Only yard sale news is that I missed a big indoor one today. Sad. :(

Someone even advertised on Craigslist they were going to have a booth with all sorts of video games.

Originally Posted by SaraAB Asking doesn't work for me, I have tried it a million times.

You've never even had somebody bring out or even mention something you weren't interested in at least, like last gen sports games? I know asking rarely pans out but looking back I'd be doing much worse if I wasn't asking and certain games I've only tripped over when I asked.

Originally Posted by Indigo_Streetlight I say it's always better to ask at low traffic sales, and in any other situation do a quick evaluation of the other customers before asking.

I pretty much do the same thing, if I see any face I know is a regular seller at the flea market I'll wait till they leave or skip asking. These sellers ain't even really your typical stereotype for a flea market video game reseller, the one guy I've passed on asking in front of used to have old games from time to time that he surely bought at yardsales most likely if they were dirt cheap (one time he had an NES with about 10 games and the box said "$1"! on it which I'm guessing he forgot to take off and is what he paid). I actually liked him grabbing stuff he tripped over since he would sell old cart games for a buck or two.

I also pass on asking in front of any other faces I see at yardsales I know are interested in video games.

Originally Posted by SaraAB Asking doesn't work for me, I have tried it a million times. I just end up confusing all the old ladies who ask what video games are. Its winter here, so there are no sales. I do ask if they seem to have a lot of electronics, or if they look like they are of proper age to own video games, but I don't ask everybody.

Im with you, I don't even bother with asking, it never pans out and usually you just get an awkward response. I've pretty much given up on local tag sales honestly, it's just too much work for too little reward when compared to the thrift stores.

Not to belittle anyone here, I've seen people on here make some really amazing finds, but I also see a lot of people post junk that they bought just for the sake of doing so. Just because it's a video game and it's cheap doesn't mean it should be bought. Like the previous poster who paid $30 for some junk 32X, Genesis, and NES games. It's cool if you're a collector who wants to buy games just for the sake of buying them, but you drove an hour, and paid $30 for mostly junk that should have been given away. I would have offered $10 for Wario, Rad Racer, and Shadowgate, and left the rest. Again, just my opinion, YMMV.

Originally Posted by spmahn Not to belittle anyone here, I've seen people on here make some really amazing finds, but I also see a lot of people post junk that they bought just for the sake of doing so. Just because it's a video game and it's cheap doesn't mean it should be bought. Like the previous poster who paid $30 for some junk 32X, Genesis, and NES games. It's cool if you're a collector who wants to buy games just for the sake of buying them, but you drove an hour, and paid $30 for mostly junk that should have been given away. I would have offered $10 for Wario, Rad Racer, and Shadowgate, and left the rest. Again, just my opinion, YMMV.

The thought process is: I can cover my costs if I buy "junk" and it is easy to get rid of. I am guilty of buying a lot of junk stuff, but it covers my gas, where I could hit 3 thrift stores in one day and literally come home with nothing.

It all depends on the area, the competition, and the initial supply. People on the coasts should be pulling the best stuff just based on sales volume and population density. I think in the Midwest most people realize the value of a dollar because they tend to have to work more for it.

Technology is a big part of it as well. If I were using a smartphone I would not have as much junk, but I would also be paying- What- $40 /month minimum on a 2yr contract? That is another sunk cost people have to consider when they are looking for the cream of the crop.

I know the post wasn't directed (possibly thinly veiled) at me, but I figured I would play devil's advocate.

Honestly If I lived where some of your guys live, I would have everything you post and probably 20%-30% of what you missed just based on my abilities, time spent, route planning, etc. I just don't know a lot about the value of games, so I buyz whats I seez.

Originally Posted by slowdive21 The thought process is: I can cover my costs if I buy "junk" and it is easy to get rid of. I am guilty of buying a lot of junk stuff, but it covers my gas, where I could hit 3 thrift stores in one day and literally come home with nothing. It all depends on the area, the competition, and the initial supply. People on the coasts should be pulling the best stuff just based on sales volume and population density. I think in the Midwest most people realize the value of a dollar because they tend to have to work more for it. Technology is a big part of it as well. If I were using a smartphone I would not have as much junk, but I would also be paying- What- $40 /month minimum on a 2yr contract? That is another sunk cost people have to consider when they are looking for the cream of the crop. I know the post wasn't directed (possibly thinly veiled) at me, but I figured I would play devil's advocate. Honestly If I lived where some of your guys live, I would have everything you post and probably 20%-30% of what you missed just based on my abilities, time spent, route planning, etc. I just don't know a lot about the value of games, so I buyz whats I seez.

I wasn't directing my post at anyone here specifically, just using specific examples that I see to explain why it is that I generally find tag sales to be dead ends for collecting and reselling, and a gateway to hoarding, and I don't mean El Hoardo who goes to Target on Monday and cleans out the discount rack for his Amazon Marketplace account, I'm talking A&E Cat Lady hoarding. We all laugh at the freaks they parade on these shows whose houses are full of crap, but I guarantee you in a few years, it'll be one of us on there (not us specifically, but you know what I mean) whose friends have to convince them that it's time to let go of the 800 boxes of video game crap he's bought over the years, and now has a house full of more "stuff" than he'll ever be able to play, watch, or do anything with in a lifetime. Again, I'm not judging, just giving a little insight on my opinions and though process.

There's certainly more to the economics of any situation than just "I paid X for this and sold it for Y, so my profit is Y - X". You need to factor in the cost of gas, the cost of time, the opportunity cost associated with going to tag sales instead of say, working, there's a lot of things that go into it. You need to factor in shipping costs, packaging costs, the amount of time it will take you to flip something, everything has a value associated with it, and I tend to find that with going to tag sales, even when you find the score of all scores, when the dust settles, you've still only broken even, and that's only on a good day.

Having a Smart Phone definitely helps, and while it may be a sunk cost to some, mine is always attached to my hip, and I'd be lost without it, I'm a hopeless junkie. I could probably write an essay on all the things I use my Smartphone throughout the day, and I find the $70 or so a month I pay for my iPhone plan to be worth every penny. While I've been at this game for a long time and generally have a good idea on which items make good flips, and which don't, the iPhone makes the game much easier now. On Wednesday, which is Target clearance day at Goodwill where all the returns or closeouts from Target get put out on the floor. Today at Goodwill, I found a Rapala's Fishing Game set for PS3 for $20 amongst some UDraw Tablet sets for Wii for $35. Using my phone, it took me two seconds to figure out that the PS3 Fishing game would flip on Amazon for around $50, while the UDraw Tablets were a bust only selling for $25 or so, so it makes hard decisions much easier. Totally worth it in the long run, it'll pay for itself.

I definitely agree that location has a lot to do with it. I see a lot of people here in Florida and California that make amazing finds, while here in Connecticut it's generally a bust. I have a friend who spends a lot of time going to tag sales in Fairfield county that are supposedly very lucrative, but it's still not enough for me to quit my day job.

Originally Posted by spmahn There's certainly more to the economics of any situation than just "I paid X for this and sold it for Y, so my profit is Y - X". You need to factor in the cost of gas, the cost of time, the opportunity cost associated with going to tag sales instead of say, working, there's a lot of things that go into it. You need to factor in shipping costs, packaging costs, the amount of time it will take you to flip something, everything has a value associated with it, and I tend to find that with going to tag sales, even when you find the score of all scores, when the dust settles, you've still only broken even, and that's only on a good day.

Good points here. I just donated a bunch of older pc and genesis stuff that I had no way of testing; it just wasn't worth trying to squeeze $10 out of it when I can sell one Nintendo game and get the same amount. Mistakes happen and you got to know when to let go.

Originally Posted by spmahn Not to belittle anyone here, I've seen people on here make some really amazing finds, but I also see a lot of people post junk that they bought just for the sake of doing so. Just because it's a video game and it's cheap doesn't mean it should be bought. Like the previous poster who paid $30 for some junk 32X, Genesis, and NES games. It's cool if you're a collector who wants to buy games just for the sake of buying them, but you drove an hour, and paid $30 for mostly junk that should have been given away. I would have offered $10 for Wario, Rad Racer, and Shadowgate, and left the rest. Again, just my opinion, YMMV.

Excuse me for posting what I bought even though it's not such a great deal... You have to understand that I buy this stuff for my own personal collection. I play every game I buy (yes, even the 32x games) and (with the exception of the pinball cart) it's cheaper for me to buy it there instead of eBay due to the shipping costs. (Also, Shining in the Darkness is far from junk.)

I thought the thread was for me to post my purchases, guess I'm mistaken. Will refrain from posting further unless I start buying NWC carts for $5...

Originally Posted by C0dy Excuse me for posting what I bought even though it's not such a great deal... You have to understand that I buy this stuff for my own personal collection. I play every game I buy (yes, even the 32x games) and (with the exception of the pinball cart) it's cheaper for me to buy it there instead of eBay due to the shipping costs. (Also, Shining in the Darkness is far from junk.) I thought the thread was for me to post my purchases, guess I'm mistaken. Will refrain from posting further unless I start buying NWC carts for $5...

I didn't say you were wrong, I said, if you're buying stuff for your own collection, then all the more power to you, that's great. I wasn't judging you or criticizing you, just using your post as an example for my argument. I go to tag sales and pawn shops to make a profit, it's a hobby, yes, but it also puts a little extra change in my pocket. I am generally not a collector, although I do have a soft spot in my heart for NES and SNES, but generally I won't buy something if I can't make money off of it. From my perspective as a reseller, your find was nothing special, there's nothing in that lot that's worth a whole lot, so I would have passed, that's all I am saying. From a collectors perspective, as long as you enjoy your games, that's all that matters. Rad Racer is an all time classic, and Wario's Woods is a forgotten underrated puzzle game. I'm not terribly keen on Genesis RPGs, and I'm not familiar with 32X other than the fact that Knuckles Chaotix and Spiderman are valuable, and most of the games for the system are uncommon. It's cool that people go to tag sales and buy things, it's just not my thing, and I am entitled to that opinion just as much as anyone else.

^Thanks for the clarification and I apologize for the pissy-sounding post. It's just a natural reaction for me because I hate being singled out I guess >_> I know you weren't attempting to offend me or anything but I still kinda took it that way. Sorry.

Anyway, my buddy offered to take me along for that sale so I didn't have to pay gas fees (though obviously I dropped him a few bucks out of courtesy.) I paid about $4.30 per game which is a great deal for me when I'm so used to overpriced retail game shops around here (they want $12 for a loose superman 64 >_>). I understand that to some of you the lot I bought may not be a great deal but it still saved me cash, and hey, isn't that what this site is all about?

I know for a fact that even with some of the gems I get my hands on during garage sale/flea market season, I probably come out in the red at the end. I'm pretty picky with what I grab, and I don't carry much cash to begin with.

The whole reason I do it is for fun (which I would underline if I knew how on my phone). I started doing it a few years ago when I was unemployed, and it helped me get out of bed in the morning. Even then, I didn't look at it at as a business, because I didn't want to turn into one of those obsessive guys on Storage Wars who absolutely have to find a treasure to pay the bills.

It's become so much more, since I still look at it as fun. I'm learning a little about fixing games, and any money I spend on games is not taken from my bank account (which my wife appreciates). I know there's gas and coffee costs and all that crap, but it beats the hell out of sitting at home on a beautiful morning.

Before I turn into a full-blown rant, I just want to say that I post On here for a few reasons. To brag a little, to keep a record, and sometimes, like most of us, to confirm that I picked up something cool. I'd start a lowball, but I don't know if my stuff would merit as much as interest as the stuff I see.

Originally Posted by C0dy ^Thanks for the clarification and I apologize for the pissy-sounding post. It's just a natural reaction for me because I hate being singled out I guess >_> I know you weren't attempting to offend me or anything but I still kinda took it that way. Sorry. Anyway, my buddy offered to take me along for that sale so I didn't have to pay gas fees (though obviously I dropped him a few bucks out of courtesy.) I paid about $4.30 per game which is a great deal for me when I'm so used to overpriced retail game shops around here (they want $12 for a loose superman 64 >_>). I understand that to some of you the lot I bought may not be a great deal but it still saved me cash, and hey, isn't that what this site is all about?

You can get your money back out of it on the Shadowgate and Warios Woods if you ever need to sell; I'm the same way where if it's a game I want or need I'll pay a bit more. Sometimes it's more about not paying the jacked up ebay price than it is flipping for a large profit.

Originally Posted by needler420 Its about playing the game not flipping for profit. I can think of a lot of other things that can be flipped with more monetary gain then video games. Flipping video games is what I call nickel and diming.

Maybe to you it's not, but that's not true for everyone. Video games are a quick easy sell, and the market is always pretty hot for them. Yeah, you can make more money investing in stocks and bonds, but that's not what I'm familliar with. Last year I made about $1200 - $1500 in extra profit flipping video games, toys, movies, and other items. It's not my full time job, but it's still a decent enough amount to be worth my time. Those nickels and dimes add up.

Originally Posted by spmahn Maybe to you it's not, but that's not true for everyone. Video games are a quick easy sell, and the market is always pretty hot for them. Yeah, you can make more money investing in stocks and bonds, but that's not what I'm familliar with. Last year I made about $1200 - $1500 in extra profit flipping video games, toys, movies, and other items. It's not my full time job, but it's still a decent enough amount to be worth my time. Those nickels and dimes add up.

I made $6,000 (after fees) selling "junk" I posted here from garage sales and haven't even put a dent in it yet (haven't sold any of the games/systems yet).

I find that if someone really wanted to make money on games all you have to to is track a specific game and buy every cheap copy, then resell it when the supply has dwindled. I KNOW there is a CAG that buys up everything that is "hot" and jacks up the price and he probably makes more than any of us on reselling games. (I was able to determine who it was based on their user id/boasting on CAG). I think he actually bought copy of a hot game from me on ebay and put it on amazon.

Personally before I knew about CAG, I would buy all the cheap sealed copies of FFVII (anything at $100 or less), then list them on amazon for $175-$200. It was nice while it lasted.

We are at a point where everything is worth something. It is just finding who wants it or where to dump it. I'll admit I am mistaken on some items I buy (because I go completely off of years of experience), but they can always be donated if they are duds.

Originally Posted by slowdive21 We are at a point where everything is worth something. It is just finding who wants it or where to dump it. I'll admit I am mistaken on some items I buy (because I go completely off of years of experience), but they can always be donated if they are duds.

I actually disagree, probably 85% of the Genesis, SNES, and NES library would be valued at $10 or less, I would say about half of that would resell for less than 5 dollars. Unless you're finding games for less than a dollar each, there's a lot of junk out there that you would lose your shirt trying to resell. These days finding retro games for even a dollar each is rare, even if they're junk. I remember back in the day when Funcoland had on their price guide something like 500 or so NES games priced at under a dollar. Those days are sadly long gone, so you need to be a lot pickier. My rule of thumb is if I can't make at least 10 dollars profit, don't bother.

Edit: actually this isn't entirely true. There's a lot of valuable SNES games, but the ones you typically find aren't the ones that are worth much. SNES is strange in that games are either common as hell, or hard to find, there's not a lot of middle ground.

Originally Posted by spmahn I actually disagree, probably 85% of the Genesis, SNES, and NES library would be valued at $10 or less, I would say about half of that would resell for less than 5 dollars. Unless you're finding games for less than a dollar each, there's a lot of junk out there that you would lose your shirt trying to resell. These days finding retro games for even a dollar each is rare, even if they're junk. I remember back in the day when Funcoland had on their price guide something like 500 or so NES games priced at under a dollar. Those days are sadly long gone, so you need to be a lot pickier. My rule of thumb is if I can't make at least 10 dollars profit, don't bother. Edit: actually this isn't entirely true. There's a lot of valuable SNES games, but the ones you typically find aren't the ones that are worth much. SNES is strange in that games are either common as hell, or hard to find, there's not a lot of middle ground.

I was talking in general, not necessarily games. But I tend to pay $1 or less for every game unless it is a PS2 or PS3 game. Some of the Nintendo games I have found do have .99 Gamestop tags on them.

As far as money goes, my rule is double my money. It doesn't matter if it is pyrex bowl, a toy, comics, records, or whatever as long as I double my money (or more) I am happy. I would prefer not to fight for scraps, but the high end stuff, I really do not know enough about. I have seen some furniture pieces that I know are worth (possibly tens of) thousands, but I do not have the space or the network to sell them.

I also have access to a gun auction monthly, but I know absolutely nothing about them. I think when people try to get into things they do not know about, they can have problems (especially if they don't so the research).

Games are cheap enough where I can buy everything and hopefully have some gems in the bunch! Even though I spend too much time on this site, I still do not have a good concept of game values.

Originally Posted by slowdive21 I find that if someone really wanted to make money on games all you have to to is track a specific game and buy every cheap copy, then resell it when the supply has dwindled.

I agree on this, sales ranking & knowing when/where to sell can mean everything for some items. Not long ago I had a Suikoden V Artbook and soundtrack (used) that sold on Amazon for $24 shipped when there were brand new ones on ebay for around $10. Other than the gougers up at $80 (lol) there just weren't any other listings available on Amazon, and all it takes is one person who has credit to burn.

Advertisement

Register for free to remove this ad

Indigo You know that guide on NA with the lunar. Got it at a sale.

$3 for all 6 . I ed up though should have bought all her guides. She had some good RPG guides.
I semi retired for yard sale-ing but started going to a few recently. I'm a bit rusty.

Asked for games she said she would never sell her games.

Originally Posted by TiKi2 Indigo You know that guide on NA with the lunar. Got it at a sale. $3 for all 6 . I ed up though should have bought all her guides. She had some good RPG guides. I semi retired for yard sale-ing but started going to a few recently. I'm a bit rusty. Asked for games she said she would never sell her games.

Good work both here and there *thumbs up* I'd pick up those Lunar guides on the cheap myself if I found them in the wild (to compliment my sadly unplayed Working Designs games)

I have a different Lunar guide. How many are there?

First one is for Luner 2 eternal second one is for Lunar 1 silver star. There are probably 2 or 3 for lunar 1 that one there is the "Official" guide.

The Lunar 2 guide is Mint. Looks new.
Fetches $43 on amazon.

I see some young-ens video game hunting. Ran into one at the first sale I went to. Hopefully he'll get discouraged quickly.