Goodwill Auction Time!

So over on Reddit Goodwill happens to be a pretty popular spot for getting retro games. Not the case here in Central Texas. The issue here is that all Goodwills within a particular city are run a bit different, with Goodwill of Central Texas collecting all of the goodies and placing them in these silent auction cases. In other cities you can simply walk into any Goodwill, browse the store, and walk out with one or more killer deals. To make more money Goodwill in Austin will collect donations, put together a sizable lot of games, and put them in a silent auction from Tuesday through Saturday, where bidding opens up to the public just after lunchtime. Most of the time this leads to some pretty crappy deals, a lot of waiting, and buying a bunch of stuff you don't even want just to get a few things out of the lot. I have even witnessed a few people break up a lot after the auction has ended in the parking lot.

This is pretty junky, but it's not without some good deals. I managed to snag a Super Nintendo, Super Scope (in box), Donkey Kong, Mario All Stars, and several other classics for about $56 bucks. After selling off any dupes I ended up with a decent deal, but it's not without its work. I've been wanting to check out other Goodwills around Texas and will make it a point as I travel to Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas. For now I'll stick with eBay, Half Price Books, and the occasional thrift store here and there. Remember that time is money, so driving around for deals and having to sell off dupes drops your return.