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I want to buy a 5200, should I trust the seller?


jeremysart

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Ive been shopping for a 5200, but one thing I seem to see a lot is "Everything is here, I just dont have the RF switch to test it so its AS IS".

 

How many of you have bought a system with such a statement, but it actually worked? Because to me that means, "The system is broken, so im just saying that I dont have an RF switch."

Am I mistaken?

 

How risky is it :?

 

I really want one because I have a 2600, 7800, 400, and 1200XL, and ive been very curious of it. It seems I have been missing out.

Edited by jeremysart
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Ive been shopping for a 5200, but one thing I seem to see a lot is "Everything is here, I just dont have the RF switch to test it so its AS IS".

 

How many of you have bought a system with such a statement, but it actually worked? Because to me that means, "The system is broken, so im just saying that I dont have an RF switch."

Am I mistaken?

 

How risky is it :?

 

I really want one because I have a 2600, 7800, 400, and 1200XL, and ive been very curious of it. It seems I have been missing out.

 

For the most part there are usually issues with 5200 systems. I have 2-3 in my basement that I haven't sold just because I hate selling them. Almost every 5200 system will have broken controllers. Typically you will only find working controllers if the seller has repaired the controllers. A number of 5200 systems also have issues with the controller ports. This means even if you have a working controller there might be issues because the controller port doesn't work 100%.

 

A lot of eBay sellers also don't package the 5200 system very well. You wouldn't believe the number of 5200 systems that I have bought through the years that looked good online only to arrive with part of the plastic cracked.

 

The 2 port systems use the standard RF adapters. The 4 port systems require special TV game boxes that often have issues as well. The 2 port systems will work with the 2600 adapter but there are a few 5200 games that won't work on them. The 4 port system plays all of the 5200 games but the majority of them will not work the 2600 adapter unless it is modified.

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If the machine is for sale at a swap meet or garage sale I would not trust the deal, they probably know it is broken and just want your money. IF the machine is for sale over the internet then go for it! You can always trust online sellers because only decent hardworking people have the internet....any crook can have a yard sale.

Wp

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If the machine is for sale at a swap meet or garage sale I would not trust the deal, they probably know it is broken and just want your money. IF the machine is for sale over the internet then go for it! You can always trust online sellers because only decent hardworking people have the internet....any crook can have a yard sale.

Wp

 

 

wow my thoughts are exact opposite if you buy one from a garage sale or yard sale and it doesnt work it will be thrown through their front window at midnight

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If the machine is for sale at a swap meet or garage sale I would not trust the deal, they probably know it is broken and just want your money. IF the machine is for sale over the internet then go for it! You can always trust online sellers because only decent hardworking people have the internet....any crook can have a yard sale.

Wp

 

 

wow my thoughts are exact opposite if you buy one from a garage sale or yard sale and it doesnt work it will be thrown through their front window at midnight

 

Lol!

I probably should not buy one on eBay then, most of them seem skiddish with "No rf adapter", and "AS IS"...

I'll post up in the wanteds... Thanks :)

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If you really look close at a lot of the auctions on Ebay,sellers will try to be sly and say"no connections"untested,or the classic line of"worked well when used last".If you press some them they will say ,um ,well yeah it worked 5years ago.....

The ones I dont like are the ones that say untested,but then you look at thier ongoing auctions and thier selling the connectors in a seperate auction/which I would equate as stupid on thier part.

If your going to buy something like a 5200,check the sellers feedback,ask how will it be packed,will they guaranty no d.o.a?

Usually thier answers will make it easy to decide.

Just my 2cents

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The ones I dont like are the ones that say untested,but then you look at thier ongoing auctions and thier selling the connectors in a seperate auction/which I would equate as stupid on thier part.

 

Haha, speaking of which, I was looking at Jaguars, and one guy had one that said just that: "Cannot test it, as I do not have the av or power adapters", yet one listing under the Jag, why, that looks like he's selling, *GASP*, av and a power adapter for a Jag?

 

Thanks for the tips. I'm going to try to get one from this community if its possible, before looking at eBay anymore.

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The ones I dont like are the ones that say untested,but then you look at thier ongoing auctions and thier selling the connectors in a seperate auction/which I would equate as stupid on thier part.

 

Haha, speaking of which, I was looking at Jaguars, and one guy had one that said just that: "Cannot test it, as I do not have the av or power adapters", yet one listing under the Jag, why, that looks like he's selling, *GASP*, av and a power adapter for a Jag?

 

Thanks for the tips. I'm going to try to get one from this community if its possible, before looking at eBay anymore.

I always put that stuff in the same category as the idiotic car sellers on craigslist who say things like

"head gasket blown/transmission but was great until that happened."

Guess what? ALL cars once ran great. Why not say "Ran like a top when it came off the showroom floor 13 years ago."

 

That being said, I have a 5200 I'm interested in selling. It's a pretty complete package, 2 port machine with about 17 games, three joysticks and a trak ball. Most memorable games I can think of are Pengo and Miner 2049er. Controller #1 I cleaned and it works well, #2 I had to put foil on the start and fire buttons, and #3 I have never opened--has unresponsive buttons. I'm not looking to get megabucks for it, but with all the games and trak ball it's a pretty nice package. Shipping will be expensive I'm sure. PM me if interested. I just got my camera together and everything, and was gonna try and make a post about it in the next day or two.

Edited by brojamfootball
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I use a stack of broken 5200's to put my 800XL on so I can actually play games. ;)

 

 

yea i'll testify to that if i didnt already have one knowing what i know i sure as heck wouldn't buy one

unless you really really want to play space dungeon

 

just use an emulator

 

heck i'll say i had fun making my own controllers from scratch (0% atari parts) but every game i end up swearing at them

 

be it moon patrol,digdug,kangaroo

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i bought a 5200 once and the power supply was fried. I got a refund and bought a working one from 4jays.com here

 

http://4jays.net/store/

 

i've bought other stuff here too. i think the last was a disk drive for my commodore 64. i've never had a problem with anything from this place and would highly recommend them.

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i bought a 5200 once and the power supply was fried. I got a refund and bought a working one from 4jays.com here

 

http://4jays.net/store/

 

i've bought other stuff here too. i think the last was a disk drive for my commodore 64. i've never had a problem with anything from this place and would highly recommend them.

 

I second 4jays. Great service. And I might be a redneck. I got a bad sunburn while camping. Does that count? ;)

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  • 4 weeks later...

wait for something to show up locally on craigs list and try before you buy.

 

I bought a C-64 boxed with hook-ups and whatnot from Craigslist, but he didn't have a TV that could be tested with. I took the risk and bought it, then months later finally tested it and worked great! I also buy from a lot of thrift stores that have absolutely no return policies, but can't recall a time where something didn't work.

 

So, depending on the price it may be worth it to just give it a roll of the dice and hope it works.

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  • 1 month later...

i bought a 5200 once and the power supply was fried. I got a refund and bought a working one from 4jays.com here

 

http://4jays.net/store/

 

i've bought other stuff here too. i think the last was a disk drive for my commodore 64. i've never had a problem with anything from this place and would highly recommend them.

 

That's funny, i just came from the 4jays site looking at rebuilt 5200 controller

with a usable exchange for $33! I think i'll bite the bullet and do that this year.

I have about 20 games and i only play about 5 of them on my roller controller.

 

as good as centipede and missle command are, i really want to play some

great joystick controlled games

 

I'll be looking for some common 5200 games to add to my collection too...

berzerk,joust,river raid and defender...i wonder if anyone would take

a boxed copy of Tapper for the 2600 for some 5200 games?

 

 

anyways i'm glad 4jays does 5200 joystick rebuilds...

 

-rick

 

 

jezzz i forgot.... I got my 5200 at a tag sale posted on

craigslist this past summer.. it came with 3 joysticks

only one had working fire buttons, and even then it was

only the top botton.... so play moon patrol didn't work.

It also came with a roller controller and about 14 boxed games! only paid $20! well worth it even if the joystick controller's are screwed up...

Edited by Zeptari1
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That's funny, i just came from the 4jays site looking at rebuilt 5200 controller

with a usable exchange for $33! I think i'll bite the bullet and do that this year.

I have about 20 games and i only play about 5 of them on my roller controller.

 

as good as centipede and missle command are, i really want to play some

great joystick controlled games

 

I'll be looking for some common 5200 games to add to my collection too...

berzerk,joust,river raid and defender...i wonder if anyone would take

a boxed copy of Tapper for the 2600 for some 5200 games?

 

 

anyways i'm glad 4jays does 5200 joystick rebuilds...

 

-rick

 

 

Check out my For Sale thread - I have some 5200 carts you may be interested in:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/151766-fs-2600-5200-colecovision-carts/

 

Also, let me know what those 5200 controllers are going for. I may be able to beat their price.

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BTW, I never responded to the original post...

 

I bought a 4-port 5200 off of eBay "as-is." I got it pretty cheap since no one else wanted to take the chance.

 

I suspected the 5200 was stored in high humidity like a basement. The RF shield was rusty and it looked like the case was covered in rust. Anyway, I GooGone'd the thing to clean it up. The power switch was sticky and I did the unthinkable 3-In-One oil droplet to fix it. The TV box had a bad coax connector which I replaced and I had to bend the pins on the video out connector to get a snug connection to the 5200. I had to calibrate the controls using the potentiometer on the motherboard and adjust the color settings. I rebuilt the controller using various parts from Best.

 

After all that, the beast works. We discovered that the second controller port is flawed but it had been working for a while. It's been a while but if memory serves up/down movement doesn't work. But, we use it as a one player system and I may consider selling it in the future in the event someone thinks that they can fix the second controller port. I picked up a two port system since then.

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Check out the market here within the next 24-48 hours. I'm selling all of my 5200 stuff and I spent all day yesterday testing everything. If something doesn't work, I'll tell you about it first rather than letting you 'discover' it after you bought it. If you're bored, go to ebay and look up 'powerknob' to see how I conduct myself as a buyer and seller.

 

The goodies that I have include:

  • 1 2-port system with 2 controllers, one "parts" control, an rf box and power supply. -- I still have to clean and test the controllers (I always used the Wico's below)
  • 1 (Collector's Special) complete 4-port system with all original packaging and paperwork (serial #s match) and an extra rf-switchbox also in its original box.
  • 1 (Collector's Special) Wico Command Controller/Keypad with original box/paperwork
  • 2 Wico Command Controllers/Keypads
  • 1 (Collector's Special) Wico Command Controller/y-cable in box
  • 1 Wico Command Contoller/y-cable -- *IF* I can get it working. I've got two, each with a pot that's WAY out of alignment. I'm hoping to combine the two into one working unit.
  • 1 Competition Pro joystick
  • 1 128-1 MultiCart with the internal menu (no dipswitches). This is not the USB version
  • 1 Adventure II game with still-sealed hints
  • 1 8BitDomain soderless video mod kit (never used)
  • 1 Atari 5200 Trackball unit
  • 1 Atari 2600 adaptor for the 5200
  • A bunch of games, including Robotron with the joystick-coupler - though I may bundle these with the 4-port system

 

 

I'll have pics of everything when I post it all, today or tomorrow.

 

Kind regards...

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You can always trust online sellers because only decent hardworking people have the internet....any crook can have a yard sale.

Wp

 

Umm...what?

 

Well, I suppose all the craiglist scammers and Nigerian princes out there will be happy to know someone values their decent, hard work, which affords them the luxury of the internet.

 

Anyway, if the hardware is on eBay as "untested/no hook-ups/etc" I'd skip it. It might be a good deal, but then, it might not. But, I happen to be of the opinion that buying video games shouldn't have to be a crap shoot. If it's a console more prone to failure (like Channel F, Astrocade, and to a lesser degree, Atari 5200), I'd go the 4Jays or Atari2600.com route. You'll probably pay a little more, but then, you get what you pay for (a system that works, which you can return, should the need arise).

 

I've never had problems with Craigslist, though. Typically, the "untested because I have no way to connect to modern T.V.s" systems are simply cases of people who are televisually challanged (can't figure out switchbox antenna adapters or routing through standalone media players or even an what an F-Coax adapter is). In fact, I've actually had some great scores on Craigslist.

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Check out my For Sale thread - I have some 5200 carts you may be interested in:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/151766-fs-2600-5200-colecovision-carts/

 

Also, let me know what those 5200 controllers are going for. I may be able to beat their price.

 

I'm interested in:

 

Mario Bros. $5

Kangaroo $2

Defender $2

BerZerk $3

 

plus shipping to 01001

total price shipped please

 

thanks...

 

and to answer your 5200joystick question, just goto 4jays web site. All the info

is right on the page. the 5200 sticks they have for sale are totally upgraded

and cost $33.

 

 

anyone here to dealing with rmaerz? thanks all

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Check out my For Sale thread - I have some 5200 carts you may be interested in:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/151766-fs-2600-5200-colecovision-carts/

 

Also, let me know what those 5200 controllers are going for. I may be able to beat their price.

 

I'm interested in:

 

Mario Bros. $5

Kangaroo $2

Defender $2

BerZerk $3

 

plus shipping to 01001

total price shipped please

 

thanks...

 

and to answer your 5200joystick question, just goto 4jays web site. All the info

is right on the page. the 5200 sticks they have for sale are totally upgraded

and cost $33.

 

 

anyone here to dealing with rmaerz? thanks all

 

I'll send you a PM. Check the user feedback forum here on AA.

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Check out the market here within the next 24-48 hours. I'm selling all of my 5200 stuff and I spent all day yesterday testing everything. If something doesn't work, I'll tell you about it first rather than letting you 'discover' it after you bought it. If you're bored, go to ebay and look up 'powerknob' to see how I conduct myself as a buyer and seller.

 

The goodies that I have include:

  • 1 2-port system with 2 controllers, one "parts" control, an rf box and power supply. -- I still have to clean and test the controllers (I always used the Wico's below)
  • 1 (Collector's Special) complete 4-port system with all original packaging and paperwork (serial #s match) and an extra rf-switchbox also in its original box.
  • 1 (Collector's Special) Wico Command Controller/Keypad with original box/paperwork
  • 2 Wico Command Controllers/Keypads
  • 1 (Collector's Special) Wico Command Controller/y-cable in box
  • 1 Wico Command Contoller/y-cable -- *IF* I can get it working. I've got two, each with a pot that's WAY out of alignment. I'm hoping to combine the two into one working unit.
  • 1 Competition Pro joystick
  • 1 128-1 MultiCart with the internal menu (no dipswitches). This is not the USB version
  • 1 Adventure II game with still-sealed hints
  • 1 8BitDomain soderless video mod kit (never used)
  • 1 Atari 5200 Trackball unit
  • 1 Atari 2600 adaptor for the 5200
  • A bunch of games, including Robotron with the joystick-coupler - though I may bundle these with the 4-port system

 

 

I'll have pics of everything when I post it all, today or tomorrow.

 

Kind regards...

 

Posted: AA Marketplace

 

Got two working/tested systems ready to go. One is more for a collector, complete in box with all paperwork and a batch of games. Another is a complete 2-port system with three games for $50. Let me know if you're interested...

-TT

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