Video Game "Look what I found"

[KingSudlow]

Nice triple find today...almost! I went into a local game store I like and someone had just traded in a nice stack of rare PS2 and PS3 stuff...mostly JRPGs. At the bottom of the pile (which was waiting to be shelved) were two games of interest to me: "Folklore" (PS3, $29.99) and "Bunjagai: The Forsaken City", $12.99). Picked up Bunjagai since it was CIB but Folklore was unfortunately missing it's manual. In the Sega section, the store had a CIB copy of "Advanced D&D: Eye of the Beholder" on Sega CD for only $29.99...a bargain. The case was cracked (of course) and had a little sticker saying that the disc was held behind the counter. When I went to check out, the two kids working did their best but could not find the disc. One for three on the day!

One other cool thing at the same store...they had a used but CIB "Steel Battalion" for $500.00. Too much to spend but a real sight to see in person...that controller is amazing!

[Anapan]

@KingSudlow - Nice! Sounds like an awesome used games store. We have a topic about them pinned. If you remember next time you're there, I'd love to see some pictures.

[KingSudlow]

@KingSudlow - Nice! Sounds like an awesome used games store. We have a topic about them pinned. If you remember next time you're there, I'd love to see some pictures.

Will do!

[elricorico]

One of my best ever pickups happened yesterday as I was lucky enough to spot a Facebook Marketplace post ahead of the other collectors in town. The listing had a PS3(CECHL01) and a tower of 18 PS1 games for $75 CAD. It was immediately interesting, but when I looked closer I saw that Silent Hill was right on top of the stack of games.

Messaged and arranged to pick it up right away. The seller confirmed that there had been a bunch of interest after me but that I was first so they stuck to the agreement. They brought out a bin and I gave a little over the asking price knowing it was still an amazing deal. Then they mentioned there was some "Nintendo stuff" in the bottom of the bin that I could have with it(they were clearly getting rid of some clutter).

When I got home and went through the bin I realized the "Nintendo stuff" included a The Flintstones Treasure of Sierra Madrock SNES cartridge! Some of the items were not in top shape, but everything I've managed to test so far has worked. Other gems included Heart of Darkness, Gex Enter the Gecko, Resident Evil 2, Croc 2, and Legacy of Kain. About 1/3 of the bundle is going straight to my collection and the rest I'll make available for local trades.

Even though these type of finds are now super rare for me, it keeps me looking for the opportunities!

[KingSudlow]

elricorico...great buy! The "Legacy of Kain" PS1 game especially (it has always been a favorite of mine and is well worth playing even today). I also agree with your point about how infrequent great finds can be these days...but a post like yours motivates me to keep "digging!"

One small find I had today...a copy of "Lego Racers" for N64 for $5.00. Not a game I was really looking for but it caught me off guard to find a non-sports /"Mission Impossible" game in the usual pile of loose N64 carts. It was completely covered with muck, needed a little corrosion removed from the board and had a rattle inside that turned out to be a small bit of plastic broken off from one of the housing snaps. It was rewarding, though, just to clean the game up...after 15 minutes it looked as good as new and played perfectly. Repair and restore!

[bmoc]

Here's my haul from this year's Southeast Game Exchange. In case you can't read the PS1titles, they are:

Evil Dead Hail to the King
Medievil II
Myst
Spyro the Dragon
Spyro Ripto's Rage
Spyro Year of the Dragon
Vampire Hunter D
Vandal Hearts
Vandal Hearts II



Prices were around Pricecharting values for the most part. However, if you pay cash, you can avoid sales tax and the vendors will usually give you a discount for bulk deals. I also brought some stuff to trade which took the sting out of some of more expensive titles.

One of my main goals was to finish up my PS3 collection and I got darn close! I only have 3 titles left on my list. I also got the last Suikoden game that I needed for the North American titles. My other main goal was to find Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Special Edition. I did find a copy shortly before leaving but it was sealed and not in great shape so I passed on it.

I also got to meet Syndicate and chat with him a bit while I was there! Overall, the convention was a lot of fun and I hope that I can go back next year.

[KingSudlow]

VERY nice finds! I especially like the PS3 "Zone of Enders", "Sly Cooper Collection" and "Folklore" ...I recently missed out on a copy of "Folklore" myself as it was missing a manual. I don't know about where everyone else is living, but here in NW Arkansas/SW Missouri, the used PS3 shelves have become incredibly bare in all the local game stores. The "Donkey Kong 64" and "Cruis'n World" carts are great finds, too!

I've never been to a game show like the one you went to...can you talk a little bit about what you saw?

[bmoc]

I've never been to a game show like the one you went to...can you talk a little bit about what you saw?

I believe SEGE doubled the amount of floor space this year so it is one of the larger conventions in the US. Hundreds of vendors. Most of the vendors were selling retro game stuffs. There was one board game vendor and a handful of arts & craft vendors. There were several video game voice actors there signing stuff but I didn't partake in that. There were several panels throughout the weekend - mostly YouTubers. Speaking of YouTubers, there were a ton of them at the con. I'm not well versed in all the big names but I saw Retro Rick, Dan of JRPGLife, Pixel Game Squad, RNG Gamer, Try of MyLifeInGaming and Arkansas Picker to name a few. SEGE had a fairly sizable arcade section but I was focused on hunting for games.

As for the games, there was some of everything! One vendor had a boxed copy of Stadium Events and a Nintendo World Championship cart. It took several hours to look at every vendor's booth.

Here are my tips for attending conventions:

- Have a budget and bring that much in cash with you if you can. There are likely going to be ATMs at conventions but they will run out. Cash enables you to get better deals from the vendors.
- Purchase in bulk whenever possible. It help you haggle the vendors down.
- Bringing stuff to trade is not a bad idea. You'll probably get around 60% of market value in trade credit from most vendors. I don't recommend selling for cash as you get a lot less. Probably around 30%.
- Make a list of the games you want to focus on along with their Pricecharting value. Having a paper copy of that list is not a bad idea in case cell reception is spotty.
- Wear comfortable shoes. You will do a lot of walking.
- Convention food is helluva expensive. Bring a snack and some bottled water instead. Or leave a cooler with some food & drink in your car.

Above all, don't go to a convention expecting to find any amazing deals. You go for the amazing selection, networking opportunities, and other entertainment aspects like the special guests, panels, cosplayers, arcade cabs, etc.

There is a new convention in Arkansas this year being put on by Retro Rick. You might want to give that one a look. https://retrofestarkansas.com/

[KingSudlow]

Good stuff, bmoc! Thanks for the information...I will look into the Arkansas convention.

[Note]

Nice finds, bmoc! I also want to say thanks for the tips in regards to attending a convention. I actually have never attended one but I'm seriously considering going to the Long Island Retro Expo this year, so the pointers are really helpful.

Just curious, how much time did you end up spending at SEGE? And did you spend it mostly checking out the vendors, or did you also check out panels and the arcades?