Prices on Ebay -- not a new topic -- We still have some NOS left

[Blues76]

I know this has been discussed before.

 

From the "Explain the 1200XL", to "Why Ebay continues to ..." , and so forth.

 

My question (to myself) was, don't they know that we still have some NOS that we can buy. I see prices for 130XE and other systems that we still can get NOS from B&C and BEST (and sometimes other places on eBay, with luck and some hope that is true) that I don't know where they come out with these prices.

 

While there may be a few that they don't know, I think the majority they just hope that someone, out of nostalgia, and not connected with forums like ours (which is the greatest thing, and I happen to get obsessed about Atari 8-bit a lot more in December for some reason), that they must just buy it.

 

I think that must be it. They just hope someone will not know and buy it. Some of the prices are crazy. Even with the high prices, sometimes high Shipping and Handling are crazy too.

 

Anyways, I don't want to cause any discussion (and if it is, lock this thread ) --- but I just needed to vent this out. I'm been trying to get stuff from Ebay, and must of it is Buy Now (without even make an offer in some cases) and some of those prices make me say "really?"

 

I hope this is not an inconvenient post --

 

 

[+mytek]

Thanks for speaking out loud what I was thinking for quite some time now. I bought a few of those systems from B&C this last year and was not disappointed either at the quality or the price. So why the hell would I pay so much more for something that in all likelyhood is probably not as good on eBay, and maybe doesn't even work?!? The stuff I will buy from eBay are things that come from reputable sellers at a reasonable price, and never from the scalpers who are out to make a killing.

 

And I just got what I consider to be a great deal that will probably end up being the last purchase I'll make of an 800XL computer. Not that I got cheated, but that I considered it very fair and reasonable. I was the one that just bought the five 800XL's for $150 (including free shipping). At $30 a piece, and the fact that I'm sure to get at least 3 of them working and complete, I figured it was a great deal. Also with Pokey chips now going for $20 a pop, the other two will be worth it from a salvage standpoint even if I can't get them all to work. I'll be sure to post something about these guys when they arrive and have had a chance to inspect them.

 

- Michael

[_The Doctor__]

ebay can be a joke.... some of our long time vendors are starting to see the ebay crap and start raising their prices... one thing I noticed though... some of there supposedly sold units end up back for sale in 6 months to a year.... right down to the pictures and description from the same seller who may or may not have change their name but a quick check of the name history spells it out... it's all a game, that's why ebay is not doing so well these days...

 

I constantly keep a look out for the chips, I never go past 10-15 on the scarce ones.... keep your eyes towards the UK and Czech republic... that price includes shipping btw.... I even managed to get some reclaimed chips from China for a buck or two a piece.... I think they get our recycling and pull all the parts and sell them back to us....

Edited December 29, 2016 by _The Doctor__

[Ransom]

eBay sellers try all kinds of stuff. It's not just A8; other things that are available at semi-obscure places are put up there for ridiculous prices as well. It's the nature of the beast. I always tell people to Google really hard before paying a stratospheric price on eBay.

[koolmoecraig]

Can any of you old-timers share the cheapest place to get games? Looking to play, boxes and label condition not important.

[spacecadet]

Can any of you old-timers share the cheapest place to get games? Looking to play, boxes and label condition not important.

 

"Cheapest" is going to be a local thrift shop or garage sale, which is what I think a lot of people are remembering when they talk about Ebay prices. But those kinds of deals are hard to find (and getting harder over time), and it involves a lot of luck.

 

Craigslist can also still be cheaper than Ebay, if you are willing to deal with meeting a seller locally.

 

Honestly, though, I'm someone who thinks that Ebay basically represents market rates for most things. If one listing is too expensive, just look for a less expensive listing for the same thing. If *every* listing of one product is too expensive for you, then that just means it's out of your price range. Some sellers on Ebay definitely are on crack, and you will see individual listings with stupid prices that nobody will ever pay. But you should easily be able to find Atari 8 bit computers for reasonable prices there if you don't care about something being mint condition or complete in the box.

[+slx]

Ebay is a worldwide marketplace and if you look at what has sold at what prices and what remained unsold you should get a good idea of what stuff is worth on eBay. You'll probably be able to pick stuff up cheaper from someone who didn't check prices on eBay first via local Craigslist type services or flea markets but Ataris (except VCSes) have become very rare there.

 

I have noticed Craigslist type sellers increasingly asking for crazy eBay times two prices but assume that a lot of that stuff remains unsold (e.g. a boxed PAL XEGS for 400 Euros).

 

IMHO it's mostly a matter of patience and, more important, how much time you're willing to spend. You'll probably be able to find some gems looking for "computer stuff" sold by people clearing out their deceased dad's attic without even bothering to look it up on eBay but you'll take more time. It's a tradeoff somehow.

[ACML]

As far as Atari 8-bit hardware on eBay, I've noticed a trend lately. Those that don't research and know what they have and they list those items either too high and they rot or too low and get cobbled up in "buy it now". When they go to full duration auction, I have been often stunned at the final sale price. One thing is for sure, the price on a 1200XL has gone way up in the last 18 months. You could usually find a 1200XL for under $100, but now even dirty, non-tested units sell routinely North of $150-$200. I've also noticed lately that a 1200XL pops up only 3-5 times a month when only a year ago there were usually two on eBay any given day.

Edited January 3, 2017 by ACML

[Blues76]

One thing is for sure, the price on a 1200XL has gone way up in the last 18 months. You could usually find a 1200XL for under $100, but now even dirty, non-tested units sell routinely North of $150-$200. I've also noticed lately that a 1200XL pops up only 3-5 times a month when only a year ago there were usually two on eBay any given day.

 

 

There is not that many auctions in comparison with Buy it now.

 

I think there may be more people into vintage computing than before or less supply (or probably both). An interesting poll (to be conducted in AA forums) is how many people that are either using or hoping to use real hardware never used them before, when did they started collecting, and thus far. It will be very interesting to see if there is a trend.

 

It is also true that supply seems to be less. Not even for Atari computers. I have searched other items that used to be more common that have gone up in price considerably.

[spacecadet]

You could usually find a 1200XL for under $100, but now even dirty, non-tested units sell routinely North of $150-$200. I've also noticed lately that a 1200XL pops up only 3-5 times a month when only a year ago there were usually two on eBay any given day.

 

Supply and demand, and Ebay prices are just reflecting that.

 

They're not making more Atari 1200XL's. And I've said it in other threads, but these things aren't just going to keep changing hands at the same rate. Somebody at some point bought something new, now it's old and no longer useful to them so it goes up on Ebay. The next person who buys that thing is not going to sell it; they've bought it specifically to keep it forever. The second buyer is not the same as the first; they're probably not going to turn around and resell it again.

 

Stuff does also break and just get junked periodically too.

 

So the end result is an ever-dwindling supply of basically everything on the used market. The most of anything you're going to find is going to be right after something's discontinued. It's pretty much all downhill from there. Supply falls, prices rise over time.

 

The more popular something is, the longer that'll take. But I'm even seeing it with C64's, Sega Genesi, etc. Prices on even common stuff has gone up, because even if it still seems like there's a lot, it's maybe half what there was at one point.

 

It's a natural thing.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Another thing to consider too when looking for consoles is that old computers get junked without a second thought, but people know they can resell game consoles and games so they do. Obsolete computers always have gotten trashed over the years while consoles changed hands and lived another day.

 

Given the huge popularity of retro games, we don't see them getting trashed much anymore, but even people cleaning out their attics will see a computer and immediately think "old junk". Most resell shops don't accept old computers but they definitely accept game systems. Donation centers like Goodwill commonly resale old video games and send old computers to the recycler.

 

I have little desire to go down the classic computing rabbit hole, but I would have respect for something if I saw one.

 

Anyway, you have a situation where perhaps 10% of vintage game systems survived and the market is maybe 10% what it once was. Even still, "last gen" gaming has always been about gaming on the cheap rather than collecting everything. But a small market remained over the years which is why a lot more gaming stuff has survived over the years. Supply and demand solely determines the price so you have low hanging fruit like the Atari VCS, mainstream stuff like NES/SNES/Genesis, obscure systems/underdogs, and and "boutique" stuff like Vectrex, Turbografx, Neo-Geo, etc. Turbo/PCe is the highest end system I collect for since I'm not made of money.

 

Compared to classic computing, you have a situation where perhaps 1% of vintage gear still exists, and the market is 1% the original size. So stuff is a lot harder to find, but not in high demand either. And the computing stuff continues to thin out as more gear gets trashed because people think it's junk. But even back in the day, computers were expensive botique items and were less affordable and commonplace compared to game consoles even during their heyday. And with any bleeding edge tech, it' all about "out with the old and in with the new." I don't think computers became ubiquitous until at least the 90s when the world wide web became popular and html replaced bbs and newsgroups. Computers became part of daily life rather than something geeks did, and by that point, only Apple and "IBM Compatible" systems had any market share with consumers.

[_The Doctor__]

let's face it even on modern day off the shelf stuff I find it cheaper in a store than on ebay.... it has little to do with either supply or demand... I always find a large number of items way cheaper at Harbor Freight or some other discount store than I ever find on ebay, period.....

Terapeak is a joke it only registers full price of a sale even if it is a rebated item/partial refund agreement/best offer or worse yet during it's scraping process includes the items that are 10,000+ dollars for a common iterm...it then factors that in.... so joe bloe picks up thrift store find for 1.25 and the goes to ebay... terapeak says it's worth 550.00 (although that's clearly not true) and joe bloe dutifully price it according to what the badly constructed 90 day Terapeak sweep says.... many of these clowns do this all the time you find they have two accounts, one with the super high price and then one with the still way too high bargain price.... gaming the system. shill bots and bullsh*t..... who wants to pay 40.00 for a p3 kill a watt when you can buy it just about anywhere for 13.99 on sale with a coupon....

 

sigh.......

Edited January 6, 2017 by _The Doctor__

[Gunstar]

There's always the time-line to consider with pricing. something starts out new at $100. Eventually something newer comes along and it's sent to the bargain bin for $9.99. Then it arrives at the "old junk" period were it is worth less than bargain bin pricing. but then it slowly grows in value as the years pass and old becomes classic and antique, then prices start rising, soon something used is selling for $100 original price tag again and a few years later, it's antique and the price just keeps rising and rising. In 100 years it's worth 1.5 million as the last one on earth. Our Atari's are reaching the rare antique stage now, and prices and supply sill only get worse.

 

The less popular and therefore less manufactured and sold items, like the 1200XL are fastest through the time-line cycle due to rarity.

 

Oh, and with the 1200XL, there is no NOS left, even at the dealers. I'm a 1200XL owner and have checked with them, even the parts for cases, and new motherboards, etc are all sold out. Only the common components for all Atari's are left for the 1200XL. Just try and find a new keyboard or top case anymore at the dealers...stock for the 1200XL has indeed run out and all you can now get is used from the big bad world at large.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Gunstar

[_The Doctor__]

don't forget due diligence, a ton are shill bidders, point in case last I remembered to check bidder stats.... 100 percent of bids with seller.... bid retractions a few..... same case for most of his auctions.... since ebay now hides exact identities it is up to you to alert ebay to the possibility of shill or fake bidders.... ebay rarely acts on these...... hmmmm but if you raise a stink and tell em you will let the world know miracles happen...... the bidder traced back to the same ip pool as auctioneer and finally the same guid as well as mac address.... they are no longer selling on ebay...... one small victory..... it can be done!! It would take an army to end some of the more devious ebay sharks..... There are plenty of other places to buy stuff for way less than ebay..... have you seen how badly ebay is doing? have you noticed less staff? every attempt to make you use the automated systems? ebay is not what it was and many people go elswhere for their needs now.... watch the bidders percentage of bids with seller if it is high and their is a retraction showing in last few months.... ask about it in the item details question of the auction. leave a nice note to ebay about the suspicion.... sometimes something good will happen sometime nothing.... in any event I just leave the auction and watch it get re listed.....

Please don't convince me a currently sold in manufacture item being sold in store item is worth more than at the store because it may become rare and is sold on ebay..... it's a dirty shark tank and that's why ebay isn't doing the business it used to.... they are trying to change to become like amazon now....but until they clean up all the practices being employed, make simple bot defeating protections, and toss the shllls they aren't going to beat Amazon. They only things keeping ebay going are young kids who don't know any better and a number of decent sellers combined with the odd rare items that really are worth it. Those have become the exceptions not the rules.... You may also notice many sellers complaining about ebays fee and shipping structure... including myatari if you need example.... ebay isn't for the little guy so much these days that's about it. Aside from the you can sell your own stuff from time to time deal they put out to all ebayers the marketplace is mostly China and Mid to large operations, with the smaller sellers rotating thru....or a few boutique sellers... Even my kids figured this out, they often go to the actual sight of a store, Amazon, or get this... they go to the brick and mortar store.... mostly online but sometimes they see the great outdoors! Ebay's feedback system doesn't even allow for a real follow up, either you leave feedback right away or your done.... often too short a time to know if the item is crap or not. Ratings for quality are much better on Amazon. There are a million let it go, just sold etc etc apps these days...... use them... that's way less expensive, often local, and you have actual legal recourse without jurisdictional issues if it goes wrong.... Atari stuff, retro stuff is always on there for very little, my XE got repaired by a 5 dollar donor XE just this way... why spend 100. when you can spend 5 dollars? I pass on ebay all the time now and only go there for the laughs and giggles, a curiosity like watching a calamity unfold

Cheers!

Edited January 6, 2017 by _The Doctor__

[GlowingGhoul]

My goodness what a collection of baseless complaints, paranoia, and conspiracy theories.

 

We're long passed the phase at which Atari 8-bit stuff was nearly worthless, and either available for a token amount or free if you fished it out of the trash yourself.

 

Rarity has increased, prices have gone up. Some people ask for too much, and their listings languish, but its quite clear that actual, real, sale prices have been rising steadily.

 

I know some of you don't like it, but that's how it is. We'll never see the days of cheap, plentiful Atari hardware again.

 

I have more bad news for the complainers. Right now, availability and pricing are as good as it's going to get. It'll be worse next month, and in a few years it'll be far worse than it is now.

[_The Doctor__]

lmao the thrift store and recycling houses, estate sales, offer up, let it go, craiglist, to name just a hand full of places to find Atari stuff cheap... there are so many many places and ebay isn't it, it's not conspiracy theory, it's fact. Seller's on ebay and their friends just don't like it. My last 1050 cost me 1dollar 35cents at the thrift store and my latest 2600 works great. 25.00 at a yard sale with a basket full of games..... the idea that all this stuff is super super rare is bunk. I love my Atari stuff and routinely give them away as gifts. I see alot more Atari stuff today than just five years ago, as we are dying off or moving on the retirement locations, many family members are taking over the collections and a good number are selling them off. Many old sellers are popping up with rediscovered old stock as they reclaim space in warehouses and storage cubbies from their old businesses and storage spaces. Serious amounts of NOS popping up. I think it looks like we are good for years to come!

 

The Atari machines are the best of that era I say! But of course I am truly biased!

 

There are books upon books and software both free and to be bought that show you exactly how ebay is to be rigged and that's also not conspiracy, it's fact. Anyone saying otherwise is selling something. Just google up some ebay sniping bots etc. download and have fun... just more facts.

Edited January 6, 2017 by _The Doctor__

[Blues76]

lmao the thrift store and recycling houses, estate sales, offer up, let it go, craiglist, to name just a hand full of places to find Atari stuff cheap... there are so many many places and ebay isn't it, it's not conspiracy theory, it's fact. Seller's on ebay and their friends just don't like it. My last 1050 cost me 1dollar 35cents at the thrift store and my latest 2600 works great. 25.00 at a yard sale with a basket full of games..... the idea that all this stuff is super super rare is bunk. I love my Atari stuff and routinely give them away as gifts. I see alot more Atari stuff today than just five years ago, as we are dying off or moving on the retirement locations, many family members are taking over the collections and a good number are selling them off. Many old sellers are popping up with rediscovered old stock as they reclaim space in warehouses and storage cubbies from their old businesses and storage spaces. Serious amounts of NOS popping up. I think it looks like we are good for years to come!

The better machines of that era I say!

 

There are books upon books and software both free and to be bought that show you exactly how ebay is to be rigged and that's also not conspiracy, it's fact. Anyone saying otherwise is selling something. Just google up some ebay sniping bots etc. download and have fun... just more facts.

 

 

To be honest, I haven't been that lucky. The stores here, the few times I have visited (that may be the problem) don't have any Atari 8-bit stuff (or related).

Craiglist, very little.

 

But I'm sure there may be other cities with more items.

 

Thanks

[_The Doctor__]

True, I am located in a Tri state area with major cities within 45 minutes in just about any direction so there is a glut of stuff all about. I am not the ony one that looks... friends and family scap this stuff up for me as well.... If it's dirt cheap they buy it, they know if it doesn't work I'll fix it, and find it a home... If something I gave them needs a repair or replace I give it to them. Happy happy happy! That's the way we like it.

Edited January 6, 2017 by _The Doctor__

[gargoyle]

I think the local availability depends on the location. The world isn't all about USA, Atari 8 bit items in many other countries are very rare, sometimes impossible to come by, so many enthusiasts have no choice but to use ebay. Many of the complaints about ebay are legitimate but who says ebay isn't doing good, just check this out:

Listed for 99 cents, sold for 3.2 million: http://www.businessinsider.com/11-of-the-most-expensive-ebay-auctions-ever-2014-9?IR=T#action-comics-1-32-million-8

 

So does some odd 100 dollars for an 8 bit computer really seem expensive??

Edited January 6, 2017 by gargoyle

[GlowingGhoul]

lmao the thrift store and recycling houses, estate sales, offer up, let it go, craiglist, to name just a hand full of places to find Atari stuff cheap... there are so many many places and ebay isn't it, it's not conspiracy theory, it's fact. Seller's on ebay and their friends just don't like it. My last 1050 cost me 1dollar 35cents at the thrift store and my latest 2600 works great. 25.00 at a yard sale with a basket full of games..... the idea that all this stuff is super super rare is bunk. I love my Atari stuff and routinely give them away as gifts. I see alot more Atari stuff today than just five years ago, as we are dying off or moving on the retirement locations, many family members are taking over the collections and a good number are selling them off. Many old sellers are popping up with rediscovered old stock as they reclaim space in warehouses and storage cubbies from their old businesses and storage spaces. Serious amounts of NOS popping up. I think it looks like we are good for years to come!

 

The Atari machines are the best of that era I say! But of course I am truly biased!

 

There are books upon books and software both free and to be bought that show you exactly how ebay is to be rigged and that's also not conspiracy, it's fact. Anyone saying otherwise is selling something. Just google up some ebay sniping bots etc. download and have fun... just more facts.

 

That's nice, the fact is some people can't seem to accept that the "real" price of an Atari computer isn't the $1 you might have found in a thrift store. There isn't some conspiracy out there to drive up the prices of these things, just the market at work chasing fewer and fewer goods.

 

Shill bidding happens, but you're just one of the legion of whiners on retro computing boards who think that a trunkload of old gear should always be the $10 it was in 1995, and if it isn't there must be some conspiracy at work.

[gargoyle]

And here's an affordable Atari Combat II painting

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291991997351?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Edited January 6, 2017 by gargoyle

[GlowingGhoul]

True, I am located in a Tri state area with major cities within 45 minutes in just about any direction so there is a glut of stuff all about. I am not the ony one that looks... friends and family scap this stuff up for me as well.... If it's dirt cheap they buy it, they know if it doesn't work I'll fix it, and find it a home... If something I gave them needs a repair or replace I give it to them. Happy happy happy! That's the way we like it.

 

A glut of Atari 8-bit equipment? Come on, give me a break. And if it were true, someone could easily put it up for sale on ebay to rake in an enormous profit. You're living in the distant past.

[Timothy Kline]

Hi everyone!

 

I spent all of last year building my current Atari collection that will hold me over for years to come, barring some unforeseen disaster. It started with 1200XLs and just kind of snowballed from there into everything else from Atari 400 up through Atari Mega ST/4.

 

I'd have to say that 99.5% of it came from eBay, but one of the advantages was that daily scours of eBay for the entire year helped me get a pretty decent idea of who was trying to get rich off an Atari sale, who was bumping the shipping to make money of the side, and which sellers were flippers, including those who insisted on a prompt payment but would take a week or two to actually ship the items. I've also met some fantastic sellers through several of the transactions. Only had a couple bad experiences— but considering how much volume I purchased last year, I have very little to complain about.

 

In terms of function, I'd estimate that 95% of the Atari purchases I made from eBay arrived in working condition, even those pieces that I was certain couldn't possibly work, given their physical condition. One or two purchases arrived packed with a roomful of cigarette smoke trapped inside the box. Those were the worst, in my opinion. Just not into the whole stale cig smoke thing, sorry.

 

The pieces that didn't work were known up-front of the purchase; I either intend(ed) to try to repair the item, or set it aside for parts. Again, no biggee there.

 

I have never seen Atari items apart from the VCS gear available through my local Craigslist— or even expanding the area out 75 miles or so. Same with my local second-hand and Goodwill-type outlets: nothing.

 

And, quite frankly, there is no way I could've built the Atari collection I now have if I'd waited to buy it all from the Marketplace here on AtariAge— and I say that as someone who has checked here every single day since I began last year. The closest I ever came to getting an Atari computer from here was when I was conned and nearly scammed by a member on here for an Atari Mega ST/2. If not for PayPal, I would've taken a pretty big hit on that one.

 

For those who live nearer to metro areas, or in the Texas and California regions, I'm sure you see and have access to better alternatives to eBay, and you've been able to pick up Atari hardware for pennies on the dollar. I'm envious of you, but eBay is my go-to option given my alternatives here. And as someone said earlier, in Europe it is probably even MORE challenging to find Atari hardware outside of eBay.

 

Anyhow, I wanted to throw in some of my own experience.

 

--Tim

[GlowingGhoul]

Let's just put this to rest now. I live in the most Metro of Metro areas, and going out hundreds of miles doesn't result in the $10 trunkloads of retro computing gear we used to have access to. Like Timothy, I've spent the last few years building up my collection, and eBay's pretty much the only way to go at this point. If it's on Craigslist, it makes ebay look cheap.

[Gunstar]

a dozen years ago I used to scour swap-meets, garage and yard sales, thrift shops, goodwill, etc. and find tons of "vintage" stuff for dirt cheap and it could be easily refurbished or restored, and upgraded for those afraid to touch a soldering iron, and I would resell for a reasonable price on eBay for something guaranteed to look and work like new. But that business lasted for just a few years as those places either dried up of 30-year-old equipment or started paying attention to eBay pricing and now price accordingly. Even pawn shops will look up the going rate on eBay for the item you want to sell or pawn and price their goods for accordingly (much higher than even eBay of course). It is a dream-come-true these days if I stumble across vintage Atari, Commodore, Apple, etc. for dirt cheap in the wild. It certainly hasn't been a land flowing with milk and honey for many years now. I occasionally find stuff on Craig's List for reasonable prices, but not what I would call "on the cheap." Fair prices can be found with patience still, but there's no market in restoration anymore due to high prices of even non-working items to start with.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Gunstar