pdb's Guide to Evaluating a Used System

P

pdb

CAG Veteran
So you want to cheap out by picking up a used system? Not a bad idea, systems depreciate fast, and the money you save can get you more games or accessories. However, you also don't want to sink money into a lemon, particularly if you're buying from a private party or a pawn shop who isn't going to offer any kind of warranty.

You need to keep two things in mind: Condition and price. As you examine the system, each problem you note should reduce the price accordingly. Start with a dollar figure in mind, usually about $10-20 less than what you'd buy the same system, used, from a leading retailer. At the moment, EB et al are offering the PS2 and Xbox for $149, and the Cube for $99.

I'll start with the PS2. First, flip the console over and count the square buttons that cover the screws. Current production models have eight, launch era PS2s will have 10. If it's a launch PS2, deduct $40.

Then, estimate the dust level. If he hasn't cleaned it off, this may indicate further neglect. Look for caked dust on the front intakes to the right of the USB ports, and on the vent fan at the rear. White powdery dust that blows off easily isn't a huge concern (it's actually mostly people dust: dead skin cells and hair particles) dense, sticky brown dirt indicates a life in a damp or humid environment. Deduct between $5 to $30 for dust.

Look for physical damage. Corners that are rounded off or dented in and scratches indicate how hard a life the unit has led so far. Also check to see if the controller ports are loose: this means the system has fallen onto its face before, hard enough to break the port mounts. Deduct $5-15, depending on how much this bothers you. If the face to the CD tray is loose or broken off, it's either suffered a fall or someone got a disc stuck in there and tried to pry it open. Deduct $10 for that. See if the AV cable fits snugly or if it's loose. This is the source of many annoying and intermittant PS2 problems. Knock another $10 off for a loose port. Look to see if the VOID sticker on the case near the power plug has been tampered with. Some people cut them with a sharp knife rather than peel it off. If it's been opened, the price is now $20. You're looking at either a problem system or one that's been modded. Either way, walk.

Now, plug it in. You'll need a DVD (silver bottom) and a CD game (blue bottom, or an original (non burned) music CD). With the system on and plugged into a TV, put the DVD game in the tray and close it using the button. When the tray is closed, hit reset. See how long it takes for the system to read the DVD game and start it. If the system goes from the initial animation directly to the 'Playstation 2' splash, deduct no money, that's how it should be. If it goes to the browser first, knock off $20, more if it takes more than 10 seconds of sitting at the browser. You're looking at an impending disc read error. Do the same with the CD game. If you hear a chattering noise like a slipping clutch on a BMW 2002, that's a weak spindle magnet. Easy to replace, or Sony will fix it for you, but you won't be able to play CD games until it's fixed. Deduct at least $20 for that, more if you have a bunch of blue bottom games.

Also don't forget to examine the cables and the controller cable for nicks or chewing. If they're damaged, deduct their replacement cost.

Now you've got a price. If the system is undamaged but has problems reading discs, you might want to lowball the guy and then send it to Sony for repairs. You're looking at about a 4-6 week wait, but it's a good way to get an as new PS2 for cheap. EB games will also give up to $50 trade in for a broken but complete (cables, 1 controller) PS2.

For the Xbox, follow the same general idea concerning dust and condition. You can roughly judge the age of the system by flipping it over and reading the build date on the bottom. Newer the better, obviously, but if an old system performs good, don't be afraid to buy it. An older build system may sit at the bottom of a pile while newer ones are piled on top and sold first, so the build date doesn't tell you how long it's been in service.

Take off extra money for observed drop damage (rounded or flattened corners, scrapes, etc), since the Xbox is so sensitive to that.

Use a DVD or Xbox game to test the system. As it powers up, listen for a loud clunk or pop from the hard drive. If it does, deduct $80. Put the disc in and see how long it takes to go from the dashboard to the X logo splashscreen. More than 15 seconds indicates a soon to expire DVD drive; deduct $70, or walk.

See if the warranty and warning labels on the bottom have been cut or heat gunned off (will show up as ripples in the plastic), like the PS2 the price is now $20 as it's either been modded or apart by someone other than Microsoft.

Again, inspect the cables and controller. If you prefer the S controller and it comes with the Duke, knock a few more bucks off. Hopefully you'll have a game like Halo on hand so you can test the full range of the analog sticks. They're usually pretty durable, but hard use, drops, or being stepped on can screw things up. If it comes with only a 3rd party controller, deduct $30 so you can get a real one.

Gamecube pricing is a funny thing. As of right now, you can pick up a new system with either a game or the Gameboy Player for $150, which seems to imply that the new price of a bare system is $100, but used systems are usually priced at $99. I would start a private seller at $50 or so, since that's about what they'd get on tradein at one of the major game stores.

Gamecubes seem to be fairly durable systems. If it's clean and free of dust, boots a disc rapidly from power off, isn't excessively loud, and doesn't have any external damage or frayed cables, go ahead and offer full price. But be sure to check the full range of movement on the controllers, the big N still hasn't learned how to make durable analog sticks.

Game Boys: Current used pricing on GBA SPs seems to be in the $85 area. Start there. Normal GBAs tend to go for $49-39, depending on the store, Color systems for about $29, Pockets for $19, and Originals for $12 or so.

Game Boys are usually very durable, with a few cosmetic weak spots. If there's something broken enough to notice, it's usually not fixable for less than the cost of a new unit. So if the system you're looking at has more than cosmetic problems, walk.

For a GBA, deduct $5 for a scratched screen, it's easy and cheap to replace the plastic cover, see http://pocket.ign.com/articles/097/097154p1.html for details. Shallow scuffs may be polished out with a soft cloth and some toothpaste (the old fashioned white kind, not a gel) since it's a mild abrasive.

Battery doors are available on Ebay for between $3-7, plus shipping. If the unit is missing its door, deduct that.

Kid grime is always a problem, but it can be quickly cleaned off with Windex and a paper towel. Use that as a bargaining angle.

Bring a game to test, preferably something that makes use of all the buttons, including shoulder buttons for SPs and GBAs. Inspect the inside of the battery compartment for signs of leaking batteries. Don't add any money for aftermarket rechargable battery packs. The quality of these is uniformly low, and most can't hold a charge longer than Radio Shack rechargables.

SPs: It is vitally important that you test the function of the charger and the battery. See if it will hold a significant charge. If the seller isn't willing to wait around while to see how long it'll take for the battery to run down, walk. Nintendo has had a huge (for Nintendo) return rate on bad batteries or flaky chargers. Either way, make sure you run the SP on the battery for at least an hour.

GBAs: If it has an Afterburner or other aftermarket backlight installed, walk unless the owner has a recipt showing professional installation. It's not easy to do, but a lot of people have attempted it. Test the shoulder buttons, they're the first to fail.

Color, Pocket and O: If it works, and looks ok, go for it. There really isn't a lot to go wrong.

Older systems: With EB offering warranteed N64s, PSXes and Dreamcasts for $20, it isn't worth the effort to grade one that has any problems. Either walk or lowball him if you need a parts system.

Super Nintendo systems seem to have regained collector interest recently. I'd consider an excellent condition system with 2 controllers a good deal at $30 or so. Be sure and see if the AC adaptor connector is in good shape, this can break off and is not easily replacable.

Front loading NES' have a limited lifespan. If the power light blinks when a cartridge is inserted, the cartridge teeth need to be replaced. The part costs about $10 or less in quantity, and the replacement can be done in about half an hour. Unless the seller can document this being done recently, don't pay more than $10 for an NES.

Good luck!
 
Good post. Should become a sticky anytime now.

I personally would NOT buy a used PS2. Paying an extra $100 now is worth more than not being bale to play that special game you just got because the system is bad. Refurbished ones from EB might be the only ones I might go for myself.

Everything else is pretty good though.
 
Yes, the cube is very durable. You know what I mean if you've seen the video where the red necks drag a cube behind their car... Anyways good post. I'm thinking of buying a used Xbox from some stupid kid in my neighborhood. So this will help me settle on a good price. Thanks.
 
[quote name='SS4Brolly']Good post. Should become a sticky anytime now.

I personally would NOT buy a used PS2. Paying an extra $100 now is worth more than not being bale to play that special game you just got because the system is bad. Refurbished ones from EB might be the only ones I might go for myself.

Everything else is pretty good though.[/quote]

Unless it's broken, EB just sells the systems as they got them and label 'em refurbed.
 
This is a fantastic thread. I learned quite a bit I never knew.

I've bought both a used (refurbed) Gamecube and a refurbed Xbox from Gamecrazy. I really feel comfortable with them because, as long as you keep your receipt and packaging you can return it within 90 days, the same warranty as a brand new system has.

The first GC I got from them had a problem so I took it back later that night and they gave me another one, no questions asked. Never had a problem with the 2nd GC and haven't had a single problem with the Xbox.

I've always suggested buying refurbed or used when you have a return policy. There's no reason to buy a new system for $30-$50 more if you get the same warranty. People just get paranoid about owning used stuff, I guess.

By the way pdb, both the games worked perfectly. I can't thank you enough. I just wish your store was in Vegas, I'd be a regular.
 
Thanks for the Game Boy update, pdb, but there's one thing I'd like to point out: replacing the screen isn't really all that complex of a procedure. Nintendo's online store sells screen replacement kits for $4 (I'd link, but their store is Javascript and the URL is worthless). The kit comes with a new screen, a tool to remove the old one, and directions. My friends that have tried using this kit before say that it's easy to do.

You should still be wary of a scratched-up screen, but know it's replaceable.
 
Nice post, thanks for the effort and the info!

As others have said, I personally would not recommend ever buying a used Playstation or Playstation 2. Having worked in a game store myself, I know all too well how often these machines fail. They are just made very shoddily and have a decent chance of breaking even if they aren't abused (as many are). Additionally, early model PS/PS2s are especially prone to problems, so even if you decide to go for a used one of these systems make sure that you get a later model (preferably 39001 on PS2, and do not get the 30001s, the launch models).

As for cartridge-based systems like Game Boys and older stuff, as long as you don't see any visible damage they are usually going to be okay (not always though, and you should test them first). These are much more durable on the whole than CD-based systems. NESes are pretty common and you can get a new connector for about $6-7+ship on eBay and easily install it yourself. This makes the system perform virtually as new most of the time, so consider that.

Good luck everyone!
 
Mulliga & Walrus: I'm rather shamed I didn't know of the kit, mucho kudos for the pointer.
 
Great post. I have 1 question though.

You said, "the big N still hasn't learned how to make durable analog sticks."

I know and agree that N64's analog sticks were not good. But the Gamecubes seem to be just like the PS2 analog sticks, so how are they not as good? Thanks!
 
Admittedly, I haven't had any of them apart to see if the design is as broken as the N64s, but we've seen a higher return rate on Gamecube controllers than PS2 or Xbox controllers.

The C stick seems to wear out first, followed by the main analog. Perhaps we're working from a low sample size, or maybe our Gamecube clientle are all abusive spazzes, but I'd say our Gamecube controller rate is about 1/20, Xbox is 1/40, and PS2 would be 1/100.

In fact, short of physical damage, the PS2 controller seems to be pretty indestructable. A lot of Halo or other FPSes can develop a 'click' in the Xbox Controller-S analog stick, but it'll work fine otherwise. The Duke seems to be more rugged, if your hands are big enough and you don't mind the funky button spacing.

fwiw, ymmv, etc,
pdb
 
For the gba sp, i would check for dust inside the screen, (dust on the outer screen will wipe off quick) it should be really visible with the light on, take along a game that has a dark screen, castlevania, or magi nation for gbc, pokemon r/s has a dark intro screen too, there is no way to replace the gba sp screen eaisly or get the dust out so this would be something to look for, since i have heard about tons of problems with dust under the screen, SP's also scratch really easy, so the amount of scratches would be a decent indication of the use of the system, i would check for dust in a gba too, it could be the sign of someone trying to sell a gba from a failed afterburner installation, the regular gba has had almost zero dust problems so if you find dust in one its most likely someone has been inside it, and you would want to walk on the deal
Test the responsiveness of the d-pad, and if the gba has excessive dirt or kid grime on it you might want to walk, it can clog the buttons and then they wont work, you can clean it and i feel gameboy's arent that hard to open up because ive done it, but i wouldnt try it unless you really know what your doing because the lcd screen is really delicate, (you can clean minor dirt out of the d-pad and a+b buttons with a toothbrush and a little rubbing alcohol) also dont forget to include shipping on nintendo's orders for screen replacement kits

Prices for the last time i checked was EB was selling used Game boy colors for 35$ each i believe this was for all models, it has been a while since i checked this price so it could be wrong, used regular GBA's are 59.99 this i checked semi recently so it should still be current, i think N64's are 30 or 35$ each, and im not sure of the prices on the other consoles

Prices for gamestop which are here and now because i checked a few days ago:
Used GBC (standard colors) = 19.99 they just lowered it from 29.99, i dont know if special editions cost more or not
Used GBA, again standard colors = 49.99, Used N64 = 19.99
They dont accept older than GB colors as trade in (pretty sure), and i believe you get 30$ for a regular gba trade in
 
I'd like to add a few comments.

  1. The guide needs to be updated to reflect the Gamecube's $99 price.
  2. I work for Gamestop and we do not "negotiate" on our used system prices. I'm assuming this guide is writen to be used at places like pawn shops, etc.
  3. We also do not allow the potential buyer to hook up the machine in the store to test the disc reading speed, etc. We test the systems to see if they work when we take them in. If they do, we box them up for sale.
  4. Refurbished and Used/Preowned are not the same thing. I've seen some people's comments here that seem to imply that they are. We get refurbished systems from the manfacturer. They still carry the manufacturer's warranty. These are typically systems that have been returned to the manufacturer by retail stores like Wal-mart, Target, etc. They then test them, fix them if needed, repackage them and sell them as refurbished. Used/preowned systems are the ones we take on trade from individuals. The refurbished systems sell for slightly more than a used system.
  5. Gamestop (and I'm pretty sure EB dos this too) offers a Product Replacement Plan that is quite affordable. I think it is $10 or $15 for the price range that a new or used Xbox or PS2 sells for. This is basically a 1 year in-store warranty. If the system goes bad within that year you can simply bring it in to the store and have it replaced. I think it is a good investment when buying a used system. I think it is a good investment for a new system as well, since the manufacturer's warranty is only 90 days.
 
Great guide. With the current generation of DVD based systems, I'm not as fond of buying used, but I definitely don't mind picking up cartridge systems used, regardless of condition. I guess it's akin to servicing older cars...it's easier to get in and tinker with them, clean them, etc. without as much fear of permanently damaging something as sensitive as the DVD lens or mirror.
 
[quote name='"pdb"']GBAs: If it has an Afterburner or other aftermarket backlight installed, walk unless the owner has a recipt showing professional installation. It's not easy to do, but a lot of people have attempted it. Test the shoulder buttons, they're the first to fail.[/quote]

Its easy to do if you have experience with soldering and putting together casing for the electronic components.

If it has an "Afterburner" custom faceplate that means there was NO cutting involved, and generally makes the installtion cleaner and safer.
So if the faceplate says "afterburner" on it DON'T WALK!
Test out the dial, power indicator (that is easy to loose during installation), and just press all the buttons.
keep in mind it can cost about $30 to install an afterburner, because of materials like faceplate.

If its in good condition and clean, buy it, as long as the price is reasonable.
And replacing the screen protector can be a bitch, because you cant touch anything.

DO NOT BUY IT IF IT HAS A PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION!
Professional installers cut up the case instead of using a pre-cut one (resumably to save money), this can cause a nasty trapazoid effect if they did it wrong.
(And what makes them professional if there is no liscense for installing afterburners...)

And you can also ask him to open it and check connection and voltage, but thats not recommended because GBA screens are dust magnets :x

P.S. I'm not flaming or arguing.
 
Nice advice, I used to run DocShock Repairs at www.retrogames.com

While my site was hosted, I had common problems and fixes for 16-32 bit systems. In addition to machines like Sega Nomad/Sega Cd. For most of the 16-32 bit systems its easier just to buy one from a dealer for 30 or less.
A few quick tips for people buying

NES Toploader is a nice option to go with, a little more expensive, but much better built.

Sega Nomad , beware of the breaking the AC power slot on the unit, it is very fragile, similar to the SNES.

Neo-Geo S-video mod is a popular mod that can increases the value of the system if done properly. Test the unit at least an hour to make sure distoration doesnt appear after time.

A very good rule. Most early model systems are generally more buggy, prone to damage etc. Original playstation is a good example. Very prone to having its laser disalign. There are exceptions like the Genesis Model 3, etc. Some newer model systems may lack features or be made of lesser material to cut down on costs.
 
[quote name='RichD1'][quote name='SS4Brolly']Good post. Should become a sticky anytime now.

I personally would NOT buy a used PS2. Paying an extra $100 now is worth more than not being bale to play that special game you just got because the system is bad. Refurbished ones from EB might be the only ones I might go for myself.

Everything else is pretty good though.[/quote]

Unless it's broken, EB just sells the systems as they got them and label 'em refurbed.[/quote]

Note that this is illegal. I would report any store I caught doing this.

You can check to see if a system is refurbed by looking at the serial number. 99.9% of the time, there Will be a mark of some sort indicating a refurb (highlighter, marker, sticker, etc)
 
[quote name='pdb']If the system goes from the initial animation directly to the 'Playstation 2' splash, deduct no money, that's how it should be. If it goes to the browser first, knock off $20, more if it takes more than 10 seconds of sitting at the browser. You're looking at an impending disc read error.
[/quote]

What exactly causes this? Mine does this every once in a while so what can I do to fix it/prevent further damage? I don't have a launch PS2 if that matters.
 
[quote name='rygar'][quote name='pdb']If the system goes from the initial animation directly to the 'Playstation 2' splash, deduct no money, that's how it should be. If it goes to the browser first, knock off $20, more if it takes more than 10 seconds of sitting at the browser. You're looking at an impending disc read error.
[/quote]

What exactly causes this? Mine does this every once in a while so what can I do to fix it/prevent further damage? I don't have a launch PS2 if that matters.[/quote]

just a guess, but presumably it is a misalligned laser mail it to sony and they fix it for free(you pay the ship fees tho)
 
[quote name='dracula']how do you tell what model dvd player you have in an xbox?[/quote]

if it has two holes its a Samsung

if it has a tight oval its a thomson

if it has a wide oval its a phillips
 
You may also want to consider the fact that there are three differnt x-box dvd drives. Samsung being considered the best drive and the Thompson the worst. You can tell its a Samsung drive if there are circles on both sides of the normal circle where the discs circle is. Kind of hard to describe but there are plenty of places on the internet that show you how to tell which drive is which. Samsung drive X-boxs are worth more generally so if you can find one for a decent price snatch it up.
 
[quote name='dracula']casey, the phillips is the most likely to break of the three? thnx casey that is what I was looking for[/quote]

Thompson < Phillips < Samsung
 
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