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How much would you pay for an Atari Computer in 2020?


Blues76

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I’m wondering what would be the right prices to buy. 

 

There is a NOS xegs for 600 on ebay, an 1200xl (used but they say in good condition and working m) for over 400, etc. 

 

I just lost a bid for an 800xl that went for 310. This one had 320k, video upgrade and in good condition. 

 

I do have a few but I’m always worry that I need to have an extra backup. 

 

I will try to call my atari to see if they have an xegs, which I don’t have. 

 

Would you tell me what you are paying or willing to pay? 

 

For example, I find 600 for the xegs expensive but maybe I’m wrong. 

 

Also, do you feel the inventory is low?

Edited by Blues76
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These tend to show up in retro stores.   This Atari 800 is going for $110 in a RetroMadness Store on Hulen Street in Fort Worth, Texas.   I bought a tricked out Atari 400 (composite video mod, built in power supply, 32K of memory, and some other unknown mod) for $120.   So just comes down to patience.)

 

20201024_131639.thumb.jpg.24c109ff20f7a3120ac4ac320cd944b0.jpg

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1 hour ago, Blues76 said:

Yes...  but not in Ebay I would assume, right ? 

You can find deals on eBay.  But you have to be patient.  Sometimes things aren't listed great.  Sometimes there are a few items, and picture #1 is for a lesser cost item, and some people don't look past photo #1.

 

Sometimes it is an as is, untested item.  Many times I have done this and the item(s) are fine.

 

$600 is high (IMNSHO) for a XEGS.... but I can't say I know the price of a boxed unused XEGS.

 

If you're looking for deals, just need to keep looking, be patient, and don't be impulsive.

 

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1 hour ago, Blues76 said:

Yes...  but not in Ebay I would assume, right ? 

It was on eBay! Nowhere local for me to buy anything, so that is where I have to get stuff. I save searches and wait for things to show up at a decent price. It did take a while, so no instant gratification. Prices are definitely higher on ebay than they used to be but more reasonably priced computers still show up.

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5 hours ago, Blues76 said:

 

 

For example, I find 600 for the xegs expensive but maybe I’m wrong. 

 

Also, do you feel the inventory is low?

Yes, $600 for an unmodded XEGS is really, really expensive. They're certainly not as cheap as they used to be, but that's a stratospheric price for this system.

 

"Inventory" is an interesting question. The A8 was a moderately successful computer line that was produced for a very long time, and while I'm sure quite a bit of old stock ended up in landfills (or on random episodes of Hoarders), I don't think that the current sticker shock on eBay is a result of low stock -- it's more like you're running up against the inflated expectations of resellers, and not finding owners of original equipment who want their stuff to go to good homes. Just post in the Wanted section.

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3 hours ago, doctorclu said:

These tend to show up in retro stores.   This Atari 800 is going for $110 in a RetroMadness Store on Hulen Street in Fort Worth, Texas.   I bought a tricked out Atari 400 (composite video mod, built in power supply, 32K of memory, and some other unknown mod) for $120.   So just comes down to patience.)

 

20201024_131639.thumb.jpg.24c109ff20f7a3120ac4ac320cd944b0.jpg

I live in a small town. There was a retro tech but it went out of business a few years (it was mainly console). I have to figure out if there is one in Denver. 

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A NOS xegs could be worth $400+ if it has the light gun and everything in a great condition box. $600 is pushing it but to someone it might be worth that. I think those auctions are going by the logic that they want to sell it but not for the going rate.  So ignore those and see what you can find. $400 is too much for a 1200XL unless if it's in excellent condition with no yellowing. 

 

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5 minutes ago, McKong said:

Why don't you post something in the 'Wanted' forum in the 'Marketplace' here? 

Or ask bob1200xl if he‘s willing to part with it. He has a thread for that somewhere around here. 
 

600 seems way too much for an XEGS, especially if it‘s just a spare. 

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In my experience, majority of untested Atari 8-bits I’ve bought work perfectly fine, and can be had for reasonable money a lot of times on eBay. I also have a small supply of all custom ICs that I’ve bought from Best Electronics, that way I’m not hoarding 10 machines just for backup.

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This past August I was looking for another brand of vintage computer to sit along side my 1200XL and 800 as a birthday gift to myself. At the top of my list was a C64, but I'd also like a Coco 2/3, BBC micro or TI-99/4A. After seeing current eBay pricing on vintage micros I ended up buying more upgrades and software for my Atari's instead as I could get much more for my money. I won't be owning any other vintage computers unless I can find them in the $50-100 range, which is unlikely these days, but I can be patient. In my case I can buy the "untested" or "for parts and repair" machines since I can fix them, but they at least need to have decent cases and keyboards. I don't even attempt to look for working machines in good order anymore as I'd never pay what asking prices are for them these days even if I had the money to burn. I'm just glad I got my Atari's years ago for cheap or as gifts. If I was just starting out, I wouldn't be getting into the hobby at all anymore.

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11 minutes ago, mimo said:

Agreed, so glad I got back in to it when I did.

 

 

And yet for the price of a base system and some SD card solution and all the upgrade solutions now out there, you'd be doing well for relatively little.

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I'm exclusively 8bit Atari console and computer guy, but I wanted to expand to Amiga and I hesitated to pay $150 for 500 locally, my max was $100. Now I would have to pay $300+ for the same computer.  I think now i will have to settle on rPI to play SWOS. 

Related question, does anyone follow trends on ebay and can tell us how the prices of retro hardware fluctuate thru the course of the year? I guess, that tax, vacation and holiday seasons have some impact on the prices. 

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US market might be different than European , here Amigas are more rare.

 

Anyway, if someone wants a retro computer and can find one in the price range that they can afford, I would buy it now. I heard it many times that prices will fall down when we all die and our kids will be cleaning our collections, but what I can see is that those kids are checking ebay and asking ridiculous money for stuff they don't know nothing about

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6 hours ago, slx said:

Or ask bob1200xl if he‘s willing to part with it. He has a thread for that somewhere around here. 
 

600 seems way too much for an XEGS, especially if it‘s just a spare. 

I don’t have any XEGS — you are right about 600 being too much. 

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2 hours ago, Gunstar said:

I'm just glad I got my Atari's years ago for cheap or as gifts.

This made me laugh as most of my equipment was bought back in the day, and it was not cheap. LOL. I think the problem now is too many of those picker shows, or storage war shows on tv. Everyone thinks they are going to get rich reselling things online.

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