Thrift shops and Flea markets

vcoleiro1 · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 3:04 pm Post subject: Thrift shops and Flea markets

Just wanted to post about my experience in finding handhelds at Flea markets (Trash and Treasures) and Thrift shops in Melbourne Australia.

As for Flea markets (Trash and Treasures as we call them) , I rarely find 80's electronic games at these . It seems to have all but completely dried up . It's not uncommon to go to a market and find only one item in the whole market and even then the guy wants a bizzillion dollars. I get the feelling it's a different story in the US and other parts of the world, perhaps we can open this up as a discussion where everyone could mention what it's like in there part of the world.

Ok , now for Thrift shops, this is where it gets really sad. I have worked as a volunteer at a Salvation Army thrift store for 2 years sorting all the items that get donated. So all the donated stuff comes thru me. In all that 2 years only once has an 80's electronic game come through - it was a Tomy Turbo Racing. Once in 2 years. Now this is a fair size Salvo's thrift shop that gets a lot of donations comparitively. Not only that I regulalry check out other thrift shops and have never seen a retro handheld there. It's as bone dry as it gets - slim pickings indeed. The only retro gaming stuff we do get in is once every 6 weeks or so someone will donate a console like a dream cast , Atari or PS with games, but strangely not electronic 80's handhelds.

Whats the situation like in other countries and regions , Im keen to know what it's like in other people regions?

GameWatchGuy · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 4:34 pm Post subject:

Hi.
When I lived in Texas there was almost no antique or retro items but here in Tennessee and were I'm originally from you find tons. Lots of goodies to be found at many Fleamarkets but not too much at the Thrift stores. I don't see a whole lot of handheld games but I'm usually searching for watches. I find very few digital watches but mostly analog watches.

Last year I found a Dukes of Hazzard calculator watch (mail in) which the guy wanted $30 bucks for. It was in bad condition and wasn't currently on. I didn't buy it.

A guy down the road from me in Maryville has a few of table tops. He's had em for a while. A Qbert, Donkey-Kong and I can't remember the last one. He wants about 90-120 for em'.

I found a few led watches but they usually never work.

When I ask the watch guys if they have any digital watches they usually look at me funny, like who collects those. Really nice people though.

There's about a million antique stores here. I've barely touched the iceberg on those, but still mostly dial watches like an old Mickey Mouse.

I think ebay is just the best thing for collectors now a days. I don't think some collections would be possible to own without ebay.

~John

Rik · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 5:14 pm Post subject:

Experiences in CA (and the Houston, TX area when I lived there) can vary quite a bit. What I've discovered about flea markets (sometimes called swap meets as well) is you have to find the right kind (or at least, the right section of them). Some of them are almost entirely people selling bulk new items. These people make a business out of flea markets.

Now, the few that I frequent now (and a few I remember in TX) tend to have two sections: The big, dealer-style areas, and then areas with non-dealers (like someone that just has a garage full of crap and brings it out). These are the ones you want to find. Some of the best ones have people that will bring huge trucks full of stuff, and nothing is really 'set up' on display. You have to dive into the truck and dig around for a while. Cool

Nothing is priced, and in all likelihood, the guy has no idea what all is in there... And prices are always reasonable.

It's definitely getting harder and harder to find these kinds of flea markets, and when you do find them, you can watch (over the course of years) them slowly change to have more of the large, repeat dealers that just sell new stuff... (Usually generic brand or brand knock-offs of clothing, jewelry and electronics.)

Thrift stores of any known 'brand' haven't had anything of real interest forsale that I've found in nearly 10 years (that's Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc...) Mom & Pop thrift stores can provide better results, but I still rarely find anything older than an Xbox in any of them...

If you know an area of town that might feature 'antique stores', check them out. Especially the dusty ones with piles of stuff all over... You never know what you will find in those... And even if nothing you want, they tend to be very interesting to walk through. Mr. Green

I've also noticed (at least a few years ago) that antique and toy-collecting market places seem to completely skip the 80s... Confused

There will be lots of 70's and older, then action figures, toys and Hot Wheels type cars from the 90's and newer... Finding any quantity of handheld electronic games does seem to be unusually rare for some reason... Even things like Atari 2600, Intellivision, stuff like that never seems to hit the 'antique markets'. But, of course, Nintendo Game Boys are fine... Rolling Eyes

kisember · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 2:21 am Post subject:

Here in Hungary:

There is no such thing that garage sale.

I belive there is not even such thing as thrift stores but second hands chlotes only. The goods came from different country as it sounds somewhat better. Most of ther customers are women so some of them sells second hands toys to let them buy for their children to shut them up Wink

while their mother are browsing. My mother managed to buy an lcd game already but I believe it was made about 2000.

AFAIK there is one 'big' flee market at the capital city. As I heard most of the sellers are 'professionals' selling trash, I belive they get it by buying whole legacies.
On the flee market in my city which is a size of a rest room there are just a few old women selling trash (yep, might be treasure for someone), mostly clothes, some toys (barbie like or action figures), and some electronic stuff like old (but invaluable) radios, cellphones, casette players. I've found only a nintendo donkey kong jr in terrible shape in the last few years.

The best sources are the local auction sites but people here have different mind then people at US. People here doesn't really willing to sell something less then they bought for. And for retro stuff, they certanly rare so it even increase its value. Many people found too complicated to use auction sites as they requires to create an account set the bank information, fill forms... Also, people doesn't willing to sell something for $1, actually, they wouldn't do anything for such a low price, as they couldn't get any reasonable thing for that price (because nobody sells for such price, remember?). That means most of the lcd games goes to the bin (as they couldn't get a real price for it), or in the rare case it ends at the auction site, it usually has ten times of ebay price.
_________________
www.HandheldEmpire.com: open vintage hand-held game database and collectors' site.

blue6demon · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 12:10 pm Post subject:

Here in Eastern Canada (Quebec) in the big cities you'll find as some of you said, new stuff in bulk. But if you go on the country side, that's where we find real treasures. I have about 6 of them that i do periodically in the summer, but i have to travel a lot, takes half a day ! And i do it because the wife enjoys it, i may have found 10 games max this way...

Pat
_________________
Keep on playing... no matter what !

Eggie · Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 12:04 pm Post subject:

Hard to find here in The Netherlands. I did it for years but i only found a few items. So it was easyer to buy on Internet.

GameWatchGuy · Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 7:13 am Post subject:

Hi.
I think I'm gonna go to the Maryville indoor FM today.
I'll snap some pics of the 3 tabletops the guy has if he's open. He has been closed a couple months on a long vacation. He said he was burnt out a little.

~John

GameWatchGuy · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 1:58 pm Post subject:

Hi.
Found these last weekend...
Good deal?

~John[/img]

Rik · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2012 9:54 pm Post subject:

GameWatchGuy · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:12 am Post subject:

blanka · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 2:54 am Post subject:

The Q*bert misses side and top stickers too. I would say 30$ each. You can get them loose for 40-50 with all stickers in complete condition (at most with some bumps or slight loose curls).

Rik · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 1:18 pm Post subject:

Panic Button · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 2:18 am Post subject:

Yeah, hold out for less worn out examples on ebay. They're all fairly common games. Those look awful!

GameWatchGuy · Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2012 4:48 am Post subject:

Hi.
I went to the booth yesterday. The lady wasn't happy with business as usual. I really wanted to buy something from her just to give her a little business... ever feel that way. Anyways, I didn't make an offer cause I didn't want to make an offer too low. Thanks for letting me know the value.

~John