Looking for game parts scavenger/repairman

[tripletopper]

Do you have something that works for a while, and then suddenly stopped working. I found a Colecovision repairman on very limited things, basically I had to dictate to him what to do. He seems to be willing to help, but doesn't listen very well. I said I needed a Toslink out port repaired and he said nothing was wrong because he tested different ports. He saw a water stain on the Main CV circuit board, and I told him everything works except joyport one was taken off. (based on advice given by Adam's House when I was using the Atari Track N Field controller on the CV version of the Activision Decathlon. He told me to open it up an "pull the port" so I did, ripped it right out of its socket, implying it was a loose connection and can easily be reconnected. It was soldered on. They also just reprint lots of instruction books, some even in a VERY hard to read black and white, even though the originals were in color. I bought like $100 worth of instructions, and he just xeroxed them on a B/W and some were too dark to read. I didn't even get a discount in shipping by ordering all at once. If I knew they were reprints, I would have printed them myself. Out of business? Couldn't have happened to a nicer business.)

 

I just needed the joyport fixed, and he told me to find an original Colecovision and chop the port from that. It never occurred to him that it might be a standardized part. So I did some web digging and found the part for $5 including shipping. I asked him if he could install it. And he saiid yes. But the water stain... First it's probably an isopropylhol stain from cleaning it. Second the circuit board works. The only thing that doesn't is joyport 1.

 

Which got me thinking. What do I do with a non-working system. Is there someone around me who can repair it. If I find a machine elsewhere at a goodwill and it doesn't work, it would be kind of wasteful to sell it to a "weigh and Pay" recycler, who just melts it, when plenty of repairmen can use the parts that DO work. I would do it on Ebay, but, for example, a Laserdisc player I had was too heavy to make me any reasonable profit. The Price was $10 + $40 shipping, when Ebay and Paypal factor shipping price in their fees, I actually LOSE money by being responsible. So I gave it to goodwill, and told them its condition.

 

Every recycler in my area was of the "Weigh and Pay" variety. There's probably local repairmen who can acquire parts for cheaper than a parts salesman by not scrapping it and buy low (but higher than the weigh and pay,) and either use them for their own projects or sell the part to another repairman. And they use their knowledge to make money by being able to accurately describe and test individual parts. Anyone within a 50 mile radius of 44273 who can buy non working video game machines for their parts value or can repair them if we want to keep them?

 

Maybe this thread should be a worldwide directory of video game machine and accessory parts scavengers and repairmen who will either pay the bulk part value for your machine, or repair locally? I literally have no place to go without actually LOSING money doing the responsible thing. I checked Cleveland, Akron, and Medina County and no one buys parts. Until I find someone, the most responsible place I can take it to is a Goodwill. Ideally, the heavier the machine, the more profitable it is to drop off/pick up locally instead of paying the package carriers money and making a loss.

 

Also buyers, dealing direct means you can pay more while making more. I tired Google, I tried Bing, I tired 3 county phone books. I don't know where to find one near Medina County, Ohio> By the we we make trips to Cuyahoga and summit counties too, so next time we go that way anyway, we'll make it a point to drop off.