# Need help finding an old Gameboy \[art project related\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** arts-crafts\ **Created:** [March 25, 2021, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631 "2021-03-25T02:33:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/1 "2021-03-25T02:33:47Z")
I have an idea for an art project. It involves a Gameboy. An original Nintendo Gameboy. All I can find is refurbished ones. Way too expensive to deconstruct for a project that might or might not work. Does anyone have any idea where I might be able to get a broken one? Or at least a relatively cheap one? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/2 "2021-03-25T02:44:29Z")
You’re in luck. I thought I threw out my old Gameboys. I still have one. You can have it for the cost of shipping. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/3 "2021-03-25T03:08:45Z")
Full disclosure- I just tested it and my initial impression is that everything works except the screen. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/4 "2021-03-25T17:43:06Z")
Fantastic! I’ll take it. I’ll PM you. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/5 "2021-03-25T17:48:29Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Full disclosure- I just tested it and my initial impression is that everything works except the screen. Excellent user name / post combo. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/6 "2021-03-25T18:45:19Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Excellent user name / post combo. Not really–his name isn’t DocSegmentedLCD. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/7 "2021-03-25T19:22:02Z")
Sounds like you’ve got what you were looking for, but in case you need or want more, and assuming it’s the housing you want and not the guts, you can buy just the shell on ebay or amazon, running about $10-$20. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/8 "2021-03-25T21:45:11Z")
Good to know. It’s a shadowbox project. I was hoping for guts too, but they don’t need to be working. Looks like DocCathode is hooking me up. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/9 "2021-03-25T21:54:04Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Sounds like you’ve got what you were looking for, but in case you need or want more, and assuming it’s the housing you want and not the guts, you can buy just the shell on ebay or amazon, running about $10-$20. Ref the thread title, I figured he actually wanted just the case as you suggest. > **Explaining the (weak) joke ...** > > A Gameboy is an electronic game from the era when electronic games were novel. They were called e-games to differentiate them from card games, board games, paper RPGs like D&D, etc. > > If you leave the guts, the electronics, out of a Gameboy, what’s left is a Gamboy. No e. > > I’ll be here all week. Try the veal. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/10 "2021-03-25T21:59:49Z")
Tip the waitress? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/11 "2021-03-25T22:01:25Z")
D’oh! Forgot that one. Still learning how to do standup. I know, … don’t quit my day job. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/12 "2021-03-25T22:14:30Z")
If you’re gonna play the Gameboy you gotta learn to play it right. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2021, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/13 "2021-03-26T00:19:12Z")
Know when to hold 'em; know when to fold 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/14 "2021-03-30T16:22:30Z")
For those playing at home… the good DocCathode hooked me up. Let the art project begin! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/15 "2021-03-30T19:48:53Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > For those playing at home… the good DocCathode hooked me up. Should we tell him the display is fine and it was just the contrast adjust wheel set too low? ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/16 "2021-03-30T21:42:35Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Let the art project begin! 🙂 And let the audience see it! (…as in us, as soon as it’s finished. Good luck!) ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2023, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/17 "2023-12-14T20:43:38Z")
> [@digs](#): > > And let the audience see it! > > (…as in us, as soon as it’s finished. Good luck!) Just remembered I forgot to come back and post pics. It came out pretty good, if I do say so myself. Not like a lot of modelers on these boards but passable. Donky Kong - bustin’ out [![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/1e084a14-98c7-46c7-aabf-c830357f6a2b_l.jpg) ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/gs-geo-images/1e084a14-98c7-46c7-aabf-c830357f6a2b_l.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2023, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/18 "2023-12-14T21:21:46Z")
Cool. I’d give Mario a hammer, he’s already posed for it. A ladder and barrel would be neat, too. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2023, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/19 "2023-12-14T21:23:02Z")
Yep, should have thought of a ladder! ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2023, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631/20 "2023-12-14T21:27:44Z")
Congrats! That is really fun; I know what the percentages are of “I had a cool idea for an art project, let’s see if it works out”… And I feel so happy that you took me seriously when I asked you to show it, years later! Worth the wait. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-finding-an-old-gameboy-art-project-related/938631.md?page=2)