cyclone3d wrote on 2023-05-23, 14:41:

Heh... […]
Show full quote

maxtherabbit wrote on 2023-05-23, 14:24:

upgrade CPUs represent the maximum overlap between "things I don't care about" and "overpriced"

Heh...

I was looking at getting a socket 4 to socket 5 adapter and then was going to use a socket 5 to socket 7 interposer.

I've also got a slot-1 to socket 8 adapter and plan on putting a socket 8 Pentium ii overdrive 333 in it just for funsies.

I also have a slocket8. Mine is sporting a 512kB cache PPro running at 2x124MHz FSB with AGP in a BX board

Just saw a regular v5 go for an all time high price in Australia.

Here's a rare gem which sold for far less than I thought it would.

C&T Super 386 Chips J38600DX - 25 MHz
$86 USD + $8 shipping

Surface condition looks good. Bent pins can be straightened. It is missing one Vcc pin, but that won't matter for functionality.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/394678405636

I heard about some eBay shenanigans with this listing. This chip was originally in a scrap lot with other 386 CPUs, which already had bids on it. Seller then cancels the listing, pulls out the J38600DX to list it separately, then re-lists the other 386 CPUs without the J38600DX. I wasn't the bidder, but this is what I was told. Is this action against eBay policy?

386 CPU in bad condition for $86?

That's crazy! 😮

The Voodoo5 6000 sold again, this time for 10 large.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325695421272

A boxed Intel RapidCAD set for 386 systems. $362 USD. 10 bidders. I was thinking it would have sold for more.

I think these were a 486DX shrunk into a 386 size. L1 cache was disabled, which makes them not a very impressive upgrade.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225621859737

feipoa wrote on 2023-06-21, 23:47:

I heard about some eBay shenanigans with this listing. This chip was originally in a scrap lot with other 386 CPUs, which already had bids on it. Seller then cancels the listing, pulls out the J38600DX to list it separately, then re-lists the other 386 CPUs without the J38600DX. I wasn't the bidder, but this is what I was told. Is this action against eBay policy?

Sort-of. As an unwritten rule, sellers can cancel an auction for any reason they wish, except "selling the items outside eBay to someone who used eBay to offer to buy them outside eBay". The permitted auction cancellation reasons don't allow this sort of cancellation of relisting the items separately, but eBay has never enforced them because they're impossible to enforce. Only if the seller does it to an excessive level of frequency does any action occur.

The seller doing so in this instance benefits eBay's bottom line as they get more money, so eBay does as well.

I was just watching LGRs latest vid on the SideWinder Force Feedback Pro and just for a bit of fun I went to Ebay sellers hub to check the prices and sure enough on the day that the video releases the sales of the SideWinder shot up.
I'm aware this is probably obvious to a lot of people and I'm not blaming Clint here , I just found it pretty interesting to see hard evidence that Clint can somewhat dictate what's popular on the retro market.

Funny thing is I was trying to justify getting one of the gameport sidewinders for cheap and I really couldn't do it. MSFF2 does almost everything (including in 98), doesn't have a fan or power brick and does have USB. You can even use it with modern games under windows 10 like elite dangerous. It can also be reasonably sat on your desk.

Driver support ends at 3.0 sidewinder software for the gameport sidewinders - which only runs on 98/below and pretty much limits any games you can run to 98 games post direct x 6 or so (around 1997-2003 in total).

AppleSauce wrote on 2023-07-22, 03:38:

I was just watching LGRs latest vid on the SideWinder Force Feedback Pro and just for a bit of fun I went to Ebay sellers hub to check the prices and sure enough on the day that the video releases the sales of the SideWinder shot up.
I'm aware this is probably obvious to a lot of people and I'm not blaming Clint here , I just found it pretty interesting to see hard evidence that Clint can somewhat dictate what's popular on the retro market.

To be expect really. With 1.6 million subs and who knows how many just get his videos recommended and boosted on various social media posts, he can absolutely spike 'interest levels' which will hit prices, make people list things they had in the basement, and get people looking to buy. Even myself went to eBay to say 'Hey do I want one of these? What do they go for?' after watching the early Patreon release. I opted to pass, the range of games and OS support is not amaaaaazing.

One thing I didn't like was him saying how there are better things but this is all he has and therefore it's what he has to use.

Well put on your big boy pants and buy it then? Big youtubers shouldn't be low key ebegging for donations. Buy it or don't - either way just don't mention it like you can't afford a $30 MSFF2 stick.

Has someone been trashing Logitech Wingmans though? Just seen my third in a thrift in 3 weeks, which considering how slim pickings anything PC related of that age is now, is kinda weird. Or is it that old, nothing for ages then three come along at once thing? I have a Wingman that's "aight" but only suits some games, I don't really like the position of them, like your wrist seems to be raked forward when it's upright and the grip is high off the surface, so yeah, didn't need another three, or one.

Maybe I shoulda bought them up and been like the do the roar kid on Shrek on LGRs comments "Do the Wingman, Do the Wingman, Do the Wingman" 🤣

I have to say that LGR or other top-ranked Youtubers are not a problem, the real problem is those guys who pop-up on eBay with some item, put a let's say $500 price and then every seller after him thinks that this is a Holy Grail of vintage computing and puts the similar price. And no one cares that just a week before there were several similar items for just $50 a piece ...

ThinkpadIL wrote on 2023-07-23, 05:29:

... guys who pop-up on eBay with some item, put a let's say $500 price and then every seller after him thinks that this is a Holy Grail of vintage computing and puts the similar price...

There are quite a few that do this. There are actually firms in China that have shady websites who sell cards at exorbitant prices and they also put them up on Ebay without images. Those guys set the pricing for many cards I have found.

Despite their best efforts, I was able to obtain a 5800 Ultra as well as a 5900 Ultra at bargain prices (still on the way from the USA). I also got an X800 XT PE original from ATi for $15. Seller thought it was a Rage Theater card. You can get good deals, it's just that you have to look for errors sellers, who don't know what they're selling, make.

ThinkpadIL wrote on 2023-07-23, 05:29:

I have to say that LGR or other top-ranked Youtubers are not a problem, the real problem is those guys who pop-up on eBay with some item, put a let's say $500 price and then every seller after him thinks that this is a Holy Grail of vintage computing and puts the similar price. And no one cares that just a week before there were several similar items for just $50 a piece ...

Some of those also have a gazillion listings with random/ridiculous prices that not only influence other sellers and pollute search results but also they don't even bother adding a single image to the items they sell *cough* dreamhardware.com *cough*. And yet they have 100% feedback 🤷.

TheMobRules wrote on 2023-07-23, 05:46:

ThinkpadIL wrote on 2023-07-23, 05:29:

I have to say that LGR or other top-ranked Youtubers are not a problem, the real problem is those guys who pop-up on eBay with some item, put a let's say $500 price and then every seller after him thinks that this is a Holy Grail of vintage computing and puts the similar price. And no one cares that just a week before there were several similar items for just $50 a piece ...

Some of those also have a gazillion listings with random/ridiculous prices that not only influence other sellers and pollute search results but also they don't even bother adding a single image to the items they sell *cough* dreamhardware.com *cough*. And yet they have 100% feedback 🤷.

Dreamhardware doesn't always have images but they do actually deliver whats advertised, bought a number of things from them I couldn't find elsewhere at better prices and the parts arrived perfectly fine in packaging that was markedly better than many other sellers I have dealt with.

Their prices I agree are high .. likely too high but the market dictates end sales so they must be selling parts at the high prices. I dont like it but I don't like the prices for retro parts in general much like I don't like the high prices for other retro hobbies.

Do I agree with how they run their store, not totally but many of their parts do have images and the parts I have bought were in a good working condition when they arrived so I don't know how I feel exactly about the lack of pics since its apparent they are not trying to scam anyone. I guess when you have thousands of parts like they do its not always cost effective to photograph every item you have, at least they dont use stock photos for all their items like some big sellers from Germany do.
(Stock photos are a garbage solution, no better than no photo really)

I'm not affiliated with Dreamhardware I just feel some here jump to fast conclusions about some sellers, I would rather give the benefit of doubt until they prove otherwise.

ThinkpadIL wrote on 2023-07-23, 05:29:

I have to say that LGR or other top-ranked Youtubers are not a problem, the real problem is those guys who pop-up on eBay with some item, put a let's say $500 price and then every seller after him thinks that this is a Holy Grail of vintage computing and puts the similar price. And no one cares that just a week before there were several similar items for just $50 a piece ...

doesn't that just mean they wont sell though ? so it kind of pauses the trade rather than actually ups the price significantly - unless people do actually start buying at the new price, in which case .. shrug

Well...I kind of consider my laptop craziness of the last several years a bit of a testament to how much a nobody can influence the prices. Right now I'm seeing NEC Versas being posted at over $100 when I bought all mine for $75 or less, ditto the NanTan Laptops - I paid $25 for my FMA3500C and $25 for the FMAK9200. Here's what we have now...

RARE NEC Versa V/75 Laptop - $225.99
https://www.ebay.com/itm/394757721473?hash=it … ABk9SR5bdxZOxYg

NEC Versa V/50C - $249.99 - The Versa V/50C I had was in mint condition, I paid $15 for it BIN in 2021
https://www.ebay.com/itm/166224852567?hash=it … ABk9SR5jdxZOxYg

NEC Versa 40EC PC-440-1531 - $200.00 - it's got a cracked hinge even worse than the one I had, to the point the Screen Bezel is damaged - mine cost me $35 in 2019
https://www.ebay.com/itm/115698062716?hash=it … %3ABFBM8oHmk7Fi

I see the same now is happening with NanTan stuff too. Thing is, it'll never sell at the price they are asking, Eventually, some do get wise - like the NCR Safari 3180 I still see there almost 2 years later (NEC UltraLIte Versa 33C rebadged as an NCR) - it was $99 until this year, now it's $55.

That said, the rising prices do have a good side affect of keeping some of us longtimers like myself from going nuts and buying every friggin pre-Pentium x86 machine we see. It's all too easy in this hobby to fall into the trap of constant accumulation when stuff was cheap, and then you end up with a lot of sub-par, quickly thrown together "retro PCs" rather than some premium, fine-tuned, machines that truly get some full appreciation, and a storage locker full of stuff with some real potential that you never actually get to see. It was a fun "cheap" hobby in our twenties, but when you're pushing middle age with a family and a career, you have to start setting some boundaries. You can't take em' with you.

gerry wrote on 2023-07-24, 15:45:

ThinkpadIL wrote on 2023-07-23, 05:29:

I have to say that LGR or other top-ranked Youtubers are not a problem, the real problem is those guys who pop-up on eBay with some item, put a let's say $500 price and then every seller after him thinks that this is a Holy Grail of vintage computing and puts the similar price. And no one cares that just a week before there were several similar items for just $50 a piece ...

doesn't that just mean they wont sell though ? so it kind of pauses the trade rather than actually ups the price significantly - unless people do actually start buying at the new price, in which case .. shrug

Yes and no. On one hand some of them won't sell for months if not years, but on the other hand it causes rise of the prices. In theory those high prices have to go down till buyers start to buy, but in reality some of those sellers simply don't care that no one buys their stock sometimes for years and buyers start paying those high prices cause they don't wont to wait for years. Of course it works also the opposite way, when someone suddenly put some item on sale for a low price and for some reason it isn't sold for week or so, prices of some other sellers also start to drop.

Anyways, it's a free market and I have no problem with that.

Listing is free so you can put a few hundred expensive auctions up a month and wait for a few to sell to make some money. I think people who list junk at $1 and have to ship tons of packages for little to no profit are kind of nuts. Most sellers do the in between when they feel like it.

NEC Versas are interesting laptops and I have half a dozen or more of them (486/Pentium 1 ERA). The issue I have with them are the feet turn to goo, some have hinge issues, and mostly they kept changing the power bricks in-between models using that funky 4 pin connector plus spare parts are hard to locate, and the HD caddy is proprietary. The plus side is they were decently designed and don't have the Thinkpad coating. Most laptops you find today have the HDs removed making like hell finding caddys and connectors.