HACKER Q&A
📣 ibobev

Where to buy old 8-bit computers?


I became interested in the old 8-bit computers like Commodore 64, Apple II, ZX Spectrum, etc. And also on 16/32 bit machines like the Amiga line. There are some offers for such machines on eBay but I'm not sure in what condition they will arrive if I purchase from there. Do you know some place online specialized in reselling such old machines and accessories for them where I can be sure that what I purchase will be in a good working condition?


  👤 the_only_law Accepted Answer ✓
eBay can be kinda rough thanks to every idiot thinking that old means tons of money. I mostly use eBay to hunt for less common machines or non-home/consumer stuff.

If you’re in any retrocomputing communities, people there often sell some stuff at good prices. Otherwise Facebook/Craigslist marketplace tend to be better to haggle people down. Additionally a lot of the people in these groups have connections with recycling centers and such.

Condition is going be varied, usually the seller will provide some information at to their condition but it can be a crapshoot. FWIW I had a long streak of buying working machines but the last 5 or so retrocomputers arrived not working. Keep in mind sellers will often describe things as not working, where in reality they just have no clue how to use it. As long as cosmetic damage isn’t too bad though, 8-bits are pretty simple to repair yourself.

Finally an HN discussion on something I have a decent experience in!


👤 thomasdziedzic
I caught a similar bug about a year or so ago, I bought a replica instead https://retrogames.biz/products/thec64/ and it satisfied my retro computing interest even though it wasn't original hardware.

If you do go down this path, note that retrogames has 2 similar products, the c64 (mini) and the c64 (maxi), the maxi is probably the best one to go with since it has a working keyboard.