Not too long ago I went to the ReStore and found a working Sony PlayStation for just $3. It didn't have any cords, but that was OK since all I had to do was swap out the new PlayStation for my old busted one. Since then I've been checking in on the ReStore once a week, but have neglected other thrift stores.
Last night a friend told me there were PlayStations and NESes at Goodwill and if they had the right tags on them I might even be able to get them for a buck a piece! Seems they do this every week at Goodwill.
So this morning I joined the mob outside Goodwill waiting for it to open. I went in and searched and searched and finally found a beat-up PS1 stacked with old walkmans. I look at the scratches and the writing on the outside. There are all sorts of spills and dirt and food deposits... WTF!? How do people live with themselves? That's no way to treat a console! I pop the lid open and... IT'S EVEN WORSE!! All around the edges of the tray is a ring of crust with white flecks and there's fine fuzz growing from around the lense...
I gasp and hold back tears as I pick up the console and carry it to the back wall where the electronics are tested. Before I get there I stop and turn back. At the end of an aisle, along with two dozen computer mice dangling on thin metal rods I spy a light gray Performance GamePad for $1.99. It's a little dirty and has smoke stains in all the cracks. I press the buttons and they feel fine. Placing the controller on top of the PS1 I continue toward the back of the store.
Near the electronics testing area is a wall filled with wires. Power cords, adapters, AV... an NES RF switch that doesn't look like it's ever been used! Snag that. And there, nearby the RF switch, the black cord with the white stripe. Yep, that's it.
I pulled the rubber band off the cord, stuck one end in the back of the PS1 and the other end into the power strip on the testing table. I press the Power button and, SUCCESS! We have a green light.
Back at home I spend a little bit of time with electronic cleaning wipes, q-tips and alcohol. I put a disc in and swap it out with my other PS1 for testing. We have saved another console.
Curious, I plug in the GamePad. I start playing. The controller seems to work perfectly.
I can't wait for next week.
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