Should i move to Europe to acquire a ZX81?

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Crayon21
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Should i move to Europe to acquire a ZX81?

Post by Crayon21 »

I've always been fascinated by the Zx80 and 81 and was wondering if I should move to Europe to acquire one, seeing as the prices on Ebay over here are overblown ($500 last I checked for a complete set). anyway, is it cheaper across the pond? do they still make them?

and seeing as US/UK exchange rates are confusing for me, please include a proper conversion for US dollars in your reply.

thanks :P
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1024MAK
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Re: Should i move to Europe to acquire a ZX81?

Post by 1024MAK »

The ZX81 for sale in this thread is priced at £30.95 (plus postage). Using the exchange rate that Google uses gives a price of $40.11 USD (not including postage).

Typical prices are around £20 to £40 for ZX81’s that are ‘untested’.

Here is a link to eBay.co.uk showing actual selling prices. As you can see, they range from £16 to £126 (not including postage). That’s from $20.75 to $163.34 (not including postage).

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Enigmachine
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Re: Should i move to Europe to acquire a ZX81?

Post by Enigmachine »

I've bought 2 Timex-Sinclair 1000's recently on ebay.ca for 40 CAD on average (30 USD) including shipping (doorstop only, no power supply). It's probably much cheaper than moving to Europe. And you don't have to pick a country to move to. :)
desiv
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Re: Should i move to Europe to acquire a ZX81?

Post by desiv »

ZX81's aren't too bad, if you are patient.
I got a pair off of Craigslist for $50 with some extra stuff (printers/16k pack) included.
They are out there... There are some decent ones on e-bay from time to time as well.
And don't forget to include the Timex Sinclair 1000 in your search. A ZX81 with 2k RAM.
There is also the Timex Sinclair 1500, which is a ZX81 with a Spectrum-like case/keyboard and 16k included, but it tends to be more expensive when I have seen them.

Now, the ZX80, that's a different story. The only ones I've see in the US have been 3 digits in cost.

Also, be prepared to do some work on them to get them working/happy.
There is probably a likelihood the keyboard will need to be repaired/replaced (you can get new replacements!!).
You will possibly/likely want to mod it for composite output if you intend to use it much.

However, if you get a good deal from the UK, having one from there would be neat also...

That said, fun machines! Worth it... :D
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gammaray
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Re: Should i move to Europe to acquire a ZX81?

Post by gammaray »

I was lucky enough to get a UK version from Sheelagh for just shipping (thanks from my TS1000 heart!) :D

And also got a US version with a TS2068 purchase (needs video work...the TS2068 not the ZX81)

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Re: Should i move to Europe to acquire a ZX81?

Post by Lardo Boffin »

1024MAK wrote: Wed Nov 14, 2018 10:24 am The ZX81 for sale in this thread is priced at £30.95 (plus postage). Using the exchange rate that Google uses gives a price of $40.11 USD (not including postage).

Mark
I am happy to get a postage quote for p&p on the linked zeddy if you are interested. It is a nice one with the famous maths bug. Funny how not quite working properly actually makes something more valuable.

Edit - sorry this was also advertised elsewhere as no one was interested after a few weeks and just sold.
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