Pop Culture | Video Games | Retro
7 Tips To Help You Find That Game You Miss From Your Childhood
A lot of us grew up with some great video games as a kid, be it saving 2D worlds on the Super Nintendo, or taking on three of our friends at once on the Nintendo 64. It's even fun to revisit these games nowadays, but unfortunately they aren't always easily accessible.
Whether your mom cleaned out your closet and sold your games, or you played them so much they stopped working, sometimes you have to go back to square one and get a completely new (used) copy. However, just because the game is old, doesn't mean it's going to be easy to find, or that it'll be cheap if you do find it.
For anyone looking to add something they miss to their collection, here are 7 tips to make the process as painless as possible!
Do your research and keep a list
Check websites like Video Game Price Charts to get an idea of what the average price of what you're looking for is. It will help you spot a good deal or determine if something's a ripoff. Also, make sure to write down what you're looking for and what you have, so the two don't get mixed up.
Set a realistic budget
Just because a game tends to go for a particular price, doesn't mean you have to be willing to pay that! Decide what it's worth to you and see what you can find it for.
Know how to check what condition it's in
Some online sellers go out of their way to hide info about a game's condition. If you want one that has the box, manual, and any goodies that came with the game originally, read the item's description very carefully.
Click to the next page for even more tips on tracking down the games you love!
Get to know the local game stores in your area
Most major cities (and even a lot of smaller towns) have a few stores dedicated to retro gaming, and they should be your first stop on a local search. A lot of them will even take your name down and give you a call if they get in something you're looking for.
Go to garage sales and pawn shops
These can be time-consuming because there might not be anything good, but oftentimes these places have some great finds. Plus, the people selling them often don't have a great idea of what they're worth, meaning you might find an insane deal (like, $100 game for $15 insane).
Post requests on message boards
Places like Kijiji, Craigslist, and Reddit's r/gamesale forum can often have people actively selling something you want. If not, you can usually post a Want Ad for it, which might lead to someone directly contacting you with an offer!
Tell people you're looking for games
Seriously, word of mouth can be surprisingly effective. You never know when a friend of a friend is gonna decide they want to get rid of some of their game collection, and you might get first dibs on things you like!