Best Electronics or replacement joysticks off eBay?

[mattbuc16]

I like the old CX40s. I have four of them I picked up recently when I got three used Atari systems. All have issues. Was going to buy replacement kits from Best Electronics but see I can get new controllers on eBay for not too much.

 

How are the "new" controllers on eBay? I assume they are like some selling on Amazon -- some of which seem kinda cheap.

 

What do you guys do?

 

Thanks,

Matt

[+save2600]

I've got rubbermaid bins full of classic (real) Atari 2600 joys for backup, BUT... if I were starting out today, I'd avoid those 3rd party aftermarket joysticks from China like the plague. They just don't feel right at all. If I were you, I'd refurbish what you have buy purchasing new circuit boards AND the white joystick shaft from BEST. You'll be happier in the long run and there will actually be value in what you have vs. this newly made repro stuff that's not worth a damn.

 

 

[phaxda]

I also have boxes and boxes. I like them nice and worn in myself, with smooth action and good button response. Some of the ones that looks the nicest are all stiff and harder to use in my opinion. Look nice in a picture though, which is why I often will bundle those with a system "looks like new!" and keep the ones with bite marks or whatever (but smooth, smooth response) on them for myself.

 

I don't like the new 3rd-party ones at all, blech. Feel free to PM me if you want, I do have a few available and I am sure other people here do as well. Any of us could give a better deal than what you're going to get on eBay.

[Thorsten Günther]

I usually look for third-party joysticks from the era that are known for their sturdiness and repairability, e.g. Competition Pro, Zipstick, Suzo The Arcade/Prof Competition, TAC-2 or Konix Speedking/Epyx 500XJ.

 

Current third-party joysticks (e.g. the Speedlink Competition Pros) are of lower quality, and their Atari compatible variants may not be globally available.

 

Thorsten

[SlowCoder]

Have you taken them apart to see what's up? Very possibly you could put the good parts back together and have 2 or 3 fully functional controllers.

 

I don't have "bins" of controllers, but I have 5 Ataris, each with it's own set of controllers, and a couple extra. Maybe half of them had problems when I got them, but by swapping parts, I might have had 2 nonfunctional "parts" controllers in the end.

[OldAtarian]

There's someone selling repros of the Competition Pro 5000 sticks on ebay for like $20. Not sure if they're as good as the originals, though.