Originally Posted by FOnewearl Auction Hunters is another show like Storage Wars. I actually heard about it as somebody was telling me about an Atari that was mentioned on it (S1E4 Strated For Cash). It seems as if it's always Atari 2600 on any of these types of shows and I figure because it was the first really popular home console system. Details about the Atari found on the show - They win a storage space with what was mostly computer stuff, as they are checking it out they find a box 2600 in the back of the mess of stuff. Don't show them selling it but mention twice that it's worth $250 (one time saying "up to $250"). I was thinking it would only sell for that much to somebody if it was sealed and what price they could stretch it for would depend on the condition of the box.

I believe there was a specific model of Atari 2600 that was worth some money a while ago called the Darth Vader model. It was a six switch one with a black faceplate on the front of it that says Atari 2600 on it. I think I had the more common four switch model when I was a kid, which I sold off to some kids in the one housing project while visiting a buddy of mine's one nephew with him about 15 years ago.

At least I'm hoping it was the more common 4 switch model and not the DV model. Then again I dumpster dived like 90-95% of the games I had for it from a garbage can when the kids around here were leaving the local university for summer break. They used to leave piles of clothes in bags at the curb as well. Most of them still had tags on them.

Well, I ended up passing out drunk in my car at 3 AM last night, so no yard saling today.

Originally Posted by IAmTheCheapestGamer I believe there was a specific model of Atari 2600 that was worth some money a while ago called the Darth Vader model. It was a six switch one with a black faceplate on the front of it that says Atari 2600 on it. I think I had the more common four switch model when I was a kid, which I sold off to some kids in the one housing project while visiting a buddy of mine's one nephew with him about 15 years ago. At least I'm hoping it was the more common 4 switch model and not the DV model. Then again I dumpster dived like 90-95% of the games I had for it from a garbage can when the kids around here were leaving the local university for summer break. They used to leave piles of clothes in bags at the curb as well. Most of them still had tags on them.

I had one of those...I may have given it to a friend for his b-day about 10 years ago when video games weren't collectible, yet were still cool to own. I'll have to check my Atari stash.


On a side note...My brother and I both had Atari Club jackets that we had to mail away for back in the day. They are probably worth hundreds now. I think my mom donated them in the mid to late 90s. They were bright Silver windbreakers with lining and Adidas style stripes on the arms and an Atari logo on the chest.

Originally Posted by slowdive21 I would like to add I am addicted to the show "Storage Wars" about storage space auctions. I wanted to get into those, but now everyone will be there.

There is a Storage Wars marathon tonite. I managed to catch an on-demand episode (Time-Warner cable). Pretty good stuff . . . the one I saw had the midget with the stilts. How on earth did the guy get a storage locker with a mini-car?? The guy buying $20,000 worth of kitchen equipment for $2600 was pretty good . . . in that case you could see the value right away.

Originally Posted by schultzed There is a Storage Wars marathon tonite. I managed to catch an on-demand episode (Time-Warner cable). Pretty good stuff . . . the one I saw had the midget with the stilts. How on earth did the guy get a storage locker with a mini-car?? The guy buying $20,000 worth of kitchen equipment for $2600 was pretty good . . . in that case you could see the value right away.

I watched a few episodes of that show and I think a lot of the "finds" were planted. In one of the episodes I watched, the guy who never changes his outfit (Jared, I think... the guy in the JNCO shorts with the "Outlaw" shirt) bought a locker he thought was a flop. It was filled with a dirty couch, several empty shoe boxes, some old food, rat poop and... a safe from the 1900s that was gold plated. Um, no. There's no reason that safe would be in that locker. The only explanation is that it was planted by the show's producers. It just stuck out like a sore thumb and did not fit in that locker in any sense.

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Originally Posted by Doomstink I watched a few episodes of that show and I think a lot of the "finds" were planted. In one of the episodes I watched, the guy who never changes his outfit (Jared, I think... the guy in the JNCO shorts with the "Outlaw" shirt) bought a locker he thought was a flop. It was filled with a dirty couch, several empty shoe boxes, some old food, rat poop and... a safe from the 1900s that was gold plated. Um, no. There's no reason that safe would be in that locker. The only explanation is that it was planted by the show's producers. It just stuck out like a sore thumb and did not fit in that locker in any sense.

I don't think they plant stuff...The show is scripted though. That locker was in Inglewood. Most likely it was either broken into or the renter cleaned it out knowing they were not going to pay the rental bill. In either case anything of value was already removed, except for the safe because of the weight (Or the person that cleaned it out was not aware the safe was worth anything).

i watched most of the marathon of storage wars last night and defintely like the show, its very scripted though like pawn stars and american pickers

Had a good haul yesterday, went to two different swap meets and a couple pawn shops.

http://i52.tinypic.com/19seoo.jpg
NES + 2 controllers and these 11 games:
SMB/DH
Pinball
Wrestlemania Challenge
Super Pitfall
TMNT
Bases Loaded II
Tiny Toon Adventures
Tiny Toon Adventures 2
Stinger
TMNT Arcade Game
Days of Thunder

$8 total. This was at the swap meet on the reservation, would've been gone in a second and priced more at the other swap meet.

http://i56.tinypic.com/wuo10x.jpg
Spyro: Ripto's Rage - $1 Dirty as hell but should be fine when I replace the case
Contra Hard Corps - $2
Super Mario World - $2
Super Metroid - $5
TI-83 Plus Calculator - $3
Leapster game (sealed) - $2

http://i56.tinypic.com/2mdnm21.jpg
$23 total for all the Xbox games and Luigi's Mansion pictured above, none of them have manuals.

http://i51.tinypic.com/ou5pxz.jpg
$20 for everything above, GBC game is oracle of seasons. one KOTOR doesn't have the manual.

http://i55.tinypic.com/auv69s.jpg
$5 ea for Psychonauts and Ninja Gaiden Black. $6 ea for Klonoa 2 and Godzilla, $3 for DKR, $8 for KOTOR (no manual)

Not pictured is a GBA Gameshark for $5

Originally Posted by slowdive21 I don't think they plant stuff...The show is scripted though. That locker was in Inglewood. Most likely it was either broken into or the renter cleaned it out knowing they were not going to pay the rental bill. In either case anything of value was already removed, except for the safe because of the weight (Or the person that cleaned it out was not aware the safe was worth anything).

The problem is that the safe didn't fit in that locker in any context. Nothing else in the locker was similar to that safe, so I can't see why it was in there. Maybe a newer, crappier safe, but not a vintage early 1900s gold-plated safe. Why would someone have that in a locker they are storing food and shoes in?

Originally Posted by Doomstink The problem is that the safe didn't fit in that locker in any context. Nothing else in the locker was similar to that safe, so I can't see why it was in there. Maybe a newer, crappier safe, but not a vintage early 1900s gold-plated safe. Why would someone have that in a locker they are storing food and shoes in?

I dunno if the item was as strange as the condition it was in. It's one thing for a horder to pick up the odd broken-down collectible (speaking from familial observations here), but for something like that (identifiable etchings 'n' fancy lettering, the door wasn't falling off or rusted shut, etc.) most people would have at least tried a pawn or antique shop.

Originally Posted by slowdive21 I don't think they plant stuff...The show is scripted though. That locker was in Inglewood. Most likely it was either broken into or the renter cleaned it out knowing they were not going to pay the rental bill. In either case anything of value was already removed, except for the safe because of the weight (Or the person that cleaned it out was not aware the safe was worth anything).

I finally saw the "safe" episode. I think this is a pretty logical explanation--the safe was viewed as too heavy to deal with--"we'll come back for it later"--which never happens.

I agree that the safe was out of place but if you've gone to enough rummage sales you know that this is a real possibility. I've seen sales with a bunch of absolute junk and then one valuable item that is totally out of place.

If you want examples of the improbable, what are the odds that someone will leave behind a $4000 coin collection in a storage locker???

I think the real problem with the show is that they are (for the most part) just showing us "sexy" highlights collected over months of taping. We are not seeing the duds . . . there must be numerous examples of poor purchases that don't fit the narratives.

Originally Posted by slowdive21 I would like to add I am addicted to the show "Storage Wars" about storage space auctions. I wanted to get into those, but now everyone will be there.

Back to your original post . . . this show will great for the storage auction business but not for the people who have been doing this stuff for years. There will so many newbies driving up prices for the next 2 years.

Originally Posted by schultzed If you want examples of the improbable, what are the odds that someone will leave behind a $4000 coin collection in a storage locker???

The only way I can explain is the person either died or couldn't get a loan from friends, family, or a financial institution. If I had something in storage of value I would definitely find somone to borrow the money from, especially if it is cost effective to do so.

Storage Wars is fake according to the Internet (shiver), just like Operation Repo and many others.

Went to a big indoor yard sale today in Cape Girardeau.

Snagged a ziploc bag filled with Atari games (14) for $5. Don't have an Atari, but plan on making some cool wall art out of them. Had duplicates of Frogger and Donkey Kong plus an unlabeled one. Condition is fair mostly.

Saw lots of gaming stuff but nothing I had to own at the prices they were asking.

Wtf is up with everyone garage saleing all of a sudden, maybe it's our high unemployment rate. The sales around here are getting loaded.

Found mega man 8 $1 - overpaid - disc only and scratched to shit.

Yard sale / pawn shop finds:

Pikmin no manual
Animal Crossing no manual
$3 total

PS2 slim w/ cords, controllers, 7 crappy games - $8

Buffy Chaos Bleeds Xbox - $5
Left 4 Dead 2 disc only - $5

Beyond Good and Evil PC CIB - $3.5
Red Dead Revolver Xbox disc only - $2.5

I sense I will be posting here a lot. I didn't get much last year (mostly books and a Sega Genesis) but I'm definitely doing a lot more this year.

I'm not a huge collector but I got Final Fantasy VII at a garage sale for $5. I felt pretty happy about that.

So, today was PC bigbox bonanza for me
I've posted the complete haul with pictures and a list of the stuff here, but for now I'll just leave you with this picture...

Originally Posted by bunnybum So, today was PC bigbox bonanza for me I've posted the complete haul with pictures and a list of the stuff here, but for now I'll just leave you with this picture...

Nice finds in there, seems like Planescape and Blood are just the beginning