Ze_ro Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 I'm sure a lot of you have gotten to the same point as I have, where finding new games at thrift stores and pawn shops has pretty much tricked off. Finding new copies of Asteroids and Pacman isn't exactly what I'm looking for anymore, so I'm gradually starting to turn to eBay for my games. This raises the question: How much of your collection was found in the wild? The majority of my collection was found in the wild, though some of my more interesting cartridges were eBay deals. I know most people here have mixed feelings towards eBay, but it can't be denied that it's a powerful source for games that are otherwise too hard to find. It's too bad that it's so expensive at times (One of the cartridges I was tracking... King Kong by Tigervision... ended up breaking $30! That's a bit much for a crappy version of Donkey Kong in my opinion...) --Zero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 100% the "wild", baby! And will remain that way. Screw paying upwards of $30 for 25 year old games. Don't get me started on e-bay, Stan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genki Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 eBay only if I really wanted the game. Fortunately most of the rare games aren't very good so I'll stick to the wild for crappy games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel D. Park Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 I got many of my early games in the wild, probably %50 of my stuff. Then I got a large chunk by trading with folks. I have bought games off ebay, but I don't buy alot of single games I usually buy a large lot that has more than one item I'm intersted in, then I can sell off stuff I don't need. It's worked out pretty well, but I'm pretty sure I don't make a profit, I doubt I break even. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco(2) Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 I have no problem with Ebay at all. Contrary popular believe, Ebay has not only brought us an enless supply of games, it has also (because of the enless supply) caused prices to drop on 95% of games. I know I won't find any NTSC, Brazilian, or Australian games overhere in Holland, so Ebay is an important source for me. Cheers, Marco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 I'm certainly guilty of spending too much money on eBay in the Quest for Carts. I rarely find items in the wild, not counting the stereotypical Combat and Pac-Man carts. If it wasn't for eBay, my collection would be much smaller than it is today. Of course, my wallet would be much fatter. Overall I think eBay has been a good thing and it's certainly attracted attention to the hobby by people who just happen to stumble upon a classic-gaming auction. Plus as people go through their attics and garages cleaning them up and putting their Atari 2600 collections on eBay, we have a larger assortment of potential new toys to browse through. It also gives owners of rare games (and I mean rare, not L@@K RARE!) a marketplace to sell their games where a large number of eyeballs will look at it, meaning they'll fetch a fair value. Because of this, collectors have the opportunity to buy many rare games that otherwise would be impossible to locate or trade for. Sure, you may need deep pockets in some cases, but it's better than not having that avenue available at all. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco(2) Posted October 23, 2001 Share Posted October 23, 2001 I use eBay as a regular hunting ground. Sometimes I buy stuff there that I can use in trades. Sometimes it takes several cycles before I actually get something that I can add to my collection. I would: 1. find a game at a fleamarket 2. sell it on eBay 3. use that money to buy other games off eBay 4. use those games to trade 5. use the games from the trade in another trade or sale 6. trade or buy something I actually need myself These cycles come up in many different forms. What it comes down too is knowing your "markets" and having a big network of buyers, sellers and traders. Man, this hobby is so much fun! Cheers, Marco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariDude Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 For myself, I have yet to find any Atari cartridges of any sort in the wild. People don't seem to want to bother since they must feel that it wouldn't sell so my entire collection has been from Ebay so far. I would love to have something like some of you have experienced where you go to a thrift store and find a game sitting on a shelf somewhere but so far I haven't found anything here at all in South Florida. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylentwulf Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 I'm a total ebayer. I can't bring myself to pay for esnipe and other services, they're great, and I loved using them while they were free. but now that I am trying to work at home and take care of the kids, hundreds of auctions with ebay fee's, paypal fee's, post office fee's, and everything else, there's NO WAY I'm paying for sniping too Don't get me wrong, if you don't bid too often, it's great I DO find games in the wild, but I started a little too late, and I NEVER buy individual carts on ebay. If I see a cart I need I make sure it's in a lot that I can sell off. I've gotten at least 75% of my classic game items off of ebay, which is QUITE a lot considering how much I have so far, and I haven't really paid more than $1 an item.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 Ben, man, that is so deep. I have more fun looking for stuff in the wild and making trades. Sure it gets frustrating, but that makes finding something all the more rewarding. I guess I enjoy the hunt as much as the capture. Atari Field and Stream, Stan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 quote: Originally posted by StanJr: I have more fun looking for stuff in the wild and making trades. Sure it gets frustrating, but that makes finding something all the more rewarding. I guess I enjoy the hunt as much as the capture. I agree, it is more enjoyable to actually go out into the Real World to hunt down games. I used to have fun manually sniping eBay auctions at the last second, but I rarely do that any more with the advent of services like eSnipe (which I gladly pay for). I'd rather spend my time doing other things than sitting on eBay auctions waiting for them to end. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSmirk Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 The only issue I have with Ebay auctions are the fact that the shipping can cost more than the item you've won. For Example: $3.00 winning bid + $3.55 shipping = $6.55 for what is in essence a $3 cart.....that kind of math I don't enjoy! You can always do alot more in the wild, but the wild has some scarce finds anymore. I have better luck at garage sales now than flea markets (which used to be excellent) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 quote: Originally posted by TheSmirk: The only issue I have with Ebay auctions are the fact that the shipping can cost more than the item you've won. For Example: $3.00 winning bid + $3.55 shipping = $6.55 for what is in essence a $3 cart.....that kind of math I don't enjoy! This is quite true. If there's a low-dollar cart that I'm interested in bidding on, I usually look to see if the seller has any other items I'm interested in. I don't mind the $3.50+ (usually Priority Mail) shipping if I win several items, but for anything under $10 that's a rather large percentage of the item's value! I shudder to think how much I've spent just on shipping over the years. But I guess it's cheaper than gas to drive to all these remote locations. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangles66 Posted October 24, 2001 Share Posted October 24, 2001 Easy for me to say 98% of my collection is from "the wild". I have no problem with e-bay, although i have only gotton a couple of carts from e-bay I would pay almost whatever it takes if there was a game i wanted on e-bay and i could not find it in the wild. but at this point there's not a game that i want bad enough to pay more than a few dollars for. there are certainly games that i'll never have unless i do find them in the wild, but that's just because i don't want to pay a big amount for a game just to say i have it. I buy/collect games to play them. Not including when i bought games for my atati back in the early Eighties and ok like alot of people sold it at my own yard sale (nothing rare at least) except for those 4 way guides of the 5200 controllers.--great for pacman. i have never paid more than eight dollars for a single game, and don't intend to. LOVE THE HUNT OF "THE WILD" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Atari Posted October 26, 2001 Share Posted October 26, 2001 I do whatever it takes to get the game I want (Even if it means saving up until I can afford something even slightly rare )! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philnyy Posted October 27, 2001 Share Posted October 27, 2001 you cant't beat ebay. it's a giant store with a constantly changing never ending inventory. i just don't know where some of these people get their shipping rates from- i think they just make them up. i've seen rates from $1.25 to $6 - for one cartridge! on one cart i bought i asked the seller if it could be shipped for less. the jerk actually said no because since the item was sold for so little (a few $) he used inflated shipping prices to help himself make a profit. pretty pathetic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atari70s Posted October 27, 2001 Share Posted October 27, 2001 something needs to be said about the wild over ebay. i got a game ET for 1.65+ 2.00 shipping. but get crazy climber for 80 cents in the wild pitfall 1 for 1.25 +1.25 shipping or othello (sears Pacman sears berxerk sears ( and 4 different cart holders (3.00) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted October 27, 2001 Share Posted October 27, 2001 quote: Originally posted by philnyy: on one cart i bought i asked the seller if it could be shipped for less. the jerk actually said no because since the item was sold for so little (a few $) he used inflated shipping prices to help himself make a profit. Reason # 19 that ebay is inherently evil. Humanity is replete with unscrupulous types who would poison the well just to see what color you will puke. Pessimist Stan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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