Author Topic: Yard/Garage sales  (Read 19045 times)

mastodon

Yard/Garage sales
« on: April 13, 2019, 01:50:14 pm »
How luck are you guys at finding retro gear at yard sales? Ive hit a couple this year and i didnt find anything. Two pawn shops near me have some crappy nes games. Which I seem to be buying just because they are there. Maybe you guys have tips for a new yard sale goer.


Re: Yard/Garage sales
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2019, 07:39:50 pm »
I'm not a big yard sale person, although a few of my biggest scores were at garage sales. My main problem with them is you have to hit up 50+ garage sales to find a good deal sometimes, and if the sale is advertised with games it then becomes a race of who gets there the earliest and can get pretty dicey from my experience.


My best advise is to go to community garage sales where a lot of people in a relatively small area are having garage sales so you don't have to go far between sales. Obviously see what they have out, but even if they don't have anything always ask the seller and see if they have any video games for sale. I can't stress how important doing this is. A lot of time saying this will jog their memory or they'll decide to sell games they may have been unsure about selling, but since someone is asking they're more inclined to let go of them. Another advantage of asking even if you don't see anything is they are caught off guard and don't have time to research what the games are worth, meaning you have a much better chance of getting a good deal on whatever they're selling.


Despite how effective doing this is when people actually have games, actually finding someone who has games for sale is tough. As I said, I've literally hit up dozens of sales in a day and came up completely empty handed. It became so barren that I eventually lost the motivation to even go out to sales anymore. One strategy that I've thought of is hitting up sales in older, more established neighborhoods since there's a greater chance that people have lived there a long time and possibly still have old games that belonged to their kids or grandkids. I've noticed in newer neighborhoods people typically got rid of this stuff before they moved because they didn't want to worry about moving it when they moved into their current home.


Hopefully some of this helps.

Re: Yard/Garage sales
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2019, 07:42:18 pm »
I tried years ago to do garage sales in my area, but I was always missing out on stuff, despite being there practically at opening.  Then one time I took a trip with some friends over a few towns, and we filled a car trunk with stuff.  It's so hit and miss.  I personally find more luck with the flea market and thrift shops, though there's only two thrift shops I go to anymore.

Re: Yard/Garage sales
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2019, 08:10:35 pm »
I buy things other than games so if I don't find as much it doesn't really matter because I am still making money and am not going home empty handed.  It also helps to hunt for games that are old but not retro.
« Last Edit: April 13, 2019, 08:13:56 pm by 98dgreen »

Re: Yard/Garage sales
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2019, 08:11:21 pm »
See if your town has a set yard sale weekend, and go out then. Use yard sale finder websites to get you started, but don't be afraid to just follow random arrows in the neighborhood- folks who have older games are likely to not be the internet type.

Finally- don't expect much, and hit sales as often as possible. I usually get a good find- but only one for the season. This stuff's not as common as the internet can make it look. Also, don't narrow your focus too much- if you're after cartridge games, you're gonna be sorely disappointed. But if you're willing to take old PS2/Xbox games, you'll be fine.

shfan

Re: Yard/Garage sales
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2019, 08:28:53 pm »
It's a combination of blind luck and persistence to find anything now. In the end it comes down to whether you're willing to travel and take time trying to find a bargain.

shadowzero

PRO Supporter

Re: Yard/Garage sales
« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2019, 08:38:57 pm »
I find more of what I like to call, "bloated bay" now happening in yard sales.  So you know when an uninformed person looks an item up on ebay and goes with the highest, most bloated price they can find and associate that with their item?  I find more people than ever think their copy of mario/duck hunt is worth gold.  The surge of "classic" systems has indirectly influenced this bloated perception too.

Re: Yard/Garage sales
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2019, 08:51:49 pm »
All people in this thread gave good advice in my opinion, Unfortunately for most people at yard/garage sales are more likely to find knick knacks,  toys, table lamps, maybe a few dusty movies nobody wants, and clothes lots of clothes or shoes.

Usually all or most of the video games, electronics, and music CDs are the first to sell off at some specific Yard/Garage sales.

 I don't go to Yard Sales because I have a near by indoor flea market. There is somewhat of a snowballs chance in a hot summer that you're gonna be finding video games or even electronics at most Yard/Garage sales in my experience. I even been to a major flea market outdoors with not a single video game or music CD in sight
« Last Edit: April 13, 2019, 08:53:29 pm by oldgamerz »
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Re: Yard/Garage sales
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2019, 01:25:30 am »
I find more of what I like to call, "bloated bay" now happening in yard sales.  So you know when an uninformed person looks an item up on ebay and goes with the highest, most bloated price they can find and associate that with their item?  I find more people than ever think their copy of mario/duck hunt is worth gold.  The surge of "classic" systems has indirectly influenced this bloated perception too.


I found a garage sale about 5-years ago with some guy in his early 30s selling a bunch of choice SNES games he'd had since he was a kid. Unfortunately he had read one too many CNET and MSN articles about "Items in your Basement Worth a Fortune!" or "25 Video games that can make you rich if you own!" He had a piece of paper with prices on all the games and the cheapest one was probably 3x ebay. I remember specifically a loose copy of Super Metroid he had that he wanted $200 for, which nearly made me laugh in his face. I asked him how he got his prices and he said that he went on ebay and "that's what they'r going for." I tried explaining to him that some insane price a reseller is asking is different than the price that someone actually paid, but he wasn't interested in me explaining this to him, and it became clear he wasn't going to give a fair price no matter what I said. I've experienced this to a lessor degree at other sales before, but he was by far the worst.

mike24rules

Re: Yard/Garage sales
« Reply #9 on: April 14, 2019, 04:35:27 am »
living where i do yard sales are pretty much old clothes and furnature. Finding games at one is next to impossible or they automatically assume since its 80's its worth a new car

Re: Yard/Garage sales
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2019, 11:20:35 am »
All people in this thread gave good advice in my opinion, Unfortunately for most people at yard/garage sales are more likely to find knick knacks,  toys, table lamps, maybe a few dusty movies nobody wants, and clothes lots of clothes or shoes.

Usually all or most of the video games, electronics, and music CDs are the first to sell off at some specific Yard/Garage sales.

This is very true, the early start is your friend.

At this point, I don't put too much effort into yard sales- becuase, as counter-intuitive as it sounds, I have better luck in collector's circles! I think it's becuase being in 'the scene' makes people more aware of what the going prices for things really are- and they're more likely to have something I need. Plus, if what you want is more causal fare, you can actually get some screamin' deals. I got a Wii Fit board for $1 at a retro event a couple years ago. Another seller saw me buy that, and gave me Zumba Fitness CIB for free. The logic for both was the same- they didn't want to have to haul it home becuase they weren't likely to sell it later.


So, I guess check to see if there's any events in your area where local collectors/resellers get together for swaps & sales. You won't get the find of the century, but you'll get decent deals- especially if you've been collecting for awhile and don't want the common stuff anymore.

sworddude

Re: Yard/Garage sales
« Reply #11 on: April 14, 2019, 05:43:01 pm »
The problem with yard sales is that you can't go in at a free day and be relaxed and find some good stuff

Sadly you kinda have to be hardcore to find the good stuff going in hours before a sale starts. If your lucky you live in a region where such people are far and few in between but usually It's slim pickings when you have such people around aka the reason why allot of people find nothing and give up on yard sales.

@hoshichiri

Why would you want to have a wii fit board or a zumba for dirt cheap or for free?

Maybe for trade in values but otherwise I'd happily give those away for free aswell If I'm honest. zumba had some nice a

I've also heard and seen pickups from some people claiming that more stuff ends up in 2nd hand stores and fleamarkets these days

Than again when looking at all those filler titles absolute trash and occasionally a good metal slug ps2 game worth 10$ totally worth it I'm telling you  ::)

 In my opinion It's just resellers finally having a brain and knowing that trash titles do not sell and only picking the good stuff instead of pikcing everything clean like in the past wich made even crappy games a rarity. why put in the effort to haul garbage around man they finally figured it out.

« Last Edit: April 14, 2019, 05:51:08 pm by sworddude »
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Re: Yard/Garage sales
« Reply #12 on: April 14, 2019, 09:01:37 pm »
Sometimes you can live next to an indoor resale shop selling games or year round indoor flea market without knowing it. I used to live in the middle of no ware, and there was a shop that sold just about everything walking distance from my old rural area apartment complex. Both the flea market and this resale shop are not even that well known I think.

I once traded some things in I was not using before at a resale shop. In the middle of the woods on a main road and got a free Sega Saturn with 2 games for free once, everything was included, including the controller and all the hookups.

Sometimes looking online can aid in your search as well. Such as finding building near you that carries and sells miscellaneous things from house clear outs and random junk collectors.

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Re: Yard/Garage sales
« Reply #13 on: April 14, 2019, 11:35:58 pm »
@hoshichiri

Why would you want to have a wii fit board or a zumba for dirt cheap or for free?

Maybe for trade in values but otherwise I'd happily give those away for free aswell If I'm honest. zumba had some nice a


Your opinion is shared by many- which is why these deals are available at the hardcore gaming events. So if, like me, you like keeping novelty games around, it's a good place to find deals. I like being able to show people some of the weirder ways people can play games- control it with your feet (wii fit), dancerize (Zumba), giant plush baby controller (babysitting mama- also acquired for $1 at a church rummage sale). Not usually the best games, but always a unique experience. It's also a good way to get set up for some party games- my sister in law found a boxed set of Scene It controllers for the Xbox for $1 at one of these retro shows.


Obviously, it's not for everyone- but as I said, if you are inclined to have casual fare in your collection, hardcore events are a great place to get it crazy cheap.

theflea

Re: Yard/Garage sales
« Reply #14 on: April 15, 2019, 02:16:44 am »
I go out and garage sale when ever I can and I come home with boxes full of stuff.
I live in an area with over 100 sales every weekend. Biggest tip I can give you is get up early and hope you get there before the resellers do.

If you watch my pick ups over the years you'll see all the stuff I bring home.
Garage sales "should" start up in full force here shortly, I can't wait.
In fact a large community sale with over 100 houses is going to have theirs the first week in May.
"Happy game hunting!!!"