Page 37 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #4

I Games and More, who had Atari
n November 1999, Jerry Greiner,
games still in the box. He called,
better known as classic video
game dealer Jerry G, announced
he was going out of business after and the owner started ranting about
how he was tired of collectors call-
many years. In February 2000, ing up and then complaining about
shortly before the official announce- his prices on the old games. No-
ment that he had sold his business, I body complained when he charged
caught up with Mr. Greiner to get the $30-40 for an NES game, but peo-
details of why he'd both gotten into ple got upset if he even asked for
and then gotten out of the classic what he paid for the older systems'
video game sales business. titles. Greiner asked how much the
Greiner, 58, began collecting clas- owner was selling old games for?
sic video games around 1989, al- The man replied $5-10, but he was
though he'd "always been a collector going to just throw them out be-
of something." He and his wife en- cause they were taking up shelf
joyed going to garage sales. Mr. space. Greiner told the man he
Greiner said, "I kept seeing the Atari was really interested and asked what
stuff, and I remembered back when my titles he had. The owner responded he
kids were younger having the Atari and “I don't think anybody's didn't have a count, but he had a list of
playing the games. Kept thinking, 'well going to get rich selling old the titles he had and read some off.
one of these days I ought to pick one of Greiner asked, "If I took more than
."
these up so I can show the grandkids video games." one, what would you want for them?"
what their parents played with.' We "Five bucks a piece. If you took a
stopped at a garage sale and a guy bunch it would be even cheaper," the
had a box full of games and a game man replied.
system. Probably had 50 games, a Greiner continued. "I figured it was Greiner asked, "How big a bunch
bunch of controllers, and stuff. Sold it some weird junk that wasn't worth any- and how much cheaper?"
to me for 15 bucks. Then, unfortu- thing. Then [later] I realized it was a The owner told him, "If you take
nately at the next garage sale, a guy Fairchild [Channel F] and then all of a everything I have, I'll sell it to you for 50
had a box full of games about the same sudden I wanted a Fairchild. I hunted cents a piece, whether it’s a piece of
size. He offered it to me for 5 bucks. I the flea markets and thrift stores and hardware or a game, and I won't
said, 'Geez, I've got to average my cost garage sales until I finally found a Fair- charge you for the common stuff."
here,' so I bought that one." child." A week later, $1800 in shipping
Greiner continued, "Then I got to Although his collection has charges showed up on Greiner's door-
thinking, 'well, I wonder how many dif- branched out to include other systems, step. That was almost three times
ferent games are out there.’ So I just the Atari 2600 remains his favorite. what he had paid for the merchandise
started buying them by the titles." "It'll probably be the last thing I give up. itself, which was all Atari 2600 items.
That part probably sounds very fa- They'll have to bury it with me," he His wife asked, in the way wives do,
miliar to most collectors. He remem- said. what he intended to do with it all.
bered setting a limit on what he would When asked what his wife and chil- Thinking on his feet, he replied, "I'm
pay: 10 cents a game. However, if it dren thought of his new hobby back going into business!" His first sale was
had "some weird, neat label on it," he'd when he started, Greiner at first said he to a man in New Orleans: Kaboom! for
go up to 25 cents. wasn't sure. He literally filled up their $4.
"It was easy to go out on a Saturday house in Oregon with his collection, he Over time, more people with large
and, if I'd wanted to, I could have said. When they prepared to move to supplies of games came to him to sell
picked up a thousand games, but I'd Arizona in 1996, she said, "I want a cheap. Sometimes he told them to
usually find 20 or 30 or 50 or some- house we can live in. So let's find one junk it because he didn't know what to
thing I didn't have." Then he decided with a three car garage so you can put do with more of it. One man in New
he should have a system for each the games in the garage and I can Mexico tried to sell him a bunch of In-
grandchild, but not knowing how many have the house.” “However,” Greiner tellivision games. After going down to
he'd have, he just started picking up said, "she's been very supportive and a nickel a game, Greiner still refused
extras. understanding of all the stuff that I drag because he didn't have room for it.
Like many other collectors, Greiner in." Both of them enjoyed going to thrift Finally, the man said he'd send it to
started collecting a single system: the stores and garage sales. It showed him for the cost of shipping, but Greiner
Atari 2600. He recalled, "I remember when they moved because they had a still said no. He regrets it now, some-
stopping one day and the guy had six week garage sale, made almost what, but at the time it seemed the cor-
these ugly looking yellow carts. The $12,000, but didn't even get rid of half rect thing to do.
man claimed to have every cartridge of their stuff. Over the years, business has been
ever made for this system. By the time Around 1991, Greiner stumbled up and down, but enjoyable. Most of
I left, he got down to $5 if I took every- upon an early issue of The 2600 Con- Greiner's profits were spent on his per-
thing. I said, 'no, I don't want it,' " nection newsletter and saw an ad for sonal collection or expanding his inven-

Classic Gamer Magazine Summer 2000 37