Pre-Season Check-In 2016 & Latest Pickups

It's the middle of March and the extended forecast says a pretty steady 40-50-60 degree weather is here to stay. I'm still scared there will be a mid-spring blizzard just to mock us, but all in all this winter was a joke. We got a few feet of snow here and there, but it always melted instead of sticking around.

What this ends up meaning is...early garage sales. I actually went to one on Saturday (3/12) and waited in line for an actual EMPTY house...ugh. But it got me thinking - I'd like to chronicle where I am right now vs where I am at the end of the season. I'm hoping for one or two really killer scores again this summer...maybe finally some SNES stuff because I refuse to pay retail and my SNES shelf is sad as hell.

This is mainly a post for myself, but feel free to read along. I use a really good app to chronicle my collection (which also has a built in wishlist...I've never been more prepared to find 100 copies of Sonic 2!) so I know exactly how many games I have from each system today. Keeping everything with a total/wishlist number scheme...here we go -

NES - 115 / 18

SNES - 22 / 16 

N64 - 75 / 13

(3)DS - 36 / 29

Genesis - 44 / 39

Gamecube - 25 / 15

Wii - 41 / 34

Wii U - 8 / XXX

OG Xbox - 7 / 11

Xbox 360 - 6 / 45

Dreamcast - 1 / 9

PS1 - 140 / 33

PS2 - 123 / 39

PS3 - 98 / 31

PS4 - 19 / XXX

PSP - 23 / 10

PSV - 29 / 9

Of course the wishlist is never complete...but I went through the Wiki pages for each console and chalked down what games I think I might actually play...not stuff that was rare to keep an eye out for, not stuff I feel like I need because everyone says so, but stuff that I might actually sit down and have fun with (what a concept, right?). I'm sure I'll find stuff outside of my wishlist that I keep, but I feel like the numbers are pretty manageable for now! I'd like to see what I can find/trade for (aka not spend much on) this summer...

Also, the current state of my TMNT. Only really collecting Raph at this point, so anything else I find will be up for grabs most likely.

I'm keeping it quiet on the toy front because I know most people browsing don't care about my toys and are here to check out the games...hit my instagram for the dunny madness over the last few months. These are special ones to me, and new additions to my 8" dunny fam.

Bought a 360 on an absolute whim from Gamestop...I figured if I was gonna have one, I wanted this R2-D2 one that talks to me. Good thing about waiting so late in the game to grab this is that the games I want are all like $5 at Gamestop. There are only 3-4 titles on my wishlist that are over $20!

Finally this Adventure Island 4 repro. I don't really do repros, but this is my favorite NES trilogy (yep, before TMNT even) and I didn't know they had this in PAL regions. Repros from other regions we didn't get are cool in my book, so here is my first one for the NES. There are a few more I have my eye on, and I actually have ~5 Genesis repros coming from overseas that were PAL only releases. 

So yeah, I guess that's about all. OH! I did totally build the arcade thing I was gonna build in my last post. I have that all the way done. I was like 30% through a very very detailed step-by-step post on how to do it and gave up. There are just too many variables to bother trying to teach anyone via a blog post. But, I will post progress shots and a little demo of the menu when I get a spare minute...been too lazy for all that.

Anyway, good luck all game hunters. Please stay out of my territory and allow me to gloat relentlessly when I find a good score. Hit me up with trades, watch my instagram for sales (every Friday morning - instagram gets first dibs on my fresh finds!) and keep it real. Remember we do this because it's fun...it's easy to get caught up in everything. Take a minute to step back and laugh about how absurd it is to be sitting outside a house at 5 AM waiting for a sale to open at 6:30 AM. 

Happy 2016!

Woops, another 6 month silence on my part haha. I won't waste time, I'll start off by posting pictures of my September - December pickups. Leaving dunnys out (well, for the most part) and only really posting the big stuff...

I don't remember if this was a new addition or not, but everyone on instagram really liked this photo, and so do I so I'm sharing it.

Some of my final pickups at yardsales for 2015. Note the audiophile ps1! All sold/kept except for Mech Wreckin' Don...feel free to make an offer, it's the original one not the repro they are selling now. Fair condition too!

One crate of crappy comics (all pack in's with Marvel Legends...hit me up if you're interested) and a huge box of Wizard magazines...I still have these around, simply because I think they'd make an awesome craft project...got that Food Fighters fry dude who I keep in my backpack for luck haha. Turok games all sold.

A little something different, mostly posting this for myself to remember. I grabbed this for $30, which is really crazy because I was about to spend $140 on Amazon a few days later for the exact same smoker. All my friends will tell you this is the best thing I've ever found haha. It's really nice and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to BBQ some delicious meats. (feel free to message me about it...I did a few modifications and have some advice for anyone curious.)

Tossing in a quick dunny grab because it was a really good deal, @mywickedvintageshop on instagram had a dunny sale and really hooked it up on a number of things I was looking for. Definitely check her (him? pretty sure her?) out.

My pickups from Retro Game Con 15! First is the huge place the convention was held in this year (it goes way further than you can even see, this was near the exit/entrance). Second pic is the freebies I snagged and my VIP package for this year. Last picture is the stuff I got...I went looking for TMNT and Toejam and Earl, and happily left with both and a great price. Also snagged Boogerman for a steal!

My Christmas was great, and I hope whatever holiday you celebrated was too!

And one more dunny because I really love this one and have been waiting a long time for it to release. I also have to plug for my favorite toy store online now, Radar Toys. All orders ship FREE! Looks like they sold out of this one though.

And there it is...the close to my year. I had an excellent one yardsale wise, and if I even do HALF as good next year I'll be satisfied. I hope everyone has an awesome 2016 and I wish happy hunting to all you collectors out there (just stay off my turf ;) )

And a little teaser for my newest project...which will include step by step photos and more information than anyone wants, I'm sure...

Contemplate that, and happy new year with my dude Ned Flanders (happy Halloween too...)

August Recap

This was actually one of my best months ever, looking back. I had another motherload of toy finds...which is always really awesome for me, because I don't really keep any toys (minus TMNT, and even then I usually only keep Raph) so it's a great money make for me. I officially ran out of room on my Playstation shelf I built last year, and I have a stack of about 20 PS2 games waiting for me to build them a new home.

Kept the silver PS2 (have CIB now) and some of the games. The NBA/NFL controllers are for sale still. That's a loose N64, that's also for sale if anyone is interested. I haven't tested it, but I guess I probably could.

This was also a really great day. Pretty much all has sold (the SP is on eBay right now - my name is 315retro there too!) I have a copy of red and a copy of yellow left, both with writing on the labels. I have a copy of gold too I think, and a copy of Crystal without a working battery...I can replace it, but I use the ugly electrical tape method...hit me up if you're interested. That Crash Bandicoot I actually got the rest of the pieces for later this month. He's really sun faded. I looked at buying a replacement and I guess he goes for like $50+ so I'll keep my sun faded one TYVM.

This was so awesome. I bought a huge bin of toys that was closed until I got there. I asked if the toys were for sale too...she said yes. I opened it to see the Rex right on top, and scored the whole bin really really cheap. I didn't even bother looking at what else was in there. With the Jurassic World movie recently, I sold that one Rex for about $70.

All these sold. I kept a set of Simpsons watches for myself, and the Biker Mice dude for me too.

Kept the Robo Force dude in the back, a line I never heard of but it's fuckin' AWESOME. Kept the Raphs. Rest sold. I'd really like to come across the rest of the robo force set...I have a soft spot for robots.

All of this sold. It killed me a little to sell the Barnyard Commandos, but I just don't have room for all this stuff.

Completed my Earthworm Jim set on the cheap!

Kept most of this, sold FF7. Was stoked to find the big Spyro, and I paid $10 for MM Legends...which I'd never damn do, but I wanted it.

This all came from one really bizarre house. It was all a ton of old people stuff, I found the TMNT mirror (kept) and the meat tray (kept) and just as I was about to leave, I saw that dino peeking out. You can imagine my shock. Grabbed it and sold it (1 week after selling my other dino) for $70...I was killing it with these retro JP toys.

And that's it! Summer is really noticably winding down...it's Labor Day weekend...which means no more garage sales. I had such a great time this summer, winter is gonna kill me this year. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve with a great flea market I hit up last year, and a few other things...I got a good score yesterday, but since it's officially September I won't post it until October. Wow, time really is flying.

Stay hunting guys!

Everybody's Gone To The Rapture review

I kinda got away from writing reviews recently, but that's only because I haven't really been playing anything new enough to bother. I haven't bought a game at launch since the Witcher, and that hardly needed another review to speak for it. However, I got a $25 credit from Sony via some Vita settlement lawsuit, so I grabbed this early on.

I have been waiting for Everybody's Gone To The Rapture since I heard about it during E3, probably last year. It's a game by The Chinese Room, and is considered a spiritual successor to their previous game Dear Esther. My PC isn't the greatest around, so I didn't get a chance to play Dear Esther, which I really was interested in trying. $20 and a 6 GB download later, I was playing it.

First of all, the game is extremely slow paced. If you're not into exploring abandoned scenery and aren't OK with not having much to interact with, you will not enjoy this game. If you enjoy sci-fi and feel like you can move past slow paced gameplay and no solid objectives, the story is pretty fantastic. I won't spoil it for you, but if you're a fan of mysterious sci-fi and are a patient person, you will enjoy the journey.

The post apocalyptic landscape thing has been done to death, but this is a fresh take. Literally "fresh". There are signs of people everywhere - ringing phones, burning cigars in ashtrays, fires smoldering...but no one to be found. "Hauntingly beautiful" is going to be a phrase you could CTRL + F in every review of this game and find. The environment looks fantastic, and really feels lived in. You'll be walking around expecting a jump scare until the very end of the game, even though you know everyone is gone (by reading the title of the game even.)

The gameplay...is exhausting. You move at a snails pace. There is no fast travel. The game only auto-saves. Apparently holding R2 gives you a speed boost, but it is uncomfortable to do and I only figured that out at the end of the game. There are tons of maps scattered throughout the game, but no compass, no way to check where you have already been (other than your own memory), no obvious destination, and no mini-map available on screen nor in a pause menu. You will feel like you just got dropped off in a real life town that you've never been to. Despite this, I really didn't find myself getting lost too often, and the only time I really struggled was at the very end of the game.

There are things to interact with - mostly doors, a few other things throughout. You'll find yourself just mashing X a lot. There is no jump button either...often times a back-yard will be inaccessible due to a simple hedge row being in your way, and there will be no way to get in. The point of the game is exploration, but everything is just a little bit too empty. Houses all look different, but the rooms are either locked or just an empty room with nothing in particular to do in them. If you moved at double speed and could hold down R2 for an additional double speed, I feel like the game would be much more enjoyable.

The trophies are simple enough, and the platinum is very obtainable in a second playthrough with a guide. Without the trophies to guide you around a bit and give you some extra goals, the game would have been unbearable.

All things considered, I can't say Everybody's Gone To The Rapture is a bad game. Although, at the same time, I don't think I'd call it great, or maybe not even good. I would definitely recommend waiting for a sale. $20 is much too high for this game. $15 would have been a much better starting point, and at $8-10, I'd give it a full point higher in my rating. The story really makes the difference and saves this one. It's just interesting and mysterious enough to make you want to know what happens, and to push you to slowly creep your way to the end of the game.

I guess 6/10. If you can grab it for under $10, 7/10. It's an extremely interesting concept, and if there had been just a little more to do, or a way to check off where you had been on a map it could have been fantastic.

June/July 2015

I just had a pretty great find today...which reminded me I haven't done this in two months. WOOPS haha.

Anyway...as always, first up, my personal vinyl stuff I bought...

Third 8"!

SDCC exclusive!

Got the full bootleg set!

First clutter magazine issue - it's awesome!

And now to my yardsale grabs...I didn't do great, but I can't complain.

Mario Galaxy 2 and Twilight Princess to my collection, huge bin of Legos, GBA and Mario Allstars sold. You can't tell but there's a 32x in that box. I think I kept it, but it's not compatible with a Genesis 3, so I haven't played with it yet.

Megaman traded. Half Life and Dig Dug for me, SSBB traded into gamestop, because apparently they give more than ebay for it. Go figure. Liquor went into sweet tea, Twin Peaks I haven't watched yet. That's a new shelf too. That was a weak day.

Mystery kaiju for me, Next Gen TMNT all sold, others still up for grabs.

Fat stack of PS2 games for me, 2 PS2's traded into gamestop (right before they stopped giving good money), Skylanders I kept, big mug I drank a 40 out of, Donald Duck my aunt bought.

This was a super awesome day. PS2 for my best friend who asked me to get him one (a week after I sold those 2 to gamestop...of course, right?). That action set is SLICK. All boxed games gone, except SMB 2 which is immaculate and I'm waiting on a good offer to sell. More PS2 games to my collection.

Another weak day, almost didn't find anything, but these DS games all for $3 each to my personal collection was a nice end to the day.

2 more PS2's (I promised I wouldn't buy anymore, but they were GIVING them away), keeping the silver one for myself, big one maybe getting a new home on Saturday. All lame games, I kept some. N64 was 100% loose - no connections, no controllers, no games lol.

Anyway, that's that. I had a really great find today, but you'll have to wait until next month to see it. Or, ya know, check instagram now. Your call. Lots of Pokemon games for grabs, and FF7...and a ton of toys.

Keep it real y'all.

May 2015

May is always a pretty good month for me...it starts out the year for sales, and all the stuff is pretty fresh from spring cleaning. I didn't do so hot all month, but Then Came the Last Days of May. 

First up, my personal collectibles I grabbed...

Those dunnys are 2 of my 3 most wanted dunnys! I'm really chipping away at my list. I haven't added many non-kidrobot toys to my collection in a while, but I've always been a fan of DGPH and that topo was like $5. 

Video game gets...Digimon wasn't very good. At all. But whatever, I grabbed it really cheap and digimon is always collectible in the future. The Witcher is fucking absolutely fantastic. I just beat it on Sunday.

And of course my sticker of the month club from Bomit! 

Random fleamarket finds. A slow start to the month :/ 

The following weekend...ipods on ebay at the moment if anyone is interested, I have 'em listed very cheap. Only like 5 hours left though. The dino is from Jurassic Park. Its a huge rubber puppet. $32 shipped. Random loose PS3 lot...I can do $18 shipped on the whole thing. RE3 is the highlight.

And then I hit up a crazy ass community sale. This is the sale I got all of this at last year...same house! The Gamegear stuff was separate, everything else came from that house. Unfortunately Pokemon red + gold are some crappy multicart things :/ You can't tell, but there's a black GBA under the GBA games. All gamegear stuff for sale - only one works (dim screen), but there's around 20 games.

That gamecube has a custom paint job (ehhh) but it also has a region switch mod. 2 wavebirds, one receiver. N64 controller had a loose stick, but I repaired it yesterday with a junk controller I had.

And then I got to the bottom of the large bin I bought...! I have almost all of these, so they're up for grabs. DK64 I'm bundling with a N64 I have with the exp pack, turok I'm bundling together, Goldeneye, Mario 64, Mario Party 1 (x2), Mario Party 2, Mario Party 3, Pokemon Snap, Zelda OOT, Zelda MM, and Smash are all for sale...I'm doing my best to save them for retro game con, but money talks. 

Heres hoping for a similar flow all summer. June is off to a pretty OK start...check out my instagram or wait until the next update. Thanks for reading guys!