What are the "Rules" or etiquette of being a CAG?

jpuma1

jpuma1

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I'm a relatively new CAG. I stumbled onto this site last Sept. when I got tired of paying full price for games. I searched for "cheap games" at google, and kept getting linked to this site. Since I was actually looking for a site that sold games cheaply, I paid no attention to this site at first.

After another day of being unsuccessful in finding said internet store, I got linked back here. Deciding to finally go through this site, I was AMAZED at what I found. A gamers' paradise, where we can stick our middle finger to "the man" that charges us so much for these games we love so much.

A summer from my year anniversary, I've come to some interesting thoughts involving our CAG lifestyle.

What are the rules of being a CAG? More specifically, I know that friends will always be wondering where we get our endless supply of games. What do we tell them? Are we to keep the secrets of CAG, like our own sort of Free Mason society? What do you guys do when asked these questions? Furthermore, I found this site just by chance. Obviously, more and more people will stumble upon this site sooner or later. What are we to do when scores and scores of people follow this site just as intensely as we do?

What are the rules of being a CAG????
 
The main goals of this website, in my opinion, are:

1. People finding the best prices on games.
2. Gamers talking about games, deals, and life.
3. CheapyD making some money.

Not necessarily in that order. ;)



As such, I want as many people to join this site as possible. Sure, that might make me miss out on a couple of deals here and there. Then again, maybe people can be informed enough not to make silly game purchase decisions, and we can stop things like Deer hunting games releasing for $50. We can even dream of a day when we can develop a market force strong enough to make Gamestop include cases with their used games and stop gutting games for display copies.

Then again, I'm biased. I find that most people just aren't dedicated enough to the CAG lifestyle- visiting two Targets every Monday night or Tuesday morning to look at their clearance rack, printing out lists and checking every game aisle at Circuit City to find any games some broke CAG hid for later, etc. It just might be my area or the fact that I have the daytime off, but I find that I'm consistently the first to get the really good deals, even a day or two after it's posted. I don't think we've reached a saturation point where the CAGs outnumber the supply of available deals.

The only rule I have is that I try not to buy more than one copy of anything. If a good ebay opportunity just sits in a store for days at a time, I might clear out stock, but I always give other people a couple of days before I start buying extra copies.
 
[quote name='musha666']How I wish that could be enforced...[/quote]

Can someone please define "hoarding" as it applies to CAG? Is it different than collecting?
 
[quote name='Cambot']Can someone please define "hoarding" as it applies to CAG? Is it different than collecting?[/QUOTE]

It's finding a deal and then buying up all the copies solely for the purpose of selling them on Ebay. People on CAG hate that because it leaves nothing for other people.
 
[quote name='Chacrana']It's finding a deal and then buying up all the copies solely for the purpose of selling them on Ebay. People on CAG hate that because it leaves nothing for other people.[/QUOTE]

So what about the people who buy up multiple copies just to trade in to a different store? What about the people who grab multiple copies of games just to trade on CAG (with no intention of ever playing it), leaving people in their area without the game?

I'd say a good 80% of people on CAG are hoarders, because a hoarder is really someone who takes advantage of a deal for their own personal gain and profit, whether they take 2 copies or 20.

The only exception is if someone gets a copy to trade and wants to trade it for something of equal value at the same sale, but that rarely ever happens... how many people wanted to trade or sell DDS 1 at a reasonable cost when they got it at TRU? Very few.
 
Well, the big thing I wanna know is what do you tell other people? I mean, when your buds ask you how you get all this crap, do you say, "Well, I go on cheapassgamer.com, they have all the best stuff, go there, join up, tell all your friends, and so on and so forth,

or

do you just say "on the internet" and try to keep this website a secret so that hopefully you can contain all the games to yourself?
 
[quote name='jpuma1']Well, the big thing I wanna know is what do you tell other people? I mean, when your buds ask you how you get all this crap, do you say, "Well, I go on cheapassgamer.com, they have all the best stuff, go there, join up, tell all your friends, and so on and so forth,

or

do you just say "on the internet" and try to keep this website a secret so that hopefully you can contain all the games to yourself?[/QUOTE]


If they are assholes, just say the internet. If they are cool, go ahead and tell. Maybe they will join and could add something to the site.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']
I'd say a good 80% of people on CAG are hoarders, because a hoarder is really someone who takes advantage of a deal for their own personal gain and profit, whether they take 2 copies or 20.[/quote]

80%? Really? I would not say that I would say something along the lines of 30% I know that I for a fact only buy on copy even though it is extremly tempting to buy more. I really most people fall into my catergory. If it were 80% we would never be able to find any deals whatsoever. Everything would be sold out within mintues instead of hours.

Anyway back the OP. No hoarding is very important. Another rule is that you are not trying to cheat the store, just find a sly way to get what you want as cheap as possible. For instance, any sort of stealing or "renting" is obviously bad.
 
[quote name='dtarasev']If it were 80% we would never be able to find any deals whatsoever. Everything would be sold out within mintues instead of hours.
[/QUOTE]
You overestimate the active userbase of CAG. There aren't enough people here that every metropolitan area is covered so well that the 80% (if that is accurate, which I can't argue with) would clean out every store.
 
I tell people about good deals and how to take advantage of them...but nobody listens. I don't tell anyone about the one-off shops or garage sales before they happen :)

cag ethics? well, everyone has their own set.

Hoarding seems like the one thing everyone brings up but the hoarding argument will go on forever. there are extreme cases of hoarding that are obviously perverse and soley for the purpose of ebaying (i.e. a fatwalleter who buys 20 copies of Half Life 2 or whatever) and there's more ambiguous stuff-- like doing a B2G1, but selling the free game. Or buying the last copy of something only to trade or buying something just to trade in for credit. or finding suikoden 2 at a garage sale or goodwill and then selling or trading it which everyone here would do in a second. I doubt any cag would resist 20 copies of suikoden 2 sealed for $1 a piece if they came across them, either.

basically, whenever you buy a game without the purpose of playing it, you're hoarding, so I personally think it's moot...though I'd be salty if it were something in my area that I was looking for.
 
If faced with an aggravating situation at a gamestore, kick over a magazine rack in order to illustrate your displeasure.
 
[quote name='2Fast']If faced with an aggravating situation at a gamestore, kick over a magazine rack in order to illustrate your displeasure.[/quote]

Don't forget the glitter. That's paramount to being a good CAG.

Seriously, it's finding people on the internet that like to treat others like human beings. This might not be a face to face interaction but we're all pretty civil. We might be shunned or made fun of in real life for our gaming "addiction" but here we can find friends and other like minded people. God bless CAG and all of you for making me see the light.

P.S. I'm writing this as my wife is asking if there's such a thing as Gamers Anonymous.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']So what about the people who buy up multiple copies just to trade in to a different store? What about the people who grab multiple copies of games just to trade on CAG (with no intention of ever playing it), leaving people in their area without the game?

I'd say a good 80% of people on CAG are hoarders, because a hoarder is really someone who takes advantage of a deal for their own personal gain and profit, whether they take 2 copies or 20.

The only exception is if someone gets a copy to trade and wants to trade it for something of equal value at the same sale, but that rarely ever happens... how many people wanted to trade or sell DDS 1 at a reasonable cost when they got it at TRU? Very few.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, it's ironic that many people who claim that hoarding is the worst offense you could possibly commit hoarde shit themselves. It's an arguement that nobody can win and personally, I don't give a damn about either side of the arguement...
 
You could also say that buying a game you don't have intention of playing for at least a year is considered hoarding. I bought a copy of Disgaea last summer and I've yet to even open it. I guess you could consider that hoarding but I plan on playing it and I don't have any plans of flipping it on Ebay or overcharging some newbie on here for it. A lot of us brag about our backlogs but it makes some people jealous that we have rare games that we don't even play. I bet some people are dying for a new copy of Disgaea while my copy just collects dust.
 
Here's what I do. It's not necessarily what all CAGers should do or what is expected of them, but this is usually how I conduct myself unless situations dictate otherwise (ie: other people are being asses, jerks, hoarders):


1) If you're getting many deals through CAG, try and post local or national deals back on the forums whenever possible. Get a little, get a little!

2) Don't have any deals? Give some advice to other members about saving money, game suggestions, setups, things like that. You never know if something would help.

3) Out shopping for some deals and you're all set? Let those nice, little kids who are spending their own money on some info. Why let them buy something for $20 they've been saving for the entire year when they can be getting four other titles they want for $5 a pop in the same store?


There are a few others but it's pretty much the ol' "take and give back" with a bit of the "be nice to the people who deserve it" sort of things.

And if you see hoarders, play it smart. In fact, if they're playing the "I already grabbed it, go screw yourself" sort of thing if you just want a single title, why not grab up all of the other available titles before they can? Then you can either play "Let's Make a Deal" or "Let Everyone Else in the Store in on the Deal".

Hell, what's really fun is just walking around the store with a basket full of cheapies, telling other people in the section what to grab, and pointing out the other hoarder and telling them to hastle him for anything they may want. Nothing like getting six people on one douchebag bothering him over what he's already grabbed. :D
 
[quote name='depascal22']You could also say that buying a game you don't have intention of playing for at least a year is considered hoarding. I bought a copy of Disgaea last summer and I've yet to even open it. I guess you could consider that hoarding but I plan on playing it and I don't have any plans of flipping it on Ebay or overcharging some newbie on here for it. A lot of us brag about our backlogs but it makes some people jealous that we have rare games that we don't even play. I bet some people are dying for a new copy of Disgaea while my copy just collects dust.[/QUOTE]

Hey, the backlog is cool by me. If you find anything for cheap, especially a rarity, scoop it up, because someone else will. Scooping up 10 copies, on the other hand, could be a bad idea.

Another no-no (mentioned before): no selling games back to walmart for credit. Probably neck and neck with ebay hoarding among the worst offenses.
 
[quote name='chargeup45']
Another no-no (mentioned before): no selling games back to walmart for credit. Probably neck and neck with ebay hoarding among the worst offenses.[/QUOTE]

Except one is mildly illegal, the other is just capitalism.
 
[quote name='dtarasev']80%? Really? [/quote]

I call bullshit. I have to think for a while when I buy a 10 dollar game!
 
CAG etiquette is basically doing whatever you want but being polite enough not to create topics and post like mad about the cash you made reselling games from the last CC sale.
 
Don't tell game store works about this super cool web site called CAG and how you learned how to flip games for insane store credit.
 
Make sure to create at least one thread about how Gamestop, EB, GameCrazy, Gamerush, Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, Target, or Walmart sucks. Your not a 'true' Cheapassgamer until you do that. ;)
 
[quote name='KingDox']Don't tell game store works about this super cool web site called CAG and how you learned how to flip games for insane store credit.[/QUOTE]

I have told many of the game store workers that I am cool with about the site but none of them come here since I am like the only member in my area I get to take advantage of all most every sale that goes on at the stores around me.

A few times since the closest Gamestop to me is right next door to Blockbuster. So, I go over to Gamestop and mess with them about how much more credit I get for most the games I trade compared to their prices.

One more thing about hoarding: You can do it as long as you do like several others have said and don't buy up all of the copies that are there. Buy a few and then leave a couple. Because you would hate for someone to swoop in and buy up all the copies and you not be able to get some for yourself.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']So what about the people who buy up multiple copies just to trade in to a different store? What about the people who grab multiple copies of games just to trade on CAG (with no intention of ever playing it), leaving people in their area without the game?

I'd say a good 80% of people on CAG are hoarders, because a hoarder is really someone who takes advantage of a deal for their own personal gain and profit, whether they take 2 copies or 20.

The only exception is if someone gets a copy to trade and wants to trade it for something of equal value at the same sale, but that rarely ever happens... how many people wanted to trade or sell DDS 1 at a reasonable cost when they got it at TRU? Very few.[/QUOTE]

Hoarders suck ass. Buy 1 copy of the game for personal use.

Oh wait, forgot, "Dis is da capatalist country where we fuck each other over" Duuhhh-- I gots to gets the profits for meself! --- god.. fucking lamers.

Hoarders- when you get a flat tire and miss out on a deal and your life sucks- my candle burns a little bit brighter and I have a good laugh.
 
Here's what I've picked up in my time at CAG:
Don't post deals found here on fatwallet or slickdeals.
Buying a few extra games for profit is generally ok here (within reason) just don't buy 20 copies of something and then come here and brag about it and expect congratulations from everyone.
Tell your friends about CAG - the more people - the more eyes looking for deals.
Give back to CAG when possible - that could be just posting a specific store that has addtl copies of a sale game, trade/sell penny guides to others on CAG at reasonable prices, etc.
 
[quote name='KingDox']Don't tell game store works about this super cool web site called CAG and how you learned how to flip games for Massive Damage.[/quote]

fixed.
 
DO buy multiple copies of a game from a sale then take them to Wal-Mart for store credit. Be sure you come back and make a thread about your adventures because everyone will admire you :D
 
[quote name='Sleepkyng']fixed.[/QUOTE]


Thanks for that.

But I forgot to mention how you need to make a post when you break up with your girlfriend. And then make another thread when you get back with her and make sure you spin it so you can can try to fool people into not thinking your a little bitch.
 
also, make a thread about how you got your ass shoved into a locker and chipped your teeth to make your broke-ass face even more broke-ass, which was previously not conceivable given the pictures you put up of your dumb self on your myspace account.
 
The rule I tried going by when I first got on here was treat others as you want to be treated but that didnt work out too well when people were getting help from me but when I wanted games that were HTF at the sales, I was only helped once. When you try to do good stuff and help people that dont have access to the sales, people will bitch at you because your decision to help those that cant make it cuts in on the action of those that can. So basically spreading out your hauls will piss people off even if you take far less than you left.

No matter how you slice it sooner or later youre gonna get flamed, bitched at, etc etc. Its a way of life here at CAG. Theres a wide variety of characters here that Im sure youre well aware of. You cant please everyone all the time.
 
rule
1) post whatever deal you find, no matter how minut, someone may want said item

2)thank people who post

3)update people on deals when possible EX: item 1 is out of stock at store 1 in totwa,nj

4)have a sense of humor
 
One rule I usually follow is I only buy 1 copy of a game unless I know a friend will want it as well, in which case I will get a 2nd copy. Any other friends that want it are shit out of luck (from that store at least), though I will get them a copy from another store.

Another thing I do sometimes is help out uninformed people. For example, when CC first lowered the GBA/DS games a week ago, I saw a guy and his girlfriend sifting through the bargain GBA bin at CC. You know, the one that contained all those terrible GBA games and Cool Deals titles. I felt I was doing them a service when I pointed out that CC was having an "unadvertised sale" on many other titles and gladly helped them out finding some. Actually, my friend did this as well in a different CC. When the person asked him where he heard about the deal, he said "The Gamefaqs forums.":lol:
 
The first rule of Fight Club, Don't Talk about Fight Club...

The first Rule of CAG, Don't post CAG deals on other Deal Tracking sites...
 
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