Sell or don't sell - what do you think?

[Retromania]

Greetings everyone

I currently have one of my A4000's on ebay on a 10 day auction. I have been trying to sell it for a while due to 2 main reasons - 1) I need to raise some cash for another hobby and B) I have read quite a few threads on here that indicate there will be lots of others bailing out soon too.
(Yeah, I know I said 1) and B) - that was a "funny"!).

Now, I need honest opinions before it is all too late.

Half of me feels like selling to turn my machines into usable cash. The other half of me is screaming out "NO - Don't do it!".

I have been an Amiga user from the introduction of the A500 and have been there ever since. I have built up a lttle collection of 3 A1200's (one towered, two "normal" including one that has never been used and is brand new). My insatiable appetite for Amiga also resulted in 2 A4000's. The one I refer to on ebay is slightly yellowed on the front panel and has a Cyberstorm 040 and a Picasso IV installed. The other is a straight forward unadulterated A4000 030. Both systems are fully boxed.

I need some advice - should I keep these machines? I was thinking of selling the 4000's and keeping the 1200's. But I need to decide before it is too late.

Am I being totally stupid by selling the 4000's? Should I keep them?

I would appreciate your comments.

Cheers

Retro

PS - apologies for a "lame" thread but this is really the only place where the Amiga community will understand and hopefully help!

[Gav]

Hi
Yeah i do understand how you feel as i`m in need of money also to fund various projects..But i just know that if i ever sold my 1200 tower i would regret it and probably end up trying to build another which would take a lot of money...

So personally i dont think you should sell,or atleast keep the most powerful one if you have a few..But at the end of the day it is you choice but if you have been a user for so long then the i feel that you would regret it.

[Gav]

Plus lets face it,the amiga 4000 is becoming a rare find so just make sure you have your mind made up before you sell.

[amiga92570]

Do what you must, but I agree that if you have more than one take a serious look at what does your tasks and keep that one. Its like riding a bike once you learn you never forget how, or maybe how fun it is.

[Retromania]

Thanks Gav and amiga92570 for your input.

I guess I feel that if there is this nagging doubt then I should keep them and find other ways to raise some cash. Are 4000's becoming rarer to find then? I wish mine were pristine like some of the examples I have seen on the Images section of this site, but even yellowed, they are still dear to me. Gees - am I making any sense here?

Retro

[Ellis]

I would at the very least keep one of the Amiga systems.I myself have had Amiga 4000T,3000D,500 and a couple of 2000's. I regret the day I sold my 3000D and I'm would like to get me another Amiga. I'm without a Amiga and the closest thing to it is emulation on my pc for me;This is really not that close at all.

If you are truly a Amigian to core you must keep one. Don't be like me and live one day without your Amiga! Trust me on this one I still regret selling mine.I found out that I'm a Amigian to the core to late.

Money comes and goes but your Amiga is worth more than just money.If you have to get rid of some you should give one to me HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! :-?

[Retromania]

Hey Ellis - thanks for your advice!

I think you have hit the nail on the head so to speak. I am indeed true to the core and still prefer my Miggies to the Pee Cees running Windoze that unfortunateley seem to be an essential of modern day living (God I miss the 80's!!!!!).

Retro

[orange]

it depends on your plans, what will you do with it? if you need only games than sell PIV.. etc, keep just one A1200 and take all the money..
however, I'd keep one A4000 with picasso if I was you.


I would definitely recommend selling the 'brand new a1200' because it might be worth a lot of money to some diehard fans (and to me its no different than yellowed, heavily used but 100% working second-hand A1200)

[Retromania]

Hi Orange

Thanks for your input. I am slowly coming round to the idea that I should be keeping what I have.

Retro

[stopthegop]

I sold my very sweet A4000T setup several years back only to have deep regrets. The money I gained (about $1400 back in 2000) was gone before you could say "one month's rent and a new clutch for my vespa". The money was gone and so was my "baby". I've since built myself another big Amiga system, but its cost me a lot more than $1400. I'd have been better off (and a couple thousand richer) if I'd never sold it to begin with. Just my 2 cents worth on the subject... :)

[Argus]

@Retromania

Don't sell your machines. I once had a bunch of Amigas that I collected and upgraded variously between 1990 and about 1998. About that year (98), when the bottom was falling out of the market, I sold most of my stuff (including my brand new CD32) I even was collecting and selling locally A2000s people didn't want and shipping them for about $200 each (internal cards and all) to Paxtron Corp (who was refurbishing them for use at Disneyland and cable tv stations). Anyway, luckily I held on to my pristine A4000D and A3000D and one Rev. 6.2 A2000. About 2003 or so I started using them again and have since added a bunch of others (I've got about ten A2000s laying around now...Doomy would be proud at how much mil-spec I've got). I never had an A500 nor an A1200 till a couple years ago and it's great fun adding this stuff to the collection and upgrading it.

Anyway, moral to the story: don't sell it unless you are really ready to never look back again.

[Ellis]

Hey I have to use a PC Windoze system at work but you don't have to all the time you can use your miggy! I think you are going with your gut on this one. Make sure that if you keep your Amiga's that you use them;so if you have all the system and can't make use of them then maybe selling some is best. Now I'm telling you to sell???????????

[murple]

Things to consider:

These machines are old and havent been produced in years. Some components, once dead, will not be possible to replace except by scavenging other old machines. Keeping all yours will give you spares to scavenge parts from if needed.

These machines are old and havent been produced in years. Functional good condition machines may increase in sale value in the future (though probably not for a long time). Selling them now may not get you as much as selling in, say, 20 years. Unused machines will probably be worth a lot more.

The flip side of that is, if you sell now and decide it was a mistake, rebuilding your collection may take more time and money than getting them the last time did.

You have 3 1200s and 2 4000s. You could consider picking which model you prefer and sticking with that, and sell off all or all but one of the other.

You have computers with non-standard parts you've added. These can be sold separately. Some stuff like accelerators and graphics cards are pretty high value. You may be able to sell these and keep your stock equipment, if that fills your needs.

I cant tell you if you should sell them. I personally would only sell mine if it were due to a financial emergency... not for another hobby.

[Ami_GFX]

I've owned my A2500 since 1993 and have been on the verge of selling it several times but fate has always intervened. And an ex-girlfriend was so jealous of it that she tried to dispose of it but I caught her and managed to save it. It was getting really decrepit and I was considering selling it last year but instead have put in a new motherboard and added a DKB megachip,a A2300 amber flicker fixer, a DKB 2632 and an EGS 28/24 spectrum RTG card and now have a really hot rodded A2500 that still has all the original software that I used years ago and all the art I made with this software and I am quite pleased with the results. I consider myself fortunate to still have this machine after all this time.

[gdanko]

Are you mad?
You will end up regretting it. I still have my C64 from the 80s. I can't let it go. There is no hobby worth getting rid of something you really enjoy!

[Retromania]

@ stopthegop

Hi there and thanks for your 2 cents!

If I do sell, I cannot guarantee that I won't get the bug again and end up buying another system in the future - if they are still around.

[Retromania]

@ Argus

Hi Argus - Ten A2000's? Blimey - I wish I had ten 4000's - I could keep a couple and sell the rest :-)

I don't think I would be able to just walk away from the Amiga - it has been a part of my life for too long now.

Hmmm ....

[Retromania]

Thanks murple and Ami_GFX - I appreciate your comments!

@gdanko - Yes, I think I must be mad to entertain selling - I think you may be right and I will end up regretting it.

Some serious thinking going on here at the moment - time for a cup of tea...

Retro

[ethierbach]

@Retro and everyone -
This thread is really timely for me, as I'm facing a similar decision (albeit with less hardware :-) ). I was going to pretty much sell it all, but maybe I'll end up keeping an A3000, and maybe some parts from the other. At least, I won't be hasty about selling. Thanks, everyone!
-Ed-

[_ThEcRoW]

Don't sell!!!

[scuzzb494]

Hi

If you sell your beloved Amiga the only place you are likely to see one again is on sites like mine. Now you don`t wanna have to one day say... ' I used to have one of those '. Trust me, if you love the Amiga you will find the money some other way. Sadly, the chances of you ever having another Amiga to replace what you have is pretty remote. Whenever I pick up kit from people I always ask them are they really sure... An Amiga may only ever come to you once in a lifetime. They are magical tools...

A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

My site: http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com

scuzz

[Retromania]

@ The_Crow - straight talking advice - thank you!!!

@Scuzz
Hi Scuzz

Thanks for your words - this has given me even more of a kick into thinking I should keep what I have. Don't know if you recall but I sent you an email a year or so ago raving about your site - I have just been browsing it quckly (will look more tonight after work) and have re-found my inspiration.


Retro

[scuzzb494]

Hi

Collecting and using the Amiga is a real joy and pleasure. If I wanted a new computer I could zonk down to PC World and buy one from the local tin box steward. Getting an Amiga is a touch harder, and particularly a big box one. So next time your in a computer store just smile to yourself and reflect that only the few can have such a marvelous machine... Not available in your local store :-)

Enjoy the site. I only tinker.

I do recall your post. Keeps me going. Thanks.

scuzz
http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com

[Retromania]

Hi everyone

Well, a bit of an update here - I sold the fully loaded A4000 and still have one left. I think this has sorted out the need for cash adequately. The one I have left, the front panel has yellowed slightly on the right hand side and the case has a couple of scratches. The little Commodore badge on the front panel still has the protective plastic over it I noticed at the weekend. It is a standard 030 and still has the warranty seal on the back, so the top has not been removed (OMG - what state is the battery in???). I also have a Commodore 1960 monitor to go with it. It is boxed and I have all the manuals.
So, do I keep it? I wish it was mint, but alas it is not perfect cosmetically.

What do you think?

All the best

Retro

What do you think?

[Rivkid]

Do you use it I think is the question. Do you use it, do you need the money and would someone else enjoy it more and make better use of it?

Those questions should solve your problem :)

[swift240]

Sell what you really NEED to.
I sold my Amiga gear some years ago and boy did I regret it.

I eventually got it all back, its a hard lesson to go through.
So just sell what you know you can actually do without.

Thats my 10 pence worth.

Mike.

[Fixer]

Retromania wrote:
<SNIP>It is a standard 030 and still has the warranty seal on the back, so the top has not been removed (OMG - what state is the battery in???). I also have a Commodore 1960 monitor to go with it. It is boxed and I have all the manuals.
So, do I keep it? I wish it was mint, but alas it is not perfect cosmetically.

What do you think?<SNIP>


If you've got all the cash you need just keep the A4000D this late in the game (2007).

What's the point getting rid of it? They're getting rare and if you can keep it as nice as possible it might be worth more in the future.

Oh, if it's never been opened you're gonna have to sacrifice the warranty sticker being in tact just to remove the battery.

It's one of those things with Amigas unfortunately. I'm sure you know a leak could kill the motherboard.

[Retromania]

Oh, if it's never been opened you're gonna have to sacrifice the warranty sticker being in tact just to remove the battery.

Hi Fixer

Yeah, I am dreading looking but realise I must open up the case and deal with whatever lies waiting for me. It was retaining the time when switched off about 1 year ago when I bought it but have never gotten round to doing anything about it - what a fool!

Retro

[coldfish]

Well, I'm going to play Mr Contrary.

After 12 years of Amiga, I sold all my gear and haven't really regretted it, I haven't been tempted to buy replacements in the 2-3 years since, probably because I got into PC building/modding and emulation.

Having said that, if something more modern came along, I might buy in? I wouldnt mind an A500-in-a-stick to tool around with (like the C64DTV) or maybe a nanoITX AROS box when the OS matures.

It depends how attached you are?

[scuzzb494]

Hi

Its not just the 4000 that has this battery problem. The A500Plus also has the dreaded battery and even cards fitted to the 500 have the same problem. Have a read of this post and see what I was doing with an A501 this weekend...

Horror pics..

Hi

Have spent the afternoon with the A501 cheese and removed
successfully the battery that had been leaking. Fortunately I was able to do this without physically damaging the card
itself and after a reinstall is all working fine. You can see the battery and card showing the damage on the following link page to my website.

http://www.commodore-amiga retro.com/amiga/amiga_scuzz403.htm

The 4000 will not last with a battery on the board. Some while back a guy gave me his boxed 1500. The computer was the love of his life and he wanted it to go to an Amiga collection. I warned him the battery would be leaking. He questioned me saying that it just wouldn`t be a problem. When I got home and unscrewed the 1500, there inside the battery was leaking. I just rocked it back and forth a couple of times and it came clear. I cleaned up and the computer can live happily in the collection without fear of the dreaded battery leak. You just gotta get rid of the battery.... sorry.

There are pictures on my site of a motherboard that I had to replace to a 4000 with a leak. The computer was bought for £80. I got another board from the States and upped to an 040. The machine now has a PicassoIV and Cyberstorm and sings... :-)

I bought an A500+ motherboard replacement off Ebay recently and the battery was leaking. I recovered another A4000 from Bristol and the battery was leaking. Its the first thing I do with machines... That battery has to go... er except on the 4000T... and my beloved 1200s. ( clever Commodore )

I couldn`t be without my Amigas... Family. A BIG family.

scuzz
http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com

[huronking]

Just ask someone that dumped their MITS Altair.

[TheMagicM]

if you already have one..sell the other. i'm going to sell off a few of my Amigas so I can pay for some engine work on my race car. My Amigas are cool but its just a computer, you can always get one later.

[scuzzb494]

Hi

>Just ask someone that dumped their MITS Altair.

Why ? Do you know someone that would be that silly ?
You say dumped.. Tell me you meant sold and not dumped.

scuzz

[scuzzb494]

Hi

>My Amigas are cool but its just a computer, you can always >get one later.

:lol: Whatever

scuzz

[Tomas]

You should at least keep one working one, or you will definitely regret it.
I know i was full of regret after getting rid of some of my amiga stuff, which ended up with me buying from auction :-P

stopthegop wrote:
I'd have been better off (and a couple thousand richer) if I'd never sold it to begin with. Just my 2 cents worth on the subject... :)

Not if you were homeless with no way to get around... :)

These situations are all unique and you really have to determine what's best for you at the time.. You may have more money available later that you don't have now.

As for me, I am glad to have sold my 3000d (which came from Commodore with a 3000UX lid) long ago when I could still get what I owed on it from the sale (about 2600 as I recall)..

Don't regret that at all.

Wayne

[vic20owner]

Seems to me as computers get faster emulation will only get better. So I guess it depends... are you holding on to the originals to touch and feel them, or do you consider it an investment?

Not sure vintage computers will ever be worth much money.. because once the generation who loved it is dead and gone, who is going to buy it?

Especially once they fall so far behind that they are no longer "useful" in terms of modern computing.

There is a slim chance that some sort of antique computer scene will take hold in the future and if that happens you will all be rich... if you are still alive that is.

I am still wrestling with this myself... sell it and free up closet space and use the emulator on a modern and comfortable laptop on the go, or keep it... leave it in my closet and do nothing with it for the sake of memories.

Just dunno.

[TheMagicM]

@scuzz:

sorry man.. my life doesnt revolve around my Amiga's...and believe me I have quite a few. I like drag racing and $ alot more :)

[vic20owner]

Agreed... some of us don't like to sit inside all day in front of a screen... I do that all day at work :(

[TheMagicM]

vic20owner:

you know what I do like doing though and I find myself using ALOT more then the Amiga or emulator??? My first Vic20! yup! I still have that and a backup Vic 20 along w/carts, disks etc. Thats one system I'd never sell.

[Donar]

Half of me feels like selling to turn my machines into usable cash. The other half of me is screaming out "NO - Don't do it!".

Then keep at last one Amiga, as long as something inside you screams "no" when think about selling it.

[scuzzb494]

Hi

An emulation is not an Amiga. And yes my private world does revolve around my love of the Amiga. And yes I am always gonna suggest to someone with an Amiga, who actually cares and understands the Amiga, to keep it and look after it. To save it, possibly, from the hands of the ignorant and uninformed. As to other activities, everyone to their own. I care not. I do however have a passion for the Amiga, a true Amiga, the physical actual computer, and I will always stand firm on the old preservation issue. I have never found there to be any financial pressure to save my Amiga. My last A500 cost me £15 boxed. An A1200 will cost about £25. An A4000 say £200-£300. You only need an A1200 to have serious Amiga fun, and an A500 for retro gaming. With so much kit on Ebay there is no excuse for not having an Amiga if you truly, truly love the platform and want to seriously enjoy the computer in its purest sense.

I too have to sit in front of a boring PC all day, and that is why I am glad to return home to my Amigas. Honestly, who the hell wants to sit in front of a tin box PC all the time... So what does the emulator run on ?

scuzz

[TheMagicM]

@scuzz:

it used to be run on a 800mhz SuSE linux box, now its running on a AMD XP2800 box running SuSE 10.0. For what I've needed its never failed. I see your point about using the real thing but I just get a kick out of running EUAE and booting up my A3k workbench, drives etc.. (not actual drives but directories emulating a hd since I dont like using hardfiles).

[vic20owner]

you know what I do like doing though and I find myself using ALOT more then the Amiga or emulator??? My first Vic20! yup! I still have that and a backup Vic 20 along w/carts, disks etc. Thats one system I'd never sell.

Funny. Unfortunately, I bought a house and sold my vic20 a few years ago during the move. I had a complete system with matching white 1541 drive, datasette, about 50 carts, disks, vic modem, paddles, 3 cart expander, ram expansions, etc. The power supply died so I just sold it.

I never changed my email address... sometimes I miss the little machine but overall I haven't had much desire to replace it. The vic20 was my first computer and of all machines it was my favorite but I just can't justify the space it would occupy to use it once in awhile ...

Omega Race was pretty cool though :)

I did also save my vic20 programming books for reading once in awhile... I loved that I could wrap my mind around the entire machine (the real reason most of us love the amiga).

[crass84]

I would not sell ive regretted getting rid of my towered 1200
since i sold it i know ive got an amiga1 and amithlon but its just not the same
Rob

[jasper]

ok,i don't use my amiga much these days but i would never sell it as it holds much sentimental value,also its always there if i get bored of the pc and wanna have a play

[Tripitaka]

Sell it all, do it now, sell it to me!!! FOR PEANUTS!! Fwa Ha Ha....
:evil:


...No, don't ever sell beloved ol' 'miggy, I've been down that path, I sold my first ever Amiga :-o (A1200 from 1992) and I bought her back again, yup, the very same machine. :-) I'll never betray her again. :crazy:

....even if she does costs me a small fortune on bl**dy upgrades. :roll:

[Retromania]

Well, still got the unexpanded A4000 and although it is not in perfect condition (a couple of small scratch marks on the lid and a yellowing front on the righ hand side) I think I might keep it. Still, there is that battery to deal with yet! I am dreading opening the lid :-o

Retro

[vic20owner]

I still occasionally think about selling my Amiga... but then I do a search... on ebay you find almost nothing for sale. If it is for sale, it's priced out of your reach or in bad shape (yellow, case modified, missing keys, etc).

Then I think about how much effort I went through to get a complete system in good shape... it took months of searching.

Sure I could sell my amiga for around $400 if I piece it all out... but $400 really isn't a lot of money and once it's gone chances are it would never be replaced.

It's easier to save $400 than to replace something which is becoming rare (at least here in the USA).

[scuzzb494]

In simple terms its easier to sell than replace.

On that battery issue, you just gotta remove the battery. If you don`t the whole buying selling thing will become academic. For my part I just rock the battery gently back and forth until it snaps off... But hey, don`t listen to me.

On the same issue, I recently acquired an Amstrad MegaPC ( quite rare ) which is a PC with a Sega Mega Drive inside. Anyway when I switched it on it said the battery was dead. So I opened up and found there to be a barrel battery, and you guessed it was leaking. Amazingly there was nothing on the motherboard. Then I noticed the inside top cover casing. What had happened was that the owner had stored the unit upside down and the battery had leaked into the case and not the mobo. Given this fact, I doubt that many of this computer will survive.

You can see the images of the motherboard on my blog page.

http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com/amiga/scuzzblog0740.htm

scuzz
http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com

[Retromania]

@scuzzb494

Hi Scuzz

I was perusing your website again last night - it never ceases to amaze me!

I was wondering how you manage to get your A4000's looking so white? (Blimey, sounds like a washing detergent advert!) The front panels on all your 4000's look great and not yellowed at all. Surely you cannot be so lucky that they just turn up in this state? What is your secret? :-)

Cheers

Retro

[coldfish]

No windows and no lighting in his Amiga-dungeon.

:-P

[scuzzb494]

Hi

I would like to say I had some magic formula, but I don't. I am quite selective about some of the kit I buy, and if it looks really yellow I will avoid. I do know a guy that has a clever way of cleaning the plastic, but I tend to think its worth leaving well alone. As to keeping none yellowed kit clean and bright the answer about no windows is key. Not one of my computers sits in direct sunlight, they are all covered and that includes full cover on the monitor. Fluorescent lights affect the plastic in the same way. My Amiga 1200 of 1993 has also started to yellow badly since I moved it into a warmer room in filtered sunlight ( not direct )... so the UV rays are quite powerful. Eventually all plastic tends to go yellow sadly when in general use ... I black bag all my kit that isn`t in use.

It isn't cheap plastics that the Amiga suffers from, it is the way UV rays affect plastic in general. Fluorescent lights turn old white computers yellow as does direct sunlight.... The trick is to sit in rooms with tungsten lamps and warm colours and you really don`t notice the yellowing so much.

PS A guy just mailed me to see if I would sell the whole Amiga collection, and to name my price. ( giggles ) It really has never been about the money... I love my Amigas and I for one will never part with one of them. As I often quote ' A thing of beauty is a joy for ever ' ... Even if they go ever so slightly yellow.

scuzz
http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com

[Retromania]

Greetings

Well, I did it. I am free from the threat of the dreaded leaking battery. I visited Maplin today, bought some isopropyl alcohol and nipped into Boots for some cotton buds.

It brought a tear to my eye when I got to the point of having to push the screwdriver through the Warranty seal to get the screw out and the lid off, but I persevered. Mind you - when I did get the lid off I wondered if I had done the right thing - the battery looked in fantastic shape!

Anyway, using pliers I gently rocked the battery from side to side. I was a bit alarmed that the motherboard pcb was moving a little as I rocked the battery but then the first leg came free. A little more gentle rocking and bingo, the three pins on the left came free. I cleaned the remains of the soldered legs and around the area that the battery had been on the motherboard with the isopropyl alcohol and let it dry. I then wiped the area with a clean dry cotton bud very gently.

I have taken some pics - how do I upload them onto my thread?

Cheers

Retro

[scuzzb494]

Hi

Well done. Now you can rest easy, and that's a far better feeling.

scuzz

[Retromania]

Seriously Guys - how do I upload a few pics into this thread? I tried and failed. Never done it before!

Retro

[Retromania]

Heaven! Its nearly midnight here in the UK and I am drinking Bulmers Cider, watching Guns N Roses "November Rain" on TV - Perfect!!!! :-)