Game collecting is not what it once was

[Ashrei]

So back on topic, I was wondering if anyone would like to post some "game hunting" tips and tricks? Anyone remember that magazine? No..? Ok.

My input and advice on hunting pertains to strictly goodwill. I think that flea markets are a mixed bag and you are going to either find something or you're not.

My advice would be to get there early because it's first come first serve and there are usually a multitude of collectors at these things.

Back on to Goodwill, if you are a section marked "wares" make sure to check it out. I recently found Banjo Kazooie under a dinner plate for .99


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[Ack]

So back on topic, I was wondering if anyone would like to post some "game hunting" tips and tricks? Anyone remember that magazine? No..? Ok.

My input and advice on hunting pertains to strictly goodwill. I think that flea markets are a mixed bag and you are going to either find something or you're not.

My advice would be to get there early because it's first come first serve and there are usually a multitude of collectors at these things.

Back on to Goodwill, if you are a section marked "wares" make sure to check it out. I recently found Banjo Kazooie under a dinner plate for .99


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Just a quick one, but always check the music section in thrift stores. There is almost always a PC game hidden in there, but sometimes you'll get lucky and find PS1 or DC games. I found a complete copy of Brave Fencer Musashi for about $1 because someone had put it in with a bunch of gospel and country music CDs. It's also how I picked up Red Faction 2, Command & Conquer Renegade, and Call of Duty for about $0.25 a piece. Now I'm not saying you'll always find good games this way, but you'll likely find something.

[Ashrei]

So back on topic, I was wondering if anyone would like to post some "game hunting" tips and tricks? Anyone remember that magazine? No..? Ok.

My input and advice on hunting pertains to strictly goodwill. I think that flea markets are a mixed bag and you are going to either find something or you're not.

My advice would be to get there early because it's first come first serve and there are usually a multitude of collectors at these things.

Back on to Goodwill, if you are a section marked "wares" make sure to check it out. I recently found Banjo Kazooie under a dinner plate for .99


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Just a quick one, but always check the music section in thrift stores. There is almost always a PC game hidden in there, but sometimes you'll get lucky and find PS1 or DC games. I found a complete copy of Brave Fencer Musashi for about $1 because someone had put it in with a bunch of gospel and country music CDs. It's also how I picked up Red Faction 2, Command & Conquer Renegade, and Call of Duty for about $0.25 a piece. Now I'm not saying you'll always find good games this way, but you'll likely find something.

Brave Fencer was a nice score! I commend thee


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[prfsnl_gmr]

Brave Fencer was a nice score! I commend thee

I second Ack's advice. I once found "black label" copies of FFVII, FFVIII, Chocobo's Racing, Bushido Blade 2, and Xenogears tucked in with the music CDs at a local Goodwill. Apparently, someone gave away a collection of RPGs; they slipped thorugh the cracks; and they didn't get shipped off to my local Goodwill computer store. (As a bonus, buying $1 CDs from thrift stores and yard sales and burning them to iTunes is a great way to build up your music library. So, even if you don't find any games, you will still find something.)

Two other tips...

It is best to collect for the previous generation of consoles. Accordingly - if you are just starting out with collecting - you have missed the boat on NES, SNES, Saturn, etc. There just aren't that many games floating around "in the wild" any more. Accordingly, and IMO, now is the time to be buying DS, PS3, PSP, Wii, and Xbox 360 games. They are incredibly inexpensive right now, and you can acquire a sizable collection of excellent games for very little money.

That said, some systems just can't get a break, and if you really want to collect vintage games, I suggest collecting: (1) Atari 2600/5100/7800 games; (2) cart-only Gameboy/Gameboy Color/Gameboy Advance games; (3) cart-only Genesis games; and (4) PS1 games. You can still find these games in the wild, and even the most expensive games don't cost that much.

[Ashrei]

Brave Fencer was a nice score! I commend thee

I second Ack's advice. I once found "black label" copies of FFVII, FFVIII, Chocobo's Racing, Bushido Blade 2, and Xenogears tucked in with the music CDs at a local Goodwill. Apparently, someone gave away a collection of RPGs; they slipped thorugh the cracks; and they didn't get shipped off to my local Goodwill computer store. (As a bonus, buying $1 CDs from thrift stores and yard sales and burning them to iTunes is a great way to build up your music library. So, even if you don't find any games, you will still find something.)

Two other tips...

It is best to collect for the previous generation of consoles. Accordingly - if you are just starting out with collecting - you have missed the boat on NES, SNES, Saturn, etc. There just aren't that many games floating around "in the wild" any more. Accordingly, and IMO, now is the time to be buying DS, PS3, PSP, Wii, and Xbox 360 games. They are incredibly inexpensive right now, and you can acquire a sizable collection of excellent games for very little money.

That said, some systems just can't get a break, and if you really want to collect vintage games, I suggest collecting: (1) Atari 2600/5100/7800 games; (2) cart-only Gameboy/Gameboy Color/Gameboy Advance games; (3) cart-only Genesis games; and (4) PS1 games. You can still find these games in the wild, and even the most expensive games don't cost that much.

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I am highly considering collecting PS1 games. I already have a rather large start. I have stuff like:

- legend of dragoon
- final fantasy 7, 8, 9
- star ocean second story
- parappa the rapper
- vagrant story
- silent hill
- spyro 1, 3
- Grandia
- vandal hearts

Etc. I love and adore the ps1 RPGs


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[Ashrei]

And PS3 games are dirt cheap for sure. I got Nino kuni for $1.80 the other day at a pawn shop.


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[prfsnl_gmr]

I am highly considering collecting PS1 games.

Good! It is very fun collecting for that system, and it is easy to play the games on modern hardware (and, therefore, on modern televisions). Moreover, and as I have stated many times on this forum, the PS1's library is deeper than the ocean; so if you start collecting for it, you will probably discover a lot of great games.

[Ashrei]

I am highly considering collecting PS1 games.

Good! It is very fun collecting for that system, and it is easy to play the games on modern hardware (and, therefore, on modern televisions). Moreover, and as I have stated many times on this forum, the PS1's library is deeper than the ocean; so if you start collecting for it, you will probably discover a lot of great games.

Could you elaborate as to what you mean by deeper than the ocean? Does that mean it's just big? Why did you find it fun to collect for? What was fun about it?


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[vatermuzik]

Thrift shopping is certainly getting harder but these are a few simple things that help me continue to enjoy it.

This is hit or miss, but asking an employee if they have any game stuff that hasn't made it out to the floor yet sometimes works. Of course, you don't want to ask the grumpy looking guy in isle 2 cleaning up the broken plate; ask the happy lady who's singing to herself while organizing the CD's. That's obviously a generic scenario but learning to choose your time and place is important when asking people to help you out.

Start branching out. Your chances of finding cool stuff is much greater when you have multiple hobbies. I also look for books, vinyl records and anything else that may be useful around my home.

Never go in expecting anything. Expectation can lead to feelings of entitlement. This usually leads to disappointment. When you do find something, it will be that much sweeter.

[Ack]

I am highly considering collecting PS1 games.

Good! It is very fun collecting for that system, and it is easy to play the games on modern hardware (and, therefore, on modern televisions). Moreover, and as I have stated many times on this forum, the PS1's library is deeper than the ocean; so if you start collecting for it, you will probably discover a lot of great games.

Could you elaborate as to what you mean by deeper than the ocean? Does that mean it's just big? Why did you find it fun to collect for? What was fun about it?


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Yeah, it's big. Huge even, probably one of the most largest and most diverse collections of games there is. Every genre is represented in some form or fashion. There are some downsides of course(easily damaged CDs and cases, early 3D graphics, evolving ideas on controls, etc.), but if you can accept those, the diversity you'll find is quite incredible.

For example, you mentioned RPGs and show that you have some of the biggest names, but there is so much more! Wild Arms, Breath of Fire 3 and 4, Saga Frontier and Saga Frontier 2, Beyond the Beyond, Lunar: Silver Star Story, Jade Cocoon, Legend of Legaia, Legend of Mana, Chrono Cross, Azure Dreams, Saiyuki Journey West, Front Mission 3, Xenogears, Thousand Arms, just to name a few. The genre exploded on the PS1 after FF7's popularity. There's a lot of research to conduct and a lot of games to check out. And that's just one genre.

And that's not to mention survival horror, platformers, fighting games, racing, sports, FPS, so on and so forth.