So you may have a decent game collection and want to acquire more, but you’re doing so on a budget. This article might give you some ideas about where to look for games. The focus of this article is in bulking up your collection. You may run across some true gems, but honestly if a collection is your aim, they’re the last thing you want to start buying (unless you know the price will be going up and just want a jump on it). Just like the stock market, no-one knows the future prices of games and sometimes it’s better just to play it safe and rack up on the small bargains and games you know you’ll play.
I think these following locations work well for all games and systems, but I do recommend figuring out what you’re going for early in the process rather than later. You’ll find it’s a lot easier to buy at great prices than to try and sell off games you don’t want. In video game collecting (at least for lower-end and middle-tier games), cash is still king and great deals can be had by the discerning buyer.
Let’s start off by looking at the best places to find games at the beginning of a collection.
Internet Auction Sites
Location: eBay (and other similar auction sites… just kidding. It’s a monopoly, so just eBay)
Phase Relevant: Beginning (bulk lots) and Ending (finishing titles)
You’re likely to find: Everything under the sun, but look for bulk game lots in particular when starting out.
General Tips: Keep a cool head and set your maximum bid on auctions without letting emotions lead you into something stupid. Don’t be afraid to let something go if the price isn’t right. Also, you may want to avoid sellers in your state (they’re often forced to charge you sales tax. If you want to pay your share to your state, pay use tax on your own).
If the shipping seems too high, reach out to the seller and ask if they can help you out. Sometimes they can refund the shipping not used.
Also, ask if they have any unlisted items or sale or if they have a shop elsewhere. If you pay via PayPal, you will have their email address to inquire with (and not having to message them through eBay – which generally frowns on such dealings.) There’s nothing wrong with doing this, so don’t hesitate. Sometimes they will even drop business cards in packages. If they send you a PayPal invoice for additional items, those items can be covered by PayPal, but certainly wouldn’t be by eBay or eBid.
Strategy: First tip: If you’re just starting out, buy bulk game auctions for the system you’re interested in and don’t be picky. You have a serious advantage at the start. By that I mean every game you pick up can go in your collection. And you will be getting them really really cheap. You’ll also save on shipping and sales tax. Of course you’ll get diminishing returns as you keep buying lots. So of course you can optimize things by picking lots that don’t contain the same games. The reason you’re doing this at the beginning is to avoid paying too much from later sources. Once you’ve taken your fill and have a pretty good accumulation of titles, you can either continue and sell the remainder of lots as bulk. Another variation is to pick up a system with games and then dispose of the system through game stores and flea market vendors (which we’ll get to later.)
(just be careful – as some rookie sellers will sell you items that get damaged in the mail)
Another warning is to stay away from sites that charge you money to bid on or purchase items. These are kind of a passing trend, but they’re still out there. So don’t get suckered in to bidding on an item and end up paying more in auction fees than the item is worth.
Internet Shopping Sites
Location: Internet Sites with discounted games (often mom/pop stores with an online inventory) – often they will list their site URL in an auction listing
Phase Relevant: Beginning (buying cheap games and getting bulk shipping), Late (targeting games one-at-a-time)
You’re likely to find: loose carts (in varying degrees of label wear), loose discs
General Tips: Take advantage of coupon codes (sign up for mailing lists or check their Facebook to get the coupons) and free shipping offers. Like with eBay, you may wish to avoid retailers located in your state. Be sure to check back with the smaller setups – as they move inventory in and out fairly frequently. Make sure the site is reputable (either by word of mouth or perhaps internet sites – if they are an established business you could check the BBB – Better Business Bureau.) Also, see if they accept PayPal (you don’t really want to be giving out your credit card numbers – and never pay for anything on the internet with your debit card).
If the seller runs an Amazon site, make sure to contact them and ask them about bulk-rate shipping. If you explain that you’re interested in a large quantity of games, they will often cut you a break. They will generally work one-on-one with you – which is fine if they’re a reputable business (i.e. a brick and mortar). The same is true of half.com (eBay’s sort of competition with Amazon). And that’s another site to check out when you’re comparing game prices.
Strategy: The reason you’ll want to visit these sites is to pick up all the titles you can for a buck or two to fill in gaps left over from the bulk lots. This means you won’t have to hunt for these titles elsewhere – minimizing the chances you’ll overpay. Just be sure that the shipping makes sense. Some sites like to charge a shipping amount per game (regardless of the weight or value). They have that fit into their pricing model so they’re essentially making their money through shipping fees (gohastings.com is an example of this model – I’ve been able to get deals there, but their shipping often kills the deal.)
Local Game Stores
Location: Local Game Stores (especially around sales they post on Facebook)
Phase Relevant: Beginning and Late in collecting.
You’re likely to find: Loose carts, complete disc games, cool employees that will help you with your hobby
General Tips: Most game stores I know of use Facebook and they post their game deals through them. They may also post coupons in the local newspapers. When you enter a game store, ask the clerk if there are any deals going on. Also, ask if they discount to friends on Facebook (some I have visited have that deal, but don’t really tell everyone.) Don’t be afraid to haggle if there’s no sale – especially if the place isn’t a chain. If they know you’re collecting in bulk often they’ll help you out on the prices. Everyone wins in this scenario.
Strategy: I know game hunters kind of consider these the last places to be looking for deals, but that’s just completely wrong. Often buying from stores is a great option – especially the mom and pop stores that want to flip games as quick as possible on a non-stop weekly basis. I’ve found amazing deals from local shops – such as buy 1 get 1 free or buy 2 get 1 free sales around holidays. Before you go crazy scouting out other locations, give the low-hanging fruit a try first. Just avoid newer titles, and popular series like Mario and Pokemon and you’ll be fine.
Next time we’ll discuss the best places to flesh out your library of games in the middle phase of a collection.