General and Gaming > General

Where do you buy your retro games from these days?

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finley:
I've been trying to finish off some of my game collections, but it feels like my choices are either more limited than ever before or just in general more scattered.

For a long time ebay was my go-to but ever since they allowed free listings, it seems like all I ever find are the same overpriced games from the same sellers relisting for years on end, sometimes even putting the price gradually higher for some reason. Facebook marketplace I've only been lucky with once, it's otherwise the same problem - people asking a hundred for a game that's only worth fifty according to sales reports. Vinted, same problem.
Car boot / garage sales used to be a great place to find cheap games, but my local ones have changed the way they operate so unless you're also selling there's no point in even trying because buyers have to wait an hour for sellers to 'set up' (but half of the sellers can be seen browsing other sellers' stalls before that of course).

Is it just a case of hoping for the best these days?

wolff242:
Most of my collection is stuff I found in the wild. Unfortunately there are only stores that sell retro games in my area, one is great and I visit every other week or so, the other sucks (The sell beat up games at full pricecharting price). I'll stop by there once every couple months just too check for games on my wishlist.

Like I said, most of my collection is "wild" finds. I have made a fair number of purchases on Amazon over the years, but that's it for online. No FB marketplace (I have looked there, but usually overpriced junk), mercari, vinted, and my biggest shocker...not a single ebay purchase :D

bikingjahuty:
First off, I rarely buy retro games these days. I either own or have owned nearly every retro game I've ever had any interest in. As for the ones I'm still semi-after, they're either too expensive for what the game is, or I just don't care enough to track down a copy. Also, flash carts, ODEs and emulation has become so good I almost wonder what the point is outside of physical ownership or nostalgia. However, with all that said, I do still occasionally buy retro games and here are the places I pick them up from in order of frequency.


1. Facebook Collector's meetups and swap meets: I partially run a local gaming group with around 2000 members and we have quarterly swap meets where we all meet at a park or large venue like someone's business, and all buy, sell, and trade with one another. I prefer to buy retro games (and modern games) at these venues since you're most likely to get a good deal from a local collector or reseller than you are someone who has to worry about paying rent or keeping the lights on in their business. You also don't lack the interpersonal connection like you do in online marketplaces or ebay. I used to buy a ton of stuff from these swap meets back in the day, but now I primarily wear the hat of seller at them. I still buy a few things every swap meet, some retro, some modern.


2. Ebay: Sometimes I don't want to wait to come across something in the wild or at a swap meet, so I just save myself the hassle and buy it from an ebay seller. I might be paying slightly more for a game or whatever than had I waited, but the way I see it, the convenience of being able to get it right then and there makes up for the months or years it would take me to find it for a good deal elsewhere. I typically only do this on stuff I really, really want.


3. Independent Game Stores: I treat this option the same as I do Ebay; if its something I'm actively looking for and an independent game store happens to have it, I'll buy it assuming the price is reasonable. The main reason this ranks below Ebay is because there aren't nearly as many stores as there used to be, the stores that remain are typically overpriced, and it's fairly uncommon to have any of the stuff I'm still after.


4. "The Wild": This is pretty much any place where you'd traditionally find a good deal, so like thrift stores, garage sales, pawn shops, or flea markets. I've more or less completely given up on these places since they all know what they got, or don't, and just significantly overprice it because they assume old = valuable. This used to be my primary means of collecting old games years ago, but that time ended around 6 or 7 years ago. I do occasionally look for games in places like this, but it's 95% when I'm there for some other reason (movies, tools, whatever). I rarely ever go out game hunting for the sake of looking just for gaming deals since there just aren't that many to be found anymore, and they are almost guaranteed not to have the stuff I'm still after.

telekill:
I don't really buy many games for me anymore but I generally use eStarland.com, eBay or at one of the local shops... though the local shop inventory never seems to have what I'm looking for at the time.

tripredacus:
Not currently buying games, but before it was either from thrift stores or online Japan proxies.

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