burnout thread

[Jason_dicarlo85]

I think collecting was a lot more fun maybe 5 to 10 years ago. You could still find stuff at garage sales.  There were still used game stores to raid on weekends and they had prices worth dealing with.  I think now all the more conventional sources have dried up.  You're pretty much stuck with ebay and forums.  Ebay is always way overpriced, forums are hit and miss.  Usually its only a good price if its a buddy deal, otherwise its usually only marginally better than ebay.  As a result its just no fun anymore.

I have to agree with you 100% there.  Yesterday I went by the thrift store near my house like I occasionally do hoping to find something neat.  Nothing too amazing in the case so I get ready to walk around the rest of the store and I see a guy checking out with a ton of PS1.  I overheard a bit of their conversation and while the cashier said something like, "Oh Spyro! I remember that as a kid", the guy pretty much said he was just planning on reselling them all.  It just kind of rubbed me the wrong way and later on as I was driving home it made me think about how there really rarely is much joy in hunting out stuff for me anymore. 

You used to be able to go to a garage sale or something and get a box of carts cheap and mess around with the games for a least a couple of weeks or more.  Now it feels like every attempt to hit thrifts or something is a battle which makes it not much fun.  At least that gives me more time to play ;) 

Def agree with both of you... And value didn't hold as much water either... People would make trades based on what they actually wanted to play... If values were ten off or so eh who cared im getting an awesome game ... Now well yall know..

[jeffhlewis]

I have to agree with you 100% there.  Yesterday I went by the thrift store near my house like I occasionally do hoping to find something neat.  Nothing too amazing in the case so I get ready to walk around the rest of the store and I see a guy checking out with a ton of PS1.  I overheard a bit of their conversation and while the cashier said something like, "Oh Spyro! I remember that as a kid", the guy pretty much said he was just planning on reselling them all.  It just kind of rubbed me the wrong way and later on as I was driving home it made me think about how there really rarely is much joy in hunting out stuff for me anymore. 

You used to be able to go to a garage sale or something and get a box of carts cheap and mess around with the games for a least a couple of weeks or more.  Now it feels like every attempt to hit thrifts or something is a battle which makes it not much fun.  At least that gives me more time to play ;) 

Thrifts around me are straight garbage...even the small church-owned thrift stores know what they have so-to-speak. Local one had Sega Master System Pro Wrestling (box and cart) for $12, which tells me that even these small places are pegging their prices on eBay.

Goodwill is largely worthless, though every once in a while you'll find something halfway decent buried in the electronics rack. I recently found an Amiga CRT in box at one, but that was a complete fluke and about the only good find I've had there in 5+ years. It's not even worth the trouble anymore.

[Koop]

I think collecting was a lot more fun maybe 5 to 10 years ago. You could still find stuff at garage sales.  There were still used game stores to raid on weekends and they had prices worth dealing with.  I think now all the more conventional sources have dried up.  You're pretty much stuck with ebay and forums.  Ebay is always way overpriced, forums are hit and miss.  Usually its only a good price if its a buddy deal, otherwise its usually only marginally better than ebay.  As a result its just no fun anymore.

I have to agree with you 100% there.  Yesterday I went by the thrift store near my house like I occasionally do hoping to find something neat.  Nothing too amazing in the case so I get ready to walk around the rest of the store and I see a guy checking out with a ton of PS1.  I overheard a bit of their conversation and while the cashier said something like, "Oh Spyro! I remember that as a kid", the guy pretty much said he was just planning on reselling them all.  It just kind of rubbed me the wrong way and later on as I was driving home it made me think about how there really rarely is much joy in hunting out stuff for me anymore. 

You used to be able to go to a garage sale or something and get a box of carts cheap and mess around with the games for a least a couple of weeks or more.  Now it feels like every attempt to hit thrifts or something is a battle which makes it not much fun.  At least that gives me more time to play ;)

Pretty much the same story in my area. There is a huge flea market every Saturday near me that will sometimes have games but it's getting harder and harder to find things. I know of some resellers who just skim the whole market looking for games to resell. I've overheard conversations like "I already swept this whole place" while I'm arriving at 8am... Makes it not even feel worth it. I still pop in ever once in a while but with the cold weather coming meh... There is one guy at the market who always has consoles and games for sale- same ones in the bins every single week- because he wants $100 for a genesis... It's ridiculous...

As far a local stores... Don't expect prices better than ebay. In fact expect worse. Some store owners are just plain shady or don't care about video games at all. I think that is what gripes me the most are people who are into the 'hobby' just for the cash and have no actual passion for video games. Even more painful is when they try and pretend they aren't just crackheads, etc...

I've pretty much relegated to just dealing with people on facebook or buying things on the cheaper side on ebay if 'deals' ever pop up. It's not a race though, there is no 'end goal' just casually picking up games.

Everdrives are gold.

[johnnykonami]

Competition is tough these days.  I just pick up what I can when I find a good deal, knowing I'll never get everything from my want list.  I'll emulate or use an Everdrive to play the rest, and even that is no big deal because it's just one big black hole of a backlog having access to every game ever made all at once.  Between my real games, emulation/flashcarts, and my Steam library, I am already hopelessly behind.  I used to pick up games I had a passing interest in - now I just try to focus on stuff I definitely intend to play.  That extends to my Steam library as well, so much stuff in there I'll never get to.  Once you get totally overwhelmed you naturally come to this conclusion, there just isn't enough time to play every game ever made!

[TR0N]

Competition is tough these days.  I just pick up what I can when I find a good deal, knowing I'll never get everything from my want list.  I'll emulate or use an Everdrive to play the rest, and even that is no big deal because it's just one big black hole of a backlog having access to every game ever made all at once.  Between my real games, emulation/flashcarts, and my Steam library, I am already hopelessly behind.  I used to pick up games I had a passing interest in - now I just try to focus on stuff I definitely intend to play.  That extends to my Steam library as well, so much stuff in there I'll never get to.  Once you get totally overwhelmed you naturally come to this conclusion, there just isn't enough time to play every game ever made!

The way market is now the everdrive is you're friend.

[johnnykonami]

Competition is tough these days.  I just pick up what I can when I find a good deal, knowing I'll never get everything from my want list.  I'll emulate or use an Everdrive to play the rest, and even that is no big deal because it's just one big black hole of a backlog having access to every game ever made all at once.  Between my real games, emulation/flashcarts, and my Steam library, I am already hopelessly behind.  I used to pick up games I had a passing interest in - now I just try to focus on stuff I definitely intend to play.  That extends to my Steam library as well, so much stuff in there I'll never get to.  Once you get totally overwhelmed you naturally come to this conclusion, there just isn't enough time to play every game ever made!

The way market is now the everdrive is you're friend.

I like to think of the Everdrive as step 7 in the collectard recovery program.  I don't think I'm quite at step 7 yet as I still love to pick up real games on the cheap, but I am definitely picking one up in the future.

[TR0N]

Competition is tough these days.  I just pick up what I can when I find a good deal, knowing I'll never get everything from my want list.  I'll emulate or use an Everdrive to play the rest, and even that is no big deal because it's just one big black hole of a backlog having access to every game ever made all at once.  Between my real games, emulation/flashcarts, and my Steam library, I am already hopelessly behind.  I used to pick up games I had a passing interest in - now I just try to focus on stuff I definitely intend to play.  That extends to my Steam library as well, so much stuff in there I'll never get to.  Once you get totally overwhelmed you naturally come to this conclusion, there just isn't enough time to play every game ever made!

The way market is now the everdrive is you're friend.

I like to think of the Everdrive as step 7 in the collectard recovery program.  I don't think I'm quite at step 7 yet as I still love to pick up real games on the cheap, but I am definitely picking one up in the future.

There's been times i though about selling my hucard collection and switch over to a everdrive.Still it took me years to buy what i wanted,it be a waste for me.Unless i was in financial trouble then i would.Still i've manage to avoid that pesky collectard syndrome by not buying ever game for said console.

[o.pwuaioc]

not buying ever game for said console.

Dear god, this. I just can't understand the willful shutdown of mental faculties needed to even entertain the notion of "completionism."

[TR0N]

not buying ever game for said console.

Dear god, this. I just can't understand the willful shutdown of mental faculties needed to even entertain the notion of "completionism."

Got me like how some people have to collect every nes game out there.Granted,has plenty of good games for it all ready but there are plenty of bad ones as well.I find it a waste to have the crappy games in said collection just for the completeness.

[xcrement5x]

Relevant?  I'm not sure:

[LostFlunky]

Relevant?  I'm not sure:

He was playing Air Zonk at 1:28.. what do I win!??!?!

[Gentlegamer]

Relevant?  I'm not sure:

I miss Ryan Davis.

[EvilEvoIX]

I just got back from a tour of the USA visiting about 20 states and hits hit or miss.  Very rarely do you find a brick and mortar retro shop not over charging the hell out of everything.  I found one ship in Boston near Harvard that had CHEAP US NEO GEO games and a carrying bag.  I was floored.  Other than that if you skim Craigslist and see a deal 90% of the time it's gone before you call.  I just nailed a cheap jaguar collection but a find like that is once a year at best.

[esadajr]

not buying ever game for said console.

Dear god, this. I just can't understand the willful shutdown of mental faculties needed to even entertain the notion of "completionism."

Got me like how some people have to collect every nes game out there.Granted,has plenty of good games for it all ready but there are plenty of bad ones as well.I find it a waste to have the crappy games in said collection just for the completeness.

Can't imagine having such epics as "color a dinosaur" or "where's waldo?"

[bartre]

I did somehow find a game i wanted at a brick and mortar store in ft collins a couple days ago.
just speed devils for the DC, but it was a good price, and i said fuck it.