It was a great 'cast this week, guys. I found the retro game discussion quite interesting. I, too, know well the ways of the thrifts. Here are a couple landmark finds I've had in the past:

The SNES bundle was found at a thrift store in Houston that no longer exists. It was all in a box and was only $75.00 w/games, if memory serves. All the games are in perfect shape with books and maps that still 'crack' when you open them.

The X'Eye was $9.00 from another Houston thrift store, and the games were from a Salvation Army around the same time for only $1.00 each. Included Shining Force CD.
Much like your guest, Chris, I collect games to play and not to sell. In fact, I've only ever gotten rid of, maybe, ten games in my life - not including the ones I hand down to younger cousins and other family members.

Here's a shot from my 'legacy room' in which I keep and play my older games on a CRT screen. My wife and I currently live and work in Canada, so we had to sell our home in the States and now we're renting. At least this room is warm and dry and doesn't smell - except for the smell of SNES boxes and history.
I think, for me, it all stems from the fact that we didn't have much money when I was a kid. And, foolishly, I didn't keep many of my games boxed. Now that I'm an adult, I like to look for little pieces of my youth and keep them to play. And one day, when my kid is old enough, he/she can see what kind of games dad used to play.