Thinking of getting a Commodore 64 computer, what's a fair price?

[T.A.P.]

I've long wanted to pick one up to play around with, what's a fair price for a nice working condition machine, ideally still with its manual & box?

 

I guess I'd prefer the older style computer, if that's easier & cheaper to get.

[+OLD CS1]

Unless you can pick one up from a friendly community member, right now you are likely going to pay through the nose for a complete kit.  Collectors have their eyes set on certain "retro" brands and devices, and the Commodore 64 is one of them.  Good luck with the hunt.

[zylon]

$100-$200 seems to be the norm today. My spare was around $50, but that was 10yrs ago, and I use the 64c versions.

[+OLD CS1]

29 minutes ago, zylon said:

$100-$200 seems to be the norm today. My spare was around $50, but that was 10yrs ago, and I use the 64c versions.

Yeah.  About four years ago I picked up a complete working boxed 64C for $150.  Matching serial number and everything.  So not much different now, which is good.  The asking prices have been running a little ridiculous, IMO.

 

I just took a peak.  I see a 64C and 1541-II set for $495, but nothing like it in sold listings.  An untested boxed 64C with manuals sold for $125.  Not terrible.

 

 

[zylon]

2 minutes ago, OLD CS1 said:

Yeah.  About four years ago I picked up a complete working boxed 64C for $150.  Matching serial number and everything.  So not much different now, which is good.  The asking prices have been running a little ridiculous, IMO.

 

I just took a peak.  I see a 64C and 1541-II set for $495, but nothing like it in sold listings.  An untested boxed 64C with manuals sold for $125.  Not terrible.

 

 

This year, I'm finally going to get a different power brick. I'm still using the white-ish C= ones. On the stuff from Mom's house, I still have a 1571, and one of the rebuldable power bricks+stash of the regulator for them. I'd been using the car light bulb test on my bricks regularly, but in light of replacement costs, I'll upgrade.

I looked into that VCF, never knew we had something like that here, but only a fool goes into Atlanta, lol. I'll probably just buy some disks and send one of that game.

[+OLD CS1]

24 minutes ago, zylon said:

I looked into that VCF, never knew we had something like that here, but only a fool goes into Atlanta, lol. I'll probably just buy some disks and send one of that game

Where we were last year was not terrible.  Seemed like not down-town Atlanta.  But, you know the area better than I do.   I did not stay at the host hotel, but at a place about two miles away.

 

I still have a bunch of the Commodore brick power supplies -- a lot of them, actually.  I have shied away from them due to their age, and have picked up a couple of modern ones.  I have one here which has power for a 64 and a 1541-II.  Not sure what they run, @T.A.P., but you will definitely want to consider getting one as the old bricks are good for dying and taking the machine out with them.

[zylon]

44 minutes ago, OLD CS1 said:

Where we were last year was not terrible.  Seemed like not down-town Atlanta.  But, you know the area better than I do.   I did not stay at the host hotel, but at a place about two miles away.

 

I still have a bunch of the Commodore brick power supplies -- a lot of them, actually.  I have shied away from them due to their age, and have picked up a couple of modern ones.  I have one here which has power for a 64 and a 1541-II.  Not sure what they run, @T.A.P., but you will definitely want to consider getting one as the old bricks are good for dying and taking the machine out with them.

Pictured, is the "good one", which I've repaired twice over the years. It's easily serviceable, but you still have to check it under load. Car 12vdc light bulb on pins 2&5 works. an old 1157 will light up dimly, and go bright, if voltage rises from the 5vdc under the load. The white bricks still tend to pass, but purely due to being younger in age. Black ones almost always fail, especially if you squeeze it, and feel it cracking. 

I'm considering this one- https://www.c64psu.com/c64psu/43-commodore-64-c64-psu-power-supply.html

 

I work Wed-Sun, and am our production manager, lead & sole remaining production, welder, electrician, parts fabricator, forklift repair, and security sniper. If I fall, whole place closes and 2 dozen out of work. I'm actually outside the city, and just below in to the SE, off 75. Been a long time since I've had to conjure up ability to deal with people, without being in authority or some other advantage, lol. So many shootings around here, that I have to wonder "which one", even at the dollar store. If I go, it'd be Sunday, and only if I've conjured up some sort of workforce by then. I've even put surgeries on hold, for lack of able bodies.

I really should go once, as such things won't last forever. Might find something good too.

Looks like they have it up by the Galleria, near Marietta. Not as bad as being near the Lenox mall, but still a rough one. A plus is the horrible traffic will hamper an assailant's escape.

 

 

Edited January 9, 2023 by zylon

[T.A.P.]

On 1/9/2023 at 12:41 AM, OLD CS1 said:

Unless you can pick one up from a friendly community member, right now you are likely going to pay through the nose for a complete kit.  Collectors have their eyes set on certain "retro" brands and devices, and the Commodore 64 is one of them.  Good luck with the hunt.

Yikes! Sounds like I wont be getting into Commodore then.

[+OLD CS1]

27 minutes ago, T.A.P. said:

Yikes! Sounds like I wont be getting into Commodore then.

Was not meant to discourage.  Keep an eye on eBay, FBM, and Craigslist.  Also, remember AtariAge has a marketplace.  Another place to check out is AmiBay.

[zylon]

3 hours ago, T.A.P. said:

Yikes! Sounds like I wont be getting into Commodore then.

The last couple years saw a renewed interest in "at home" hobbies, such as C64, A8, and other computers/consoles. Buying from a reseller, will cost, but often less risk than buying "untested" closet or attic finds. This renewed interest will fall back some in time. Meanwhile, "finds" are still being found and sold. The key is to be looking on the day when no one else is chasing one. Always look at newest listings too. The best deals are scarfed fast.

the 64 was at one time, the most plentiful such device on the planet, you'll find one.

Don't overlook the VIC-20 as well. It can do a lot still.

Edited January 10, 2023 by zylon

[Virtualsky]

There's also the emulation option, if at this point you're just curious to know if the C64 is something you'd be interested in.  You might be able to find a brand new retail TheC64 for a reasonable price.  Or The64Mini with a USB keyboard plugged in is another inexpensive way to test the waters.  They're not fully authentic, but that can be a good thing for someone who's new to the world of 8 bit Commodore.

 

I would never trade in my vintage C128, but after using it for 40 years I'm also accustomed to working with it. If you're not used to working with the older machines and their peripherals, it can be an underwhelming (if not frustrating) experience.  Maintenance of these older electronics takes some patience, as well.

 

If you like the emulator, then spending money on the real thing will not leave you feeling disappointed.  But, for me, the best price to pay for this old tech is zero.  Sometimes, with a lot of patience, these things can fall right into you lap.  I never thought I had a chance of that happening to me now, after all of these years, but it did once not too long ago.  You could have knocked me over with a feather!

 

Just keep your eyes and ears open, you never know.

 

Edited January 10, 2023 by Virtualsky
correction in spelling

[Tuxon86]

I don't do box set myself, but there's still some C64 deals that pop up from time to time, especially if you're able to do a bit of electronics repair and can deal with PAL machines. I got a few system at really good price from Egypt and South America via eBay. Funny thing, it cost less in shipping to Canada to get something from egypt than from anywhere in europe presently, even less than some part of the USA...

[Keatah]

1 hour ago, Virtualsky said:

There's also the emulation option, if at this point you're just curious to know if the C64 is something you'd be interested in.  You might be able to find a brand new retail TheC64 for a reasonable price.  Or The64Mini with a USB keyboard plugged in is another inexpensive way to test the waters.  They're not fully authentic, but that can be a good thing for someone who's new to the world of 8 bit Commodore.

This makes sense. I enjoy C64 & Vic20 through emulation exclusively. Aren't some of these "mini" consoles based on emulation/fpga also?

 

1 hour ago, Virtualsky said:

I would never trade in my vintage C128, but after using it for 40 years I'm also accustomed to working with it. If you're not used to working with the older machines and their peripherals, it can be an underwhelming (if not frustrating) experience.  Maintenance of these older electronics takes some patience, as well.

Compared to modern contemporary systems, the newcomer (to vintage rigs) may indeed find the experience underwhelming. And I think that's due to versatility and hundreds of ways of doing something on modern systems. On a vintage rig you're often limited and reduced to specific procedures. And then there's less information exchange or interoperability between applications on the older stuff.

 

But back when all this was part of the brave new world, none of those issues existed. It was a world pure discovery and experimentation.

 

1 hour ago, Virtualsky said:

If you like the emulator, then spending money on the real thing will not leave you feeling disappointed.  But, for me, the best price to pay for this old tech is zero.  Sometimes, with a lot of patience, these things can fall right into you lap.  I never thought I had a chance of that happening to me now, after all of these years, but it did once not too long ago.  You could have knocked me over with a feather! Just keep your eyes and ears open, you never know.

I rarely find anything for free. But I *do* come across the occasional steal-of-a-deal from time to time. Good stuff does indeed happen.

 

In this day and age I only have time for a few platforms. The sentimental stuff I had in the 70's & 80's and a modern PC. Emulators can be great trial and training grounds. They can also be immensely helpful in enhancing the OG hardware experience with their utilities and ability to manipulate disk images.

[Virtualsky]

1 hour ago, Keatah said:

This makes sense. I enjoy C64 & Vic20 through emulation exclusively. Aren't some of these "mini" consoles based on emulation/fpga also?

All great points!  Yes, I believe the consoles produced by Retro Games are running the VICE emulator under the hood; at least for the C64 and VIC20 consoles.  I'm not sure what they're using for their Amiga consoles.

1 hour ago, Keatah said:

But back when all this was part of the brave new world, none of those issues existed. It was a world pure discovery and experimentation.

It was certainly a great time to be interested in home computers! 

 

[+OLD CS1]

I cannot recommend enough that people become hoarders like me.  I worry very little about current pricing on things like the Commodore 64, Amiga, and the TI-99/4A 😜

[LiqMatrix]

55 minutes ago, OLD CS1 said:

I cannot recommend enough that people become hoarders like me.  I worry very little about current pricing on things like the Commodore 64, Amiga, and the TI-99/4A 😜

Long gone are the days of the late 1990s to early 2000s when you could pick most of this stuff up for just a few dollars if anything at all. It's insane. I am very glad emulation has become near perfect so I can still enjoy the games and apps I loved as a kid. My best deal on a C64 was in Southwest Florida in the early 00s at a Salvation Army (that location closed years ago). It was a mint-in-box C64 complete with a Commodore printer. I paid a whole $3.00. The lady looked at me because I had this shocked look on my face when she told me how much. I certainly didn't complain. Years later I found it a good home, but man what a deal!

[Virtualsky]

1 hour ago, OLD CS1 said:

I cannot recommend enough that people become hoarders like me.  I worry very little about current pricing on things like the Commodore 64, Amiga, and the TI-99/4A 😜

I agree.  Don't throw it away!  I've regretted doing that far too many times to do it ever again. When I'm dead, push it all into a big hole if you want and bury it.  Until that time, this stuff I have now is staying with me.

Edited January 10, 2023 by Virtualsky
correction

[+OLD CS1]

14 hours ago, Virtualsky said:

I agree.  Don't throw it away!  I've regretted doing that far too many times to do it ever again. When I'm dead, push it all into a big hole if you want and bury it.  Until that time, this stuff I have now is staying with me.

Four Commodore monitors and a box of DSDD 5.25" drives.  I could not GIVE the monitors away to anyone, not even for just shipping.  I had to junk them   Then the box of disk drives.  The market was full of them back in 2012 and I had to move, and these were dead weight for me.  *sigh*

 

I was joking about it above, but the trick really is to maintain a balance and NOT become like one of those sad sacks at a flea market with 40 years of stuff on a table.

[Virtualsky]

13 minutes ago, OLD CS1 said:

I was joking about it above, but the trick really is to maintain a balance and NOT become like one of those sad sacks at a flea market with 40 years of stuff on a table.

I don't see enough of the retro stuff I'm interested in around here for that to be a problem.  It's literally decades between my last two local Commodore finds.  I refuse to pay anything more than 20 bucks for any of the old tech, so my inventory levels are likely to remain low.  😉

[carlsson]

8 hours ago, Tuxon86 said:

it cost less in shipping to Canada to get something from egypt than from anywhere in europe presently, even less than some part of the USA

I suppose that is due to subsidized shipping. For many years until just recently, China had subsidized shipping from rest of the world, to help them as a "developing" country. Eventually they shipped so much stuff that it wasn't sustainable anymore, and the other countries renegotiated new deals which I believe has increased the shipping costs quite a lot. Possibly Egypt and perhaps some countries in South America also sort as developing countries, enjoying similar deals from rest of the world.

[zylon]

I get a lot of my C= stuff from Australia, especially my modern gadgets for it.

[T.A.P.]

Honestly, I haven't been able to find any nice retro stuff locally - for any system - for more than a decade (the last time I got a good deal locally on something was back in the mid-late 2000's).

I feel like I've pretty much been priced out of my hobby.

I'd love to pick up one of those lovely 1702 monitors (my dad had one in the 90s that he used for practically everything, until it broke) and a Commodore to go with it, but since I didn't buy them 20+ years ago, I feel like I'll never be able to now.

 

 

 

 

[motrucker]

On 1/9/2023 at 12:18 AM, T.A.P. said:

I've long wanted to pick one up to play around with, what's a fair price for a nice working condition machine, ideally still with its manual & box?

 

I guess I'd prefer the older style computer, if that's easier & cheaper to get.

The newer C-64C is actually the best made machine of the bunch, the so called "short board". I wouldn't start out with emulation, unless you only want to play games. To much the emulators can't cope with.

If you follow the adds in all of the forums, plus ebay, and just keep asking, you'll find a setup. Lemon64 has just upgraded, so when they come back on, try them too.

Good luck.....

 

[zylon]

1 hour ago, T.A.P. said:

Honestly, I haven't been able to find any nice retro stuff locally - for any system - for more than a decade (the last time I got a good deal locally on something was back in the mid-late 2000's).

I feel like I've pretty much been priced out of my hobby.

I'd love to pick up one of those lovely 1702 monitors (my dad had one in the 90s that he used for practically everything, until it broke) and a Commodore to go with it, but since I didn't buy them 20+ years ago, I feel like I'll never be able to now.

 

 

 

 

Wherebouts are you? I might have someone to point you to. I know this guy well, and sold him alot of his retro inventory. Older stuff, he keeps offsite due to space, but he has almost anything. No website, other than a media page. He does ship, if someone really wants something.

 

https://www.facebook.com/TheVideoGameStore/

Edited January 11, 2023 by zylon

[+OLD CS1]

The downside, if you will, to the 64C's Revision E "short-board" is the 8580 SID.  Years of expected behaviors of the 6581 washed away, but for new and intriguing behaviors.  Not a big deal to most people, but I did find some of my favorite older games sounded differently.  Just be aware that could be the problem if something does not sound right, and not that your SID is bad.

 

While there were 64C cases sold in the late 80s to "upgrade" the bead-bins to the sleek new design, I have only found one of those in the past 20 years.  You might also run into 64Cs from the factory with the older long-boards.  The initial runs were before the Rev. E board was available.  You should be able to tell these apart if the original keyboards are in place: the first runs have the PETSCII symbols printed on the front of the keys while the later Rev. E models have the symbols on the top of the keys.  At least, so the legend goes.

 

The first 64C I owned was one of the long-boards.  I had it about a week before trading it for an E model as I thought the short board was neat.

 

Ultimately, the Rev. E boards are better for lower power consumption, also meaning less heat if that was ever a legitimate problem for the 64.