[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']We have 2 Goodwill stores in my area again(after they all closed up a while ago) and I've never seen anything aside from a stray sports game there.
For a while ShopGoodwill had all of the bidder names fully exposed, so I did some research and some of the heaviest bidders also had Ebay accounts with some of the stuff from the the auctions they were bidding on pre-listed for sale.
Some even had the nerve to use the pic(s) from the ShopGoodwill site as the pics for their auction.
But ever since they started blocking user names on there I can no longer put in fake bids on the lots these assholes are buying from SGW only to resell on Ebay.[/QUOTE]
Almost all of the Goodwill stuff relies on the store from what I can tell.
The store where I live near keeps a ton of their gaming stuff in the glass case. A lot of it is PC stuff, and some of it is old as hell. It's just an example of noone knowing anything about gaming. There'd be copies of You Don't Know Jack in there while on occassion on the floor I found Diablo II & The Expansion (just in the paper sleeves), Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher's Bay and noticed a few DS games like Galactrix. Meanwhile there, every NES/SNES game seems to be set aside and auctioned off.
Meanwhile, at the next closest store near where I used to live you could constantly find whatever games they had that weren't on a new system just sitting out with the VHS/CDs/DVD. Usually it was crap like Fester's Quest (which I bought because it was CIB) but occassionally there'd be stuff there like DKC1-3 for the SNES. Hell, my friend got a big bag of over a dozen Game Gear games for like $8. New stuff was either in the display case or sitting by the register mixed in with any "name" DVDs they had (i.e. not the dollar ones)
I've then been to another Goodwill where everything is laying out. From new games there (ok, tbh, I've never seen a new system game there... closest was some Sims 2 stuff I got like three or so years ago). I even got a Gameboy Color laying out for $2.97. Meanwhile, my local one keeps stuff like that in the display case for outrageous prices (pink Advanced, first edition for $30 or $40)
As for finding stuff, you gotta look around. It all depends on who's stocking stuff. Check the glass cases. Check the VHS/DVD racks for anything in a DVD case. Check the CD's for any games in a jewel case. Check the toys section (that's where I found that $2.97 GBC and a friend found a DDR mat). Check out the backpack section, you might find a Gameboy case (I've found a few). Also, check out as often as you can as you never know who in your area is scooping up stuff. My friend and I ended up scooping each other a few times. I still remember calling him pissed off that they had a Playstation display case from K-Mart for sale marked sold. Turns out he got it. :lol:
Obviously, the worst is when there's an insider doing it, but it goes with the territory. I once saw a really nice looking barrel style BBQ grill come out that my mom was ready to buy, only for an employee to say she wanted it and to mark it $5 and take it to the back. I also knew a guy online who's mom was a regional manager and snagged him an XBox under a year from it's release w/ games for $50. That could've been bs, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least.
Stores obviously differ, some better than others. Also, check out Salvation Army's. Some are total dumps (the one in my old town was), but my local one has provided me with probably more games than all the other Goodwills combined. Plus, their prices are better. (if it's a loose cart, it's $1 or .50 compared to all the Goodwills that seem to start at $1.97.)
Oh, and don't be afraid to befriend your local workers. Especially if they're not busy. I had one from SA bring me out some Genesis games they just got in. Even getting stuff for free, with the prices they sell most stuff, they still have to pay employees.