Is this Commodore Deal Good?

[donjn]

I have an offer from someone in the local paper.. He wants $550 for everything..

 

(All are tested and work great - physical conditions vary - all have been wiped down with a damp cloth)

(Disks are not tested and are copies and compilations)

 

QTY 4 Commodore 64 Systems - come with power supplies and video cables

QTY 5 Commodore 128 Systems - no power supplies or video cables

QTY 1 Commodore 1802 Color Monitor - Comes with attached power cord

QTY 1 Commodore MPS803 Printer (condition unknown - no ink or paper to test - responds to commands) - 20.00

MANY various joysticks & 100's of disks

 

QTY 12 Disk Drives 1541's - various models

QTY 1 Disk Drive 1541 with original RAMBOARD installed - comes with power cord and a copy of Maverick to use with the RAMBOARD

QTY 4 Disk Drives 1571's - come with power cord

QTY 4 Disk Drives 1541-II's - no power supplies - 20.00 each (Tested and working with my personal power supply)

Many IEC cables - add 3.00 for each. Limited supply available.

 

more miscellaneous software and accessories / literature in boxes.

[Keatah]

Yeh, probably. Why not haggle it down to $500 ??

[Mirage]

Only because they've been wiped down with a damp cloth.

[Shephda]

With no power supplies for the 128's and the 1541II's I would not but it for that.

The copied disks are only worth pennies, the 803 is hard to give away.

 

I'd offer $300 at most and have no regrets if I had to walk away.

 

Just my $.02 :-)

[Hatta]

Break it down. A C64 is worth $25, a 128 is worth more, but without the PSU less. Say $20. The 1802 is a great monitor worth $50, and the printer is useless. You're at $250 there.

 

Now the 1541s are worth $5-10, but no one needs 12 of them. If you want to resell, you'll have to find 10 people to buy them for $10 a piece.

Ramboard, there's a new one for $30 on ebay.

1571s, good drives $25 each.

1541-II's? The 1571s are better, and don't require external PSUs. Skip them.

 

So you're looking at a retail value of $350-400. Shepda's about right, $300 for a bulk deal is fair.

[donjn]

I talked him down to $400.

Should I move on this now?

[Shephda]

Hatta hit it right on the head.

It all comes down to what you want to do with the stuff. If you can hold onto it for a time then you might get your investment back.

Otherwise you are buying it for yourself then it's a matter of is it worth it to you.

 

Just remember there is more to testing Commodore computers and drives than just turning them on or a simple reading of a directory.

The old adage "buyer beware" plays here. Good luck either way.

[Mirage]

You still never said what your goal was. If you're looking to resell, you need to get it cheaper. I wouldn't even go $300 unless your time has zero value. Most of that stuff, honestly, is more or less garbage. (No power supplies for example). The printer is garbage. The 1541's are basically garbage. If your goal is to have a lot of C= stuff, I think you could do better too. But then, this is coming from a guy who has a couple closets full of all this stuff, so I just don't see it as being worth picking up at all, it's so easy to find.

[donjn]

Update. He has located two power supplies for the commodore 128. Not sure if this changes things.

My goal with this is to have a working C128 setup, with some backup hardware in case I need it. I will move whatever I dont need on Ebay.

He is staying at $400 firm

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

Go for it !

[Mirage]

I'd offer $200 or pass, but that's just me.

[donjn]

I am not getting your math.

 

You can't move or sell the 1541-II's without power supplies. Value = $0

The 1541's go for $10 each so that's $140

4 C64's that work run about $50 each so that's $200

3 1571's x $50 = $150

3 C128's with no power supply, have to be worth $20 each no? = $60

2 C128's with power supply $60 each x2 = $120

Plus all the extra software and joysticks.

 

This value is $670 at minimum.

[Mirage]

Bull. Those are perfect-day prices. My opiinion isn't based on math, but experience.

[donjn]

We are working on a sub-deal

 

QTY 2: working 1571's with power cords, and a 1541 thrown in for fun...

QTY 1: Commodore 128 with power supply

QTY 1: Commodore 64 with power supply

QTY 1: Commodore 1802 Color Monitor with cord

a box full of software he has and joysticks

 

His offer is $250. I said I would pay $200.

Edited January 23, 2013 by donjn

[Mirage]

All depends on what it's worth to you I guess... I'd be at:

 

 

QTY 2: working 1571's with power cords, and a 1541 thrown in for fun... $60

QTY 1: Commodore 128 with power supply $25

QTY 1: Commodore 64 with power supply $10

QTY 1: Commodore 1802 Color Monitor with cord $50

Hopefully a box full of software of games you might have $?

[Mirage]

I was at work earlier so couldn't really elaborate, sorry...

 

If you're fine with paying those prices, then it's not a bad deal. It probably depends on your area too, as in, how often this stuff turns up.

 

It's just that this stuff is so unbelievably common. They made millions and millions of C64's, and they're still coming out of the woodwork all the time. I pass on them all the time because I already have so many I've collected. C128's... yeah, those are more special. I'd pick up more of those when I run across more. But they're still available pretty cheap if you look and are patient.

 

As for the drives... it's nice to have one or two around to use when you need to, and some people even still like using the real disks occasionally, but so many of us have switched over to CF/SD solutions like the 1541-Ultimate-II or uIEC, making the real floppies and drives totally unnecessary and basically even more obsolete than they were even 5 years ago.

 

I don't know where you're at as far as A) what you want to do and B) how much you already know, but if it were me getting into any 8 or 16 bit computer now, I'd put my money on a CF/SD solution and be done with it. Then maybe pick up a real floppy drive along the way. If you're in the Milwaukee area, I'd make you a great deal on a 1541 and probably even 1 1571 (I think I have a spare), but I'm not going to ship them. Costs way too much, and the USPS is too hard on fragile items like that.

 

As far as ebay prices... you can find C64's, 128's on there for the higher prices listed above, but you can find them for the lower prices too if you're patient. Unless you're in a Commodore-bereft area, you can find them much locally cheaper. In my opinion, this guy you're looking to buy from is pretty proud of his stuff and has prices to match. Especially if they're not fully tested.

 

But... that's just me. If you just really want to get into this now, pick up some of this stuff from this guy even if it is overpriced (IMO), but don't buy too much, just keep an eye out for better deals on some spares if you want them (hey, I sure do understand that, I have dozens of "spares" )

 

As for selling on ebay... it's rough to unload a lot of that stuff. I've been there, done that. Tons of work, for little profit. That's why I say get it as cheap as you possibly can... really cheap... for anything you're looking to resell, to make it worth your while. A few years ago, I picked up a lot at least twice the size of that in your original post for $100, but there was some Amiga stuff in there too. I still have a ton of the 1541's... trust me, no one wants them, no one wants to pay the shipping on those heavy obsolete pieces of junk. I sold a few C64's and a few motherboards, then ended up parting out a lot of them because I could move them faster that way, and could get more for a tested SID than for a whole C64. Note that I said tested... I have C= test equipment and I spent a lot of time testing them and posting the reports to prove the quality of each one so I could get top dollar. Honestly, I probably did clear $500 profit on the lot (plus kept some stuff for myself and I still have a bin full of keyboards, a bunch of IC's, and the pile of 1541's), but I wouldn't say it was worth it. I could have made more money with less effort in other ways.

 

I'm really not trying to discourage you, and a lot of the value has to do with the condition of what you're getting, which obviously I can't see, but what I am saying, is be smart about it, and don't get anxious and overspend if you don't have to. If I could realistically and consistently get the high prices listed above for my basement full of Commodore stuff, I'd be willing to invest the time to sell a whole lot more of it.

 

Good luck either way. You should pick up something no matter what though. Having a real 8-bit computer setup, whether C= or A8 or whatever else is very rewarding and a ton of fun.

 

If you're new, pick up the book "A C64 Walkabout" to learn everything you need to know to really make the most out of the machine (I'm not associated in any way with the book, or authors, or publisher):

 

http://www.smashword...65936#longdescr

Edited January 23, 2013 by Mirage

[donjn]

Thanks Mirage. I sent you a long PM...

[+save2600]

Weird lot and combination of stuff that spells trouble to me. Would really suck if you ended up with bad power supplies that blow up the supposedly working computers (C128 in particular). I wouldn't plug anything in until you've checked pinouts and took readings.

 

Rest of the guys here already posted accurate values on resale, etc. Bottom line: if you're into putzing around with this kind of crap, you may end up making a few bucks. Lots of time and tinkering are probably going to be involved though. Mirage is spot on: I wouldn't offer much more than $200-$300 for this potential of a headache; resale M.O. in mind.