Where to go from here?

[Canuck]

I'am not sure if this question was asked before but here goes. Where do you turn when all the spots, (thrift stores, Flea Markets, Garage sales, Friends, Family, Co-workers...etc ) are always turn up with nothing. I know there is always ebay but I can never seem to win an auction, out-bidded at the last second. Basically the fustration level is high when I go out and look and look and nothing. Day after day, week after week, month after month nothing. It's coming to a point where I'am ready to stop trying the hunt is becoming to painful. It's been four months and no finds, my collection is at 208 different 2600 titles and it's harder to find games anymore. It seems to be there is an underground atari organization picking up all the games no matter the rarity. There was a time when I would go out to the local thrift shops and see an E.T. or Pac-Man but nothing now. Where do you go from here?

[ozyr]

Just learn to deal with it. It the same thing in my area - if I find anything in a 6 month period, it's just a few commons, with a price of $2 each!

 

There are just so many carts out there, and I get the impression that most collectors have snapped them up. Of course I keep looking, just in case I might miss that one great deal!!!

[SteveW]

I just think there's swarms of eBay losers sweeping across the thrift stores and pawn shops like a plague of locusts on a wheat field. They snatch up anything and everything that might have some value, and resell it on eBay for a ridiculous profit. I should have started checking thrift stores years ago, but have only started looking in those places this year. And I haven't found anything. Not a single 2600 game. The only classic era game I ever found was Super Breakout for the Atari 5200.

[ozyr]

Thrift store by me have something every week, but it's just commons (combat, ET, etc). And they are always marked at $2 or more!!!

[ussexplorer]

I passed by to much stuff but when those atari carts starting hitting the thrift stores a few years back. I just started picking them up right and left. TO bad I didn't do that with a few other items. Like Apple comptuers and stuff. Now just a few years later thanks to mostly ebay. That stuff is selling for 3 times more than what it was priced at the thrift store.

 

 

laters.....

[ATARIPITBULL]

You could always try places like www.atari2600.com www.worldofatari.com and a few others around.

 

[Room 34]

I have never found anything good "hunting" around Atlanta. I'm guessing that stuff might be had in smaller towns, but in the big metro areas it's all pretty much gone, with the hobby growing as it is, and with the proliferation of "professional" eBay sellers.

 

eBay is pretty much the only way to go now, but I've even gotten to a point where the only 2600 stuff I see on eBay is stuff I either already have or am not willing to bid high enough on to win. The days of 10 cent carts at the thrift store are long gone...

[SimonTemplar]

I'am not sure if this question was asked before but here goes. Where do you turn when all the spots, (thrift stores, Flea Markets, Garage sales, Friends, Family, Co-workers...etc ) are always turn up with nothing. I know there is always ebay but I can never seem to win an auction, out-bidded at the last second. Basically the fustration level is high when I go out and look and look and nothing. Day after day, week after week, month after month nothing. It's coming to a point where I'am ready to stop trying the hunt is becoming to painful. It's been four months and no finds, my collection is at 208 different 2600 titles and it's harder to find games anymore. It seems to be there is an underground atari organization picking up all the games no matter the rarity. There was a time when I would go out to the local thrift shops and see an E.T. or Pac-Man but nothing now. Where do you go from here?

 

 

Buy rare atari carts using "buy it now" on Ebay or visit www.atari2600.com.

[Clock]

I know there is always ebay but I can never seem to win an auction, out-bidded at the last second.

 

That's because you haven't learned how to play the game of eBay

 

Seriously 95% of my collection came from eBay and I don't spend much - I just play the game well. :wink:

[Rick Weis]

Where do you go from here?

 

have you tried making some trades/or buying on Atariage in the marketplace? post your wantlist and items you have, you might be able to make a few trades.

 

Take care and good luck!

 

Rick

[bjk7382]

I know there is always ebay but I can never seem to win an auction, out-bidded at the last second.

 

That's because you haven't learned how to play the game of eBay

 

Seriously 95% of my collection came from eBay and I don't spend much - I just play the game well. :wink:

 

I have gotten almost 100% of my collection off of ebay. And I have found some pretty good deals. Such as a Starplex Game-Selex for 28.00, and private eye for 3.25, and lots of other stuff.

[Redcurrie]

Where do you go from here?

 

have you tried making some trades/or buying on Atariage in the marketplace? post your wantlist and items you have, you might be able to make a few trades.

 

Take care and good luck!

 

Rick

 

I agree, try the Marketplace. I have tons of carts and always reply to someone that posts a WTB in the Marketplace if I have the cart. I don't know about most people but I'll gladly sell any R3 or less on my trade list and some others if asked. It never hurts to ask...the worst that will happen is that someone won't reply.

 

Laura

[ATARI TROLL]

If it makes anyone feel better. My advice place an add in a newspaper that says wanted anything atari 2600 or something of that nature. Believe this or not, this happened a week ago for me. I forgot to post this another lucky score for the Troll. My wife is a graphic desinger for a newspaper. She did place such an add with her cell number. She only did it for a filler spot in her classifieds section. The day the newspaper was sent out she received a call from an older lady (maybe early 80s). Cool thing was she asked us to stop by that she had a system and a few games. Drove over and she invited us in to her home. To be short she gave us a 2600 woody, three games (TELEGAMES, Not the sears TELEGAMES). Titles are Bowling, Pokerplus, and of course Pacman. She said she would call us when she found her 50 or so games that were hiding in a box in her attic. My jaw dropped after that statement. I proceeded to write her a check and asked how much she wanted for everything, she insisted nothing. I refused to take it two or three times. She said no, that she wouldn't accept money for taking the sytem off her hands as well as the games when she finds the others. My point is this..Luck runs your way sooner or later in the 2600 collecting world. I think we set our aim a little high hoping for rarities. I think its just cool to find something in the wild. You will find some soon.

 

Though I'd share this one

[Canuck]

I'll try the market place an the site that where posted and see what happens. I guess we all need a little kick in the ass now and then to stay focus on the hunt and the finds in the wild. I called the local newspaper and placed an ad (thanks atari troll). See what happens now. I'll get a list of commons that I still need and will post them on the market place forum.

HOW do you "play the game" to win on ebay?(Clock)

[ElephantStyle]

Years ago when I was on dialup, I put an ad on my isp's classified section. I scored a complete colecovision system with a dozen games from one person, and from another, a 2600 with about 20 games - one of which was bumper bash!!

Currently, my stepdad has a volunteer job with a local thrift store. He tests out all the electronics and electrical. He gets me over every Sunday (leaving for there soon) and I help him with the video games and computers - which he knows nothing about. Needless to say, I get first pick

I've been doing this since the spring. SNES systems and games are coming in like crazy. 2600 carts are pretty rare, but usually come in at 10-15 at a time about once a month. Not many nes. A broken saturn a couple of weeks ago. Game gears are more regular than genesis. Colecovisions come in left and right, but never with many games, yet often with lots of periperals.

[mos6507]

It's unrealistic to expect a constant and steady stream of Atari items to wind up in thrift stores from here to eternity.

 

It went through a cycle. I think the mid 90s were probably the top end of the cycle as far as people flushing out their old 8-bit game systems. It was pre-Ebay and at a time when the general public thought these systems had ZERO resell value..

 

There simply isn't an endless supply of 2600s in storage waiting to be donated anymore.

 

At this late stage I think most of the stuff that is likely to wind up in a thrift store has already been sent to a thrift store. Whatever remains is going to either stay in storage indefinitely, get thrown out, or wind up on Ebay. I think most of the public now is aware that these things have value.

 

We're going to have to accept a collector's market sooner or later. If you want something, get it from another collector at fair collector's value. The days of picking up Quadruns and Chase the Chuckwagons at Goodwill for 50c each are over.

[jhd]

It's unrealistic to expect a constant and steady stream of Atari items to wind up in thrift stores from here to eternity.

 

It went through a cycle.  I think the mid 90s were probably the top end of the cycle as far as people flushing out their old 8-bit game systems.  It was pre-Ebay and at a time when the general public thought these systems had ZERO resell value..

 

Excellent analysis!

 

When I started collecting in the late 1980's, there were tons of consoles and games available at rummage sales and listed in the classifieds for dirst-cheap prices. I did not discover thrift shops until somewhat later.

 

Question: Do you think this cycle will repeat? What about the SNES, N64, Dreamcast, Saturn, etc. Do you think it will start appearing in thrift shops, or will it go directly from the original owner to E-Bay and/or used game shops?

[SimonTemplar]

I always look at the newly listed buy-it-now`s on ebay. That is how I buy most of my games now. Try to look for quality instead of quantity. I just don`t see the point in buying games that are anything less than rarity 5`s on ebay. Market is already flooded with combats, pac-mans, defenders and missile commands. These titles will never increase in value.In fact, they will loose value in the future.

[Dolt]

Do you think this cycle will repeat? What about the SNES, N64, Dreamcast, Saturn, etc. Do you think it will start appearing in thrift shops, or will it go directly from the original owner to E-Bay and/or used game shops?

 

Absolutely--it just depends on luck, like usual. In September, I spent one Saturday morning going to Garage Sales. I found one where I got 6 N64 games for $5. About 8 sales later, I found a kid who was selling his N64 games for $10 each... He actually had one I wanted and when I tried to buy it, he realized he wasn't ready to part with his games just yet. Frankly, I hope he keeps that attitude and holds on to his games for 20 years so that he's a collector like us!

 

Anyway, the point is, Funcoland will always be there for people to sell their games to, but there will also always be uneducated moms who will sell you half a dozen of their kids' games for $5!

[R.Cade]

I spent some time rumaging the thrifts in northeast Atlanta about 7-10 years ago and found lots of stuff. Unfortunately, I moved to Augusta where there is never a single cart anywhere, ever.

 

Pete

[kyle]

Take out ads in newspapers and put up wanted notes on bulletin boards. Thats what i do when i hit a dry spell and it always has worked for me! Also try pawn shops.

[christianscott27]

when all else fails i suck it up and go to a gamestore, its winter here and that means no fleas and yard sales so i feel your pain. seriously i goto a gamestop, EB or an indy shop and get my fix. my $$ doesnt go as far and i tend to pick games i really plan to play, that or i just fill in holes in my SNES, genny, NES collections. i was on a hotstreak over the summer finds wise and now i'm in the pits but it always turns around. on the other hand, the bigger your collection gets the less stuff you'll need/buy. to think i was once excited about getting commando raid and journey escape...

[sku_u]

It's unrealistic to expect a constant and steady stream of Atari items to wind up in thrift stores from here to eternity.

 

It went through a cycle.  I think the mid 90s were probably the top end of the cycle as far as people flushing out their old 8-bit game systems.  It was pre-Ebay and at a time when the general public thought these systems had ZERO resell value..

 

There simply isn't an endless supply of 2600s in storage waiting to be donated anymore.

 

At this late stage I think most of the stuff that is likely to wind up in a thrift store has already been sent to a thrift store.  Whatever remains is going to either stay in storage indefinitely, get thrown out, or wind up on Ebay.  I think most of the public now is aware that these things have value.

 

We're going to have to accept a collector's market sooner or later.  If you want something, get it from another collector at fair collector's value.  The days of picking up Quadruns and Chase the Chuckwagons at Goodwill for 50c each are over.

 

I have to agree with this statement. By me, the Atari scene is all but dried up, but I am now coming across tons of NES and SNES titles, with the occasional SMS and Genesis titles thrown in. Today, I went to my local Salvation Army and there was a box of about 400 NES titles. Nothing of major value, but still a lot of games that I did not have. I ended up picking up 43 games at $2.00 a game.

 

I'm going to start buying up as many NES games as I can while they are still plentiful. Who knows? In a few years, some of them may be desirable, or, at the very least, something to use as tradebait.

[Mord]

I have to agree with this statement.  By me, the Atari scene is all but dried up, but I am now coming across tons of NES and SNES titles, with the occasional SMS and Genesis titles thrown in.  Today, I went to my local Salvation Army and there was a box of about 400 NES titles.  Nothing of major value, but still a lot of games that I did not have.  I ended up picking up 43 games at $2.00 a game.

 

I'm going to start buying up as many NES games as I can while they are still plentiful.  Who knows?  In a few years, some of them may be desirable, or, at the very least, something to use as tradebait.

 

Already ahead of you. Been hitting the stores and flea markets and yard sales in town most of the year, planning on taking a look at various online places as well soon.

 

Still, I've been fairly fortunate finding Atari 2600 things in 2003, it's where I've found all the atari stuff I currently own. About 33 games, and two consoles. At this point, if I see carts or consoles from previous generations I try to snap'em up.

 

--

Mord

[Malc74]

The best way to get stuff nowadays is simply to draw attention to yourself as a collector. There are probably still loads of people out there who have machines and games stuffed in cupboards and basements, but no idea that anyone would want them. The best thing to do is to put out ads and spread the word amongst friends, family and workmates. With any luck you'll catch the eye of a few people who'll be more than happy to give you their stuff for free, or take a token amount for it.