Amazing haul!
I just received a huge box from my brother in the mail full of several months worth of local finds. Now I can finally tell this story:
About a month ago, my brother informed me of a Kijiji listing for a CIB Aerobiz and a couple of CIB NES games. Nothing too remarkable, but stuff that we were looking for nonetheless. My brother wasn't able to pick it up that day so I sent my dad over (here's to loving parents). My dad is a super nice guy and can have a good conversation with anyone he meets, so the lady ended up invinting him in for tea. She said she was going to be listing a bunch of other games soon and invited my dad and brother back another day to take a look at the stock. She gave him her email address for me to contact her.
So after talking to her once or twice via email, I found out that she had been collecting for a while but now was just in need of the money. So dad and bro head over and look through her numerous boxes of games. It was quite a ridicuous scene because my brother was looking through boxes while on the phone with me while my dad was helping her open and clean the carts at her insistence.
So anyway, we chose a selection of games and she asked how much we'd offer. We told her that we didn't want to lowball her and requested that she set her own price. And here's the nice part. She said it was the first time anyone has ever asked her how much SHE wanted. All she ever got were speculators and lowballers. So, she gave us a price, we agreed, and here's what we walked home with:
(All games, unless cart-only are CIB. Almost everything is in excellent to near-mint condition. Some still have the original shrink wrap on them, just opened at the top)
And I couldn't believe my eyes, but:
Plus a thick stack of boxes and manuals!
Total cost of everything: $1000.
A real hit to the wallet, but definitely worth it for 67 games plus manuals and boxes.
The lady was super appreciative and thanked me via email after my family left. She told me I'll be the first to know when she picks up some more of her boxes. This was probably the nicest all-around experience I've ever had in my game collecting career.
About a month ago, my brother informed me of a Kijiji listing for a CIB Aerobiz and a couple of CIB NES games. Nothing too remarkable, but stuff that we were looking for nonetheless. My brother wasn't able to pick it up that day so I sent my dad over (here's to loving parents). My dad is a super nice guy and can have a good conversation with anyone he meets, so the lady ended up invinting him in for tea. She said she was going to be listing a bunch of other games soon and invited my dad and brother back another day to take a look at the stock. She gave him her email address for me to contact her.
So after talking to her once or twice via email, I found out that she had been collecting for a while but now was just in need of the money. So dad and bro head over and look through her numerous boxes of games. It was quite a ridicuous scene because my brother was looking through boxes while on the phone with me while my dad was helping her open and clean the carts at her insistence.
So anyway, we chose a selection of games and she asked how much we'd offer. We told her that we didn't want to lowball her and requested that she set her own price. And here's the nice part. She said it was the first time anyone has ever asked her how much SHE wanted. All she ever got were speculators and lowballers. So, she gave us a price, we agreed, and here's what we walked home with:
(All games, unless cart-only are CIB. Almost everything is in excellent to near-mint condition. Some still have the original shrink wrap on them, just opened at the top)
And I couldn't believe my eyes, but:
Plus a thick stack of boxes and manuals!
Total cost of everything: $1000.
A real hit to the wallet, but definitely worth it for 67 games plus manuals and boxes.
The lady was super appreciative and thanked me via email after my family left. She told me I'll be the first to know when she picks up some more of her boxes. This was probably the nicest all-around experience I've ever had in my game collecting career.
Comments
Originally posted by: Beliskner
That's just plain awesome. If more people would put the money second and the fun and friendlyness first then collecting would be a lot less stressful
QFT!
("quoted for truth" if someone didnt know what it stood for)
Originally posted by: Tanooki
Good on you not only for getting that stuff, but also being downright fair with the woman and letting her make up her mind what she wanted as she's right there's just too many lowballers and speculators. That's a really cool spread of stuff there with some really fun games regardless if they're $5 or $100 titles.
Definitely! What's nice is that almost every game there is one that we wanted or needed. A couple of them we already own but she just threw them in the box as a bonus.
It was obvious that she needed the money, so we really wanted her to set the price. Why negotiate and try to knock a couple of bucks off of each game just because you can? That money doesn't mean as much to us right now as it would to her. And at the very least, we would be paying actual value and saving on shipping costs if we were to buy online, so whatever. This way all parties walk away happy and feeling good about the experience. But she was really kind and still gave us (in my opinion) an amazing deal!
Originally posted by: Beliskner
That's just plain awesome. If more people would put the money second and the fun and friendlyness first then collecting would be a lot less stressful
My thoughts exactly. I get just as much joy out of meeting a really cool collector that I do actually picking up a good deal. It's nice when they go hand-in-hand.
It's funny because she told my dad while they were having tea that some other guy had responded to her Kijiji ad a few days before and immediately asked if she had other games for sale. She said yes and offered to let him come take a look. He raced over there right away like his life depended on it As soon as he got there he was like "oh well, I can only give you this much on that one", "well, in THIS condition, that's a bit much" and trying to make some really stupid "I'll give you $500 for this box full" deals. She said it was so off-putting and uncomfortable that she just asked him to leave. Good for her.
I hope that wasn't a fellow NA'er.
Originally posted by: jonebone
Haha, the one cart pays for the whole lot. Great haul bud.
which one?
Originally posted by: Vandy
Originally posted by: Tanooki
Good on you not only for getting that stuff, but also being downright fair with the woman and letting her make up her mind what she wanted as she's right there's just too many lowballers and speculators. That's a really cool spread of stuff there with some really fun games regardless if they're $5 or $100 titles.
Definitely! What's nice is that almost every game there is one that we wanted or needed. A couple of them we already own but she just threw them in the box as a bonus.
It was obvious that she needed the money, so we really wanted her to set the price. Why negotiate and try to knock a couple of bucks off of each game just because you can? That money doesn't mean as much to us right now as it would to her. And at the very least, we would be paying actual value and saving on shipping costs if we were to buy online, so whatever. This way all parties walk away happy and feeling good about the experience. But she was really kind and still gave us (in my opinion) an amazing deal!
I feel that entirely. A decade ago I ended up out of work so long unemployment dried up and had to make debt to break sometimes even with a second job. I often couldn't and had to mooch or because like her my ass depended on it I parted out like 80% of my collection and even then the collectors of the time were vultures that smelled blood. Sure there wasn't the mass of it you have the last couple years, but the behavior never changes when you got someone in a bind and someone willing to get stuff cheap. It's part of my problem why I hate predatory resellers, normal ones who show some form of a positive personality are fine, but the slimy ones it has stuck with me this long and I don't deal with them still over it. I totally get her situation and from the other part of your post that I didn't quote, good for her tossing that clown out as the 'condition is this, ebay costs you that, etc' cards are just wrong to play.
Originally posted by: Koolaidstory
Originally posted by: jonebone
Haha, the one cart pays for the whole lot. Great haul bud.
which one?
I was wondering the same thing. I have to think jone's thinking its the 3 in 1 extertainment as opposed to the 2 in 1?
Originally posted by: Beliskner
That's just plain awesome. If more people would put the money second and the fun and friendlyness first then collecting would be a lot less stressful
Yup!
Anyway, that is an amazing haul. Glad you two made a deal you were both really happy about!
That's all I have to say about that.
Originally posted by: Bronty
Originally posted by: Koolaidstory
Originally posted by: jonebone
Haha, the one cart pays for the whole lot. Great haul bud.
which one?
I was wondering the same thing. I have to think jone's thinking its the 3 in 1 extertainment as opposed to the 2 in 1?
yeah, its not the speed racer/bike rally combo cart, I also thought that at first too..