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

[Blues76]

All of this is interesting.

 

The main point of the thread that I created wasn't so much the different on used items.

 

The main question, if you read the original one, it was why would someone place a 500 dollars for a 130 XE when you can get NOS for less. That was the main point.

[Mechanicjay]

Used vs NOS is interesting. There's a question of how much NOS stuff there is out there, and when you have the last one still sealed, do you open it to use it? Its only unused once....

With a run-of-the-mill used example, I feel less conflicted about modifying it suit, but I still don't see the point of paying more for used than for new. I don't buy much Atari gear at this point, only looking for a couple of special items, but I look a lot and it seems there is lot of overpriced JUNK out there.

[Timothy Kline]

All of this is interesting.

 

The main point of the thread that I created wasn't so much the different on used items.

 

The main question, if you read the original one, it was why would someone place a 500 dollars for a 130 XE when you can get NOS for less. That was the main point.

 

I would hope it's due to ignorance on the part of the buyer, because if I could've got a majority of what I now have for less, I would've. They may not know the going rates, either. Having spent every day watching the prices, I have a much better idea of what something is going for, and when's the time to buy (if I were to buy). We just exited a seller's market with 1200XLs, and are now in a buyer's market for the same, (so now might be a good time to grab one if the trend holds).

 

A person who, on a whim, or hasn't been on for a couple years but still has their account, may just be looking for an Atari, see what's available, and grab the best deal. That's another possibility.

 

But there is that singularly unique group out there who are willing to pay hundreds of moola for designer clothes that you could buy without the name attached for a fraction of the price at a Walmart, for example.

[_The Doctor__]

I personally don't know anyone who doesn't look up what they are buying on multiple sites/stores and to be honest my friends and acquaintances who have large estates and money are far more careful about what they buy especially on big ticket items (that's probably how they got so well off). I don't think anyone likes to get taken or likes overpaying. Counterfeit or tag-less is a very different animal all together.. I do find it funny how some people turn their nose up at an off brand appliance even though they are made by the same manufacturer and re-badged just like the car manufacturers used to do.... also some people don't realize that the name brand outlets actually put their name on wal-mart merchandise and sell it at deep discount....( that will get someone going on about conspiracy blah blah, but I wen out with a merchandiser for said outlets and that's exactly what they do... research it and you will see it's true )(quick search reveals Adam Ruins Everything on television has a bit confirming this for those who like tv/media). I haven't found off brand Atari but I do see fake software and carts for sale(reproduction and the like). No one is really paying 500 for an XE. Track it for a year and you'll see it's listed again...

[Timothy Kline]

I personally don't know anyone who doesn't look up what they are buying on multiple sites/stores and to be honest my friends and acquaintances who have large estates and money are far more careful about what they buy especially on big ticket items (that's probably how they got so well off). I don't think anyone likes to get taken or likes overpaying. Counterfeit or tag-less is a very different animal all together.. I do find it funny how some people turn their nose up at an off brand appliance even though they are made by the same manufacturer and re-badged just like the car manufacturers used to do.... also some people don't realize that the name brand outlets actually put their name on wal-mart merchandise and sell it at deep discount....( that will get someone going on about conspiracy blah blah, but I wen out with a merchandiser for said outlets and that's exactly what they do... research it and you will see it's true )(quick search reveals Adam Ruins Everything on television has a bit confirming this for those who like tv/media). I haven't found off brand Atari but I do see fake software and carts for sale(reproduction and the like). No one is really paying 500 for an XE. Track it for a year and you'll see it's listed again...

 

As an all-too-often impulse buyer myself, I assure you that we are the sort, when impulse hits us, to not take the time to comparison shop. There is a psychology behind grocery stores putting the "last-minute" items they choose for the checkout lanes and placing the quick-shop items at the rear of the store. And far more of us will purchase an item at this store we could save money buying at a store in another part of town, simply for that convenience or impulse.

 

I'll use myself as an example again.

 

I'd always wanted an Atari 1200XL. All I saw from the first time I laid eyes on one in a magazine ad back in those late 80s was pure potential in a great looking machine. I was too new to Atari to know how to make all that potential happen: I only knew that I wanted one. I just never managed to come across one, and by the time the 130XE's and 16-bit Atari models were coming on the scene, the PC was making inroads into home computing, and I was one of those who got sucked into the PC vortex, giving up my Atari collection for a PC life— where it's remained until Microsoft released Windows 10 and I realized I had a line where my personal computing was concerned could not be crossed. As a result, I've made Windows 8.1 the final Microsoft operating system I ever use. Period. Although Linux has made massive inroads as far as being a reasonable alternative to Windows operating systems, and I still haven't made the full-time leap over to that OS, I found myself longing for the simpler computing times, when you didn't have all of these corporations and governments and institutions collecting and collating our online behavior to try to understand how to profit from us or sell us to other businesses.

 

It was just me and my computer. And if I had a choice out of any computer where I would enjoy that level of interaction, it was with the Atari home computer. And if I was going to go there, then I wanted that 1200XL I'd always wanted. After all, my kids are grown and out on their own. Why not spend their inheritance and have something I could enjoy the rest of my life, in the process, right?

 

Well, the only place I knew to look (and this was about a year and a half back, so 2015) was eBay, unless I wanted the ever-ubiquitous 2600. Same story with Craigslist. I watched eBay for several months, getting a feel for the going rate of a 1200XL, should one even show up on there. Most of the time, 1200XLs will sell in the $180-$220 range when it is a seller's market, and $100-$148 in the buyer's market. That was the trend for 2016, anyhow: this year might be different.

 

At this point, I still knew nothing of AtariAge— or any other Atari forum, for that matter. I vaguely remembered someone named Ben who sold Atari items back in the time I was last enjoying my XL/XE systems, but I didn't search him down to see if he had any, I guess. Maybe if no 1200XL ever showed up on eBay, I would've gone into a deeper search for one: I can't say from hindsight.

 

So, anyhow, after watching things on there, I took the plunge and bought a 1200XL. By this time, I think, I'd done enough research to expect that the 1200XL would need something repaired with the keyboard mylar, so I simultaneously purchased a 130XE-- that way, I'd at least have a working Atari and when I figured out what everyone was describing with the keyboard flaw and repaired it, I'd have my 1200XL. I know, I know, what was I thinking in purchasing a 130XE off eBay, given its bad reputation for memory issues and abysmal catering to soldering repairs. I was only thinking of having the extra RAM for a RAMdisk, I guess.

 

After that, I went on to build the rest of my current Atari home computer collection from eBay. I never went looking for alternatives to eBay until well into last year, when I first stumbled across mention of Amibay. I don't recall seeing any Atari 8-bit sales on there that caught my attention. Mostly ST-series sales, in my experience, and while I have picked up several 520s, 1040st, and Mega STs, I can't take to them like the 8-bit series because there isn't that previous relationship with one. I never was able to get an Atari ST back in those years, way out of my league, financially. And Amigas even more so.

 

On the other hand, coming back to Atari 8-bit has been like putting on a comfortable pair of slippers, although I'm starting all over because I've forgotten so much over the years.

 

Now, having said all that, had I known a source of new old stock of 1200XLs, and for less than I would end up paying on eBay, I'm reasonably certain that I would've gone for it.

 

--Tim

[ClausB]

So that's how you got your first 1200XL. Your signature says you have 37 of them! What's that story?

[Timothy Kline]

So that's how you got your first 1200XL. Your signature says you have 37 of them! What's that story?

 

Umm, I didn't stop at one.

 

--Tim

[Gunstar]

Although Timothy has talked about his 1200XL addiction a bit on Atari Sector, I can't wait to see how he replies to that question here. If I had my children's inheritance to spend, I'd probably have a couple dozen Atari's myself, though I'd probably limit it to a few of each type. It just never occurred to me, before Timothy came along, even if I had the money, to buy dozens of the same item outside of gold and silver or socks and underwear.

[Gunstar]

 

Umm, I didn't stop at one.

 

--Tim

That's it? (see my post above)

[+pboland]

To be honest, Goodwills normally DO NOT put the good stuff on their shelves in the stores these days. They have gotten quite savvy with knowing what is worth something and what is not. The best way to Goodwill shop (for classic video games and computers) is to go to http://www.shopgoodwill.com. Very similar to eBay, but tend to be a little cheaper. Heck, that's where some of the eBay dealers are getting their stuff anyway. The best part is shopgoodwill.com is a lot more "auction" based and less "buy it now" based. There are not many sellers on good will's site that is going to shill bid or do other stupid tricks that some sellers do on eBay, so you do tend to get a more accurate market price on that site.

Edited January 7, 2017 by pboland

[Timothy Kline]

That's it? (see my post above)

 

Well, anything more than that would simply be rationalization. lol

 

--Tim

[Blues76]

 

Well, anything more than that would simply be rationalization. lol

 

--Tim

 

But where did you buy each of them? if we could know. Do you need to keep the 37 or can you let go a few

[Timothy Kline]

Although Timothy has talked about his 1200XL addiction a bit on Atari Sector, I can't wait to see how he replies to that question here. If I had my children's inheritance to spend, I'd probably have a couple dozen Atari's myself, though I'd probably limit it to a few of each type. It just never occurred to me, before Timothy came along, even if I had the money, to buy dozens of the same item outside of gold and silver or socks and underwear.

 

I should probably point out that I didn't really spend my kids' inheritance. They'd have had to have had an inheritance to begin with for that to be the case, see?

 

Just kidding.

 

No, this is something I made up my mind to work towards sometime in 2015, after toying with the idea for the last several years especially. I have unfinished business with my Atari that I'd like to explore in the coming years, opportunity and circumstance both allowing. I have plenty to re-learn, as I think I mentioned before. Heck, I might as well say I'm coming into this a complete noob. I remember some things, but this all got restarted for the reasons I gave earlier. I really enjoyed Atari as part of my computering experience.

 

I know we have the emulators, which have come a tremendous way since I last tried them and AtariWin+ was the new kid on the block. Altirra is a remarkable software, in my opinion. It's the Photoshop version of Microsoft Paint when you look at the various Atari emulators on the scene today.

 

I know that someday, real-world Atari computers will become extinct outside of a few select museums. Maybe. But I prefer the experience of a real-world Atari, and while that option is available to me I want to enjoy it— and I should be fine for quite some time to come with this collection I managed to build last year.

 

Yet in spite of my buying spree, I never bought something that was available in newer and better condition (NOS, for example) and for less money. Like the OP, I can't understand why someone would do that.

 

Sure, I've paid higher than experienced Atari collectors would for several if not most of my gear in my collection. Sometimes, I'm sure, much higher. But that was due to the value I placed on it personally in wanting it adopted into my collection. It was worth the amount I was paying for it, in other words.

 

Now, of course, I am much more selective than I was when I started. I can afford to be, because now I'm primarily looking to finesse my Atari family, and not build it like I was. Will I buy yet another 1200XL? Sure. But it won't be for a while unless I see a bargain, insofar as eBay is concerned. I certainly don't thneed another 1200XL! lol

 

I won't bother you with how much I spent last year, but it was significant, between the won auctions and their associated shipping costs which were on numerous occasions artificially high. To my way of thinking, it was worth it, though.

 

The hard part is done. Now, I have to work out what to do with all of it. I am pretty sure I have my main beast, a U1MB'd, Atari 800XL with S-video, and a SIDE2 cartridge— until I work up the courage to drop a VBXE, Rapidus, and a few other mods into the best of the 1200XLs and make that my primary workhorse.

 

But I digress from the topic.

 

--Tim

[Timothy Kline]

 

But where did you buy each of them? if we could know. Do you need to keep the 37 or can you let go a few

 

All but two or three came from eBay, actually. All last year, in fact. I passed on three or four that were up for auction last month (December), and those sold for about $200 average, with the upper range last month being $240-ish, if memory serves. Add shipping to that.

 

Oh, and back on-topic, someone on eBay is currently selling a 1200XL mainboard as NOS, $20 higher than one can be purchased from Bradley at Best Electronics as of this writing. I have it on my watchlist to see whether someone actually buys it.

 

Not sure if this is a sidenote or not, but didn't someone here on AtariAge have a 1050 drive listed for like $1500 on eBay for kicks and giggles? I think I remember him saying that when people contacted him about the ridiculousness of it, he would let them know that it's a placeholder, but that he installed this 1050 mod for people. Name escapes me at the moment (thank you, old age), but it has an LED counter, for example.

 

I'm pretty sure he never sold the one he'd listed.

 

--Tim

[Blues76]

 

 

I'm pretty sure he never sold the one he'd listed.

 

--Tim

 

 

This would be an interesting. Say someone here, just for fun, places a system (say 800XL) for very very high price -- would this make other sellers not from this community to the same?

 

Interesting!!!

[Brentarian]

Probably only if it sells for the rediculous price.

[Timothy Kline]

 

 

This would be an interesting. Say someone here, just for fun, places a system (say 800XL) for very very high price -- would this make other sellers not from this community to the same?

 

Interesting!!!

 

I'll leave that to someone else to discover, as I have no plans to sell anything from my collection. I will be checking into a rider for my home insurance, though, in case of house fire or other loss. Wouldn't help replace all of it, since I have obscure things like an Astra drive. How many of those do you see up on eBay? Or anywhere, for that matter!

 

And not to be all morbid here, but I also need to work out what happens to the collection if something happens to me. My gracious wife won't know or understand what to do with it all. She's a Luddite, if you've ever met one. Hates technology because it frustrates her. Anyhow, my kids won't give a rip, short of maybe selling it off for what they could get for it. No, I want to have a plan better than those options. I just haven't figure out what yet, but I will probably leave instructions for how to get in contact with one or a few people I am coming to know since my return to Atari home computing, and trust that they will do right by my collection and my family.

 

--Tim

[Guest]

 

 

This would be an interesting. Say someone here, just for fun, places a system (say 800XL) for very very high price -- would this make other sellers not from this community to the same?

 

Interesting!!!

it's a valid point. that's almost exactly what people do on ebay.

seller A buys a load of stuff from a house clearance, in amongst this haul they find and 800XL.

they go on ebay and look at the typical top-end "buy it now" prices

they find seller B and Seller C advertising @ $100 and undercut these by a very small percentage ($85) - thinking they'll get a quick sale - quite often appending the adjective "RARE" - ffs!!!

 

Reality?:

they never checked the relevant facts

1] actual market value

2] how many 800XLs have actually sold at the top-end price

3] what was included in those sales? - unit only or games, psu and sios?

4] was the higher priced item modded/upgraded in any way?

 

and then seller A wonders why their 30-day "buy it now" never got a sniff of interest, and they're now relisting it at 20% less than originally....

fast forward 30 days again, and repeat chorus to fade

Edited January 7, 2017 by Guest

[Blues76]

 

Probably only if it sells for the rediculous price.

 

maybe.

But some people assert prices not but what the products being sold but what they are listed for (I'm not saying that is right, I'm just saying that it may happen)

[Blues76]

 

I'll leave that to someone else to discover, as I have no plans to sell anything from my collection. I will be checking into a rider for my home insurance, though, in case of house fire or other loss. Wouldn't help replace all of it, since I have obscure things like an Astra drive. How many of those do you see up on eBay? Or anywhere, for that matter!

 

And not to be all morbid here, but I also need to work out what happens to the collection if something happens to me. My gracious wife won't know or understand what to do with it all. She's a Luddite, if you've ever met one. Hates technology because it frustrates her. Anyhow, my kids won't give a rip, short of maybe selling it off for what they could get for it. No, I want to have a plan better than those options. I just haven't figure out what yet, but I will probably leave instructions for how to get in contact with one or a few people I am coming to know since my return to Atari home computing, and trust that they will do right by my collection and my family.

 

--Tim

 

We don't want anything happen to you but one option would be to donated to people here

 

All of it, including this statement and the statement of someone selling something at a high price to see the reaction is all of course, in a playful matter!

 

But if you do decide the list, you can let us know how you would decide who can go in the list?

[_The Doctor__]

I am sure just by reading the bases he can decide who to put on his list based on what they have said and done. I think I will make just such a list...