+mksmith Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 I've got my eye on a mint condition Vic 20 CR - currently $364 AU with a few hours left. It was my first computer and I already have a mint 64c and 1541ii which I paid half that around 18 months ago. Think it is probably overs but they are getting harder to come across as good as this. Would you pay more?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam242 Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 Wow, eBay prices have changed. 10-12 years ago, I paid $15 for a VIC complete in the box. Not exactly 'mint', but nice. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mksmith Posted September 4, 2019 Author Share Posted September 4, 2019 I've been watching the past 2 years for any Atari and Commodore stuff and the prices have gone up considerably in Australia over that time. Also we don't have any retro style shops that I know of so definitely premium here unfortunately. Still kick myself for letting my parents chuck all my Commodore stuff out 15 or so years ago ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoestring Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 6 hours ago, mksmith said: I've got my eye on a mint condition Vic 20 CR - currently $364 AU with a few hours left. Way too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mksmith Posted September 4, 2019 Author Share Posted September 4, 2019 Yeah unfortunately - went for $378AU in the end. But was is amazing condition ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoestring Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 I checked completed listings to see what these are fetching for these days on eBay AU. Ridiculous. I remember you couldn't even give these away. I picked up a working C128 for $5 at cash converters back in the mid 90s and there were breadbins & Cs taking up most of the rack space in the computing section. I bet most of them were thrown out. I should have bought the lot of them 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mksmith Posted September 4, 2019 Author Share Posted September 4, 2019 If we only knew! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsson Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 I believe "amazing condition" are the keywords here. While prices generally have increased, at AU$ 378 someone doesn't buy it because it is a VIC-20 but because it is mint or near mint condition. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 58 minutes ago, carlsson said: I believe "amazing condition" are the keywords here. While prices generally have increased, at AU$ 378 someone doesn't buy it because it is a VIC-20 but because it is mint or near mint condition. I see this being made into an image macro meme... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motrucker Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 It isn't only this post, but the prices in Australia are incredibly high for Retro computer stuff across the board. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mksmith Posted September 5, 2019 Author Share Posted September 5, 2019 I give all my retro technology a full clean etc but its amazing how poorly most people present this stuff for sale. When you see something that certainly looks like it came straight out of a box it stands out. The thing with this one was the no yellowing no marks perfect color etc. The 3-4 others around currently are dirty, marked and with broken keys. Interesting each saying how easy it is to replace the missing key and plunger - maybe for a c64 ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsson Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 I suppose Australia and New Zealand are so far from rest of the industrial world that shipping generally is a killer to bring stuff there, which could explain why prices are higher on those markets, since it would cost just about as much to import it from America, Europe or even Asia. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo-Torch Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 Is shipping really that extreme? Looking at completed eBay auctions, a pristine boxed Vic-20 should cost between $80 to $100 US (often including shipping within the US). That's less than $150 AUD. Even if you paid $100 for shipping, that's still far cheaper than $378 AUD. Will a US Vic-20 work with PAL? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mksmith Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 Shipping is often listed as between $100 to $150 US or Euros so with the AUS conversion that can increase even more. I think nowadays using a rgb converter then NTSC is less of a concern now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsson Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Neither the VIC-20 nor the C64 have RGB. Both have composite video and with a bit of internal hacking, you can get S-Video on the VIC (which is default on the C64). Most modern TV sets (at least those sold in Europe) are multisystem so you can connect a NTSC signal and get it in colour and with proper sync, no need for a converter between NTSC and PAL. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
English Invader Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 I say if you want a VIC go for it. When I first started buying old computers in 2009, it was the first system I went for. The first VIC I bought went to about £60 at auction (which I was more than happy to pay although more experienced people believed it was overpriced) and I also went for another one a few months later that had a ton of extra stuff with it (practically the early 80s answer to the Mega-Cart) and that went for £160 (and most people thought I needed my head examined for paying that!). Also picked up a few other VICs at £20 a time along the way and ironically those are the ones I feel are in the best condition today - the main ones I use (one cost reduced, the other original) are absolutely immaculate. If you feel a $360 VIC is the right one for you, you should do it. Screw the cynics and just enjoy the ride - as long as you're not taking out a second mortgage on your house or pulling your kids out of college I don't see a problem. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mksmith Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 2 hours ago, carlsson said: Neither the VIC-20 nor the C64 have RGB. Both have composite video and with a bit of internal hacking, you can get S-Video on the VIC (which is default on the C64). Most modern TV sets (at least those sold in Europe) are multisystem so you can connect a NTSC signal and get it in colour and with proper sync, no need for a converter between NTSC and PAL. Sorry meant one of those video out to rca cables you then plug into a converter to HDMI into your monitor. I'd assume that way would be no problem regardless of NTSC or PAL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsson Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Ok. I'm not really living in the HDMI only generation yet so to me that usually is not required. I recognize there are TV sets, projectors etc that only support HDMI though so in that case you're correct you need a converter from any analog source you work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mksmith Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 1 hour ago, English Invader said: I say if you want a VIC go for it. When I first started buying old computers in 2009, it was the first system I went for. The first VIC I bought went to about £60 at auction (which I was more than happy to pay although more experienced people believed it was overpriced) and I also went for another one a few months later that had a ton of extra stuff with it (practically the early 80s answer to the Mega-Cart) and that went for £160 (and most people thought I needed my head examined for paying that!). Also picked up a few other VICs at £20 a time along the way and ironically those are the ones I feel are in the best condition today - the main ones I use (one cost reduced, the other original) are absolutely immaculate. If you feel a $360 VIC is the right one for you, you should do it. Screw the cynics and just enjoy the ride - as long as you're not taking out a second mortgage on your house or pulling your kids out of college I don't see a problem. Yeah definitely - if I'm spending the money certainly happy to pay if it's in great condition. It just unfortunately went a little too high in the end. I got a great deal with the c64 so was happy to pay more for this one. Anyway just have to wait for the next opportunity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mksmith Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 Just now, carlsson said: Ok. I'm not really living in the HDMI only generation yet so to me that usually is not required. I recognize there are TV sets, projectors etc that only support HDMI though so in that case you're correct you need a converter from any analog source you work with. I have it in my office - have dual monitors on my pc so pinch one when needed. Also looking for a 1084s or something similar to use eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlsson Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Ok, curiosity got the better of me so I went through eBay Australia for sold VIC-20's in the past months to get a better idea of the prices: Loose two-prong PAL VIC-20 with UK PSU, no other cables. Working but missing CLR/HOME key. AU$95. Loose two-prong NTSC VIC-20 with US (??) PSU, power switch stuck. Untested. AU$114.50. Loose Eurostyle VIC-20 in nice condition, with PSU, RF modulator, tape recorder, set of paddles and Introduction to BASIC. AU$378. This is the one you were looking at. Boxed VIC-20 in bad condition box, without any cables. Untested. AU$117.50. Set of two boxed VIC-20s with mismatched PSUs, a set of paddles, tape recorder, 7 joysticks, 35 cartridges, 1 tape, books. No info if it was tested. AU$356.99. Loose Eurostyle VIC-20 without any cables, but tested working. AU$162.50. Boxed VIC-20 without any cables, but tested working. AU$217.50. Bundle with loose Eurostyle VIC-20 and C64C, no cables but both tested, VIC-20 missing CLR/HOME key. AU$170.50. Boxed VIC-20 in nice condition box, modified with extra built-in reset button. No indication of cables or tested. AU$326. Boxed VIC-20CR with grey function keys and PSU, tested working. Box not the prettiest. AU$143.50. Boxed Eurostyle VIC-20 with PSU and RF modulator. Turns on, but doesn't say if it works. AU$161.50. Loose VIC-20 with 18 cartridges, two joysticks, one set of paddles, PSU and composite video cable. Tested working. AU$212.50. Boxed VIC-20 with Introduction to BASIC part 1&2, tape recorder, set of paddles. Tatty box. Turns on, but doesn't say if it works. AU$415. In my humble opinion, those AU$378 was a gross overprice even if it was good condition. I thought it was boxed but I misread the previous posts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
English Invader Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 8 hours ago, mksmith said: Sorry meant one of those video out to rca cables you then plug into a converter to HDMI into your monitor. I'd assume that way would be no problem regardless of NTSC or PAL. This is what they call "upscaling" and it's a lot more complicated than one would first envisage and there are some very mixed results - people spend hundreds trying to get their old computers/consoles HD ready and there are so many different solutions out there that it's very difficult to know which ones are suitable. I have flatscreen TVs with legacy inputs which is great for systems that have RGB but sucks for systems that are tied to composite or RF. I keep a 14" CRT underneath my main television for systems that fail to make an effective transition to LCD. Also, beware that LCD TVs don't always respond to old systems in the same way - my Atari ST had to try 3 different TVs before I found one that liked it. It's currently in pride of place on my main computer desk with a small laptop beside it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motrucker Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 You are quite right that upscaling can drive you nuts! Even with all of the HDMI TVs and monitors I have, I keep a 1080 and 2002 on hand for the older 8 bit systems. In my experiences, the 1080 is a better choice than the 1084/1804S. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mksmith Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 47 minutes ago, motrucker said: You are quite right that upscaling can drive you nuts! Even with all of the HDMI TVs and monitors I have, I keep a 1080 and 2002 on hand for the older 8 bit systems. In my experiences, the 1080 is a better choice than the 1084/1804S. Ah ok - there are so many variants out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Strangest Posted September 11, 2019 Share Posted September 11, 2019 I was able to pick up a boxed Vic-20 for around $70 USD at a flea market. Unfortunately I can only get it to show a black screen. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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