Goodwill: NES Super Mario Bros./ Duck Hunt/ World Class Track Meet

Stopped by Goodwill and found a cartridge with Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, and World Class Track Meet. There was a short stack of carts with SMB or SMB/Duck Hunt, but this is the only one with three games. I know it isn't worth the $2.99 I spent for it, but it was so shiny, and it's the only NES cart I have with 3 games on it, so I bought it.

Goodwill: NES Vindicators, CD-i Tell Me Why One, Sega Control Sticks

Another Goodwill visit today. I found Vindicators for NES and Tell Me Why One for CD-i.

I also found two Sega Control Sticks. The sticks are for the Sega Master System, but the boxes (both are in their boxes with polystyrene) say they are also compatible with Commodore VIC-20, C-64, Atari 400, 800, and 2600.

Goodwiill: Warhammer 40,000 CITYFIGHT and CD-i Link: The Faces of Evil

I made a random run to Goodwill today. I was just in time to see a man walk away from the shelf with a handful of NES cartridges (one of them gold), saying emphatically to his wife, "No, I NEED these. I NEED them..." Man, I know that conversation from somewhere. Left behind were a half dozen SMB and SMB/Duck Hunt cartridges, some aerobics game requiring a dance pad (the thing looked untouched after all of these years).

Next to the cartridges was a stack of shovelware, card games, and encyclopedias on disc. I was about to leave when I saw the CD-i logo. Pulling the game out I saw it was Link: The Faces of Evil. For just $3.99, I couldn't resist.

Before leaving I also found Cityfight for Warhammer 40,000. Cityfight is what you might think, it shows how to play Warhammer 40,000 centered around city fights. It gives new rules and shows how to modify core rules for Cityfight. There are also instructions for cityscaping (bust out the polystyrene and model paint).

This is Why I Go to Goodwill

You need to read this article about a man who found out he had a NES game worth $40,000... a week before he was scheduled to take it to Goodwill! Damn, I coulda got this for a buck!

http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/rare-nintendo-game-is-40-000-windfall/1391148

Good Day at Goodwill

It's Sunday. I usually don't do anything on Sundays, but today I stopped by Goodwill. It was freaky. There was hardly anything on the shelves. Huge empty spaces between busted toasters. It's not at all like the usual precariously stacked mixture of telephones, drills, and appliances without cords. But over with the VHS tapes there were stacks of cool old PC and Dreamcast games.

I picked through and decided on just three Dreamcast games: Crazy Taxi, Crazy Taxi 2, and Star Wars Episode 1 Racer ($1.99 each).
There were also some Sega Genesis and SNES games. I only chose to buy Scooby Doo Mystery and Bill Walsh College Football '95 (99 cents each).

Checking the wall they normally hang the power cords on I found a PlayStation PiranhaPad ($2.99) and a NES RF switch ($1.99).
On the way out I found something really cool. Autodesk 3D Studio release 4. It's complete with all the books, disks, and even the hardware lock. Looks like they didn't even touch the books. Only $12.99. This is the version I used in college. I still have the text books to go with the software.

There was so much good stuff at Goodwill today that I put back more than half of what I had originally grabbed. Maybe I should visit on Sundays more often.

Goodwill Thursday 02/04/2010: C64 Batman the Caped Crusader, HardBall, and Top Gun

After a long break from the thrift stores I decided to hit Goodwill again today. I found some C64 games.

The first thing that caught my eye was Batman the Caped Crusader. It's brand new and in its box. There's a tiny nick in the plastic wrap, but other than that it's just like it came off the rack in '88.

Next I found Top Gun. The box is a bit squished and the plastic wrap is really damaged.

The third C64 game I found is HardBall! by Accolade. The top of the box is a bit crushed, but still acceptable and the plastic wrap is still in perfect shape.

Each game cost 99 cents.

I also got a NES controller for $1.99. It looks unused.

Goodwill Thursday: 12/17/2009

Not much at Goodwill this week. Looks like someone else is hitting the store and collecting just about everything. I suspect it's the guys at the new/retro gaming store. The mint gameboy colors didn't even make it a day on the shelves and all the playstation games are gone. Even the bad ones.

It wasn't a complete loss though. I walked away with a Tekken 4 Fighting Stick (ST-607) and a PlayStation RFU adaptor.

More Goodwill Goodness

I went back to Goodwill and bought three more SNES games. I now have Spawn, Dr. Franken, and Madden '96. I also bought a nice steampunk anthology called "Extraordinary Engines". This all set me back $3.48.

Goodwill Thursday: 12/03/09: SNES and Mortal Kombat!

Hit Goodwill today. On the shelf where I previously found an abused PlayStation I discovered a Super Nintendo. Nearby, jumbled up in random power adapters I found a controller. On the back wall with all the cords and connectors I found an RF switch and SNES adapter. All together this console cost me $15. It still needs to be cleaned and tested, but I have high hopes. The cord to the controller looks like it was once caught in a drawer, but even if it's damaged I'm confident I can fix it.

Believe it or not, this is my first SNES. Of course I've played Super Nintendos before, but they weren't MINE. Friends, family, room-mates, video store rental... all that SNES gameplay and never on a system of my own. I'll say it again, I love Goodwill.

Over with the VHS tapes I found a stack of about 15 games for $1.99 each. Since I have limited resources right now I only picked out 4 games. Now my SNES game collection is Jurassic Park, Mortal Kombat (just had to get this), Tin Star, and F-Zero. Of course, Mortal Kombat is looking especially krusty. I'm going to give it a serious cleaning before I try playing it. I also found the Shadowrun Street Samurai Catalog (Shadowrun 7104).

Back on the wall with all the cords and connectors I also found 3 PlayStation power cords, another SNES adaptor, a Sega Genesis adaptor, and get this... An Atari 2600 adaptor! I scoured the store looking for the 2600 that must have been there in week 47, but to no avail. I thought I had found it in the answering machines, but I was mistaken.

I got everything for $30.87 after tax. I'm definitely going back next week.

Goodwill Thursday: 11/19/09

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.

Thrift Store Jackpot!

I got up early this morning and decided I'd hit a thrift store (ReStore) that's usually out of my way. I'm glad I did. I got a nice external Iomega Zip (100) drive for five dollars.

I also got an original Sony Playstation for $3! It is one of the later ones so I can't use my Goldfinger or mega memory device or anything like that, but I CAN play the old Playstation games in my closet again! For three bucks! Damn I love thrift stores.