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oldnintendonerd · 8 years ago

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Pickup post #4 - It’s Sony weeks

So the last couple weeks were slow after the last GameCube find at work. Very slow, so much so I didn’t even find anything else Nintendo related. I am talking to someone about a GameCube game on OfferUp, so we’ll see how that goes. There is also a possible small NES and Game Boy game lot from another co-worker that is in discussion. So I have some things simmering, hopefully I’ll have something more to post about soon, but no more Nintendo finds. Everything I found in the last couple weeks was at a Goodwill, and was Sony related.

I have no problem with this, while not really collecting for Playstation per se, I do have some fond memories of playing many Playstation games growing up. Twisted Metal 2 was fantastic both one player and two player. I would play with friends, my dad, my brother, it’s just a great game. The sound effect you get when you get a kill is so satisfying. Will never get old.

Another series of games I spent a ton of time with was the Gran Turismo series. I had the original one first, as most did, and really enjoyed the experience. Starting from the bottom, buying cars, winning races, upgrading your cars or buying new ones and moving up the ladder. I eventually bought the second one and enjoyed it just as much. Essentially a racing game RPG.

All three of the items I’m going into now were picked up across the end of the month of May, and the first week or so of June. I was hitting dozens of garage and yard sales, combing OfferUp and LetGo. Nothing. I literally hit at least 12 yard sales in an hour span one day and got “Nope, my son took all those” as an answer at 3 of them when asked if they had any older video games.

This was why I couldn’t pass it up when I spotted Gran Turismo 4 on the PS2 at a Goodwill. Just needed to get something, anything to have a find at this point, and I was so fond of the first two. So I bought it. I don’t even have a PS2.

This game is near mint. Only a couple minor dings on the outer case, still very shiny. Manual is in very good condition, and the disc looks like it’s never been taken out of the case.

Snagged this one for $2.99.

Just immaculate condition, I was stunned for a $3 game sitting in a thrift store. I mean just look at the disc, look at it! Absolutely pristine.

I’ll be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of the PS2, even badmouthed it on numerous occasions. Maybe even right here in this blog saying I’d never collect for it. It all stemmed from when I played Twisted Metal Black back in 2001, and the steering for driving in reverse was backwards from the first 4 games on the PS1. I loved those games. However, on Black I got so frustrated going the wrong way every time I tried to back up. I’d try to turn one way, the car would go the other and screw up what I was trying to do. Did you ever see those videos of the guy trying to learn how to ride a bike when the steering is inverted? It’s a Smarter Every Day episode. Click here if you are curious. Essentially what it comes down to is muscle memory. You’ve done something so much you now no longer THINK about having to do it, you just do it. While not as complicated as riding a bike, doing a rookie turn in Twisted Metal was something I’d done over and over again. It was automatic. Having it reversed, completely broke the game for me to the point where I almost couldn’t function. I know backing up is maybe 20% of the time in that game, but that still puts me at 80% effectiveness, because I was useless backing up. You have to be able to move in reverse, and aim at the same time. Not easy with steering opposite from everything you’ve known for the last 5 or 6 years in a series.

It crushed my love of the Twisted Metal series. The developers completely ruined the game with one simple direction change that was counter intuitive. Turned me off completely. Never had a desire to buy a PS2 after that. Because that was the ONE game at the time I was anticipating on the system.

Now though, heh...

In the thick of a retro gaming hunt, I figured there was a real possibility I could eventually get one, if for nothing else, to play my old PS1 games, and test any PS1 or PS2 games I pick up and intend to flip. I thought it couldn’t hurt to have a few choice games in the collection for the PS2, it was the best selling game system of all time for a reason.

Don’t get me wrong I am still a Nintendo fan boy at heart, and the vast majority of the content you should see in the blog will still be for Nintendo, but, good games are good games. Might as well enjoy them. If I find a good deal on a system or game that is not Nintendo, I’m going to go for it, whether I intend to sell it or keep it I’ll still post it up here for everyone to read about. Heck, I’d even be willing to give Twisted Metal Black another play if it comes along for cheap. Overall, I am game hunting, and Nintendo is not the only manufacturer and developer of video games. So with that out of the way, on to the next bit of the find.

Next up is Hot Shots Golf 3, I have played the earlier ones on the PS1 back in the day. They are good. Not blowing anyone away, but good fun games.

It is essentially a platform agnostic Mario Golf. So I figured it couldn’t hurt to have. I love my copy of Mario Golf Toadstool Tour. This one reminds me of that a lot, right down to the “Nice Shot!” it says after getting the markers lined up for a swing. When the girl at the Goodwill rings you out at the DVD price of $1.99, instead of the video game price of $2.99, no complaints here either. Especially since it was a little bit of a gamble. Admittedly, because it was pretty scratched. But I didn’t see any real deep ones, so it should play. If it doesn’t, eh, it was $2. Still, it was complete, and in good shape otherwise. Would I have bought it had I not been on a dry spell? Probably not.

Lastly, the Goodwill by my work had a PS1 on the shelf in the electronics section. If you read my blog regularly I have mentioned this one before as being the more robust in the video game department of the two I normally visit. Had the PS1 come into the one by my house it probably would have went in the auction case. If it was cheaper I may have picked it up, but it was a relatively high $14.99. This for a stand alone PS1, just the system, no cables, no games, no included controllers, no guarantee it works, nothing. However, it did have a dual shock 1 controller sitting there with it, with its own price tag of course. The sticks and buttons all felt great, tight and responsive. So I snagged it.

$3.99.

I took it home, cracked it open, and cleaned it up. It was in really good shape under a bit of the grime that was there. I hooked it to my PS1 to USB adapter and tried it with ePSXe on the PC. Works fine. Even the joys don’t have any grooves worn in them or anything. They did have that plastic “dust” under them that comes from use, but it cleaned up and looks fine.

The shoulder buttons are responsive and clean as well. Just an all around good controller. I couldn’t pass it up.

So $9.61 total for two games and a controller.

Apparently Goodwill is charging tax where I live. I’ve seen it be no tax before, but I think it depends completely on the region they are in. Wish it was tax free here, but alas it is not.

Kind of terrible that it took almost a full two weeks of hunting just to come up with that. I’m struggling for content on this blog as far as hunting goes. But, I’ll take what I can get. I’m going to keep at it, I’ll keep hitting yard sales, garage sales, flea markets and thrift stores as often as time allows. Obviously when winter hits, yard and garage sales wont be options. Those will certainly be slower months. Though, to be perfectly honest, I haven’t found anything at a yard sale or garage sale yet, so, what difference do those make, at least thus far? Dozens of sales this season under my belt with not a single find at even one of them. The prices are always much higher on other avenues, like OfferUp or LetGo. Everyone always checks eBay before listing anything, and usually wants close to that number.

The luck I’m having with co-workers and Goodwill I may just stop going to yard/garage sales.

I’m kidding, you won’t know whats there until you get there. So I won’t stop going when the opportunity arises.

Official business:

$11.09 - $9.61 = $1.48 game hunting money remaining.

YIKES!

Knowing we were very low on funds, like critically low, I sold the Game Boy Player from the last find. The auction was running when I bought Hot Shots Golf 3 actually, so I had a plan for funds. Even though we never actually went negative. YAY!

I had to use eBay, I had no other choice. Here’s the completed auction.

As you can see, it sold this weekend and it went for $67.00, plus $3.99 shipping. Totaling $70.99. Ebay is kind of terrible to sell on, you really feel like you get fee’d to death. But it works for quick sales on desirable items. Generally you get a little more than you could do in cash face to face with someone so it evens out somewhat. Not all the way, but somewhat. I figure if I sold this to someone locally for cash, I would get somewhere between $45 and $50 since they will likely want to haggle. On the auction, it sold faster than it would to find a buyer on a local site, and after Paypal took their fees, eBay took their fees, and I shipped it, I actually walked away with $52.88. So a couple bucks more than I figure I would have gotten. It feels like you are getting bent over, but in most cases the prices are higher BECAUSE of how much you get bent over and it sort of evens out. Lets put that back into the game hunting money...

$1.48 + $52.88 = $54.36

Whew! Close one, almost went negative. I mean I don’t mind if we go negative. You can’t know what’s going to happen though, if the right deal comes along, it may force your hand. As long as there is something to sell in that lot, or on hand from a past one to bring it positive again, I’m OK with extending myself some credit if I have to.

$54.36 game hunting money remaining. Happy June guys. Hoping to find something else soon so I can post some more content.

2017.06.14

#sony #playstation #ps2 #ps1 #playstation2 #game hunting #retrogaming #granturismo #granturismo4 #gameboy player #video games

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