Time and money are complementary: the more patience you have, the less you'll spend on games. Conversely, if you absolutely must have a game now, you can go out and buy it, but it's going to cost you.
Also, don't buy a bunch of games you aren't interested in playing. Owning something you have no intention of ever using is a big money waster. To expand on that, sell the stuff you don't want! Even if you nearly give it away, that's money going back into the "games I want" fund.
Collecting strategies...Tips and Tricks for not going broke
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diesel_dan
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GirlGamer55
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Tips for beginning collectors?
First off idk if this really belongs here as part of my post is about tips on how to get a collection started but the other part is tips about storage and such. Secondly the point of me making this thread is to share some of my tips and tricks I have found out via the last year of collecting, but also to get some tips from more seasoned collectors. And forgive me if these tips are well known or if I start to ramble on. Also this is a tip that won't apply to many of you, but if your a younger female (teens to 25), you might end up getting a better price on games. Or sometimes not because men think females don't know jack about stuff and will give you a more over priced price then a man would get. But as I have learned, you have to deal with those people aggressively by showing off you know your stuff.
My tips on getting a collection:
Craigslist: While this is an obvious choice, it's a good one (at times). Not only can you find video games in the video game section but you might find some in the yard sale section or in electronics. Some people still have no clue that people buy old video games. So you might find an ad for a yard sale where they list video games or newer console video games, but one thing I learned, it NEVER hurts to ask if they have old video games. But it's also a hit and miss deal as well. You might get scammers, freaks or just trolls on there posting good stuff only to want to hurt you in some way. Like listing an address to a yard sale only for it to end up being an abandoned house. I can only tell you that you should invest in GPS or try google maps. That way you'll at least know if its a fake address and google maps might have a street view of the area. Also this shouldn't need saying but take a friend with you! Never go alone to a craigslist ad, it doesn't matter if it's a yard sale or not, don't trust anyone on craigslist.
Yard sales: More of a miss then a hit at times. A lot of yard sales I go to are hosted by older people who have no idea what a video game is. And then there are the yard sales with tons of baby stuff...ugh. But you might luck out like the time I was at a semi neighborhood sale and this lady was selling jewlery but as always I asked if she had any old video games, turns out she had a stack of Sega Game Gear games she was going to donate. None of them were great games but I didn't have any Game Gear stuff so I bought them. With these I can only say ask, ask and ask. It's amazing what some people think is trash. Oh and don't be afraid to strike a deal. It's a yard sale after all, most of the time these people want/need the money and will be willing to drop the price, more so if your getting a lot of stuff. That's why it's great to bring friends along so you can gather stuff together and get a lower price.
Flea Markets: This is...a sore spot for me. We only have one flea market where I live and it has a lot of cons and only a few pros. First off, beware the resellers/dealers. These are the a**holes who set up early and stalk around, scooping up the good stuff for lowball prices, then turn around and sell them for top price (i'm talking ebay prices). You can usually spot them by their bags of games, strong body odor, smart phone with a game price app and all around scumbaggy vibe. When not snatching up games, they can be found in shaded tent stalls with tables filled to the brim with every sort of game. Very rarely do I find a deal from these f*ckers. Once I found a guy with a SNES cart that was cheaper then what it was on ebay, but I passed it up thinking I could find it for cheaper (that and he thought he was all that, bragging about how much he knew about games...ha). Anyways back on topic...the same thing goes for here as for yard sales, always ask. For some reason flea market people arn't very willing to drop the prices..they almost always want ebay or near ebay prices (and these aren't resellers) sometimes you'll find people selling games for somewhat cheap prices but more often then not their selection has been picked over. Always check inside consoles, there might be a game inside, check game boxes, cases as well, sadly I have gotten over excited about a game and ended up buying a empty case. And make sure that all the plugs are with it, don't just think they are if you see a bundle of cords with it. On the topic of those people with bins and bins of junk. It's all up to you. You could spend your time looking through there and find nothing and lose out on something rare at another place, or you could pass it up and lose out on something amazing hidden in them. It's a 50/50 thing. Personally unless I see something on top of the bins, I'll pass them up. One last tip, if you see someone who is there often and they have a selection of things along with games, these people arn't as bad as resellers. I find they are much more friendly and willing to deal then most people. I actually ended up befriending a couple who sells some games, the lady almost always gives me a few bucks off of the price.
Thrift stores: Ah one of my favorite places. Now these places are hard to find "good" stuff. You'll of course find TONS of sports games for PS2 and Xbox but sometimes you find some good things. Check in the music cd's, idk how many times I have found old PC games and sometimes PS1 games. Also check in the VHS's and DVD's. VHS's because sega/nes boxes can slip in there from time to time (not that I have ever found them but I have heard stories...) and DVD's because sometimes a game can get put in there as well. As for consoles..eh you take your chances, more often then not you can't return them if they are broken and they over price them (at least I feel they do...I could find a PS1 at a yard sale for cheaper then what they have them at). The worst thing is when they have a stack of old video game carts in the glass cases near the front. These are very rarely priced well. And if they are they almost always end up being sports games or semi ok games. I have lucked out and gotten a few NES carts for cheap and they were good games too. But more often then not they are over priced and they are marked with a tag that NEVER goes on sale. Like this bin of SNES carts I saw once...ebay pricing and marked with a tag that never went on sale...I bet they are still sitting there because no one in their right minds would buy them! Other then that...take a peek in the book section, sometimes you can find game guides hidden away.
Goodwill outlets: Oh these places are fun! Why just the other day I went to one and found...a pokemon blue cart for the GB and a Sega Saturn CD. Both for like idk 49 cents! But you have to watch out these places are known to be...shady. Like the one in downtown Seattle (I live near Seattle). Wow...just really wow. I will never go there again. Not only are they filthy (the people working there walk around in masks and gloves) but they are just filled with crazy people. Like these two people...who were fighting over a coat. I kid you not...I sware I thought they were going to have to call the cops in. Thankfully the one closest to my house is much nicer to go to. You do have to wear gloves, but at least you don't have to fear for your life. You will get the odd crazy person coming in but as long as you keep to your self and don't make eye contact you'll be ok. Anyways other then wearing gloves...keep close to your cart, never leave it alone. Always check the cd/dvd cases and the games themselves. Don't be afraid to get down into the bins, dig! That's how I found my pokemon blue. And watch out when the bring out bins. Almost everyone (including not crazy people) will rush the damn things and start throwing stuff. It's really up to you if you want to risk being hit in the eye with something. I personally don't risk it. No game is worth getting hurt over (well maybe Earthbound, but I doubt that would ever turn up in a Goodwill outlet!)
Besides that, if your into collecting game related items like figures, books, mags and stuffed animals it never hurts to ask about those things to. Sometimes when you ask about video games people will group all of that stuff together along with actual video games, but if not, just ask if they might have video game guides laying around. Again most people think that stuff is junk and no one wants it, so they might not put it out in their sale. That's how I managed to get my stack of Nintendo Power mags.
Now tips for storing items:
This one i'm drawing a blank on because I myself have storage issues.
I am really really sorry on the long post 
, but out of it all basicly I just need help with storage and I need some tips on finding games. I put the storage stuff in a spoiler because it's not really a tip, so if you want to help me just click on it, otherwise ignore it. I hope the few tips I did give help other starting out collectors.
My tips on getting a collection:
Craigslist: While this is an obvious choice, it's a good one (at times). Not only can you find video games in the video game section but you might find some in the yard sale section or in electronics. Some people still have no clue that people buy old video games. So you might find an ad for a yard sale where they list video games or newer console video games, but one thing I learned, it NEVER hurts to ask if they have old video games. But it's also a hit and miss deal as well. You might get scammers, freaks or just trolls on there posting good stuff only to want to hurt you in some way. Like listing an address to a yard sale only for it to end up being an abandoned house. I can only tell you that you should invest in GPS or try google maps. That way you'll at least know if its a fake address and google maps might have a street view of the area. Also this shouldn't need saying but take a friend with you! Never go alone to a craigslist ad, it doesn't matter if it's a yard sale or not, don't trust anyone on craigslist.
Yard sales: More of a miss then a hit at times. A lot of yard sales I go to are hosted by older people who have no idea what a video game is. And then there are the yard sales with tons of baby stuff...ugh. But you might luck out like the time I was at a semi neighborhood sale and this lady was selling jewlery but as always I asked if she had any old video games, turns out she had a stack of Sega Game Gear games she was going to donate. None of them were great games but I didn't have any Game Gear stuff so I bought them. With these I can only say ask, ask and ask. It's amazing what some people think is trash. Oh and don't be afraid to strike a deal. It's a yard sale after all, most of the time these people want/need the money and will be willing to drop the price, more so if your getting a lot of stuff. That's why it's great to bring friends along so you can gather stuff together and get a lower price.
Flea Markets: This is...a sore spot for me. We only have one flea market where I live and it has a lot of cons and only a few pros. First off, beware the resellers/dealers. These are the a**holes who set up early and stalk around, scooping up the good stuff for lowball prices, then turn around and sell them for top price (i'm talking ebay prices). You can usually spot them by their bags of games, strong body odor, smart phone with a game price app and all around scumbaggy vibe. When not snatching up games, they can be found in shaded tent stalls with tables filled to the brim with every sort of game. Very rarely do I find a deal from these f*ckers. Once I found a guy with a SNES cart that was cheaper then what it was on ebay, but I passed it up thinking I could find it for cheaper (that and he thought he was all that, bragging about how much he knew about games...ha). Anyways back on topic...the same thing goes for here as for yard sales, always ask. For some reason flea market people arn't very willing to drop the prices..they almost always want ebay or near ebay prices (and these aren't resellers) sometimes you'll find people selling games for somewhat cheap prices but more often then not their selection has been picked over. Always check inside consoles, there might be a game inside, check game boxes, cases as well, sadly I have gotten over excited about a game and ended up buying a empty case. And make sure that all the plugs are with it, don't just think they are if you see a bundle of cords with it. On the topic of those people with bins and bins of junk. It's all up to you. You could spend your time looking through there and find nothing and lose out on something rare at another place, or you could pass it up and lose out on something amazing hidden in them. It's a 50/50 thing. Personally unless I see something on top of the bins, I'll pass them up. One last tip, if you see someone who is there often and they have a selection of things along with games, these people arn't as bad as resellers. I find they are much more friendly and willing to deal then most people. I actually ended up befriending a couple who sells some games, the lady almost always gives me a few bucks off of the price.
Thrift stores: Ah one of my favorite places. Now these places are hard to find "good" stuff. You'll of course find TONS of sports games for PS2 and Xbox but sometimes you find some good things. Check in the music cd's, idk how many times I have found old PC games and sometimes PS1 games. Also check in the VHS's and DVD's. VHS's because sega/nes boxes can slip in there from time to time (not that I have ever found them but I have heard stories...) and DVD's because sometimes a game can get put in there as well. As for consoles..eh you take your chances, more often then not you can't return them if they are broken and they over price them (at least I feel they do...I could find a PS1 at a yard sale for cheaper then what they have them at). The worst thing is when they have a stack of old video game carts in the glass cases near the front. These are very rarely priced well. And if they are they almost always end up being sports games or semi ok games. I have lucked out and gotten a few NES carts for cheap and they were good games too. But more often then not they are over priced and they are marked with a tag that NEVER goes on sale. Like this bin of SNES carts I saw once...ebay pricing and marked with a tag that never went on sale...I bet they are still sitting there because no one in their right minds would buy them! Other then that...take a peek in the book section, sometimes you can find game guides hidden away.
Goodwill outlets: Oh these places are fun! Why just the other day I went to one and found...a pokemon blue cart for the GB and a Sega Saturn CD. Both for like idk 49 cents! But you have to watch out these places are known to be...shady. Like the one in downtown Seattle (I live near Seattle). Wow...just really wow. I will never go there again. Not only are they filthy (the people working there walk around in masks and gloves) but they are just filled with crazy people. Like these two people...who were fighting over a coat. I kid you not...I sware I thought they were going to have to call the cops in. Thankfully the one closest to my house is much nicer to go to. You do have to wear gloves, but at least you don't have to fear for your life. You will get the odd crazy person coming in but as long as you keep to your self and don't make eye contact you'll be ok. Anyways other then wearing gloves...keep close to your cart, never leave it alone. Always check the cd/dvd cases and the games themselves. Don't be afraid to get down into the bins, dig! That's how I found my pokemon blue. And watch out when the bring out bins. Almost everyone (including not crazy people) will rush the damn things and start throwing stuff. It's really up to you if you want to risk being hit in the eye with something. I personally don't risk it. No game is worth getting hurt over (well maybe Earthbound, but I doubt that would ever turn up in a Goodwill outlet!)
Besides that, if your into collecting game related items like figures, books, mags and stuffed animals it never hurts to ask about those things to. Sometimes when you ask about video games people will group all of that stuff together along with actual video games, but if not, just ask if they might have video game guides laying around. Again most people think that stuff is junk and no one wants it, so they might not put it out in their sale. That's how I managed to get my stack of Nintendo Power mags.
Now tips for storing items:
This one i'm drawing a blank on because I myself have storage issues.
, but out of it all basicly I just need help with storage and I need some tips on finding games. I put the storage stuff in a spoiler because it's not really a tip, so if you want to help me just click on it, otherwise ignore it. I hope the few tips I did give help other starting out collectors.-
SNKnicotine
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Re: Tips for beginning collectors?
We have a couple of these helpful threads, check this one out.
(Maybe should ask a moderator to delete this tread, as to not have doubles)
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 44&t=36637
(Maybe should ask a moderator to delete this tread, as to not have doubles)
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... 44&t=36637
Klassic PlastiK @ youtube.com/KlassicplastiK
Currently playing:Super Smash bros.(4)(3DS/WiiU)
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Currently playing:Super Smash bros.(4)(3DS/WiiU)
Currently reading: Batman: Death of a Family
AppleQueso wrote: You can't even pronounce "RPG" or "FPS" like you can "Shmup"
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"Shmup" is far more elegant!
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Hobie-wan
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Re: Collecting strategies...Tips and Tricks for not going br
I just went ahead and merged it.
For keeping cables that might not be plugged in all the time, you could maybe use binder clips.
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/03/ ... e-keepers/
For keeping cables that might not be plugged in all the time, you could maybe use binder clips.
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/03/ ... e-keepers/
I've never met a pun I didn't like. - Stark
My trade, sale and services - Rough want list - Shipping weight reference chart - AC Power Adapter reference list
My trade, sale and services - Rough want list - Shipping weight reference chart - AC Power Adapter reference list
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GirlGamer55
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Re: Collecting strategies...Tips and Tricks for not going br
I wasn't looking to be merged in...mainly because of my storage issues. I really need help with that.Hobie-wan wrote:I just went ahead and merged it.
For keeping cables that might not be plugged in all the time, you could maybe use binder clips.
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/03/ ... e-keepers/
And i'v seen the binder clip idea, good idea but not something I could do.
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TheGregzilla
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Re: Collecting strategies...Tips and Tricks for not going br
On the not going broke front, make sure to price a game before you buy it. Theres a guy trying to sell a copy of Goldeneye 64 on Ebay right now, with quite frankly a horrible label, and no box...for $250. He says its worth the price because he has beaten it and unlocked the cheats. Stupid.
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Hobie-wan
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Re: Collecting strategies...Tips and Tricks for not going br
Ok, the bulk of the post was about collecting. Copy out the storage bit then and make a thread in the game room section.GirlGamer55 wrote: I wasn't looking to be merged in...mainly because of my storage issues. I really need help with that.
I've never met a pun I didn't like. - Stark
My trade, sale and services - Rough want list - Shipping weight reference chart - AC Power Adapter reference list
My trade, sale and services - Rough want list - Shipping weight reference chart - AC Power Adapter reference list
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GirlGamer55
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Re: Collecting strategies...Tips and Tricks for not going br
All right.Hobie-wan wrote:Ok, the bulk of the post was about collecting. Copy out the storage bit then and make a thread in the game rook section.GirlGamer55 wrote: I wasn't looking to be merged in...mainly because of my storage issues. I really need help with that.
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Snatch1414
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Re: Collecting strategies...Tips and Tricks for not going br
I find it odd some people are saying words to the effect of "only buy what you're going to play". Aren't most of us collectors? Someone mentioned not buying 100 games just because you can. I did just that the other day and posted it in the Look What I Found thread.
It all depends on what the price is and what you're looking for. I'm a Sega guy and I got two stacks of Genesis games and some SMS games for $1.39 apiece on average. I will never play and beat them all, but long term collecting goals for me include complete SMS and Genesis collections. It's also fun just to pop in a half dozen games rapid fire style, see what they're all about, soak up the nostalgia, and just have a good time with some old games. I have just as much fun cringing at how bad some of them are as I do playing through one til the bitter end, but my main point is that I don't think it's going out on a limb to say there are a lot of people in this hobby that don't play everything they buy.
It all depends on what the price is and what you're looking for. I'm a Sega guy and I got two stacks of Genesis games and some SMS games for $1.39 apiece on average. I will never play and beat them all, but long term collecting goals for me include complete SMS and Genesis collections. It's also fun just to pop in a half dozen games rapid fire style, see what they're all about, soak up the nostalgia, and just have a good time with some old games. I have just as much fun cringing at how bad some of them are as I do playing through one til the bitter end, but my main point is that I don't think it's going out on a limb to say there are a lot of people in this hobby that don't play everything they buy.
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AppleQueso
Re: Collecting strategies...Tips and Tricks for not going br
Most people on here basically collect to build up a library of games to play at their leisure. As such, they tend to stick to buying titles they think they'll actually enjoy playing, even if they don't get around to it any time soon.Snatch1414 wrote:I find it odd some people are saying words to the effect of "only buy what you're going to play". Aren't most of us collectors? Someone mentioned not buying 100 games just because you can. I did just that the other day and posted it in the Look What I Found thread.
It all depends on what the price is and what you're looking for. I'm a Sega guy and I got two stacks of Genesis games and some SMS games for $1.39 apiece on average. I will never play and beat them all, but long term collecting goals for me include complete SMS and Genesis collections. It's also fun just to pop in a half dozen games rapid fire style, see what they're all about, soak up the nostalgia, and just have a good time with some old games. I have just as much fun cringing at how bad some of them are as I do playing through one til the bitter end, but my main point is that I don't think it's going out on a limb to say there are a lot of people in this hobby that don't play everything they buy.
There are definitely plenty of pure collectors on this site, but I'd say they're somewhat the minority.