull! Many of them were duplicates of bad games!!!! I asked the dude behind the counter... he said that people just weren't trading them in... but I have my doubts.

 

I think maybe the small stores are getting rid of them. I went to three other nearby stores and the had tons of games.

[Keir]

The Gamestop I regularly go to is phasing out there Genesis games. They're currently buy 2 get one free. I don't know if they've stopped buying them completely, but I haven't seen any new ones there in a few weeks.

 

They told me they have no plans to stop selling NES and SNES though. However, they're paying much less for it now.

[Jasoco]

My local GameStop has about a teeny bit less old 8/16 bit software and systems than they have of current ones. I don't think they'll be dropping them.. Hopefully.

[MegaManFan]

The Gamestop I regularly go to is phasing out there Genesis games. They're currently buy 2 get one free. I don't know if they've stopped buying them completely, but I haven't seen any new ones there in a few weeks.

 

They told me they have no plans to stop selling NES and SNES though. However, they're paying much less for it now.

 

If that keeps prices low on resale, I sure as heck won't complain. Funco/GS is still the only cheap alternative to eBay for NES.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Well..here is what my local Gamestop manager told me...and he and I are semi buddies. He stated that he got the order from higher up to stop carrying all NES and SNES games within the next few months. As for Genesis, they stopped carrying those and accepting those games back in August or so of last year. It would appear that most gamestops are simply only going to carry used games for the more modern of consoles. All the DC stuff in my local Funco/gamestop is marked at 30% off the sticker price also...so that has me further curious. He didn't state if they were gonna rid themselves of the DC as well, but I am fairly certain he would have told me if they were going to. He is actually a big DC nut...

[raindog]

My local Gamestop only opened around Thanksgiving, and as far as I can tell they don't have Genesis stuff at all. They do have SNES consoles and carts, but not many.

 

They have one fairly large bin with NES games in it, but it was mostly empty when I got there and I bought about a quarter of their selection in my one trip. Interestingly, their ads in the current video game magazines seem to be pushing the NES and SNES (can't remember if they mention the Genesis or not.)

 

Overall, while I like their GBA selection a little better than EB Games (which also has the annoying habit of not differentiating between new games and used in-box games), EB Games is definitely the place to beat as far as chains selling 10-year-old games goes. Both of them near me have piles and piles of NES, SNES and Genesis.

 

Rob

[atari art]

I just checked with the guys at my local EB Games store about the possible discontinuation of selling NES games. One clerk claims that NES, SNES and Genesis games will be gone from the store possibly by March. He said a sale might happen but don't bet on it.

 

But get this. He expected all unsold games to be smashed and throw in the dumpster. He said he witnessed a couple of hundred Genesis games disposed of this way in another store he worked at last year. I think he was on the level with me.

 

I have a Funcoland, 2 EB Games, and a Software etc. store relatively close to me. I'm picking up all the cheaper but nice condition carts I don't have already and maybe some extras of any hard to find carts. Better to be safe than sorry.

[Xot]

But get this. He expected all unsold games to be smashed and throw in the dumpster. He said he witnessed a couple of hundred Genesis games disposed of this way in another store he worked at last year. I think he was on the level with me.

 

Not surprising. This was routine practice at the Electronics Boutique I worked at several years ago. Overstock stuff that didn't sell at $0.01 was destroyed with a hammer. Stuff like Toshinden CD's and Sonic and Mario carts...

 

I tried to save what I could but I think they suspected I'd take it and they pulled it off the shelves while I wasn't there

[Xot]

But get this. He expected all unsold games to be smashed and throw in the dumpster. He said he witnessed a couple of hundred Genesis games disposed of this way in another store he worked at last year. I think he was on the level with me.

 

Not surprising. This was routine practice at the Electronics Boutique I worked at several years ago. Overstock stuff that didn't sell at $0.01 was destroyed with a hammer. Stuff like Toshinden CD's and Sonic and Mario carts...

 

I tried to save what I could but I think they suspected I'd take it and they pulled it off the shelves while I wasn't there

[MegaManFan]

But get this. He expected all unsold games to be smashed and throw in the dumpster. He said he witnessed a couple of hundred Genesis games disposed of this way in another store he worked at last year. I think he was on the level with me.

 

I have a Funcoland, 2 EB Games, and a Software etc. store relatively close to me. I'm picking up all the cheaper but nice condition carts I don't have already and maybe some extras of any hard to find carts. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

No shit. I can't even begin to fathom how many valuable carts will be lost or destroyed if this is true. Next time I hit the Funco in Des Moines I'm gonna STOCK UP and get every NES cart I don't own they have in stock. Might as well put that 10% discount to use before it goes worthless!

[atari art]

No shit.  I can't even begin to fathom how many valuable carts will be lost or destroyed if this is true.  Next time I hit the Funco in Des Moines I'm gonna STOCK UP and get every NES cart I don't own they have in stock.  Might as well put that 10% discount to use before it goes worthless!

 

In a worse case scenario, we could see the destruction of tens of thousands of cartridges nationwide this year alone! And how many have already been destroyed?

 

By the way Xot, for .01 apiece I'd pick up a hundred Sonics.

[Nukey Shay]

But get this. He expected all unsold games to be smashed and throw in the dumpster. He said he witnessed a couple of hundred Genesis games disposed of this way in another store he worked at last year. I think he was on the level with me.

 

Not surprising. This was routine practice at the Electronics Boutique I worked at several years ago. Overstock stuff that didn't sell at $0.01 was destroyed with a hammer. Stuff like Toshinden CD's and Sonic and Mario carts

 

Sadly, this is very true in most companies (retail or not). If they are taking them as a hit on their inventory books, they do need to be completely unusable, unsalvageable, unrepairable, etc. I doubt that they pulled them off the shelves just to be out of your reach...just that it was time for them to go. Liquidation is often a "get it NOW"-type thing.

[Brad2600]

But get this. He expected all unsold games to be smashed and throw in the dumpster. He said he witnessed a couple of hundred Genesis games disposed of this way in another store he worked at last year. I think he was on the level with me.

 

Not surprising. This was routine practice at the Electronics Boutique I worked at several years ago. Overstock stuff that didn't sell at $0.01 was destroyed with a hammer. Stuff like Toshinden CD's and Sonic and Mario carts...

 

I tried to save what I could but I think they suspected I'd take it and they pulled it off the shelves while I wasn't there

 

Did you work at the one in South Burlington? That's where I go to get games. I dunno since you're in Barre I wasn't sure.

 

For some reason, the Gamestop in this area still has a decent NES/SNES selection..though not for long. This totally sucks if it's true they're going to smash everything.

[Xot]

 

No shit.  I can't even begin to fathom how many valuable carts will be lost or destroyed if this is true.  Next time I hit the Funco in Des Moines I'm gonna STOCK UP and get every NES cart I don't own they have in stock.  Might as well put that 10% discount to use before it goes worthless!

 

In a worse case scenario, we could see the destruction of tens of thousands of cartridges nationwide this year alone! And how many have already been destroyed?

 

By the way Xot, for .01 apiece I'd pick up a hundred Sonics.

 

I would have too, but I was too late. What usually happened was the price change would be in the computer but not marked on the item. By the time I found out, they were nothing but shards of plastic. Now, whenever I see something dated I bring it to the counter and ask for them to scanit. Oftentimes you can get something for $.99 or sometimes even $0.01. I acquired a sizable collection of hint books this way, including the awesome Capcom ones that are stuffed full of artwork

 

I was also told that back when the N64 was coming out and EB was taking in NES games at $2 a pop, they were being purchased by NINTENDO, who was destroying all the games to increase demand for 16 and 64 bit carts. I shudder to think what rares I unknowingly passed by...

[Lemmi]

yup they will destroy them, i found this out after i was told they threw away all the boxes and manuals for gen/NES/sega CD/3DO

 

so i desided to check the dumpster one night after closing (they didnt lock it back then) and i found a ton of NES boxes and manuals they didnt cut or rip them up at all , im just glad they didnt share a dumpster with anyone else cause there was a bigboys next to funcoland back then

[Xot]

But get this. He expected all unsold games to be smashed and throw in the dumpster. He said he witnessed a couple of hundred Genesis games disposed of this way in another store he worked at last year. I think he was on the level with me.

 

Not surprising. This was routine practice at the Electronics Boutique I worked at several years ago. Overstock stuff that didn't sell at $0.01 was destroyed with a hammer. Stuff like Toshinden CD's and Sonic and Mario carts...

 

I tried to save what I could but I think they suspected I'd take it and they pulled it off the shelves while I wasn't there

 

Did you work at the one in South Burlington? That's where I go to get games. I dunno since you're in Barre I wasn't sure.

 

For some reason, the Gamestop in this area still has a decent NES/SNES selection..though not for long. This totally sucks if it's true they're going to smash everything.

 

Nope, I worked at the one in Amherst, Mass. when I was in college. Is the South Burlington one phasing out 8/16 bit stuff? If so, I need to make a mall run. I'm STILL looking for Bass Fishing 2 for Dreamcast...

 

But it's become very difficult for me to spend any kind of money on NES stuff since I got NesterDC.

[MegaManFan]

yup they will destroy them, i found this out after i was told they threw away all the boxes and manuals for gen/NES/sega CD/3DO

 

so i desided to check the dumpster one night after closing (they didnt lock it back then) and i found a ton of NES boxes and manuals they didnt cut or rip them up at all , im just glad they didnt share a dumpster with anyone else cause there was a bigboys next to funcoland back then  

 

I envy you guys with the balls to go dumpster diving. As much as I like boxes and manuals, there are some things I just won't do.