Which style of thrift store

[maxdrive]

What style of thrift store will I most likely to find atari games and systems. Chain ones like goodwill or will I get more lucky going to a church thrift store To find something.

Edited June 27, 2016 by maxdrive

[mehguy]

It really all depends on your area. Saying "all teh Atari games are at value village" isn't right. Just try to go to a few see what you find. But you have to be patient. Atari games don't come up very often.

[+FujiSkunk]

mehguy is right. Having said that, generally you will have a little more luck with mom-and-pops and other local thrifts. The big chains, Goodwill especially, have deals and other outlets where collectible stuff like old video games tend to end up. But how much any particular location actually uses those other outlets seems to depend on the staff there, so don't write off the big chains completely.

[jhd]

My experience has been different -- though we are talking about a very small sample size.

 

I have only ever found Atari cartridges (or video games more broadly) at the major, chain thrift shops. The smaller, local places -- including Salvation Army -- almost never have video games of any sort.

 

This is based on significant experience searching in three Canadian cities -- and occasional visits to a handful of other shops in other cities in both Canada and the United States.

[copper20]

I've only been able to find old PC games and VHS at most thrifts I've been to. One time though I was able to get Armored Core for PlayStation 1 at one in Fort Worth, which is a city that's more into music not games.

Edited June 27, 2016 by copper20

[toiletunes]

Neither, sadly. If you find anything at all, it will be super-common games for $5-$10 Each. Your best bet is to seek out a specialty shop- tradengames, vstock, maybe Craigslist, the marketplace here, etc.

[+save2600]

Yup, if I were starting out today, I wouldn't bother with thrift stores or garage sales. Forums like this, eBay and CraigsList are going to be your most reliable and dependable source for stuff.

 

I've got some 2600 games for sale (and a Jr. system) at the moment, so hit me up if you're looking for a bunch in one fell swoop!

[Flojomojo]

Agreed, the window for finding cheap and plentiful Atari games "out there" closed over ten years ago for me. Goodwill and Salvation Army put their stuff up for auction. I would look on eBay and maybe the trade boards on here and Digital Press to complete collections. I suppose Craigslist is an option for checking locally, but that's way less reliable than eBay for me.

[+KaeruYojimbo]

I almost never see Atari or any other classic era games at thrift stores any more. If I see games at all, they're mostly PS2/Xbox (sadly no Dreamcast) or newer, with a few PS1 and N64 games mixed in.

 

My theory is that there's a one or two generation window between being new and being classic where games are considered old junk and can be picked up cheap. Anything older than that and you've got a couple of things working against you. First is the amount of time the games have been out there for other collectors to snatch up. Second is anyone who still has these games is less likely to see them as junk to dump at the Goodwill and more likely to see them as a potential gold mine to sell on ebay or craigslist for as much money as humanly possible.

Edited June 28, 2016 by KaeruYojimbo

[Hannacek]

I never find Atari stuff at Goodwills and thrift stores. I only find stuff like original Xbox games, PS2 games, the stuff no one wants, like sports games, wii fit boards, dance pads, guitar hero controllers, etc

The problem is that Goodwill and other thrift stores take any video games that are worth anything and put them on ebay, their own website, or sell them privately. The good stuff never reaches the floor. Except for sports games no one wants, and rockband guitars, drums, and wii fit pads. Did you ever notice why there are so many dance mats and wii fit boards and guitar controllers, and nothing else video games at these thrift stores? Because they sell the good stuff before it reaches the floor, and put out the junk that is not worth the time to list on ebay or sell privately.

And if anything good does reach the floor, someone else gets its before you. Goodwills and thrift stores are always crowded, and the good stuff goes fast. There are a lot of resellers with smart phones that go to the stores multiple times a week, check online prices, and get the good stuff before you ever get there.

[+FujiSkunk]

You're not wrong about music-game controllers Hannacek, but the irony is those are worth selling privately if you take the time to ensure they're in good working order. There are still plenty of Guitar Hero and Rock Band players out there, and they will gladly pay for controllers they know actually work.

[Professor Gull]

We have a couple local consignment shops near me and there can be good stuff to be found there from time to time but both Goodwill and Salvation Army tend to be sparse. Pawn shops are my only other outlet to try to find stuff and my and a couple of my friends know of one local pawn shop which we horde from the retro game store employees never letting go of its location Its our spot not theirs ha ha

[mehguy]

Since the past couple of years, I've gone to thrift stores on a weekly basis and with all those visits, I've only came across one atari 2600 game. I don't see anything really good come up anymore. But I still go on a regular basis just for the PC games and the 35mm film cameras.

Edited June 28, 2016 by mehguy

[BassGuitari]

The time to be hitting up thrifts was 15 years ago. Even Genesis sports titles are getting few and far between now. Unless you like dance pads, Guitar Hero, or rednecky PS2 games, skip 'em.

Just cruise the AA marketplace, or dig around for deals on eBay. People here love to bitch about eBay but there are still plenty of good deals out there if you're patient and diligent.

[Paul Slocum]

Yeah, I don't see them at thrifts anymore either. I still shop at thrifts for clothes, but I've barely seen any for a long time. I probably haven't found a 2600 cartridge I don't have in 10 years.

[+KaeruYojimbo]

I typically see more hardware than games. It's not unusual for me to find a Genesis or the occasional joystick, and anything PS1 era or newer is a pretty regular sight. Any games that were donated with the consoles must get snatched up by collectors/dealers who don't need the hardware.

Edited June 28, 2016 by KaeruYojimbo

[awhite2600]

I used to go to several thrift stores on a regular basis in the late '90s and early 2000s. Both the chain stores (Value Village, Goodwill) and the smaller church run stores would often have good finds at great prices. Sadly, those days are long gone. While I do visit different thrift stores from time to time, I seldom find anything. When I do run across games, they are either grossly overpriced ($10 for Combat) or sports titles for newer systems. The last "classic" game that I found at Value Village was Intellivision Classics for the PS2. I paid more than I should have.

 

I have also discovered that the owners of some independent game stores hit the thrifts frequently (daily) and clean out anything good.

[Professor Gull]

 

 

I have also discovered that the owners of some independent game stores hit the thrifts frequently (daily) and clean out anything good.

That's my problem where I am as well here. The game store employees and managers go game hunting on their way to work at a game store. I find it peeving at times but I can't change how things are. I can just hope on having good luck with the treasure troves I know of and not sharing those secrets. Fun stuff like a pawn shop that has a NES system with one controller for $29.99. Or go to the retro game store and pay $59.99.

[totallyterrificpants]

I collect VHS tapes so I go to thrift stores for that. Rarely do non sport PS2 games show up. I have seen Genesis, Master System, goid pc games and 2600 but that is so rare. One time found a Disney Basketball game for Gamecube...for $25. And a HES multicart for the 2600 for near 30 or 40

[+KaeruYojimbo]

I've seen a few games at antique store recently. Bonus, it's generally much easier to get Mrs. Yojimbo to come antiquing than to come thrifting.

[+save2600]

I've seen a few games at antique store recently. Bonus, it's generally much easier to get Mrs. Yojimbo to come antiquing than to come thrifting.

 

 

It's all the same anymore... I call it "mantiquing".

[Hannacek]

I collect VHS tapes so I go to thrift stores for that. Rarely do non sport PS2 games show up. I have seen Genesis, Master System, goid pc games and 2600 but that is so rare. One time found a Disney Basketball game for Gamecube...for $25. And a HES multicart for the 2600 for near 30 or 40

This is off topic, but I collect classic rock cassette tapes from the 70's and 80's. There are a few thrift stores that have tapes, but most of them throw them out and don't sell them. I don't know why VHS is at every thrift store, but they see music tapes as worthless, and throw them out.

[Keatah]

Last thrift store find was about 10 - 12 years ago. I got:

 

1- Apple //c $3.63

2- Atari 800 $8.00

3- Box of assorted Atari power adapters $4.00

4- Carton of assorted 5.25 floppies $1.99

5- Apple //c power supply $1.61

 

Nowadays it's pretty much a bust. The "electronics section" shouldn't even exist. The only thing useful there is the occasional spare keyboard. All the printers are dried and crusty. All the LCD monitors are annoying scratched up. And there's a bunch of other assorted junk no one should waste time on.

 

Why do they even bother with an electronics section when all they have is e-waste? Costs too much to ship to the auction center? Expect the buying public to sort through it for you? Well fuck'em!

[Flojomojo]

rednecky PS2 games

What are these? Games about shooting deer and driving 4x4s?

[totallyterrificpants]

This is off topic, but I collect classic rock cassette tapes from the 70's and 80's. There are a few thrift stores that have tapes, but most of them throw them out and don't sell them. I don't know why VHS is at every thrift store, but they see music tapes as worthless, and throw them out.

I agree. I have some cassettes because my first car only had a tape deck so I went and got Bon jovi, Alice Cooper and Poison albums and they were seen for the most part as garbage to stores. But it is good when you find them because they are cheap. Unfortunately usually the only cassettes I run across are religious tapes and one time I found a Hanson cassette. As a kid of the late 90's I wasn't sure to get it or leave it.