The Flea Market Thread / The Business Has Begun.

[Melf]

Yes!! Hurry up!!

[Thief Silver]

God damn... this is great shit... I need to check out my local flea markets.

[Shinobi128]

My first official day of selling at the flea market has been quite successful. I made a little over $100 and had fun doing it. I wasn't even as organized as I was supposed to be. Next week will be better. I started organzing myself on Saturday night and didn't finish until about 4am. I was to be picked up by my friend at 5, so I put the finishing touches on my games and watched a Batman rerun until my friend came over.

Having to test every game is a bitch, especially for NES games. It was also tedious and time consuming to look for the prices on eBay, Gamestop.com, EBGames.com and average out a decent price. Most of it is common sense. No one is going to buy a Tetris cart for NES for $15. cough gamestop.com cough

We picked up another friend, loaded his stuff in the truck, and got to the Flea Market at around 6am. The fee to sell there is $7, not too bad, since we split the cost. Before I setup shop, I walked around the place in the search of more games. I found an old gameboy and battery pack for $5. I also found a SNES 2 and Yoshi's Island for $15.

The highlight of the day was when I bought a sombrero from some guy for $4. I wore it the rest of the day and walked around as well. It's going to be my new gimmick. I'll be known as the guy wearing a sombrero who sells videogames.

Impressions and Tips

Dealing with People

A great variety of people came to my booth yesterday. Some are too paranoid, some are beyond cheap, and some a just great to deal with.

A lady asked me to swear to God that these NES games I was about to sell her worked, if not she was going to come back next week and kick my ass.

A Mexican browsed through my N64 section and walked away going "OMFG THASE GM3S R 3XPANSIEV111! OMG" loud enough so I could here it. The same thing was said when a guy and his son browsed through my PlayStation section.

Overall, most people were great to deal with. A couple had no problem in purchasing a Game Boy color in like new condition (box and everything included) with a crappy game for $30.

Law of Supply and Demand

Here is what I sold the most, according to systems.

PlayStation
NES
SNES
N64 (One game sold)
PS2 (my only game was sold)

The majority of the people flipped through the PlayStation and N64 sections. Although, I did get many requests for PS2 games. So, if my customers want it, they're going to get it, somehow. You don't usually run into PS2 games at garage sales. I did a quick scan on eBay and it looks like I could get many crappy games for cheap, including shipping. If I could get something for $10 shipped and I sell it for $18 I'll be happy.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=11321

Like this, I've never heard of this before, but yet, it's a PS2 game and someone is going to buy it.

It's also nice to sell misc. things, to give some variety. There's also a big market for Yugioh cards. Someone asked for Magic cards, I'll look into getting some of those to sell.

Looking for Stock

Basically browse your local pawn shops, garage sales, and flea markets. There will be people who sell you a package of 30 N64 games for $20.

Also, bring some batteries with you and games for portable systems. There's nothing like bringing home a Game Boy Color that doesn't work, even though the seller said it does. Happned to me.

My overall mission (read: 0w|\|z0r the competition)

My overall mission is to be better than every other videogame merchant around. I have the gaming knowledge. They do not. I bought a Sega Nomad from someone who "knew what they were doing" for $20.

I'm going to give them a proffessional looking enviornment. Everything will be neatly setup and I'm going to GameDoctor every game that looks like it's going to have my customers walk away.

I'm going to playtest everything. I'm not going to sell anything that doesn't work.

Well, it's not necessary, but I'm going to have videogame music in the background. :P Nothing like Mega Man 2, but stuff like Metroid Prime, Jet Set Radio, and Halo.

[warnpro]

Glad it went well for you, and you had FUN.

Three years ago I used make regular trips to my local flea market, pawn shops, and video stores that sold used games to find deals on games so I could re-sell them on EBAY. My eventual goal was obtain a large enough inventory to open up my own video game store which never came to fruition. At one point I had an ad in the paper "Cash for your Video Games" or something, that didn't go as well as I thought it would, not to many calls came in, although I was advertising in a small paper.

As you know Shinobi, there is alot of leg work, driving around, and lots and lots of time on the computer with Ebay listings, emailing, comparing prices like you mentioned in an earlier post.

It is exciting though when you find that great deal, like paying $3 for a complete copy of Shining Force (Genesis) and selling it on EBAY for 40 dollars. This was three years ago, the EBAY market isn't what it once was. Or, finding a copy of Master of Monsters (case no manual) paying 2 bucks for it and selling it for 25 on EBAY.

However these great deals don't come along every week, and its mostly grinding out small profits here and there. If you make a mistake and buy just one thing that won't re-sell, it really can hurt your bottom line.

Here are some crucial tips I picked up on when I found my best deals at flea markets.

After looking through everything a vendor has for sale, a few NES games etc. the usual crap. ASK the vendor if he has any/more video games for sale, sometimes they will pull out a bag or box that is hidden or in their car and you can find great deals that way. It happened to me quite a few times.

Of course you can bargain and so forth and get them to come down on their prices, (in most cases) AlWAYS try and negotiate a lower price.

Like Shinobi said earlier, you must get to the flea market hella early, if you are there an hour after it opens, someone else may have scooped up the deal of the day. You aren't the only one looking for deals on games.

Shinobi-Your overall attitude, ethic, and mission statement is great. I hope you have more success in your subsequent trips to the flea market.

It's tough work, so you have to have an enjoyment for the whole process, and not expect to make a lot of money or one will be sorely disappointed. I'm sure you know this by now.

[Roufuss]

The flea market down here, the Wagonwheel, kicked so much ass. There was one dude who sold ALL his ps one games for 10 bucks each (I snagged castlevania chronicles and persona 1 for 10 bucks, resold CC for 25 that day in the same flea market), and another lady who sold all her games dirt cheap as well.

The thing is, there's one dude there who's like Shinobi who knows what he's doing, and now the other two vendors are gone. It sucks driving all the way up there to see what he's got, cause he dosen't bring everything he owns out with him, and it's usually hit or miss. One week I nabbed Rival Schools, Super Puzzle Fighter 2, and Front Mission 3, the next week he didn't have crap.

Shinobi, another GREAT place to look for cheap games is the gamestop and EB's. They have no clue how to price used games, espically ps one games, and in the past i've nabbed suikoden 2 for 25 and guilty gear for 20, among other deals. I've also seen complete Front Mission 3's there for only 12 bucks.

You're not too far from where I live, I might come up and visit this summer

[JMET]

Keep an eye on Roufas.

[Roufuss]

Originally posted by JMET
Keep an eye on Roufas.

Thanks for spelling my name WRONG!!! :jest:

Yea, I'll clean you out, but I like all my stuff complete

[JMET]

Havent you noticed ive been spelling your name like that for awhile now.

[Shinobi128]

Originally posted by warnpro
It is exciting though when you find that great deal, like paying $3 for a complete copy of Shining Force (Genesis) and selling it on EBAY for 40 dollars. This was three years ago, the EBAY market isn't what it once was. Or, finding a copy of Master of Monsters (case no manual) paying 2 bucks for it and selling it for 25 on EBAY.

Or buying complete versions of FF III, Breath of Fire, and Star Fox for $6 total and selling it on eBay for $75.

However these great deals don't come along every week, and its mostly grinding out small profits here and there. If you make a mistake and buy just one thing that won't re-sell, it really can hurt your bottom line.

Ya, some days I would walk away with nothing.

After looking through everything a vendor has for sale, a few NES games etc. the usual crap. ASK the vendor if he has any/more video games for sale, sometimes they will pull out a bag or box that is hidden or in their car and you can find great deals that way. It happened to me quite a few times.

Yep, I've done that.

[quote]
Of course you can bargain and so forth and get them to come down on their prices, (in most cases) AlWAYS try and negotiate a lower price.
[/quote
I bought an N64 the other day for $1. 'nuff said.

Like Shinobi said earlier, you must get to the flea market hella early, if you are there an hour after it opens, someone else may have scooped up the deal of the day. You aren't the only one looking for deals on games.

True that. I know a few people who are collectors themselves. One week I was literally seconds away from an FF II cart. I got there and he was reaching his hand over to it. The next week I pissed him off by buying a Nomad, an Atari 2600 w/ 70 games, and a Virtual Boy before him. Boooyah.

That and the other sellers.

Shinobi-Your overall attitude, ethic, and mission statement is great. I hope you have more success in your subsequent trips to the flea market.

Thanks.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Roufuss
Shinobi, another GREAT place to look for cheap games is the gamestop and EB's. They have no clue how to price used games, espically ps one games, and in the past i've nabbed suikoden 2 for 25 and guilty gear for 20, among other deals. I've also seen complete Front Mission 3's there for only 12 bucks.
[quote]
I know where I'm going tomorrow then.

You're not too far from where I live, I might come up and visit this summer

I'll be wearing my sombrero, or if I'm not wearing it at the time, I'm the one who doesn't look 45+ years old.

[Roufuss]

Ft Lauderdale is kinda far from Saint Petersburg, so just let me know if you ever find anything really good or rare and it's complete, like the Shadowrun I just bought from you, then I'll be sure to make the drive