When buying - things to look out for

[Decar]

Hi everyone. I'mon the hunt for my first Vectrex system, and I'm quite excited by the prospect of owning such a unique machine.

 

I'm not opposed to doing maintenance, but would like to avoid it for as long as possible if I can.  Ebay prices are really sky rocketing at the moment; are there any tips for a newbie that I should be looking for?  I don't really want to drop a lot of money on a unit that pops in 20 minutes.

 

Is there a good guide for things to look out for when making a purchase? (I did try and google).

 

Is there a quick way to check alignment for example? Is alignment even a good way to gauge the health of the console?

I think Bedlam is quite a common game. So I'm wondering if I should ask to check that the  screen blast line up with the overlay for example?

 

What sort of things do you check before making a purchase?

 

Thanks a lot

[oracle_jedi]

A great question, and I am no expert.

 

I bought my Vectrex in person at PRGE last October from The Brewing Academy.  The price was no bargain, but looking at prices that Vectrex sell for online, it was more than fair.

 

I wanted to see the unit power up, and provide a stable image as it warmed up.  That's hard to do if you are not in-person.  The alignment on mine is not perfect, but looking at the forum posts, adjustments are reasonably simple, and for me for now, the misalignment is quite modest and not something I am motivated to try to perfect.  It doesn't affect game play in games like Clean Sweep.  Maybe in Star Castle one of the shields occasionally clips the wrong color band, but okay.

 

I was surprised by the buzzing.  Its normal for most Vectrex units.  I had played one back in the 80s and either I don't remember the buzz, or the UK units were later and fixed.  I don't know.  I ended up fitting a "Buzz-Off" mod which greatly improved my enjoyment of the platform.

 

Controllers are something to watch for.  Again hard to know if you are not in-person.  The controller cable can stretch making it hard to park it back in the unit for transportation/storage. Also the springs on the joystick can fail meaning it won't self-center anymore.  Genuine replacement controllers are as expensive as everything else Vectrex related, but Console 5 sells repair kits with replacement springs etc.  You will have to destroy the top label to access the screws to open the controller, but Console 5 sells replacements of those too, in both North American GCE style, and European "MB Games" style.

 

My unit was also missing one of the rubber feet on the bottom.  OMG are they a PITA to replace!  Instead of a self-tapping screw, they use a tiny bolt-and-nut design, the nut has to be perfectly placed into a tight space below the monitor tube.  I ended up having to fashion a nut-placement tool out of twist ties and then use one of those nylon cell-phone tools to apply pressure to hold it in place until the bolt caught on it.  Much swearing was heard that day.

 

Good luck in your search, the Vectrex is a great gaming platform and a unique retro experience.

 

 

 

[holygrailvideogames.com]

I recommend trying to find one locally if you can.  It is always a gamble to have a Vectrex shipped to you.  I took a chance and bought one recently from a seller on eBay with very little feedback.  I contacted him in advance about shipping because I have had units arrive in the past damaged.  I was lucky to get a working unit for $330 including shipping and tax.  I am very happy with it. 

 

Some of the Vectrex systems have issues with the screen, sound or controller.  Good luck!

[Loccy]

On 6/16/2024 at 5:56 PM, holygrailvideogames.com said:

I recommend trying to find one locally if you can.  It is always a gamble to have a Vectrex shipped to you.  I took a chance and bought one recently from a seller on eBay with very little feedback.  I contacted him in advance about shipping because I have had units arrive in the past damaged.  I was lucky to get a working unit for $330 including shipping and tax.  I am very happy with it. 

 

Some of the Vectrex systems have issues with the screen, sound or controller.  Good luck!

Slightly necro'ing a few month old thread but I just wanted to share my luck in a similar scenario. There was a seller on ebay UK who had no history whatsoever, was selling a Vectrex showing Mine Storm booted up and (as far as one could tell with the pictures) apparently with the screen looking fine.

 

Took a gamble and got mine for £250 (about 325 USD, apparently). And she's a beaut. Works perfectly, controller is fine too. I was extremely lucky with the transit, as the seller did NOT do a particularly great job of packing the machine! One layer of bubble-wrap in a box barely bigger than the machine itself that he closed with a few strips of sellotape and the machine rattling around inside. The box looked ready to split open when it arrived, but ironically I think that worked in my favour as the postman must have had to treat the box with care to avoid it splitting open!

 

A very happy camper here. Love the machine!