The Official "Thrift finds" Thread

[Happy_Dude]

found 10 adult dvd's today in the trash. appearently i missed a new ps2 with 25 sealed games. guy took his life and parents are throwin everything away. gonna sell the dvd's to a pawner and buy another DS game, mabye yoshi touch and go

Wow. If I ever used the hemingway solution some dumpster diver would hit the jackpot

 

Didn't find anything game related today (unless 80's pop LP's count )

[SteveW]

What on Earth is going on with Atari 7800 consoles around here?

 

I've been coming across a whole lot of 7800 consoles in flea markets and thrifts lately. I've already got three (only my original has a power cord, unfortunately) and i've passed on a couple or three in the past few weeks. Today, I went into my favorite thrift, and tucked away in a dark recessed shelf was a bare 7800 and a 5200. No power supplies anywhere for either one, and no joysticks either. I picked up the 7800, because I felt sorry for it, and it only cost $3.93. Also bought a blue label River Raid for $4.94, oddly enough. Why a game cart would cost more than the console it's played on, I don't know. Strangely enough, on the bottom of the 7800, is a sticker for B & C Computervisions in California.

 

Anyway, after stopping at a grocery store in Irving to pick up some Dublin Dr Pepper to bring with me for MegaManFan to OVGE , I stopped at a Goodwill, where I found yet another 7800, this time the 1984 version, and with the power supply! The console cost $9.99, the power supply (which is differently shaped from the one from my original 1987 model) was $1.99, a Proline controller was $2.99 (although after looking at it closer, the right fire button is worn out), and I even found an Atari 2600 power supply there too! Also $1.99. I asked them about games, and they told me they must have all been bought up.

 

 

Lately, i'm finding almost as many Atari 7800 consoles as I am Sega Genesis consoles. Too bad I can't seem to find any 7800 games in the wild. I don't have anywhere close to a complete collection, but there are a few titles i'd like to get before I feel like I have all the worthwhile games for it.

[gulag picture radio]

Aw damn, I've only found two 7800 consoles in fifteen years of looking! One I gave to a friend after he got a Cuttle Cart 2. I kept the other one for my own Cuttle needs, but it would be really good to have a backup unit just in case. Guess that I've just gotta keep my eyes open.

[gulag picture radio]

It's been a while since I've gone to the thrifts - I've been sorting like a madman to try to make some space around here. Still the pull of thrifts is strong, so here are a few things I've foud over the last few visits:

 

Vader Atari - $4

Dreamcast + controllers & hookups - $7

5x Emerson Arcadia games - $2.50 each

Paper Mario for N64 - $3 (this is a pretty rare game)

NES archon - $1.50 (hope it's as good as the C64 version)

Starship Titanic - $1

clear ZIP drive - $1

 

Not quite so related:

 

2XL robot - $2

Teddy Ruxpin's friend Grubby - $5

Swatch phone - $1

MAPS game - $2 (input music into it and the sound changes the gameplay)

 

completely unrelated, but cool:

 

Tomy Waterful games - 2 for $1 (remember these? puzzles filled with water with a pump to move pieces around)

high end S-VHS deck - $8

3x 8mm and super 8 projectors - $15

movie screen - $4

projector table - $4 (screen and table great for LCD projectors for gaming)

tons of educational 50's 16mm movies - free

[Prodos8]

This past weekend I didn't have much luck. All I found was a power supply for an NES and another for the SNES for $1.99 each. Also found a blue Senseo coffee maker for $5 sans the cup tray and smaller spout.

[A.J. Franzman]

Not videogame related, but I found a rare Casio CFX-200 scientific calculator watch for $5.98 at Bargain Town, and it needed a battery and case back gasket (both of these parts are also rare, but I was lucky enough to find them). All together with tax, it cost me about $20. Between about 1983 - 1985, Casio made the only 4 models of scientific calculator watches ever mass-produced. The CFX-200 goes for about $150-200 used and working. This one's a little rougher than I'd like for a keeper, so it's on eBay now.

[Dusk2600]

3 cds .25 each- trade in to fye 8.00 credit

ps1 games: starwars jedi battle arena, ff tactics, technu .50 each sold for 10.00 cash

 

and i got a promotional banner from 1993 for super mario all stars, this thing is really neat, prolly could get a lot 4 it. paid 3.00 for it

[jferio]

Latest acquisition: a NES Advantage stick, fully working, for $3. The best you can do if you find these at the used game stores is $5, possibly as much as $10 since I haven't seen them around for a while.

[youngskywalker]

Yesterday went to a thrift store while I was away out of town.

Found a Panasonic 3DO FZ - 10.

Payed more than I would have liked to, ($29.92) but if I did'nt get it, I know I would have kicked myself when I got home. And it came with 2 controls, but no games.

It does work though, played a audio cd just fine.

Are these things rare?

[gulag picture radio]

3DO's are somewhat rare because they were so damned expensive when they came out - like $600. I think that you paid a fair price - certainly less than you would have paid on Ebay.

 

It's notable because its the last console (I'm pretty sure) to use visual tricks to convey 3D. After that, all consoles had some kind of 3D chips built in so they no longer had to rely on artistic visuals to give an impression of three dimensional space.

[youngskywalker]

3DO's are somewhat rare because they were so damned expensive when they came out - like $600. I think that you paid a fair price - certainly less than you would have paid on Ebay.

 

It's notable because its the last console (I'm pretty sure) to use visual tricks to convey 3D. After that, all consoles had some kind of 3D chips built in so they no longer had to rely on artistic visuals to give an impression of three dimensional space.

 

Thanks for the info,

I feel like it will be a good addition to my console collection.

The FZ-10 3DO is the cheaper model, but it's supposed to play cd-r backups, so that's great.

I can't wait to test out some games on it!

[RickHarrisMaine]

Not videogame related, but I found a rare Casio CFX-200 scientific calculator watch for $5.98 at Bargain Town, and it needed a battery and case back gasket (both of these parts are also rare, but I was lucky enough to find them). All together with tax, it cost me about $20. Between about 1983 - 1985, Casio made the only 4 models of scientific calculator watches ever mass-produced. The CFX-200 goes for about $150-200 used and working. This one's a little rougher than I'd like for a keeper, so it's on eBay now.

 

 

I have not seen one of those in years! I'm sort of surprised people collect those things, but then again, they are sort of nerdy, so I can see a market for those!

[elliott]

Boxed Jaguar (missing game and tv switch) - $15

Sears Video Arcade II, 2 controllers, tv switch but no PSU - $25

Boxed NES Zelda - The Adventures of Link - $1

 

BTW.. Does anyone know if a Jaguar will turn on without a game?

[Dusk2600]

Boxed Jaguar (missing game and tv switch) - $15

Sears Video Arcade II, 2 controllers, tv switch but no PSU - $25

Boxed NES Zelda - The Adventures of Link - $1

 

BTW.. Does anyone know if a Jaguar will turn on without a game?

 

 

no it will not turn on without a game, yours is not broken...

 

picked up a ti calculator from 1981 boxed (post model later) -free

laptop 1993 gateway 2000 -free

commodore 64 monitor 5.00

Edited June 10, 2006 by Dusk2600

[NightSprinter]

This has to be a one-time experience, but wow. The guy running one of the booths at Flea World over in Sanford just GAVE me a casette of "The Official 'Frogger', by SEGA". It's the original tape too (whoo, getting a nice Atari 400 lot soon with the 410 Program Recorder). Listed as an R5 under AtariMania's listings. Can't wait to get my Atari 400 and fire that thing up.

[Wester]

Boxed Jaguar (missing game and tv switch) - $15

Sears Video Arcade II, 2 controllers, tv switch but no PSU - $25

Boxed NES Zelda - The Adventures of Link - $1

 

BTW.. Does anyone know if a Jaguar will turn on without a game?

 

 

no it will not turn on without a game, yours is not broken...

 

picked up a ti calculator from 1981 boxed (post model later) -free

laptop 1993 gateway 2000 -free

commodore 64 monitor 5.00

 

 

No way! I got a Jag last year, I figured it was broken because nothing happened when I turned it on without a game. Now I just have to get a game to really test it out.

[Dusk2600]

i took my old jag apart for no reason because of that.

 

todays finds...

 

bomberman 64 and mario kart for n64 -5.00 for both

 

TMNT 1,golf,metroid and firefighter for 2600 all for .75

 

super c,punchout,ninja gaiden 1.00 each

 

mario all stars mario kart Snes, battle toads super gameboy 6.00

 

tv 2.50

 

promotional wendys or bk game of mario kart for gba, neat little nick nack .25

 

Dead pufferfish 1.00 dont ask

 

bunch of picture frames, 1 vhs tape,pocket dictionary electronic thing, bunch of knives, coffee mugs ect for free

 

Decent finds today mostly for resale.

Edited June 11, 2006 by Dusk2600

[Seob]

Got a Namco Pac-land lcd game for 5 euro with manual.

[BeerGnome]

Dead pufferfish 1.00 dont ask

no need to ask. witha avitatr of ICP why woldn't you be interested in a dead puffy spiny fish?

 

heres the thing though.. dpending on the size.. you can turn it into a lamp!

 

use a low wattage bulb and drilla hole in its back to allow the blub to pass though..

 

a favored trick of many a local polynisain theme resturant

[Prodos8]

Found a boxed CV for $10. The DK cartridge was missing, but everything else seemed to be included. The box is most likely a total loss though.

 

I cleaned her up and tried playing the only CV game I have, Cosmic Avenger. It works but the video suffers from terrible RF interference and the audio chanel has constant white noise - though the sound effects play. I'm guessing the RF modulator is bad or getting that way.

[+FujiSkunk]

It works but the video suffers from terrible RF interference and the audio chanel has constant white noise - though the sound effects play. I'm guessing the RF modulator is bad or getting that way.

 

If it's an older TV, you can try messing with the fine tuning. If it's a newer TV, the fine tuning may be messing with you. I've discovered that some TVs that have automatic fine tuning will only fine tune for a few seconds after the channel is changed. So, if you change the channel before turning the console on, and you get a bad picture, changing the channel away and then back again sometimes clears it up. This may not be the right solution in your case, but it's one more thing to try, at least.

[Bruce Tomlin]

So I went up to Dallas last weekend for an anime convention, and of course I made a point of going by a few places. I don't have everything handy to make a list right now, but here are the high points:

 

On Thursday on the way up through Waco, I found a Kirby board game (Wendy's kids meal toy), which I think was missing two counter pieces. I passed by a Pioneer DV-333 DVD player for $5 because they wouldn't let me test it (I wouldn't even have bothered to ask except I had the right kind of cord in my truck).

 

On Friday I went by the DAV thrift and found an un-yellowed SNES for five bucks. I also got an old tripod for $7 and a Linksys router for $5 (the kind with the coaxial power plug, not that stupid three-pin power plug).

 

After that I headed straight back to the hotel, but I was driving a different way back than the previous time and I spotted "Irving Thrift". That has to be one of the most ghetto thrifts I've seen. But then I noticed two more across the street. I had been looking for a plain red tie for an anime costume and you wouldn't believe how hard that is. I had already passed over one which was all red except it had a St. Andrews golf logo embroidered on it. So anyhow, I go across the street to the Salvation Army and found one for a buck that had a pattern which disappeared at three feet. Then I walk to the off-brand thrift nearby and sure enough, in the last thrift I was going to try, I found one, for another dollar.

 

On the way out on Sunday, I made a point of going by the Trader's Village flea market. I knew this place was supposed to be big, but it was about ten times as big as I expected. And nobody had told me that avoiding sunburn would be a major issue. A couple hours later on the way home I saw a bank sign reading 105 degrees! I found mostly SNES and N64 stuff, usually for more than I was willing to pay, but I did find two N64 games with box and instructions for $5 each, Goldeneye and something else, with a Goldeneye hint book.

 

I also found a copy of Basic Games by Steven H Ahl for a buck, and the guy said "you like old stuff right? I forgot to put some stuff out", after which he pulls out this black garbage bag full of crappy '90s-era bargain-bin PC software. Uh, no thanks.

 

Then after that I found a great gasoline price at a nearby Race Trac station ($2.63 when everywhere else was $2.75-$2.79), so I stopped to fill up, and noticed that one of my car turn lights had fallen off (delayed damage from a parking lot pillar scrape a few months ago) and was hanging by the wire. I stopped at that electronics discount place a couple miles east, and got some tape to stick over it. (It didn't stay in place all the way back, but it didn't fall off either. So now I've gotta find a way to fix it right. It's sort of held on with a bit of wire right now.) They were having a sale, and books were 80% off, so I got a couple of strategy guides, along with two of the remaining five copies of Shove It for Genesis. And someone had bought up all the rest of the Lynx Qix cartridges there, which makes little sense even with the slight discount for them.

 

At that point it was getting late and I was unhappy about my light, so I only stopped at Thrift Town, which had some 2600 and O^2 commons and a Playstation-style famiclone that I passed on, then I got on the road and was home before sundown.

[A.J. Franzman]

It works but the video suffers from terrible RF interference and the audio chanel has constant white noise - though the sound effects play. I'm guessing the RF modulator is bad or getting that way.

If it's an older TV, you can try messing with the fine tuning. If it's a newer TV, the fine tuning may be messing with you.

Another possibility is a bad RF cable - check it for any signs of kinking or pinching.

[Bruce Tomlin]

I stopped by the Goodwill salvage place after work. I found a bunch (36) of clear VHS cases with only one of those tape hub nubs, so you can fit a 2600/Coleco cart inside, though these weren't the kind with oversleeves. I already had at least a dozen or so of the same kind. Then I found a 2600 cart. Barnstorming. Ha ha, yep, some of those do show up from time to time. Then I find a copy of Crash Dive and I'm really feeling good. Then Space Invaders and Combat, yeah, ha ha.

 

Then I go over to the next bin where someone has stacked a few of them up in the corner. On top was... Rescue Terra I. As in the R9 game that I already have three copies of and two instructions for. I ended up with eight 2600 carts, six of them common for a quarter each.

 

I also found yet another non-yellowed SNES for five bucks, but this one was dirty on top and I'll have to open it up and clean it.

[BeerGnome]

some fun finds bruce.. but I want to address your signal light issue..

 

I don't know how extensive the damage to the light and the surrounding body work is..

 

but..

 

you might want to try getting a load of some bathroom tub and tile caulking/ silocone sealant, and use that to stick the houseing back in place.

not only is the stuf sticky and depending, dries clear..

its also weather proof.

nothing beats a proper fix, but this could help you on your way till then