User avatar
bakmthiscl

Posted Wed Mar 06, 2019 6:55 pm

I'm posting because I could use some advice. I got into Amiga computers back in the '80's, and have three. Thirty years later, it's time to get rid of them. No, I'm not advertising them here (as I'm not planning to sell them over the Internet) but I could use some advice how to sell them and what they might bring in.

I've just packaged up (in the original boxes) my original Amiga 1000 computer (including the 1050 RAM expansion) with 1080 monitor, 1010 external 3.5" floppy drive, 1020 external 5.25" floppy drive including the Amiga Transformer. I seem to have lost the box, but not the styrofoam packaging, for my Syquest external 88 MB hard drive with 2 removable disks, so dug out some arbitrary box for that.

This computer boots up with Kickstart and Workbench V1.0, but I'm pretty sure there's a minor problem with the internal 3.5" floppy drive because it doesn't always work properly, so I don't want to push it. (Someone with more hardware know-how than I could probably get it purring). There's a minor problem with the mouse buttons, which don't always register the clicks, and with the RGB connection to the monitor. (The analog connection works fine.) I rather suspect that all the contacts in this old beast should be cleaned, but I don't want to start using spray-type contact cleaner on it, as I'm not sure of possible consequences.

I also have an Amiga 2000 and an Amiga 3000 with some peripherals, but I haven't finished going through those, so as yet I'm not sure exactly what I have.

Now, because it's a little gimpy, I don't really want to overwork the disk drive on the A1000 before someone gets in there to check it out, so this leaves me in a quandary -- I have lots of software, including purchased, and freeware (like Fred Fish disks), but I can't check out whether it functions because I don't want to exercise the disk drive. So if YOU were a potential buyer of this machine, what would you want to know and see about the computer(s) and the software?

I also have a number of old printers -- dot matrix I think. Are those likely saleable? I don't want to bother with them if not.

In all likelihood, I'll just put this hardware and software up for sale as is and let the chips fall where they may, but I'd like to hear from folks who might have opinions on the matter.

As a matter of curiosity, I reviewed the original price list and find I paid about $2800 for the A-1000 and peripherals, less the SyQuest drive and all the software, which translates to about $6500 in 2019 dollars! (No, I'm not planning to ask that for them...) I must have really wanted that computer back then!

-B.

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Thu Mar 07, 2019 12:10 pm

PM sent.
(check the inbox icon at the top of the screen with a red circle and a "1" on it)

Bottom line is pictures tell a thousand words. I'd start with taking pictures of everything - especially in good lighting and with machines on (ideally working) and displaying some things on-screen.

User avatar
Dynamic_Computing

Posted Thu Mar 07, 2019 4:19 pm

Put that A1000 up for sale here and it will sell in about 5 minutes. It seems that $400 - $600 for an A1000 is attainable, and more with the extra goodies. We are all happy to help you out, and maybe just rekindle your "Amigalove" and convince you to keep one! - And depending on where you are located, I have a friend in need of an A3000 in England.

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Thu Mar 07, 2019 6:01 pm

@Dynamic
We're all in need of a [working] 3000. LOL!

User avatar
Zippy Zapp
CA, USA

Posted Fri Mar 08, 2019 12:21 am

intric8 wrote:@Dynamic
We're all in need of a [working] 3000. LOL!
+1 and Some of us in need of a working A1000 too. :lol:

User avatar
Dynamic_Computing

Posted Sat Mar 09, 2019 9:20 am

What country are you in? Curious if these are PAL or NTSC.

The printers still have value - I see them selling for $45 - $85 depending on which printer it is.

As far as what you need to test - Once you get video, you need to make sure the floppies are reliable and the audio works OK. The A3000 certainly has a battery that can leak and cause major issues. If you can open the cases and get some photos we can help determine what you should do.

User avatar
bakmthiscl

Posted Sat Mar 09, 2019 9:42 am

Well, it's tempting to post it for sale on this website, but the obstacles are tantamount:

1. The only equipment I've tested is the Amiga 1000, which boots on the V1.0 Kickstart & Workbench. The rest I haven't even powered up. A person knowledgeable in computer maintenance and repair can probably get it running, but I certainly can't say it all works right now.

2. I dread the thought of shipping it. Three of the Amiga 1000 components are in their original boxes, so I wouldn't just ship them in those -- I'd have to pack each inside larger crates. I have no idea what shipping would cost, but dread to find out. The A1000 alone would be at least 4 crates: computer, monitor, 5.25" floppy, plus maybe the external 3.5" floppy, the ASDG memory expansion, the SyQuest hard drive, and some other stuff would fit in a a fourth crate. I'd so much rather not deal with this.

3. Aside from the Kickstart, Workbench, Extras 1.0 disks (with working ABasic) that booted up on the A1000, I have tested none of the software, and don't want to because I think the A1000 internal floppy drive needs to be serviced before it will be reliable. In the meantime I have no idea whether using this drive is damaging it or the disks I insert into it, so I don't want to do that. Hence, I have no idea whether any of the software is usable. Anyone buying it in person can at least examine the disks and draw his own conclusions, but a person buying it over the Internet has no such opportunity, and I certainly can't offer a money-back guarantee for something I've just dropped money shipping out.

Here's a tip: If you don't already know about the Vintage Computer Festival East, look it up. That's where I'm planning to sell it -- but stay tuned because I've not even submitted the paperwork yet, so I don't know for sure whether this sale will come off as planned. I'll try to post an update here before that event to confirm my equipment will be there.

Maybe if we're lucky, the Museum will even allow potential software buyers to test the software on their >working< Amigas -- but no promises of that!

Now an observation: Not a one of you actually answered my original question. Maybe I should make it more specific: In selling this stuff, should I include information about it, aside what is in the packaging. For example, do all of you know what Perfect Sound is? Or the ASDG expansion box? Or DCTV? Am I going to have to explain this to potential buyers?

Oops! I spoke too soon. While I was typing, "Dynamic_Computing" just gave me a response to my original question. (Thanks!) So in reply to that: I'm in the U.S., so (IIRC) that's the NTSC standard. And I was dreading it, but I guess I'll open the A2000 & A3000 cases to see whether the batteries leaked. (I know only of one article on this and that's for the A500. Can anyone point me to information how to check the batteries?) I've not opened those two computers myself yet.

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Sat Mar 09, 2019 10:01 am

The A2000 battery is near the front of the machine, right below the front-left corner of your floppy drive. If you have SCSI cards in the way it may be hard to see until you pull those out.You can use your smartphone's flashlight feature, and take a pic down there that way like a telescope, though.

The 3000 will be relatively easy to spot after you putt the cards out.

Basically you need to view the motherboards, and to do so you sometimes have to get things out of the way.

The actual acid looks like green dust. It can float all over the place but it'll be most noticeable around the battery posts and surrounding components.

If those machines don't boot up, there's a chance the battery has performed its evil task already. If the 3000 hasn't been booted in a really long time, its capacitors are also known to dry up and kill things. The 3000 is such a prima donna.

I sent you a really long PM earlier this week, but specifically about the software - no, you don't have to describe it. You simply would have to list the titles (if it isn't obvious in a photo) and state the names. It's up to the buyers to do their research.

Since you're on the East Coast (I'm in Seattle FWIW) have fun at the show! If you miss being a vendor, you can always put your stash on Craigslist and see what happens for a local pickup.

Lastly - just putting this out there. A couple of months ago a guy in Wisconsin put his stash in a post on Reddit. Just laid it all out on his garage floor and took lots of pics. Very little description.

I contacted him and facilitated the purchase of many of his items across 4 people. It worked out pretty well. Not everyone can take an entire collection. But one wanted a monitor, I wanted his boxed Genlock, another bought a motherboard and so on.

It can be done. But yeah - puts more of the burden of shipping on the seller that way (but we paid for it).

Good luck





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