| 26 NOV 2002 at 10:23pm |
bleepnikPrivate Detective
Posts : 544
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | "Bargain bin" prices in my neck of the woods means US$9.99. Except for the occasional sale, and the occasional clearance prices (4.99 or 1.99), it is cheaper for me to find something on ebay than it is for me to go bargain bin hunting.
Further, let's not forget selection. Simply put, the retail stores here don't have one. If I relied upon them to find that rare gem, I'd never buy a game.
Finally, there's time and convenience. These are both precious to me, as precious as the meager contents of my wallet. Click click click buy is a lot easier for me than spending an hour or two, plus gas, to go to a shop and just hope that I find something there.
It's true, I occasionally make bad purchases on ebay; sometimes the seller is not entirely accurate in describing the item, and I'll end up with something unexpected. In the past, I've bemoaned that fact, and dreaded selling one copy of a game just to buy another in more pristine condition. However, I recently came across GTZ, a place were people can trade games 'n' stuff. Now I can just go and trade away my extra copies of games for something I really want.
Understandably, it's a matter of personal preference. For my situation, given my budget and time constraints, online transactions are the best solution. As for the thrill of the hunt, as you so appropriately call it, I get that when I manage to win an auction for a decent price that has slipped by the notice of other enthusiastic adventurers
Just my tuppence,
gita
|
| 26 NOV 2002 at 11:05pm |
SirDaveGuild Master
Posts : 4940
Joined: 17 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | JustG pretty much said it for me.
I understand the premise:
'That for me is the Thrill of the Hunt! The idea that every day in every store you can find another collectable... '
But, at least where I am (and I have access to a fair number of stores), there isn't any 'thrill of the hunt' 'cause there's nothing to hunt!
The future ain't what it used to be!
|
| 26 NOV 2002 at 11:24pm |
GamaholicPrivate Detective
Posts : 724
Joined: 3 NOV 2002
Status : Online | I think for new collectors, there is an initial thrill in bargain bins, since their collection is just beginning ( the term "bargain" is relative, in my area $9.99 is the lowest for any game). For example, in the bargain section, I found:
Planescape Torment
Thief
Might and Magic VI
Crystal Key
the first Nancy Drew
Deux Ex
Dracula Resurrection
and when I found those, it was very exciting! But now I look in the bargain bin and there is nothing, everytime. So as an avid game collector/player, I really have no choice but to pay retail for new games (I could never wait for a price drop) or buy them through auction or used sites....and auction and hard-to-find game websites are the ONLY way to find the oldies but goodies.
That which makes one happy is not a waste of time
|
| 27 NOV 2002 at 12:51am |
AndromusGuild Master
Posts : 5537
Joined: 6 NOV 2002
Status : Offline | To me, hunting for older games on online auctions can be pretty thrilling. It's true some older stuff does sell for outrageous prices much of the time. However, if you're patient sometimes you can find games that slip by unnoticed. I was the only bidder on a copy of Creature Crunch recently, and that was exciting!
|
| 27 NOV 2002 at 1:17am |
CathieIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 13
Joined: 14 OCT 2002
Status : Online | I love poking through bargain bins and on occassion I have come up with some true gems however eBay is a marvelous resource when you just can't find the game(s) you want. I tried bargain bins, Goodwill, other second hand stores forever but is was on eBay that I was able to find Gabriel Knight 1 (new) & 2 (gently used) and a brand new sealed copy of Rama that I had been after for two years. The sellers I dealt with were pleasant and professional. Combining the two seems to me to provide the best of both worlds.
|
| 27 NOV 2002 at 11:32pm |
STooGE4444, EastCoastDoom...Schattenjger
Posts : 2099
Joined: 15 OCT 2002
Status : Online | I'd agree with you JoY, but eBay is very easy. I definitely agree that going into a bargain bin and seeing old softwareat awesome prices is raddically cool. But most of the time, I don't have time to go around to stores and stuff and look for what I want. eBay I can in my apartment getting ready for class and then bid on an item then come back and see that I've won. Then I pay continue my work and it comes in the mail a week later. I didn't waste my time going to the store for nothing. The times I do go to the store, I never fins anything anyway...
~rbeeler SVT &&Name's STooGE$$$$ Valpurgius TNT; it's not PLURAL&&[img]http://www.riseaboverecords.com/sleep/image/sleepfront.gif[/img]&&151.Generally speaking Sludge Doomsters are Angry, Gothic doomsters are sad, funeral doomsters are barely breathing, death doomsters are dirty, drunk and dribbling, Stoner Doomsters don't care, drone doomsters are out of it and traditional Doomsters are permanently pissed off, mainly with other doomsters
|
| 27 NOV 2002 at 11:46pm |
Agustín CordesGuild Master
Posts : 5696
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: AR, Buenos Aires
Status : Offline | There's just one little problem with eBay: sometimes, the guy knows what he's selling. I mean, he will "market" his game really good and a lot of people will bid. An example: last week I bought King's Quest Collection Series priced at $40 (and that is my currency, it would be U$S 11.50) at my local store. Btw, it was in the RPG section. This game has been sold in eBay at U$S 80 and more... You get my point?
|
| 28 NOV 2002 at 2:27am |
SirDaveGuild Master
Posts : 4940
Joined: 17 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | Rael is right! You have to be very careful when buying on Ebay. Beware of the term 'Rare'. I've seen the term rare used to describe games that are still being sold off in bargain bins. For instance, Atlantis, The Lost Tales has been described as 'rare', but is selling at CostCo combined with Atlantis II for $14.99!
The future ain't what it used to be!
|
| 28 NOV 2002 at 12:51pm |
bleepnikPrivate Detective
Posts : 544
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: US
Status : Offline | SirDave is absolutely right, you've have to be really careful. I just the Alone in the Dark trilogy with a Buy It Now price of US$99.99. Not a typo. Ha!
|
| 28 NOV 2002 at 5:41pm |
JoYSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 208
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | I think a lot of Ebay's sellers know exactly what they have and what it's worth. And I'm sure they didn't own that game for years and suddenly decide to sell. Probably found it in the bargain bin or garage sale themselves...
Collecting for me is about patience too, I accept that I can't have it all at once and that it might take me a long time to get certain games.
But if I just go out and buy them on Ebay I'm sure it will cost me a lot more than when I eventually stumble upon it. And when I finally decide to buy it for more then I think it's worth, it suddenly pops up in large numbers. (happened to me with X-files!)
Anyway this weekend there's a big flea-market in town, so I will just pay it my usual visit and hope someone has cleaned out the attic
JoY
|
| 30 NOV 2002 at 6:57pm |
JoYSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 208
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | WHAHAHA....they did!
My little adventure hunt at the flea-market was very VERY succesfull!
I got:
Congo - Descent into Zinj
Noctropolis (German version)
Journeyman Project 2 - Burried in Time
Discworld
Maabus
Blown Away
Bad Day on the Midway
Blade Runner
Mirage
Dragon Lore
Dragon Lore 2
Lighthouse
Urban Runner
Chronicles of the Sword
All in their original boxes and in good condition.
But the really good part is the price... only $32,50 for the wole bunch!!!
JoY
|
| 30 NOV 2002 at 8:27pm |
STooGE4444, EastCoastDoom...Schattenjger
Posts : 2099
Joined: 15 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Yea, that's pretty good Joy. How do you find out where flea markets are and when they arrive? It was pretty easy to do that in my old town, Reno, but here in Orange County I've not seen one flyer about a dlea market. o you live in a big city in the Netherlands?
~rbeeler SVT &&Name's STooGE$$$$ Valpurgius TNT; it's not PLURAL&&[img]http://www.riseaboverecords.com/sleep/image/sleepfront.gif[/img]&&151.Generally speaking Sludge Doomsters are Angry, Gothic doomsters are sad, funeral doomsters are barely breathing, death doomsters are dirty, drunk and dribbling, Stoner Doomsters don't care, drone doomsters are out of it and traditional Doomsters are permanently pissed off, mainly with other doomsters
|
| 30 NOV 2002 at 8:40pm |
GamaholicPrivate Detective
Posts : 724
Joined: 3 NOV 2002
Status : Online | Joy! what a coup, congrats!
That which makes one happy is not a waste of time
|
| 30 NOV 2002 at 8:54pm |
JoYSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 208
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Stooge: The one I went to today is kind of a regular event, it comes to town about every month and they put up big ads everywhere in town the week before.
It's not a big city where I live, so you almost allways run into one of the flyers somewhere. And once you are there they usually have a list of places where they are going to be next!
For some smallers ones I usually check the local newspapers, they are often mentioned in those...
Gamaholic: Thanx! I'm not allways this lucky though!
JoY
|
| 30 NOV 2002 at 9:03pm |
Agustín CordesGuild Master
Posts : 5696
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: AR, Buenos Aires
Status : Offline | What the f...!! I thought I was the only guy in the world to own Maabus! A shame that it's a horrible game
A most excellent work, JoY. You have great gamming moments ahead
|
| 30 NOV 2002 at 9:06pm |
JoYSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 208
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | What the f...!! I thought I was the only guy in the world to own Maabus!
Well that must make me the only guy in the world to own it twice!
But now I also have the box!
JoY
|
| 30 NOV 2002 at 9:11pm |
BelindaSchattenjger
Posts : 2093
Joined: 21 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Ah....yes.......I remember when I first started out in adventure gaming, several years ago.....I think I bought just about every adventure game I could find. There was alot of them back then in the retail stores. It was a big thrill finding them. Then this past year, I seen I had way too many games, and wanted to sell them off. Now I list them on Ebay to be auctioned off, and have done very well with them. The only thing, I paid good money for these games new, and I only played them once, then sell them at almost half price. :'( With the exception of 2 of them, received real high bids on them. I even had printed out walk-thrus for them too. But I suppose you can't get almost what you paid for them when you sell them used, (even played once is used) and they are all in like new condition.
|
| 30 NOV 2002 at 9:28pm |
STooGE4444, EastCoastDoom...Schattenjger
Posts : 2099
Joined: 15 OCT 2002
Status : Online | JOy, do you normally have to pay to get into your flea markets? I remember Maabus; I was going to buy it then I realized that any game that proclaims on the box how many CDs it has, is going to be a poor game. "3 Jam packed CDs of multimedia ecstasy!"
hmmm....
~rbeeler SVT &&Name's STooGE$$$$ Valpurgius TNT; it's not PLURAL&&[img]http://www.riseaboverecords.com/sleep/image/sleepfront.gif[/img]&&151.Generally speaking Sludge Doomsters are Angry, Gothic doomsters are sad, funeral doomsters are barely breathing, death doomsters are dirty, drunk and dribbling, Stoner Doomsters don't care, drone doomsters are out of it and traditional Doomsters are permanently pissed off, mainly with other doomsters
|
| 30 NOV 2002 at 9:40pm |
Agustín CordesGuild Master
Posts : 5696
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: AR, Buenos Aires
Status : Offline | Hmmm that was clever, Stooge. You just showed a glimpse of human intelligence! There's still hope left on you.
|
| 30 NOV 2002 at 9:43pm |
JoYSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 208
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | For this particular one, yes the entrance fee is $2,50
It is organized by some kind of company for a profit (ofcourse) Sellers will have to "buy" the space to put their stuff onsale too...
I guess they are making good money out of it too, but I don't care, for me it's a nice source for all kinds of collectible stuff! (sorta collecting old games consoles too)
JoY
|
| 30 NOV 2002 at 10:09pm |
STooGE4444, EastCoastDoom...Schattenjger
Posts : 2099
Joined: 15 OCT 2002
Status : Online | It's true dude...look at all games that have slogans like that and then look at the coolness of the game. There are a lot of old games like that. I can't think of anymore right now...I think Inferno was one...
$2.5 damn that's cheap. In Reno they're like 6 bucks. I guess I'll go to one this Christmas vacation.
~rbeeler SVT &&Name's STooGE$$$$ Valpurgius TNT; it's not PLURAL&&[img]http://www.riseaboverecords.com/sleep/image/sleepfront.gif[/img]&&151.Generally speaking Sludge Doomsters are Angry, Gothic doomsters are sad, funeral doomsters are barely breathing, death doomsters are dirty, drunk and dribbling, Stoner Doomsters don't care, drone doomsters are out of it and traditional Doomsters are permanently pissed off, mainly with other doomsters
|
| 30 NOV 2002 at 10:32pm |
scoutPrivate Detective
Posts : 736
Joined: 2 NOV 2002
Status : Online | Oh no!! My copy of Phantasmagoria says "7 CD's Inside". Does that mean the game is bad? Haven't played it yet, obviously.
I've found some real jewels in Goodwill store in Oregon. Found Ecoquest 2 mint in a box for 3.00. Neverhood for 5.00, but no box. Still a good price. But most games I have to go online to get. But I always check out a new thrift store/flea market. You never know.
|
| 1 DEC 2002 at 12:06am |
Agustín CordesGuild Master
Posts : 5696
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: AR, Buenos Aires
Status : Offline | Oh no!! My copy of Phantasmagoria says "7 CD's Inside". Does that mean the game is bad? Haven't played it yet, obviously.
Wow! Another clever person
|
| 1 DEC 2002 at 1:03am |
BelindaSchattenjger
Posts : 2093
Joined: 21 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Phantasmagoria!!!! I loved that game. One of my first 'big' adventures to play. I wish I didn't get rid of mine. uh... If you don't want yours....I'll take it.
|
