It’s not uncommon for games to show up at Goodwill Stores, but the games are usually opened, used or over four months old. Surprisingly, Tony Hawk Ride has defied the odds and showed up, brand new with skateboard peripheral, at a Goodwill Store in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Most expensive items are kept in a locked case in the front of the store, by the cash registers, and two unopened copies of the Wii version of Tony Hawk Ride sat on the shelf, each priced at $74.99. The game came out November 17, 2009 and the normal retail price is $119.99, so that’s quite a substantial discount.

When a Goodwill employee was asked about the items, she stated that Goodwill often receives donations from retailers like Kohls, Sears, Target and Borders, and the Arlington Heights store just happened to receive the games. I asked to take a look at both boxes, and found that both were sealed and in perfect condition. There weren’t any original price tags on them, so there was no way to determine which store might have donated them.

All Goodwill Stores have a 10-day return policy for electronic merchandise…

Many Final Fantasy fans have accepted that the black label version of Final Fantasy VII is sort of a Holy Grail for collectors. Some want it because some of the black label FFVII games have misprints that make them more valuable. Others want it because it is the original edition of the game, and looks better with the black label and white discs.

If you’re one of those people who must have an original copy of FFVII, you may want to stop by the Shop Goodwill charity auction site. In a lot called Playstation Game Grabbag #5 is a black label copy of FFVII a black label copy of FFVIII, Grand Tourismo 2 and Colony Wars. As of 11:38am CST on January 28, 2009, the lot’s highest bid was $51.00. The auction ends January 31, 2009.

Since only the front of the cases are shown, it is unknown if…

There’s a great deal at the ShopGoodwill.com auctions for owners of a Wii who haven’t had a chance to pick up Super Mario Galaxy. A recent auction features a bundle that includes a nearly mint condition copy Super Mario Galaxy, a factory sealed copy of Wii Sports and two wiimotes. The best part of the deal is the price. The auction just started today (February 7, 2008) with a starting price of $5.00. So for $5.00 you can get one of the best games available for the Wii, extra controllers and a spare copy of Wii Sports. The auction will end February 14, 2008, and so far there are no bids on the bundle.

When you think of cheap games, the first thing which usually comes to mind is a resale shop, like GameStop, or a chain discount store like Wal-Mart. A hidden treasure trove of deals is available though for those willing to work a little harder: Goodwill Thrift Stores. Goodwill thrives on donations from local individuals and retailers, and you never know what deals you’ll find. Plus, by shopping at Goodwill you are making a difference in your community, as Goodwill is a nonprofit organization which uses over 83% of money earned to find jobs for people who can’t get one on their own.

Today (February 1, 2008) at my local Goodwill I came across $10 copies of the PC version of Stranglehold. They were accompanied by assorted Xbox 360 and PS3 titles like Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Forza Motorsport 2. All were brand new in their original wrapping. I asked a clerk about them as she assisted another shopper (who wanted a copy of Stranglehold), and she said that often retailers like Target, Sears or JC Penny will send overstock items as donations.