Why I stopped trusting eBay "untested" listings after one bad buy at a VCF swap meet

I picked up a Commodore 64C at the Vintage Computer Festival in Atlanta two years ago for $40 marked as untested. The seller swore it just needed a new power supply but when I got it home half the keys didn't register and the SID chip was dead. Now I only buy things I can see powered on at the show or from people who actually describe the problem instead of hiding behind that word. Has anyone else had better luck with untested gear than me or am I just being too cautious?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_elizabeth2d ago

I read somewhere that "untested" in vintage computing basically means "tested and broken" about 80% of the time. People are just hoping someone will take a gamble so they don't have to sit on junk.

andrew8542d ago

Did you ever read that post on the Amiga subreddit where someone tested a bunch of "untested" gear and found over 70% had major issues? It really lines up with your experience at that swap meet. People know exactly what they are selling and they are just hoping you will take the risk so they don't have to deal with the hassle.