Buying games at Pawn Shops, and smokers.....

[Hazerd]

I goto this local "Pawn America" and pretty much every game/console/controller i buy has that gross brown residue around every crevice of the device, i take it home and windex the damn things down and still cant manage to rid of the smoker smell, i just dont get, why must smokers do this!?

[Mechblue]

I goto this local "Pawn America" and pretty much every game/console/controller i buy has that gross brown residue around every crevice of the device, i take it home and windex the damn things down and still cant manage to rid of the smoker smell, i just dont get, why must smokers do this!?

I get these weird smelling items more than the smoker stuff. I take em and leave it in the garage for a few days. The open air in the garage seems to get the stink off. A little spritz of the fabreeze doesn't hurt.

Controllers, I'd take em apart do a good cleaning, clean the cracks where the top and bottom meet and it should handle it. Some Goo Gone and some Isopropyl Alcohol are my tools of choice.

[irixith]

I goto this local "Pawn America" and pretty much every game/console/controller i buy has that gross brown residue around every crevice of the device, i take it home and windex the damn things down and still cant manage to rid of the smoker smell, i just dont get, why must smokers do this!?

That gross brown residue is called tar. Guess what, if you think it looks gross on electronics, imagine what it looks like inside the smoker.

The good news is that a good ol' damp cloth and/or damp q-tip are your friends. That's right, just water and a little elbow grease, and they will look as good as new. If any residual smell remains, make sure you cleaned every little crack and crevice of the insidious stuff, and then leave it out next to something that absorbs odours -- baking soda, those cone shaped things you leave in the bathroom, what have you.

What always surprises me is that the pawn shops don't do this themselves -- the value on a lot of items would go up if they looked brand-spanking new.

[Hazerd]

I goto this local "Pawn America" and pretty much every game/console/controller i buy has that gross brown residue around every crevice of the device, i take it home and windex the damn things down and still cant manage to rid of the smoker smell, i just dont get, why must smokers do this!?

That gross brown residue is called tar. Guess what, if you think it looks gross on electronics, imagine what it looks like inside the smoker.

The good news is that a good ol' damp cloth and/or damp q-tip are your friends. That's right, just water and a little elbow grease, and they will look as good as new. If any residual smell remains, make sure you cleaned every little crack and crevice of the insidious stuff, and then leave it out next to something that absorbs odours -- baking soda, those cone shaped things you leave in the bathroom, what have you.

What always surprises me is that the pawn shops don't do this themselves -- the value on a lot of items would go up if they looked brand-spanking new.

whoa, totally going to get a thing of baking soda that you put in the fridge, and put it with my video games, brilliance!

[AppleQueso]

why must smokers do this!?

well it's not like they're doing it intentionally

[o.pwuaioc]

why must smokers do this!?

well it's not like they're doing it intentionally

They accidentally smoke?

[AppleQueso]

why must smokers do this!?

well it's not like they're doing it intentionally

They accidentally smoke?

They aren't intentionally getting tar inside the crevices of games and whatnot. They're smoking, they're playing, they probably aren't thinking about it/don't care. It's not like they're sitting there rubbing tar all over the systems or something.

[o.pwuaioc]

well it's not like they're doing it intentionally

They accidentally smoke?

They aren't intentionally getting tar inside the crevices of games and whatnot. They're smoking, they're playing, they probably aren't thinking about it/don't care. It's not like they're sitting there rubbing tar all over the systems or something.

Just a joke...

[SpoonyBard]

I don't care about the tar as much as the rest of the things on there. I've bought plenty of retro stuff out of non-smoking homes that's terribly grody. Mildew, food remnants, spills. Much worse to clean in my opinion.

On plastic cases (controllers, consoles, cd cases) I don't find it to be a big deal. It's not that hard to clean and it's a good excuse to get a couple dollars knocked off a price tag. I've always had pretty good success with windex.

[BoringSupreez]

I goto this local "Pawn America" and pretty much every game/console/controller i buy has that gross brown residue around every crevice of the device, i take it home and windex the damn things down and still cant manage to rid of the smoker smell, i just dont get, why must smokers do this!?

That gross brown residue is called tar. Guess what, if you think it looks gross on electronics, imagine what it looks like inside the smoker.

The good news is that a good ol' damp cloth and/or damp q-tip are your friends. That's right, just water and a little elbow grease, and they will look as good as new. If any residual smell remains, make sure you cleaned every little crack and crevice of the insidious stuff, and then leave it out next to something that absorbs odours -- baking soda, those cone shaped things you leave in the bathroom, what have you.

What always surprises me is that the pawn shops don't do this themselves -- the value on a lot of items would go up if they looked brand-spanking new.

Most every pawn shop I've ever been in was run by smokers, so they would have no reason to do it themselves.