Selling vintage consoles in Craigslist, no takers

[Zaineb]

Cragislist more or less nationally is just gone down hill in relation to video games on the whole. Enough years of predatory flippers and also modern day system scalpers too have scared people away or pissed them off so they don't bother to come back. It has got to a point where you can just go there and see the same refreshed garbage with ebay plus values on them like it's your privilege to be in the honor of a scumbag to 'buy local' basically. It just doesn't work that way very well anymore because even the newbie types are getting informed and not wanting to get hosed. They'd rather if they're paying full price go with a store locally that would have some return policy/warranty for defective goods than some douche meet up at a starbucks.

 

 

I had one experience with Craigslist where someone was selling EarthBound (in the hopes of trading for Mega Man X3...should've known better but I thought oh let's give it a shot), but would've sold it for $75 if no one had it. Offered his price for it and asked if I could open the cartridge to confirm if it was real. Can you guess? No response! Kept checking the post but it disappeared shortly after. I knew it was probably a scam but still, hurt I couldn't get the chance. OfferUp, Close5, and Letgo are what I use considering I've only got my phone, and I swear some of those people drive me insane. You have your all-around scumbag scalpers acting smug they're selling a Nintendo Switch for $450 (one guy must've been on crack listing it for $600) or your more FAVORITE kinds of people (as you mentioned before) trying to offload their CRAP at premium eBay prices! Oh, and they LOVE to tell you what it's going for on eBay when you counteroffer something reasonable. Then go on eBay dipwad!

Anyways long story short, I use these apps, despite me sometimes tearing out my hair, because no one on Craigslist even bothers to respond anymore and that's frustrating. They really should've gone to mobile if they want to keep up. And I have picked up some good finds on OfferUp and letgo, they're definitely worth a try.

[elmer]

I went and looked over your sales thread- quite simply, your items are very, VERY niche. Fair prices or not, there's only a handful of people interested in obscure Japanese systems out there.

Yep, those are really "specialist" items.

 

As much as it's really sad to see a working Marty going unsold for this long, it's just a platform that I've never had an interest in owning.

 

And that's from someone that paid a fortune to import a X68000, and even the obscure-and-unloved NEC PC-FX (and PC-FXGA development card).

 

Have you considered posting it on the NFGgames forum? They have a specialist section devoted to the FM Towns.

 

http://nfggames.com/forum2/

[Tanooki]

Zaineb that pretty much covers it alright. I don't use the others, rarely have looked at letgo before as I got curious and it was no different than craigslist other than being worse to search.

 

The way I see it, they're all garage sales online. If you ask me to pay ebay, or you try and scalp for the moon, die in a fire basically is my attitude about it. Go throw it on ebay with a price you want and the min 30% over BIN and let a desperate newb who doesn't know better pay up if they do.

 

What's worse are people who do it at flea markets who are regulars or one off car pull up types looking to offload. Anyone ever says the word ebay to me, unless the rest of that sentence is ...and I'm only asking 1/2 that. I'm done. Some here may agree with the comparison, others probably not (drama?) but I tell my kid I'm with on Saturdays when I do that as she loves to look too, it's the same as them throwing a four letter word at daddy. I hear what they say, and I take it as 'F*ck you pay $XXX' and to that I usually laugh at them or not, and just walk away. Most the time they kind of just stare or get confused, a few rare times I got lip back for it and that's when I'll lay into someone and tell them in so many words to put your shit on ebay instead of paying a few bucks to sit out here and sweat in the sun all day like a fool wasting your gas, time and effort because if I wanted to pay that I'd have stayed home. It's why I am just over and finished buying up old games on various systems actively as it's aggravating, but if I accident into someone not being an ebay troll I'll pay still if it's something I want.

[Keatah]

Aggravating indeed. More so now than ever before.

 

I just buy small items if they're priced right, like books and blank disks. Screws, fitments, cables, connectors and scrap stuff. Fodder items to fill in and round out my collection. Items to buff up my repair parts box. And I certainly never chase the gotta-get-em-all items or anything where time is of the essence. Not anymore.

[Zaineb]

Personally I think the best thing to do is continue the hunt: thrift stores, goodwill, savers and even Salvation Army (today I got a couple 2600 joysticks for 7 each. I made a couple great connections through OfferUp and letgo. The OfferUp guy is now my go-to if I want something close and at a value, the letgo sold me my four-speed Panasonic turntable for $30 WITH the external speakers. But I promise those experiences come one in a blue moon so treasure it! I'm sorry about your experiences Tanooki, sure sounds like my experiences at the flea market (including one time I was ripped off).

 

 

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[Zaineb]

Oh and speaking of Salvation Army, my local one has given me some of the best things in my humble collection, my favorites being my CIB StarFox and Donkey Kong 64 (and my LttP but I gave that to a friend). I believe the SNES titles were $15 each and DK was $20.

 

 

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[HoshiChiri]

My general reply to "that's what it sells for on Ebay" is "and Ebay gives me an Ebay Bucks reward, and a guarantee that I'll get my money back if it doesn't work." I'd probably then offer to pay their price if they immediately give me 10% back, along with a notarized money back guarantee. I wonder what they'd say...

[Zaineb]

My general reply to "that's what it sells for on Ebay" is "and Ebay gives me an Ebay Bucks reward, and a guarantee that I'll get my money back if it doesn't work." I'd probably then offer to pay their price if they immediately give me 10% back, along with a notarized money back guarantee. I wonder what they'd say...

Hah! That's a good one! It'd be nice if some people would just smarten up, like hell I'd be willing to pay a little more if they delivered to me, but nah. They want top dollar for their crap, which by the way, I hate so much when it's dirty, dusty and crusty. When I trade my things I at least put a little elbow grease into clearing out dust and crap in it. It's like you're saying, "I don't give two s**ts about you or this thing I've had in my possession for years, f*** you, PAY ME."

 

 

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[phoenixdownita]

Yep, those are really "specialist" items.

 

As much as it's really sad to see a working Marty going unsold for this long, it's just a platform that I've never had an interest in owning.

 

And that's from someone that paid a fortune to import a X68000, and even the obscure-and-unloved NEC PC-FX (and PC-FXGA development card).

 

Have you considered posting it on the NFGgames forum? They have a specialist section devoted to the FM Towns.

 

http://nfggames.com/forum2/

Yeah ... my PC-FX was next in line, then there was a PAL Amiga CD32 with A2000 keyboard and mouse, then likely my SuperGrafx with TBED v1, a NGCD topLoader and probably a NG CDZ, I also was eyeing my DC with dev bios and a Saturn with phantom chip patch BIOS floppy drive and original PDS (disks only) ..... guess it won't happen anytime soon.

 

My attitude towards craigslist is a little different, because I can look at it and maybe save 10% (and shipping) and if I want it it's the way I go (bought a couple of N64s that way, 3 XB originals, a couple of Wiis, a bundle of games but that was years ago) ... anyhow the MP is speaking louder than ever.

[elmer]

Yeah ... my PC-FX was next in line, then there was a PAL Amiga CD32 with A2000 keyboard and mouse, then likely my SuperGrafx with TBED v1, a NGCD topLoader and probably a NG CDZ, I also was eyeing my DC with dev bios and a Saturn with phantom chip patch BIOS floppy drive and original PDS (disks only) ..... guess it won't happen anytime soon.

Well, I hope that you'll at-least play the English translation of Zeroigar before you sell the PC-FX!

 

But once again, you're talking about some beautiful console hardware that's of limited-or-no-appeal to most folks, but highly-sought-after by some.

 

The NeoSD has probably put a dent in the perceived-value of the NeoGeo CD systems, unfortunately.

 

I'd go for a NeoSD myself, but since I've only turned on my AES a few times in the last couple of decades, I should probably just sell it instead.

 

Good luck with the sales!

[phoenixdownita]

Well, I hope that you'll at-least play the English translation of Zeroigar before you sell the PC-FX!

....

I think I played through it in Japanese but now may as well get the En version before I sell.

Thanks for letting me know, I missed it but I think I turned it on even less than you have your AES ... and yes I like my NeoSD wish it was faster though.

[Tanooki]

Oh I never gave up the hunt, but I decided to take it in another direction. I find anything useful I can either use, use with other stuff, or sell as it's undervalued so I can get something I do want with some work. That said, the location I noted awhile back where I pulled a Dreamcast out of for $6 and also a N64 with some goodies has had a slow but fair trickle of excellence since it opened a couple years back so I make it my prime stop to check more than half the week mid-afternoon going slightly ever so out of my way before picking the kid up from school. So far a DC, N64 bundle, 3 loose N64 controllers, 2 weeks ago a wii setup almost complete with a pro controller, a mid80s sony stereo system rack with tempered glass(no stereo, I use for my gaming systems), some antiques, $500+ in Lego sets/parts in 4 tubs for $15 one day, old CB radio, a Bose Wave Radio 2 (was missing remote which I found online for $10), a really nice logitech speaker system for my laptop, at least 4-5 digital cameras of which the latest I'm keeping as it's tiny and awesome (Nikon Coolpix S01 complete in the box with extra leather case), and other goodies. The most expensive item of anything listed there was the Bose for $26(+10 for remote on ebay and that radio is worth $150 online.) I may not find jack for a week or two, then something nice happens.