Is there any demand on ebay for NOS 8bit components? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: RoGeorge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2024, 06:48:12 pm
content: Is there any practice to list at inflated price on ebay, so to manipulate the market? O the items usually sell for the prices they are listed?Asking because I never use ebay, and some prices seem rather big. For example: $20-30 for an MC6803, $10-15 for a 4x1kbit static RAM (UL224 or 2114), etc. If it were to be so, I wouldn't mind selling some NOS chips from the scrap boxes in order to buy something else for the lab.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2024, 07:11:08 pm
content: Quote from: RoGeorge on March 02, 2024, 06:48:12 pmIf it is outrageously high, it is probably short cut trick to manage out of stock items.When they are out of stock, they could set the price to some outrageously high price, such as $1000 for a pack of 2x 9V battery. They will lower the price back down when they have new stock. This will allow them to carry on without having to create a new listing plus loose all the accumulated statistics for that item.If someone should choose to order 2x 9V battery for $1000USD while the item is out of stock, I am sure they would not mind the extra work (to get the item immediately) to pocket that $990USD profit.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2024, 07:11:43 pm
content: It varies. Long ago, many items were used and the prices seems to be inflated only a little. Today, eBay in infiltrated with new sellers. If fact, just a few years it was not unusual to buy something on eBay and get a "gift" shipment from an Amazon account. Of course, the seller profited from the arbitrage.Getting back to "vintage" new and used technical stuff, my opinion is that listed prices are often greatly exaggerated. A spot check of NOS IC chips seems to show that. The prices for older scientific and technical stuff seem to be at least 2 to 3 times what they are worth. For example, I have been working on a project to repurpose an older (mid-90's), but seldom used Mitutoyo digital readout. A Mitutoyo "presetter" for those old scales is/was listed for over $300 by dealers. I bought a new one for $25.I used to check "completed" auctions/sales to estimate realistic prices. Green meant it was sold. That feature the last time I checked has been reduced in usefulness, perhaps by pressure from sellers.

author: factory
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2024, 07:58:42 pm
content: There are quite a few people repairing & building replicas of early computer boards, I'm sure you'll have no problem finding buyers for those parts.David

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2024, 01:41:03 am
content: Yes, there's a solid market now for vintage computing, so certainly those parts find buyers.With that said, prices for pretty much ALL semiconductors are overinflated lately anyway, recent and vintage all the same, and particularly on those platforms.Even on Aliexpress, prices have gone completely crazy for anything that's not 100% chinese.

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2024, 07:08:38 am
content: Quote from: RoGeorge on March 02, 2024, 06:48:12 pmebay's "Advanced Search" allows you to search for sold items and completed transactions.Doing so for your MC6803 example shows that ceramic-package 6803s are indeed selling for around $20. Plastic DIP packages have been sold for anywhere between $2 and $30.In general, setting a high asking price in order to set an "anchor" in people's mind regarding the acceptable price, and then negotiating down from there, is a common sales tactic of course. Not that easy to do on a platform like ebay for commonly offered items, as long as there are some sellers who don't play that game...

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2024, 03:27:40 pm
content: Vintage ICs are like land. They don't make it any more and the price will only go up. But yes there are sellers on Ebay asking ridiculous prices for them, just like there is for anything else on Ebay. PayNOattention to the asking prices on Ebay and go look at the prices of items that have actuallysoldthere instead. That will tell you what they're really worth. A high asking price tells you nothing except the seller is greedy and probably can't be trusted and will likely try to screw the buyer in other ways as well. If you think that the selling price of your parts is too low then put them away and wait and sell them in the future. I sold several early Intel computer boards with 4004 CPUs on them and got over $400 each on Ebay about 14 years ago. Instead of asking ridiculously high price I always set the starting price of my stuff low and let the market place determine what it's worth and my stuff on Ebay always sells within the normal ten day auction time and I've rarely been disappointed with the price that I got.In my experience, and very few exceptions, vintage CPUs are worth much more than the support chips. Most computer geek/collectors recognize the part numbers of the CPUs but no so much the support chips, therefore there is more demand for the CPUs.

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2024, 03:36:01 pm
content: Quote from: RoGeorge on March 02, 2024, 06:48:12 pmSelling items on E-Greed for $20 to $30 just isn't worth the time or the hassles involved IMO. Also I don't know what the shipping cost is like in Europe but in the US, theminimumshipping costs would be about $10 and the buyersdotake that into consideration so if the part is worth says $25, the seller will only get about $15. In other words, for rather cheap parts, shipping costs will significantly reduce the amount that then seller will make. And that's just the actual shipping costs and doesn't include the costs of the anti-static packaging, box, padding, etc.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2024, 05:15:21 pm
content: EBay labels get a discount over "retail" prices at USPS:https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/2024-USPS-Rate-Changes/ba-p/34236252

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2024, 10:29:49 pm
content: But ultimately that's offer and demand. If you need one of these parts and can't find them cheaper anywhere else, you'll just buy.Now as someone mentioned, vintage CPUs in ceramic packages usually go for much higher prices than plastic, so unless you absolutely need a 1:1 replacement for what was initially a ceramic package in a vintage device that you want to keep as "original" as possible, just don't bother and go for the plastic.

author: EPAIII
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2024, 11:26:17 am
content: If you really want to rid yourself or that NOS stock and get some extra funds for it, consider:1. It costs nothing to run an E-Bay ad. I have one that has been up for years and it only sells one every year or so. So I get something when someone wants one and otherwise, it costs me nothing.2. You can always check off the "Seller accepts offers" box. That way, if the buyer doesn't want to pay the price you list them for, they can make an offer. You can accept or refuse their offer.3. In the US, shipping costs do NOT start at $10. Oh sure, UPS and FedEX and others charge that much. But the USPS starts around $6 for priority, fixed rate and I believe if you use E-Bay's shipping facility even that can be less. So a $5 order may cost around $10 when shipping is added. And if it can fit in a standard business envelope, then you are well under $1. Just pack it well.4. And then there is a "book rate", again with the USPS.Of course international shipping can cost more. Or less.EDIT!This anti-static thing is grossly overblown. I have worked in electronics for 45+ years and had it as a hobby for at least 65 years. I have NEVER seen even ONE SINGLE part damaged due to static. If you PAY for anti-static packaging, you are being ripped off!If you are really worried about static, household aluminum foil costs next to NOTHING. And probably works better than those aluminized plastic bags.As for packaging, I NEVER buy any. Amazon, Ali-Express, Walmart, and even my local grocery stores supply me with all the packaging materials I will ever need for my E-Bay sales. They include it free with the items I buy from them. All I ever buy is the tape to seal the packages with.Crumbled up newspaper works as well as bubble wrap, when my salvaged bubble wrap runs out, which is not often.And the major shipping companies as well as the USPS all supply FREE boxes for use when you ship with them. They will even DELIVER them free to you if you request them.Unless you are a major seller, THERE IS NEVER ANY NEED TO BUY SHIPPING SUPPLIES. And by recycling them, you are keeping them out of land fills. So it is a win for the ecology. Win, WIN,WIN!