Game hunting is hard around here, rarely do I find good stuff but when I do i'll make sure to post it here. Also this thread will help me keep track of what I spend and where I got said item because I don't always keep receipts..

Found at a Tacoma Consignment shop:

N64 WCW vs NWO World Tour - $1 (Not in great condition...playing copy only)
Xbox XIII Thirteen - $2 (Missing manual otherwise good condition)

Official Sony Playstation 1 Multi tap in box - $5 (Pretty beat up)

Found at a Tacoma Goodwill:

Xbox The Warriors - $3 (No cover art)

Angry Birds on Thin Ice game set - $4
Angry Birds in Space game set - $4

I picked up the game sets because they are all there and they are freaking cute as heck...also might resell them together..

I'll think about snapping pics later on.

Finding anything at a Goodwill can constitute as a "score".

Eh depends on what you find though. The other day I found a nice wooden practice katana for 13 bucks at Goodwill..but I wouldn't call that a score...I'm happy I found it but i'd be happier if I found a Zelda game or something.

Welcome to the hunt. Competition is fierce in the greater Seattle area.

I don't even try anymore, it's honestly a waste of time.  It's been like a year since I've found anything even worth mentioning.

lol game hunting in seattle!

What are you guys talking about, black hole?
The greater Puget Sound area has one of the largest collection of Retro Game stores in the country.
Whether or not you pay out your ass is your business...but hey, if you walk into any one of the 9 I can count in the between Lacey-Seattle (2 in Bremerton)...I call it game hunting!

Yeah, walk in and expect to pay ebay prices or worse for games in bad condition.  Oh and you also have to throw on an extra 10% in sales tax on top of all that. If you call that game hunting then yes.

No thanks.

You decide, what's worst...Seattle, or Central New Jersey. This forum alone has about 20 hardcore collectors in Central NJ. Best you're finding in NJ is a stack of PS2 sports titles for $50.

Central US, Michigan and Texas seem to have all the good stuff

I see a lot of good stuff coming out of Indiana  and South Carolina as well. The hunting sucks where I live in Rochester NY are? Not because there's so much competition, but more that there doesn't seem to be anything here. And there's no good thrift stores or flea markets to go hunting at. Rarely see amYthing at yard sales either. What's odd is that there's seems to be a good amount of stuff coming out of Syracuse and Buffalo which are about an hour away east and west respectively. 

Everyone says where they live sucks for retro game hunting.

Well I officially went into Seattle (I live outside of it but I generalize the area) today and did a little bit of game hunting.

Found at a UW Goodwill:

SNES Zoop - $2 (Good condition, just needs cleaning)

Mario & Luigi Dream Team Prima Guide [Sealed!] - $10 (Looks great, I might keep it sealed until I pick the game up)

Found at UW Al's Music Video & Games:

SNES Super Scope 6 - $2 (Picked it up to test out my Super Scope I got at a Goodwill for 89 cents lol)
DS Hotel Dusk Room 215 - $10 (Paid more then I wanted for this but I wanted another good DS game)
Wii Kirby's Dream Collection- $33 (Paid way more then I wanted, the box is a bit ripped but in fair condition)

I only bought the Kirby because it's V-day and that's my gift to myself...otherwise I wouldn't have bought it -_-

We might have a huge selection of Retro game stores but they overcharge. Point in case "Game Lobster" It's near the mall in Federal Way (near my house) everything is above ebay price. Don't go there...just don't. You'll find a great selection but no deals. I'd rather buy off ebay for the rest of my days then go there. And you have collectors in NJ? What the hell do you think I have in Seattle? I have big name collectors here to deal with. Ones who beat me at it every day because they have more money and time.

Then again with Retro game stores, the price is just "supply and demand". I happen to think prices actually in the city of Seattle are higher then in like Federal Way..some are some arn't. But Al's prices seemed to be higher then their Federal Way store.

True there are Thrift stores but you rarely find good stuff, then yard sales..only during warm weather, finally flea markets. We have one...in Tacoma. That's it. I've looked high and low but we only have one. Unless another Seattle collector can tell me of another >.>...

The other point of me posting these is to maybe give people a clue as to how much prices are here.

Also yay or nay on me snapping pictures of my deals? I ask because I have to borrow my mom's cell for the pictures so..I just wonder if anyone is even a little interested.

Seattle doesn't suck for game hunting it sucks that everything but a few stores are over priced and the product is mostly sub par. Also Seattle and Washington state are the video game MECA of the us, we have 2 of the 3 biggest video game companies in the world and several top end game studios here.

Seattle folks love video games almost as much as the Seahawks, and Starbucks. This place is crawling with game hunters and resellers anymore. Back when I was picking games full time and going for culls sets no one had heard of such sillyness when they asked why do you want these old things. Now everyone and I mean EVERYONE is trying to go for full sets on this that or another. It's stupid crazy up here, it is possible to find deals but you have to put in the work for it, shit does not fall out of the tree and boxes of retro games do not fall out of the sky anymore.

Keep at it you will find stuff but don't be discouraged when you don't, just hit it hard and consistency eventually things will find a way to you.

I've been at this for a year and spent $1,500...how much more do I have to work for it?! I have nothing to show for all my work. Nothing rare or even kinda great. It's depressing as hell...which is a bitch since I have major depression and a bunch of other mental issues. Really makes me not want to get up in the morning.

If that's the case, maybe game collecting is t the right hobby for you. I have been doing this since 1995 heck even buying and trading kids in school too. 1500 a year is not much especially with how prices are inflated so much.

I haven't really found anything rare in quite sometime but it's not about finding the gems it's the thrill of the hunt and finding new things.

I gota agree with this. As long as I can get out and look around for stuff, Im happy. Idc if I find anything or not. For me its all about getting out there and enjoying myself and just being in the position to get a deal - even if its a $10 game for $1.

It's not a hobby for me...it's an obsession. And $1,500 is a lot when you only have $10,000 in the bank and don't have a job/can't work.

I enjoy the rush of finding stuff but it's better when I find a really great item...

It's very easy to get discouraged when you live in a competitive area for collecting. It's really hard to find stuff here as well. Remember though, it is winter. People aren't into cleaning out their basements/attics during winter. Spring isn't far off and that's when you'll find a lot of stuff popping up at thrift stores, and people having garage sales.

I haven't found anything decent for months at thrift stores, so i've been completing sets and trying to snag up some uncommon newer stuff.

I hope your right...

And these two games were off ebay but I thought I would include them just for shits and giggles.

Found on ebay:

SNES Robocop vs Terminator - $8 (I only snatched it up because AVGN did a video on it and if any youtubers do videos on games the games shoot up in price, so snagged it before it could)

DS New Super Mario Bros - $13 (I'm actually kinda happy about this one, been wanting it for a while)

I don't know how hard others are looking. I have slowed WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY down since I completed my NES set. I don't even go out once a week...maybe hit one of my "go to" stores twice a month at the most...
Last night I stopped in one late, and found 2 V-boy games for a "decent" price

CIB Pinball
Sealed Baseball

Just keep looking
They are out there, but you aint going to find a Stadium Events for $2.99.
I have been searching this area for 10 years now.

The greater Seattle area is a goldmine just as long as you are willing to venture out a bit. I usually have great luck between Everett and Burlington.

I stopped by a few of the gaming stores in the Seattle area last August. Didn't find much, but hopefully I'll get a chance to do it again sometime this summer.

Ah but your idea of decent might be quite different from mine. How much were they?

I've been having an odd streak of luck this weekend...I think mainly since I'm traveling out of my area more, like to the UW in Seattle or today I went with my parents to Shelton...and wouldn't you know it they had a video game store lol. Not a lot of choice but they had some unusual promos and collectibles.

Found at Shelton:

GC Mario Kart Double Dash!! - $18 (Price was really good considering it's CIB)
GC Time Splitters 2 - $5 (Picked it up because there was a sale, buy one get one GC game half off, it's pretty beat up and missing the manual but meh)

And oddly enough they sell their promo stuff..

GTA V promo cardboard cube - $5 (My first real promo item! Has a little damage but i'm happy)

I think I paid $20 (plus tax) for them both.
Besides, I thought this thread was about game hunting, not finding GREAT deals in the area.
Two totally different topics.
There is enough stores to keep you "Game Hunting" for an entire weekend, although you won't find a real "SCORE" in any of them but maybe once a year.

Actually to me their one in the same. I don't normally go to retro game store...I try to stick to thrift stores. This weekend me and my parents have gone to unusual areas so I thought I would check the stores out since I'll most likely never go to them again.

Really why are you complaining? It's my thread...if I want to post a deal I got, why shouldn't I?