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Bally Astrocade - price?


Atari2008

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It varies...it depends a lot on the condition and which model you have. Post some pics (if you own this and are looking to sell)...if you are looking to buy one, there is also a ton of helpful info available over at ballyalley.com which will help you better know your options and what to look for. They have a yahoo group dedicated to this system. :thumbsup:

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@bennybingo: Thank you!!! I'm actually looking to potentially buy. I used to own one a few years back, and I'm a bit nostalgic for some of the awesome arcade ports - Muncher and the Incredible Wizard come to mind. I just wasn't sure how much I should expect to pay for them nowadays. I'll poke around Bally Alley, I just joined the Yahoo Group a few days ago. :)

 

@boxpressed: Thank you!!! Your blog post was very informative. $90-$120 was what I was thinking I'd have to pay for one. Thank you for the guidelines, particularly the tip to make sure the seller gives the option of a return if it doesn't work after arrival. Good point.

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@boxpressed: Thank you!!! Your blog post was very informative. $90-$120 was what I was thinking I'd have to pay for one. Thank you for the guidelines, particularly the tip to make sure the seller gives the option of a return if it doesn't work after arrival. Good point.

 

I think $90 - $120 may have bought you one a few years ago, but to find one that actually works and has been tested for more than 5 minutes you are looking at more like $150 - $200.00. I think boxpressed's info might be from a few years back when he picked one up (correct me if I'm wrong box) but if you look on eBay lately you'll see them going for a pretty penny.

 

The most common one you'll find in that price range is the Bally Computer System version, followed by the Bally Professional Arcade. Expect to pay much, much more for an actual Astrocade branded system, a Home Library Computer Sytem or one of the white Bally Professional Arcades.

 

Those last three would be more for your collectors out there, rather than daily playing.

 

Look through some of my older posts for more info on what to look for before you pick one of these up and feel free to shoot me a PM if you have any specific questions.

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Price really depends...I would suggest again that you visit ballyalley.com. You will find a lot of folks there that are more knowledgable than me with regards to the Astrocade, and you might even find someone looking to part with a spare console.

 

I picked up a white one, in the box (rough shape, but a box nonetheless) which worked and came with controllers and games about a year ago in the marketplace here. I paid $100 plus shipping IIRC (which is an amazing deal). Just saying...those kinds of deals are out there, if you are willing to be patient and avoid eBay. Nowadays, eBay prices are insane...they will only get worse. You are better served by speaking to the collectors themselves, as they are in this for the hobby and care about their reputation in the community (for the most part). This will better ensure that you don't pay $200 for a DOA console...then, you really will get to see the crappy side of eBay. Best of luck...I will keep my eyes out for you with regards to a basic working set up!

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Price really depends...I would suggest again that you visit ballyalley.com. You will find a lot of folks there that are more knowledgable than me with regards to the Astrocade, and you might even find someone looking to part with a spare console.

 

I picked up a white one, in the box (rough shape, but a box nonetheless) which worked and came with controllers and games about a year ago in the marketplace here. I paid $100 plus shipping IIRC (which is an amazing deal). Just saying...those kinds of deals are out there, if you are willing to be patient and avoid eBay. Nowadays, eBay prices are insane...they will only get worse. You are better served by speaking to the collectors themselves, as they are in this for the hobby and care about their reputation in the community (for the most part). This will better ensure that you don't pay $200 for a DOA console...then, you really will get to see the crappy side of eBay. Best of luck...I will keep my eyes out for you with regards to a basic working set up!

 

Thank you bennybingo! I really appreciate that. Yes the prices for the units on eBay are wild and nearly all of them offer no returns and are untested. I'll probe BallyAlley and may even take your suggestion of asking anyone in the group if they have a spare they'd be willing to part with. In the meantime I downloaded MESS so I'm looking forward to playing some of the games. Also, it is really nice to see that an obscure system like the Astrocade still has a following.

 

By the way, you got an amazing deal...the white Astrocades are quite rare, aren't they?

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I think $90 - $120 may have bought you one a few years ago, but to find one that actually works and has been tested for more than 5 minutes you are looking at more like $150 - $200.00. I think boxpressed's info might be from a few years back when he picked one up (correct me if I'm wrong box) but if you look on eBay lately you'll see them going for a pretty penny.

 

The most common one you'll find in that price range is the Bally Computer System version, followed by the Bally Professional Arcade. Expect to pay much, much more for an actual Astrocade branded system, a Home Library Computer Sytem or one of the white Bally Professional Arcades.

 

Those last three would be more for your collectors out there, rather than daily playing.

 

Look through some of my older posts for more info on what to look for before you pick one of these up and feel free to shoot me a PM if you have any specific questions.

 

I think I probably need to revise that article, TMOSteel. I was working off real eBay closing prices for Astrocade auctions from 2011-12, but prices are quite volatile these days. Now I would say that $150 is reasonable for a clean, fully-tested unit with a one-week guarantee.

 

It is very difficult to buy a reasonably priced, working unit these days. This is because most resellers don't have the knowledge, patience, or will to test a unit for you thoroughly and properly. If you're feeling lucky, you can take a chance on a unit described as "working," but do so only if you can return it. But be prepared for it not to work. Even if it is described as working, I'd say that at least half the time it still won't work. Finding a working unit described as "untested" is about a 4:1 longshot.

 

I agree that if you can get a guaranteed unit from a respected Bally Alley or Atari Age member for $200, you might want to do so. It will save you lots of disappointment trying your luck on eBay and footing the bill for return postage.

Edited by boxpressed
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Just to echo what the other above said, you are much much better off getting one from a Forum such as here, Digital Press, or best of all over at Bally Alley. I was looking for one earlier this year, and it took me several purchases to get one that actually worked. You might also want to consider investing in one of the many muticarts available for the system. One last thing: don't expect a working unit you've bought to still be working when it arrives to you- Astrocades seem to be one of the least durable systems ever released. Hope for the best, but prepare for the chance of getting a dead unit or so before getting a working one. I'm basing that on my own experiences over the past year. In the same way, I can assure you that it is absolutely worth it when you do get one- these systems are truly awesome and worth every penny and minute you'll spend getting one!

Edited by Blazing Lazers
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From the sound of things, sounds like my best bet is to get one from a fellow retro-gamer. Astrocades are quite the expensive purchase (relatively speaking anyway) and I'd hate to be disappointed and $200 short on a system that doesn't work. Plus as has been noted not only would a fellow collector be more honest, they'll also be more patient with the testing. Plus, I know me, as soon as I receive the system I'm going to want to rush home and play, and I'd rather avoid the disappointment of it being DOA if I can. :) Ok so it sounds like I'll have to save up a bit, gather up that $200 and then I'll post an ad on all the retro sites...starting with Bally Alley and Atari Age of course. I sure hope the Astrocade lives up, it's a bit of an investment and a bit of a gamble given the reliability issues. But I love obscure consoles and I do have the emulator so I'll be trying before buying so to speak.

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From the sound of things, sounds like my best bet is to get one from a fellow retro-gamer. Astrocades are quite the expensive purchase (relatively speaking anyway) and I'd hate to be disappointed and $200 short on a system that doesn't work. Plus as has been noted not only would a fellow collector be more honest, they'll also be more patient with the testing. Plus, I know me, as soon as I receive the system I'm going to want to rush home and play, and I'd rather avoid the disappointment of it being DOA if I can. :) Ok so it sounds like I'll have to save up a bit, gather up that $200 and then I'll post an ad on all the retro sites...starting with Bally Alley and Atari Age of course. I sure hope the Astrocade lives up, it's a bit of an investment and a bit of a gamble given the reliability issues. But I love obscure consoles and I do have the emulator so I'll be trying before buying so to speak.

 

Good luck! I know that many Astrocade enthusiasts don't like to part with their spares because of how easily working units can fail. You never know, though. Ken Lill sold one of his Astrocades on eBay last fall for around $200-$250, and he's about as reputable as it gets. I have two pretty reliable units, one DOA unit, and I'm still in the market for more for insurance!

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I did figure that as well, given their unreliability, few hardcore collectors would want to part with their spares. Plus it sounds like a spare is a necessity with an Astrocade. I yes, I saw an email come in today from Kevin Lill in the Astrocade Yahoo Group. :) Also, I figured people may want to keep their spares in case they need the parts for repairs. Good luck finding your back up unit. I guess on the flipside when I do obtain a fully working unit, after all this patience and effort, I'll enjoy it that much more. :) I just remember really enjoying the Incredible Wizard, I used to show it off to my friends.

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I think I probably need to revise that article, TMOSteel. I was working off real eBay closing prices for Astrocade auctions from 2011-12, but prices are quite volatile these days. Now I would say that $150 is reasonable for a clean, fully-tested unit with a one-week guarantee.

 

It is very difficult to buy a reasonably priced, working unit these days. This is because most resellers don't have the knowledge, patience, or will to test a unit for you thoroughly and properly. If you're feeling lucky, you can take a chance on a unit described as "working," but do so only if you can return it. But be prepared for it not to work. Even if it is described as working, I'd say that at least half the time it still won't work. Finding a working unit described as "untested" is about a 4:1 longshot.

 

I agree that if you can get a guaranteed unit from a respected Bally Alley or Atari Age member for $200, you might want to do so. It will save you lots of disappointment trying your luck on eBay and footing the bill for return postage.

How would you test a unit "thoroughly and properly?" I've got one I might be willing to sell but I really haven't played it that much and I don't know how to tell if a unit is working well or not. If I'm going to sell it I'd like to make sure it's working well first and then hope it makes it to the buyer in working condition.

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TMOSteel told me about this test: set the Checkmate game to 99 runs and 0 players. It should run for about 45 minutes on its own. You'll need to monitor it because the screen saver will trigger every 5 minutes, which will require you to nudge the joystick or press a key. If the test completes without a hang and without graphical glitches, the internal components are probably okay. You'll still need to test the keypad and the paddle controls for jitters. A few more details in my blog article.

 

Be sure to run the test with the Astrocade on a hard surface with nothing blocking the bottom vents.

Edited by boxpressed
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