I was on ebay searching up electronic and came across these betamax VCRs ranging from $100-$565!!! how come they cost so damn much? anybody else seen pricing like this on 80s Electronics?

Oh yeah...

I don't remember how much Betas were, so I'll take your word for it. (I still have one and it works!)

VHS machines probably cost quite a bit when they came out before they took over Betamax.

Commodore Vic20's were around $600. (Were Commodore 64's around the same price?)

PC's would cost probably around $2000, same with Apples when they came out. Macs were expensive then and they still are today.

I got my first CD player in 1988 which was part of what we called a "Ghetto Blaster." I believe you kids call them "boom boxes" now. ;) That was probably a few hundred.

I got my Yamaha keyboard in 1986 for Christmas so I don't know exactly how much it was, but they were going for considerably more than a keyboard like it would now. (It's a half-size keyboard with quite a few factory presets for a keyboard of its calibre, but it's certainly not a professional one!)

New technology was advancing in the 80's and of course, if you wanted to take advantage of this new technology, you had to have the money to do so!

Absolutely Vile

wow. I get the feeling new techonogy definent must back then. my father still has an aray of beta tapes with my early childhood years and the humble beginnings of MTV (mostly new wave videos ;)) on them. only thing we don't have is laserdisc.   

I believe I saw one of those portable CD players on a sigue sigue sputnik video 2 days ago.....looks something like this.

I believe I saw one of those portable CD players on a sigue sigue sputnik video 2 days ago.....looks something like this.


No no...mine was one of those things that had a CD player that opened outward like a tape deck, a tape deck, and an AM/FM radio.

Absolutely Vile

http://www.atari.com/us/images/games/7800/game.jpg

Atari's back then used to cost about $200.00 nowadays on Ebay you can get one for about $100.00

Howard

I believe I saw one of those portable CD players on a sigue sigue sputnik video 2 days ago.....looks something like this.



Wow,what year did those come out? :o


Howard

I still have my Yamaha PSS-120 Organ from 1987 and I wonder how much it would be today after 17 years or so? :)


Howard

I still have my Yamaha PSS-120 Organ from 1987 and I wonder how much it would be today after 17 years or so? :)


Howard


Mine's a Yamaha PSS-570. How much would it be today? Probably not much. I've seen used ones go for about $50 - $60 in used music shops.

Absolutely Vile

Mine's a Yamaha PSS-570. How much would it be today? Probably not much. I've seen used ones go for about $50 - $60 in used music shops.

Absolutely Vile



I'd like to give mine away AV.I haven't actually used it in almost 15 years & it just lays on my shelf collecting dust. ;D



Howard

How about the TVs with the dial that you had to turn and your fingers would be in pain. :P



Howard

How about the TVs with the dial that you had to turn and your fingers would be in pain. :P



Howard


I still have one. It used to be the "monitor" for our Commodore Vic 20 in the early 80's. It still works, and is our back up TV if ours has to get fixed. The bad thing is, it's only like a 12 or 13 inch.

Absolutely Vile

Howdy!  First time post, long time fan of the 80's.

Anyway, lots of things are going for odd prices as that stuff is now seen as "collector" items.  It took me a long time to find a decent turntable for a good price as NO STORE around my area handles them.  Second hand stores are also starting to up the prices on some of the stuff as well (mostly video games that I have seen).

As for Betamax pricing: I remember my parents saying they bought their Sears brand Beta for about $500 in I want to say 1982/83.  It was a refurb and it did go back to the shop to fix a winding problem.  Old top load with no clock, two tuner knobs (VHF & UHF) and no remote (oh wait, that was me-my parents sent me up to the TV to hit Pause).

The Apple Lisa about $10,000 (1983) and the Macintosh (128K, 1984) was $2,500.

The old Sinclair ZX80 is quite a collectible computer now. Even the ZX81 and the ZX Spectrum (rubber keyboard) go for a fair bit of money these days, when they are in mint condition with box and poly inserts, etc....

We bought this IBM monstrosity, green background monitor, and dot matrix printer back in '84 all for only $3,000 :o  I sold it all at a yard sale for $25 :\'(

I was on ebay searching up electronic and came across these betamax VCRs ranging from $100-$565!!! how come they cost so darn much? anybody else seen pricing like this on 80s Electronics?


  Could be beacuse it's considered a vintage item and is no longer in production.  Condition has alot to do with the higher opening bids and asking prices, as well.

It took me a long time to find a decent turntable for a good price as NO STORE around my area handles them.

We got our turntable brand new at Radio Shack a couple of years ago for $150 Canadian. Unfortunately, you're not going to find them for much cheaper. And if you want one of those professional DJ type turntables, you'll be paying at least twice as much!

Absolutely Vile

I'd like to give mine away AV.I haven't actually used it in almost 15 years & it just lays on my shelf collecting dust. ;D



Howard


Sorry Howard, don't want it. :) I'd love to have a new MIDI compatible keyboard, or even better...my kingdom for vintage synths and drum machines!!!!!! Mmmmmmm...<drool...> 8)

Absolutely Vile

obviously you guys were privlaged to have musical instruments as advanced as those. all he ever had back then was one of those Casios with the "two-step" beats programed in. :(

While we're talking about vintage 80's electronic musical instruments, I saw this eBay listing mentioned on the Ultravox Official Website forum. If only I had the money for it!!! :o

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10175&item=3755581833&rd=1&ssPageName=WD2V

Absolutely Vile

absolutly stellar! you don't get much vintage than that! the wood side panels make it that much more awsome!

absolutly stellar! you don't get much vintage than that! the wood side panels make it that much more awsome!


Oh it's lovely! I don't remember much about the Linn Drum, but I have seen it talked about on the Ultravox forum. The only problem it seems with early synthesisers and drum machines from the 70's and early 80's is that they can be unreliable and hard to program. But still...it would be worth it to figure it out!

Absolutely Vile

I say the harder it is to program the better sound you get out of it(of course it would seem tragic to spend all that time programing and have it sound like something out of Super Mario Bros. ;D) eather way i'll bet its a work of art!

and how about the totally ground moving and rediculously expensive Roland TR-909! :)

Sorry Howard, don't want it. :) I'd love to have a new MIDI compatible keyboard, or even better...my kingdom for vintage synths and drum machines!!!!!! Mmmmmmm...<drool...> 8)

Absolutely Vile


See,AV I bought my Yamaha PSS-130 on March 7th,1987 2 days after my 13th Birthday when keyboards were cool back then.I've used it occassionally after that.But,once I stopped using it in the early to late 90's,it had started to collect dust.Maybe,I'll try putting some D Batteries in it and see if it works again.I doubt it.But,would you happen to know how much money I could get for it? ???


Howard

http://www.classicgaming.com/museum/vectrex/vectrex.gif


Here's another 80's Electronic Game: The Vectrex from 1982. :)



Howard

See,AV I bought my Yamaha PSS-130 on March 7th,1987 2 days after my 13th Birthday when keyboards were cool back then.I've used it occassionally after that.But,once I stopped using it in the early to late 90's,it had started to collect dust.Maybe,I'll try putting some D Batteries in it and see if it works again.I doubt it.But,would you happen to know how much money I could get for it? ???


Howard


My keyboard works like a charm (except for one setting that doesn't)! Why don't you try putting batteries in yours or plugging it in and playing it if it works?? :D If you tried selling it to a second hand shop, you probably wouldn't get much for it, nor would it make a decent trade. (I know because I tried to do that with my keyboard so I could get a new one!) What they suggested to me, and what I'll suggest to you is put an ad in the paper or some sort of classifieds thing, and see what you can get for it. Or...sell it on eBay!! But I really think you should use it yourself. :)

By the way, I'm not parting with my keyboard. Even though the preset instruments don't all sound terribly realistic, I just can't part with it. :)

Absolutely Vile

My keyboard works like a charm (except for one setting that doesn't)! Why don't you try putting batteries in yours or plugging it in and playing it if it works?? :D If you tried selling it to a second hand shop, you probably wouldn't get much for it, nor would it make a decent trade. (I know because I tried to do that with my keyboard so I could get a new one!) What they suggested to me, and what I'll suggest to you is put an ad in the paper or some sort of classifieds thing, and see what you can get for it. Or...sell it on eBay!! But I really think you should use it yourself. :)

By the way, I'm not parting with my keyboard. Even though the preset instruments don't all sound terribly realistic, I just can't part with it. :)

Absolutely Vile


Ok Vile I guess I'll start putting some D Batteries in my keyboard.I just hope it works well. ???


Howard

Would anyone remember The Atari 5200?


Howard

Ok Vile I guess I'll start putting some D Batteries in my keyboard.I just hope it works well. ???


Howard


Good luck! :)


Would anyone remember The Atari 5200?


Howard


I remember the 2600...

Absolutely Vile

How about the Vectrex game console?



Howard

How about the Vectrex game console?



Howard


Never heard of it...

Absolutely Vile

Hey AV,this is what The Vectrex actually looked like.

http://www.classicgaming.com/vectrex/unit-main.jpg


Howard

Would anyone remember having their first 80's portable cassette player?



Howard