Divorce Yard Sales RULE!

[shardian]

So I was headed out on Saturday morning to run some errands. At the end of my street, there was a sign that read : "Divorce Yard Sale". How could I NOT go to something like that? 
Anyways, I got there and looked around. On one table I spied something very interesting: A boxed NES. I opened it up and EVERYTHING was there - even the little individual plastic baggies that the cables came in. Inside the Nintendo was a copy of Galaga. I asked the people what they wanted for it expecting to hear a high price. The guy shrugged and said "$5". He even said that multiple people had told him to put it on ebay. They also told me that they had a bunch of games but hadn't lcoated them yet. They took my phone # and said they were mine whenever they found them.

Needless to say, it was in my car in a heartbeat. Later on, I pulled it all out and fired it up. The Galaga game came up just fine and I played a few games. Here is where the good part starts. A while later, my 18 month old girl walks up to the controller and points at it saying "nin-nin". I will assume it was a complete coincidence of syllables.    I showed her the controller and fired up the game again for the hell of it. She loved watching the screen, and slowly started to realize that hitting her button would do stuff. She would watch the screen and I would say "Hit your button". Then she would start firing. Eventually she also learned that the Start button would make the noises start again. The best part was that she would go "Awwww" whenever one of her ships was destroyed. It was Hilarious!

Lastly and by complete chance, she got her ship captured and then released it to get a double ship - all on her own! Needless to say, I am a VERY proud daddy.

[ChadTower]

Niiiice!  I've gotten a few really good deals on things in the past because someone wanted to sell it before the divorce settlement.  Very motivated sellers. 

[Mauzy]

sweet deal! Its been a couple years since my last good sale find. I think it was 2 or 3 years ago when I bought 2 NES systems and 15 or so games for a buck. I gave a system and a few games to my cousin and somehow he ended up with a couple of the good games (I think he flat out stole them from me. Why the hell would I let him have burgertime AND donkey kong?)

I did keep the original Final Fantasy though...

[danny_galaga]

thats great news all round! well done in all regards (",)

[shardian]

Photo evidence:

[Hemi]

Ah, the good old NES, still well worth the money and I think it's good to have a child start out his or her gaming career on the console most of us did. 

[ahofle]

It doesn't get much better than seeing your own kid enjoying some retro gaming!   

[ChadTower]

They're not supposed to sell the kids at a divorce yard sale.

[shardian]

They're not supposed to sell the kids at a divorce yard sale.

If I could buy another of her, I would. She is hilarious, and is most definitely a daddy's girl.

[danny_galaga]

that is too cute!

[ChadTower]

I recognize that look on her face in the bottom pic... puffy eyes, fatigue, a little drool... that's the blue knights on level 5 of Zelda look... Dude you should have started her with an easier game!   

[HairyDVD]

You've done it now ....

She'll be wanting an xbox 360 for next christmas   

[shmokes]

At least she reasonable.  By next Christmas you'll be able to pick up a 360 for less than a Wii.

[Hemi]

Yeah, and the Wii's are still sold out in my town so the Wii's will end up costing you more at that point. 

[solderguy1]

That small NES pad looks so big in her hands 

[ChadTower]

At least she reasonable.  By next Christmas you'll be able to pick up a 360 for less than a Wii.

You already can if you buy used.  I've had several $200 360s offered to me and I'm still not buying them.

[shmokes]

$200 is what the Arcade version will cost this holiday season according to the buzz.  And judging by the supply/demand situation I don't see the Wii getting a price drop.  Somewhat less reliable rumor also puts a motion-based controller in that Xbox 360 package.

[Hoopz]

It's still tough to shake that old hacked Xbox loose.

I agree with that.  I'm finding more and more reasons to keep it hooked up.  Ironic....

I will say that its tough finding time for the classics mixed in with emulation and the Wii games.  I have three young children so we spend some time together on the Wii.  The kids get 30 minutes a day on the PC, Xbox, or Wii.   Irritates me when they use it up before I get home.  Then I have to wait till they go to bed to play.   

[ChadTower]

 Irritates me when they use it up before I get home.  Then I have to wait till they go to bed to play.   

Heh, same here.  And if you want to play something like Resident Evil you have to wait until they not only go to bed but are asleep too.

[Hoopz]

 Irritates me when they use it up before I get home.  Then I have to wait till they go to bed to play.   

Heh, same here.  And if you want to play something like Resident Evil you have to wait until they not only go to bed but are asleep too.

That's the longest part of the day.... Waiting for them to stay in bed and go to sleep. 

[Hemi]

Yes, drug your kids so you can play video games in peace.   

[ChadTower]

Yes, drug your kids so you can play video games in peace.   

...says the dude with a Stewie avatar.

[AmericanDemon]

Yes, drug your kids so you can play video games in peace.   

...says the dude with a Stewie avatar.

priceless   

[Hemi]

Making fun of my avatar is a really lame defense. Just about everyone here has a lame avatar and that represents the type of adults who are still into playing video games and we are proud of it.

So chad, you're in favor of drugging your kids for fun?

[shmokes]

He wasn't making fun of your avatar, Hemi.  He was making fun of you (and not for selecting that avatar, I might add).

[Hoopz]

He wasn't making fun of your avatar, Hemi.  He was making fun of you (and not for selecting that avatar, I might add).

It was too subtle for him.   

[ChadTower]

So chad, you're in favor of drugging your kids for fun?

I'm in favor of drugging your kids for fun.

[Hemi]

But my kids are your kids, at least you're raising them, that is. That's why I was so concerned that you might drug them. I was not with her for very long, but it did the job. 

[ChadTower]

But my kids are your kids, at least you're raising them, that is. That's why I was so concerned that you might drug them. I was not with her for very long, but it did the job. 

Admission!  Paternity!  Litigation!  Payment schedule!  Back liability!

Lawyers on speed dial.


(like we believe this dude could get some)

[shmokes]

I was not with her for very long, but it did the job. 

Even when he's trying to make fun of someone else he manages to ridicule himself. 

[shardian]

I was not with her for very long, but it did the job. 

Even when he's trying to make fun of someone else he manages to ridicule himself. 

 

[Hemi]

Hehe.

 

[daywane]

not a console system but I did get a rainbow vacuum for $20.00
been in use for 8 or 9 years at my house now.
13 year old daughter hates it.   she Say's dumping the water from the basin sucks

[shardian]

not a console system but I did get a rainbow vacuum for $20.00
been in use for 8 or 9 years at my house now.
13 year old daughter hates it.   she Say's dumping the water from the basin sucks

I also have a $20 rainbow from a yard sale! That is the other rare awesome yard sale: "Already Rich Old Woman who just inherited a crap load of money and she wants to clear space" Yard Sale. 

We loaded up at that lady's place. We got the vacuum with large reservoir and all attachments for $20, and 2 brand new swivel barstools for $20. The mother-in-law bought 2 very high end arm-chairs for like $100. And I'm talking close to $1000 rich folk chairs here.

We've used it since we moved into our house. It works great, but dumping the reservoir can be annoying. That's why we let Roomba do most of the vacuuming in the house.

[shmokes]

Rainbow vacuum cleaners are so ridiculous.  My parents let themselves be conned into buying one of those.  I remember the sales person leaving the vacuum with us on a Friday to test out for the weekend.  I was like, "Why are we going to test it out?  It's $1300.  We're not going to buy it.  Even if it was wasn't an unbelievable rip off, we can't afford a $1300 vacuum."  Then I remember coming home from school on Tuesday and asking why the vacuum was still there . . . I thought we only had it until Monday, and my Mom said she decided to buy it.  I was only fifteen at the time and I remember actually feeling almost ashamed.  I couldn't believe that my parents could have made such an astronomically stupid decision.  You gotta understand how poor they were.  I mean, we're talking about a single-income family (~$40k/year) with up to ten kids at the home at any given time.  I could figure it out exactly, but when we got the vacuum it was probably around 8 or 9 kids.  And my parents didn't take any government assistance.  No food stamps.  No Medicaid.  I mean, we got things like free lunch at school, but none of the big ones.  We struggled.

But aside from them being outrageously priced, they are a pain in the ass to use.  You have to drag around this ridiculous rolling cylinder behind you that is filled with water.  Then, after you vacuum, you have a cylinder filled with a disgusting water/dirt mixture.  Shardian nailed it already.  He's got this $1300 vacuum that "works great", which he deliberately avoids using.  That sums up the Rainbow vacuuming experience.  And whether you paid $20 for it or $1300 for it, either way it just sits in a closet unused because who can be bothered to use it as anything but a last resort?

[shardian]

Hehe, it is quite cumbersome. To use it every time the floor needs a quick once-over is overkill. I usually dump the bucket outside off the side porch. You can't dump it down the drain because it will clog up.

My sister-in-law bought one brand new too about 5 years ago. I think they paid close to $2k for it. I thought they were nuts. It did feel real good to rub it in when I got my $20 one though.  Oh, and now theirs sits unused in a junk room.

[ahofle]

I just got a really good business idea. 

[daywane]

here now be nice.
The Rainbow is how My Dad raised us kids. 
I guess thats why I like em. I have been around them my whole life.

I would never spend that much for one but Thanks to Ebay I have been able to keep mone going this long and it is over 35 years old now
E model. Crome top.
R2D2 style

[shmokes]

Can a Rainbow vaccuum even compete with a Dyson or top-of-the-line Hoover anymore in terms of cleaning effectiveness?  I kind of doubt it.  They could never compete with uprights on price or convenience, of course.  But do they have anything going for them anymore?

[daywane]

not if you ask my daughter