Getting a Vic for under $100 on ebays is getting impossible!

[Barney]

Long gone are the days of getting a Vic-20 for under $50. Every one I see on Ebay nowadays are $100, $200 and sometimes ofer $300. What the heck is going on here?

[Boray]

So is this a bad or good thing? I for one would like to see it go up more. Considering the value of money isn't what it was in the 80's, I suspect nobody who bought a new Vic-20 will get their money back ever

[Barney]

I would have to say it is a bad thing for a buyer but a good thing for a seller. It deters new people from joining in the Vic-20 community. They end up opting for emulation instead...YUCK!!

[orion70]

A non-working C64 or VIC with a $50 Keyrah is probably the best and cheapest solution for a retro look'n'feel without all the price: use your home PC and monitor, type on a full Commodore keyboard, and have all the software in the world readily available on you VICE emulator (PAL CRT option, and the right palette, and it's virtually identical to the real thing).
I know, I know, nothing compares to the original hardware, but this configuration can get very close .

[Boray]

VICE emulator (PAL CRT option, and the right palette, and it's virtually identical to the real thing).

Nah... VICE has better graphics but worse response time. To break any records playing you need the real hardware.

[orion70]

I thought it depended on the PC speed (mine is an old one ).

[rhurst]

Always wanted a Keyrah (one for VIC and the other for C128), but I've never had much luck finding one in stock within my domestic shipping.

I disagree about the quality of the current state of emulation when stacked against (working) real hardware. I'm not speaking about the minute technical differences that exist, some possibly measured in nanoseconds, but usability, reliability, and of course, value. And emulation is (mostly) useless without the software and documentation preservation efforts; those costs (time, money, know-how) are priceless.

I agree that the complete marriage of real hardware (computer & monitor, storage, joystick, mouse) is unbeatable for both the real video effect you get from a phosphor display as well as the immersive, nostalgic experience it brings you back to that your everyday rig cannot 'emulate'.

Compared to English Invader, I only have a small hoarde of retro hardware. It seems I tend to give it away (like I did originally in the '80s and '90s, haha) when I see enough interest/need that warrants another parting. Oh, and $100 nowadays has not been nearly the same, say, since 2008, so while _I_ don't require that kind of compensation, I can understand why pricing has kept pace with these times.

[English Invader]

$100 isn't too bad a price for a VIC-20 (assuming it's in good condition and full working order). The VIC isn't as common as the C64 or the Atari VCS and that should be reflected in the price.

I like the fact that the VIC costs a little bit more because it separates the people who care about the machine from the people who don't take it seriously. The VIC is kind of a niche group like the 5200 or the Vectrex and not everyone gets it.

[RobertBe]

Long gone are the days of getting a Vic-20 for under $50.

Unless you belong to a user group with lots of C= stuff in storage.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug

[metalfoot76]

Well... I'd love a VIC, it's the only 8-bit Commodore I don't have in my collection that I'd like to have (I have 2 64Cs, a 128, and a 16, all NTSC). But I can't spend more than $50 on it, as the household budget (3 kids 6 and under) just doesn't permit right now. Emulation is it for me right now.

[beamrider]

I'd suggest watching and waiting and being prepared to collect. I picked up 2 Vic's a c64 tape deks, joysticks and games for £15 GBP 2 years ago. Back then Vic's were going for about £30 typically. The guy just wanted rid of the stuff. He couldn't be bothered to package and post. He said if I hadn't collected it would have gone to the trash dump

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Boray]

Well... I'd love a VIC, it's the only 8-bit Commodore I don't have in my collection that I'd like to have (I have 2 64Cs, a 128, and a 16, all NTSC). But I can't spend more than $50 on it, as the household budget (3 kids 6 and under) just doesn't permit right now. Emulation is it for me right now.

Well, sell a C64 then...

[metalfoot76]

No, I want a spare 64.

[English Invader]

Well... I'd love a VIC, it's the only 8-bit Commodore I don't have in my collection that I'd like to have (I have 2 64Cs, a 128, and a 16, all NTSC). But I can't spend more than $50 on it, as the household budget (3 kids 6 and under) just doesn't permit right now. Emulation is it for me right now.

There are bargains to be found, but expect to take a chance on an untested system. My #1 VIC in terms of functionality and cosmetic appearance was bought as untested for £20, but if you want tested and guaranteed full working order you should expect to pay at least £60 (about $100 US).

[dragos]

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http://cgi.ebay.com/111293862505
http://cgi.ebay.com/191090289479
http://cgi.ebay.com/380855859116