Adventures in thrift store console pricing

[@M]

So, that Genesis 2+32X set finally got tested at work and put out for sale today. I probably would have put like $50-60 on it, but, my boss went and looked on eBay and told me to put $150 on it, so, I did. We did have more than just DOOM to go with it (Star Wars Arcade, Virtua Racing. Zaxxon Motherbase, and two others I can't remember), so, $150 isn't unreasonable for all of that, but I highly doubt anyone that shops at our thrift store is going to pay that much, but, I could be wrong.

I also put out two Xbox 360s, with Kinects, for $60 each, two PS2s, one with an Eyetoy for $50, the other without for $40, a Wii for $60, a PlayStation 1 for $30, an Atari 2600 for $20, and an Intellivision(!) for $10 (I would have put more on that, since those are pretty uncommon, but, she's the boss, I'm only an expert on masturbating Tarzan toys).

We've still never gotten a Neo-Geo, but, before today, we've never had an Intellevision either, so, anything's possible.

 

[famicommander]

An Intellivision for 20 bucks is a rad deal. Buy that shit and play you some Astrosmash.

 

[Syn]

Intellivision with a LTO multicart is pretty badass.

Edit Left Turn Only

 

[FAT$TACKS]

I was in one of the local game shops over the weekend and they had a 32X loose with I think all of it's connectors and no games for like 130ish. They also had a 3DO but I forgot what the insane price was on it. It's odd because that shop is usually pretty reasonable on it's items. Recently they have been out of stock any console older than ps3 xbox360 and that seems funny because a few months back they had stacks of ps1, ps2, wii, gamecube, NES, Snes, Genesis.. and such consoles. I suppose there was a holiday rush on old game consoles.

 

[ChuChu Flamingo]

Most of those prices are dumb.

 

[Gremlin]

Ebay prices have completely ruined all bargains I used to get in thrift stores on retro games. Nowadays any shitty NES game or SNES sports cart will be $15 cad minimum at the places I (used) to go to. The last good deal I saw was a Jaguar with a couple games for around $60 around three years ago. The console was gone by the time I got there but I DID pick up the games that came with it, including the bafflingly expensive Atari Karts.

I also once picked up a Genesis Model 1/Sega CD combo sold as-is for $50 and gave it to my brother (I stopped collecting retro awhile ago but he's still into it). Sega CD tray was broken (as expected) but stuck in the tray was a loose copy of Snatcher. Too bad the disk was scratched to shit, but a cool find none the less

 

[Lastblade]

These consoles are the perfect coupon day fodder, assuming they are still there.

 

[@M]

Most of those prices are dumb.

I am a dipshit. How would you price them? Stuff that doesn't sell relatively quickly takes up valuable floor/shelf space that we constantly need to put out more product so it doesn't pile up in the backrooms.

 

[@M]

These consoles are the perfect coupon day fodder, assuming they are still there.

We have $50 punch cards that give you $5 off a $10 or more purchase when you fill it up, and 10% off for seniors on Tuesdays, but, other than daily sales/specials (50% off lamps, all books 10¢, etc.), that's it. We generally don't carry enough video game stuff for a sale specifically on that to be worthwhile. Usually, the daily sales are driven by having too much of something, so, we'd probably only have a video game sale if a bunch of collectards like us donated many hundreds of cartridges/discs all at once.

 

[NeoSneth]

Store prices should be roughly 15%-25% less than ebay. More if you want it to move. That's typically what I use when I list stuff here. Ebay fees range from 10-20% + Paypal ~3%.
Stuff can sit on ebay for months if you list it with BIN at top range. It sells within a week if you are below that.

 

[pepelegit]

Yeah, I rarely thrift anymore, and certainly don't expect to find gaming stuff. Pretty much everywhere checks online, and honestly? If I can just order it online at the same (or even similar) price, why am I spending countless hours over the year going to a thrift store? The whole point of thrifting is for vigilance and frequent visits to be rewarded by great deals. If there is no potential reward, why spend the time on it?
The vast majority of my gaming stuff came from thrifting, but I haven't really bothered in a decade or more now.
This board game would cost $80 online, but it's $6!
This coat would cost $100 new, but it's $20!
This particular atari cartridge can be bought on eBay for $26, so that's what we've priced it at! Your twice-a-week visits over the last year just saved you shipping!
Ugh.
Okay, bit of a sore spot, haha. Rant over.

 

[norton9478]

Everything video games is so crazy right now.

At my last yard sale, I sold every system I had for sale (12-15) including 4 playstations (2 original style, 2 psone).

 

[@M]

Thrifting is easy for me, because I'm there working anyway (I'm not allowed to shop while I'm working though, only before or after, which is one of the toughest parts: seeing something you really want and then watching a customer snap it up and buy it because you can't. I also can't buy anything that I've priced myself until it's been on the floor for 24 hours, to prevent employee abuse (otherwise, I could have said, "32X, Genesis, and six games? Ten bucks, nah, five!" and brought it straight to the register and paid for it. With great pricing gun power comes great responsibility. I learned that the hard way when Uncle Ben got fired for giving himself sweetheart deals on loose Marvel Legends action figures.

 

[neo_mao]

How are sex toys priced?

It takes quite a bit of time/effort to break them properly in so there is an undeniable appeal to well loved toys...good quality ones get better with age/use...kind of like some musical instruments I suppose.

 

[LoneSage]

Sometimes I dream of the yooper life.

 

[BIG BEAR]

Yeah, I'm not going into a Thrift Shop expecting to pay ebay prices...Those items are donated so you should want to unload that sh8t as fast as you receive it..
It's not like the flow of donations is just going to completely stop...make a few bucks and move on...
I even hate it when you go into the local game shops and they look up ebay prices in real time like I'm going to pay that sh8t...I'm fine with the store keep getting a general idea of how much the item is selling for on eBay but they have to be realistic and knock off at least 33% when they have storefront rent to pay every month unlike eBay where the sh8t sits for moths in the seller's home.
BB

 

[@M]

How are sex toys priced?

It takes quite a bit of time/effort to break them properly in so there is an undeniable appeal to well loved toys...good quality ones get better with age/use...kind of like some musical instruments I suppose.

I was working the donation door one afternoon and a young woman gave some stuff and a sheepish grin--one of the items was a leather strap harness thing that I thought was for a dog at first, but, no, it was a kinky sex dealie for women. I put it in the bin with the bras and panties for my boss to sort, what she did with it, I don't know, but most likely, she trashed it, for hygienic reasons if nothing else. That's the closest thing to a sex toy I've seen at the store, although, granted, many normal, rod-like items could be used as dildos if a person really wanted to.

I did buy "The Joy of Sex" book from the store one time, (just so I could appreciate the artistic illustrations you understand) and a topless African woman sculpture, but, generally, we don't have any "adult" stuff.

 

[@M]

Sometimes I dream of the yooper life.

And I likewise dream of teaching English in China. You write the script, I'll draw the storyboards, and we'll sell the story to Disney, squeeze a Boba Fett cameo in there somehow, and make like a bazillion dollars.

 

[Digmac]

I did buy "The Joy of Sex" book from the store one time

Did it enlighten you to the joy of sex?

 

[@M]

It reaffirmed it. I'm pretty sure I read on Wikipedia that the woman in all of the illustrations was the author's mistress (I believe the artist worked from their photographs).

 

[norton9478]

Yeah, I'm not going into a Thrift Shop expecting to pay ebay prices...Those items are donated so you should want to unload that sh8t as fast as you receive it..
It's not like the flow of donations is just going to completely stop...make a few bucks and move on...

The big thrift "chains" pull the good shit and sell through channels outside of the stores.

It has been 10-15 years since I've pulled a really good video game at a thrift store.

I even hate it when you go into the local game shops and they look up ebay prices in real time like I'm going to pay that sh8t...I'm fine with the store keep getting a general idea of how much the item is selling for on eBay but they have to be realistic and knock off at least 33% when they have storefront rent to pay every month unlike eBay where the sh8t sits for moths in the seller's home.
BB

The way shit is moving right now, game shops can put it for 33% above ebay and it won't last long.

 

[BIG BEAR]

The big thrift "chains" pull the good shit and sell through channels outside of the stores.

It has been 10-15 years since I've pulled a really good video game at a thrift store.

The OP works at a Thrift store and to quote the original poster so, $150 isn't unreasonable for all of that, but I highly doubt anyone that shops at our thrift store is going to pay that much, but, I could be wrong"
BB

The way shit is moving right now, game shops can put it for 33% above ebay and it won't last long.

The Retro Games shop that I went in was STOCKED to the brim with sh8t BUT this was early last year....I mean, everytime I've went into the place they are stocked to the brim with RETRO stuff so I highly doubt the shelves were cleaned out like toilet paper and hand sanitizer was....

BB

 

[ChopstickSamurai]

I haven’t seen video games at a thrift outside of Wii stuff in ages. The Goodwill near me has this ever growing pile of Wii balance boards. No one wants them and they’re $20 a pop.

 

[ShootTheCore]

I gave up on my (formerly favorite) local used video game store when they stopped honoring the tagged prices on the games on the shelves and would adjust them to current EBay pricing at checkout. Utah law allows them to do it - it’s a “thrift store”, they’re “negotiating” the price, and the policy is posted on the register - but it is some serious BS IMHO.

I found an abandoned, dusty copy of AES League Bowling in a cardboard box sitting in the corner buried under a bunch of NES RF cables. It was tagged at $25 and the owner changed the price to $250 on me at checkout. Screw ‘em.

 

[@M]

Wow, what? You can't, nor would we ever, do that here. Once a price tag is on something, that's what we charge at the register, or, as my boss puts it: "Once an item is priced and on the floor, we can mark it down, but, never up." If I put $2 on a European copy of Kizuna Encounter, by Mai's holy tits, that's what you'd pay (plus twelve cents sales tax). Sometimes a customer will try to haggle for less, and, if their argument has merit, I'll usually mark it down or even give it to them for free (an item having damage or missing an important component that I, or other staff, didn't notice, like a small stain or tear on a T-shirt, being the most common reason, but, we often mark suspect things "as-is" too, so, it's the buyer's gamble, as it was with me and Masturbating Tarzan, who was marked as-is, but worked perfectly when I got him home, installed good batteries, and put some quality porn on the telly for him to enjoy.)