This is the traditional weekly thrift and bargain finds list.
These lists may start empty but as always: add your items.
Put in what you consider a bargain, tell us how much you paid and the place you got it from. Bargains can be thrift store finds or any second-hand purchases or discounted games bought new. Don't forget to add your encounters with the Thrift Store Irritant Squad™ and any other embellishments in order to make it even more interesting.
Our GeekGuild: The Ancient and Loyal Order of Thrifters. Enter the halls of thriftdom at your own risk. Do mind the stacks of prized games. Don't mention the musty smell and try not to sneeze. Be sure to bow before our King, EvilTimmy I, and pay your due respects to last year's King, Blackwind I. http://www.boardgamegeek.com/guild/193 The Order's Anthem: Sing along with our thrifty theme song...
Hrm. Seems I would have been right behind the man again. When do you start this new job?
Evidently not soon enough Don't worry, once I start on Monday, I can only do this on Govt Holidays and weekends. You'll run circles around me with your flexible schedule.
Hrm. Seems I would have been right behind the man again. When do you start this new job?
Evidently not soon enough Don't worry, once I start on Monday, I can only do this on Govt Holidays and weekends. You'll run circles around me with your flexible schedule.
]
Gov't holidays? That's like every 2nd monday! I'm doooooomed!
Whooosh!!! There goes those darn F-15s again... Women's airplanes they are... (You didn't really think the F stood for fighter did you?) $3.63 at Unique.
After a long dry spell - cold turkey was starting to set in - finally a few finds of above average merit. Blokus, looks pretty much unused, pieces still bagged. CHF 4.50
Was able to stop by GW on lunch and saw this for $1.97. Box is beat up a little with a couple of torn corners. All the pieces seem to be there, a major portion still unpunched. Won't know if it's complete until I get it home to invenory. A satisfactory find after such a long dry spell.
Axis & Allies - $4.64; this will take awhile to inventory, as it has a ton of stuff.
"Nazis, I hate these guys..." - Indiana Jones
I left behind what felt like an emptyish box of Star Wars CCG and a full feeling box of Star Wars Episode I CCG. (Justin, since you're my wingman on this stuff, feel free take these leftovers as targets of opportunity.)
This the Unique in Falls Church? Where would those CCGs be hiding there? I've been hunting cards there for the last 2 weeks but they seem to have gone AWOL...
Speaking of which, I utterly screwed the pooch at Unique today. Forgot to use my "Unique card" for the 25% discount, which would have come in very handy for the Fantasia collector's boxes I picked up. Always wanted one for me [Fantasia is my favorite animated anything of all time] so was willing to shell out the $20 for one that looked brand new [even if VHS; don't care about the tapes that much] that was stacked [and appeared taped to] a 2nd and forgot to use the card for that whole purchase.
And as a bonus, I didn't realize until I left [and the whole "no returns!" bit kicked in] that the 2 copies were apparently priced separately and I paid $40, not the $20 I thought [I didn't do the math on the pile of stuff I had before I got to the register and just sort of split out the door as I was about to be late for a meeting.] My 2nd "complete f'in idiot" move in that store in as many weeks.
Ah. Kind of like the Pokemon 2 sealed box o' boosters I found there a couple of months ago just sitting on the game shelves. Unfortunately, those cards were long gone by 1545 today. The game shelves had been recently restocked but there was nothing like that nearby. They seemed to have a lot of new or like-new stuff there today, including a bunch of Hasbro and University Games stand-bys like Life, Clue, Blue's Clues, and a couple of others all still in shrink [which I passed on].
BTW, I noticed that in that Unique, if the game comes in a tin, often you will see it in the "tin" section as if it were a tin for cookies or seomthing.
And at Yesterday's Rose a copy of this I need to inventory, but it looks pretty darn close to complete and even the box was in great shape. I may rob the minis and/or dice from it... $4
With components as garish as these, who would be able to resist? Racing huge granite ample-nosed heads across a tiny Pacific island? Yes, please! Not sure what Randolph and Colovini had been smoking when they designed this one... "Die Oster Insel", in unplayed condition, 100% complete. CHF 4.50
Found a game that doesn't appear to be in the database - Playday. Looks fairly simple. Found it at GW unused for $2.97. A "see-who-has-the-most-amount-of-money-at-the-end-of-the-game" type game. Unfortunately I currently have no way of uploading pictures. Heck I don't even have a digital camera! I know, I know, I need to get with it.
And finally, another copy of this Ravensburger game for only 49 cents. It's missing a couple of the round cardboard pieces, and the box needs a little cleaning, but everything else is in good shape. Found this at Salvation Army.
I just got a copy of this by trading with a friend for Iliad.
I know, not a very good trade, but I never liked Iliade, sort of wanted him to have it, and this was the only remotely interesting one in his list. For nostalgy reasons, obviously.
I already have a copy of this that we play with the kids, so I was planning to sell it on. The box lets it down really, it is quite battered, but the contents are in very good condition. Unusual markers for the closed stations as well; instead of the usual flat counters, there are peculiar tower-like markers.
Mine's the original 1972 edition, as far as I can tell (the one pictured in the main entry), with wooden pawns and plastic counters. Will probably play it once, then keep it as a nostalgy piece.
I picked this up today for $1.50 at Goodwill. It seems complete, but one piece is broken. Not really sure why I bought this.
1. In case I could upload pictures 2. I'm trying trying to raise the ante on Tim's Ambush + expansions, Blackbeard, B-17, etc 3. For the square Eurogame sized box 4. For the geekgold sweepstakes 5. I was temporarily possesed by the ghosts of Milton & Bradley 6. As a gateway to riches via eBay 7. Building materials for my new thrifting shed 8. To appease the thrift store gods
Go with 8. "Ah well, it's for a good cause." That's my fall-back answer when I have a "WTF was I thinking" thrift move. At least it wasn't a $20 mistake like mine today.
You know, I'm starting to think I don't really enjoy abstracts as much as I used to. At least, they don't seem to get played (or bought) as often as other games.
Had a little spare time after a Dr's appointment today, so figured I'd hit up a couple of thrift stores on the way home. Left the first one empty handed, wasn't much there other than a very beat copy of pokemon master trainer missing the directions, didn't really have the time or energy to count it out. The next stop went a little better, picked this up for $2.99, a somewhat rare mastermind variant.
Also picked up a german-language version of this for $0.99. Missing the special die & the directions, but well worth the buck for the funky bird meeples
$4.00 at a community thrift that never has anything. The corners have normal shelf wear for a 20 year old game. When I opened it up I found the pieces still sealed in their original bags and the board is mint!
I am not much into abstracts and would have passed on it if Chris Hansen hadn't taught me that this game consistently goes for $30-50 on ebay. Thanks Chris! Off it goes unless any of you are interested in a trade...
A decent seller on eBay and not that bad a game to play if you don't mind giving over to almost complete dice-throwing luck. $1.99 at Goodwill and in nice shape.
Clintonopoly! Maybe this will sell considering current Clinton events.
There are three-dollar bills in this game and no fives. All the bills are labelled as Hush-money. If you pass the Campaign (Go) space, you collect $203.00.
Chance and Community chest are Crisis and Welfare. It looks like it might be fun with the right crowd. $1.99. Complete and in nice condition.
I just came across two of these in like-new condition. Either someone is donating the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy to get a tax write-off or this is some clever new campaign ploy.
Another game bought at Goodwill for $.50 to use the cut up board to cover the bottom of dice towers. The black finish of the board is not too glossy and not too flat. Man am I lame... commenting on the quality of a board from a bad game!
See my Favorite Contribution Microbadges (Purple Dot) for my collection of reviews from the 2011 Solitaire Print and Play Contest and (Purple Square) for the 2012 Solitaire Print and Play Contest
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Sigh... I think I'm losing the urge to thrift. I guess that's what two months of mediocre/garbage finds and pain-in-the-ass eBay sales will do to a guy.
- finally a few finds of above average merit. Blokus, looks pretty much unused, pieces still bagged. CHF 4.50
Not sure what Randolph and Colovini had been smoking when they designed this one... "Die Oster Insel", in unplayed condition, 100% complete. CHF 4.50
