What to do with green screen monitor and TV modulator.

[Carnivius]

Think I still have the old green screen monitor and TV modulator somewhere and I'm trying to declutter and save money for a car (driving test is on monday, eeeeep).  Are they actually worth anything to anybody or should I just place them by the bins the next time the garbage men come take the trash away?  Seems a shame to throw away any old vintage computer equipment that still works though.

The green monitor came with my CPC when I got it and it was all I had for years til I bought the modulator off a friend at school but wasn't allowed to use the TV much and then another year later managed to get the colour monitor cheap and that's what I've used ever since.   Although even that I'm starting to wonder about selling to downsize things and maybe plug the CPC into my main TV with one of those newer cables.   I may be doing that with my Amiga too as already connect it to the 14 inch TV via scart cable and might just get rid of that lil TV and use the Amiga on my HDTV.  I have done so a few times and I'm ok with the video output.   I dunno.   Anyways first things first, the green screen and TV modulator.  What to do?   

[Bryce]

The green screen isn't much use. The modulator gave a terrible picture that gave you the feeling you badly needed to get glasses, but it's quite useful as a CPC power supply and it can also be converted to Composite Video output which gives quite a good picture.

Bryce.

[Carnivius]

Hm.  I wouldn't even know how to convert the modulator.

I think those newer cables come with a power supply unit though don't they?

These things I mean AMSTRAD CPC 464 TV CONNECTION KIT - PSU ADAPTER & RGB SCART CABLE | eBay
Are they any good?

[TFM]

Putting to a bin! Shame!


Get them to ebay, modulators make high prices.


And the GT is great for coding!

[Carnivius]

I put them both on eBay a couple years ago but nobody bid.  Maybe cos they had to be collected (well, the monitor does, I can't get that to the post office and the postage would be huge).

[TFM]

Forget collection. Nobody will do. Gas is way more expensive than postage. Check out postage and put that at the ebay auction, that will be ok. I bought more often from the UK and postage was 10 times more than the price. But if you need something you gotta buy right? ;-)

[Carnivius]

Yeah but as I was saying, I cannot get a monitor to the post office to send off.  I don't live close enough to any post office and I can't put a monitor on my bicycle to get it there.   Oh well.  Let's see if I pass my driving test on Monday and then start saving for a car.  I'll be able to do whatever I damn well please when I get a car.


Although I did sell a large lot of model cars a couple months ago and the buyer drove about 60 miles to get here and picked them up.   So some people are willing to travel and collect but yeah it does limit the amount of potential bidders.

[Neil79]

Carnivac when I had my Amstrad CPC 6128 and green screen monitor delivered, it was delivered through Hermes. I think it only came to about £15 or so delivered, but do note though I'd highly recommend packing it securely as Hermes are not the best

[TFM]

Yes right...

[Neil79]

Yes right...

So that's what happened to my Dizzy Collection!

[chinnyhill10]

I don't get why people say "oh I can't get it to the Post Office" so you have to collect. So many people lose out on sales or higher bids that way. Saw a nice ST on Ebay a while back and the idiot seller insisted on collection only. Went for a pittance.


It's 2014. Couriers will collect and often for LESS than Parcel Force/Royal Mail charge from the counter. Additionally many of the big courier companies have drop off points at various shops. The local sweet shop does DHL, the newsagent does Yodel and the Co-Op does My Hermes (nb if you ever use Hermes DOUBLE wrap your items and use the signed for service).


There are even parcel comparison websites where couriers bid against each other for your business!


As for a CPC green screen monitor, I know this is a CPC fan forum but nobody wanted them through choice back in the day. I'd try to sell the modulator on Amibay rather than Ebay.

[Carnivius]

Well the other times I tried to send something large via courier it was a mess and they told me I needed to find a wooden palette (those things warehouses and factories have but I can't simply just obtain) and the cost was so much that nobody wanted to bid on it at all.   And then there was the one with the very weird courier guy who tried to get himself invited in and grabbed my arm.   I don't like these peoples...


And my nearest shop that even deals with couriers is about as far as the post office anyways.

[chinnyhill10]

Well the other times I tried to send something large via courier it was a mess and they told me I needed to find a wooden palette (those things warehouses and factories have but I can't simply just obtain) and the cost was so much that nobody wanted to bid on it at all.   And then there was the one with the very weird courier guy who tried to get himself invited in and grabbed my arm.   I don't like these peoples...


And my nearest shop that even deals with couriers is about as far as the post office anyways.

Goodness me you make it sound hard work. It really isn't!


So far this year I've sent a CD32 to Mexico, A CBM 1541 to Poland and a Sony FM Tuner to Greece. All easy and hassle free (granted the CD32 to Mexico cost the buyer nearly 40 quid but he was happy with that). The most work is the packaging itself, just making sure the items are very well protected. The rest was as simple as filling out a web form and either taking it to a pickup point or waiting for a the courier to turn up at work to collect.


I also regularly deal with consignments of retail DVD's (as you see in shops) 1000 at a time and at no stage was a palette involved and neither did the courier try to grab me. The DVD's come in boxes of 250 which are heavier and bulkier than any computer gear I have.

[Carnivius]

I'm just telling you how it was based on my own experiences that made me very wary of using such services and I've not had great times actually getting things sent to me via courier.  Some were ok, some were broken, some they just let my bastard neighbours take (where I had to find out what happened to it, called the firm and found out it was upstairs despite my neighbour's lies, and I eventually got it back but damn that was not fun).  And yes that firm said it was compulsory that the item was put on a wooden palette by me  (it was dual x-arcade joysticks).  In the end I just had to cancel and put the item as collection only on ebay and it sold but yeah.

[Bryce]

Due to the heaviest part of a GT65 being the tube, I wouldn't send one with the post/courier or anyone else. The chances of it arriving smashed is >50%. Then you just end up with the hassle and expense of refunding etc. It's not worth it for the potential €10 you could sell it for. Sell it for collection only or keep it. I have 2 GT65s here. If anyone wants to collect them, they can have them for free.

Bryce.

[Carnivius]

Yeah, someone here's already asked for it and may be collect when they head this way sometime.  I'm in no rush to get rid of it yet so it can stay in the closet til collected.   I was mainly asking if they were worth anything and that I'd rather they go to someone who might want them than go to the tip.

I might put put the modulator on eBay again since you get 20 free listings a month these days so doesn't cost anything to list it again and again like it used to.  Part of the whole gamble of eBay is hoping the people who might actually want what you're selling are actually looking at that time.

[chinnyhill10]

Due to the heaviest part of a GT65 being the tube, I wouldn't send one with the post/courier or anyone else. The chances of it arriving smashed is >50%. Then you just end up with the hassle and expense of refunding etc. It's not worth it for the potential €10 you could sell it for. Sell it for collection only or keep it. I have 2 GT65s here. If anyone wants to collect them, they can have them for free.

Bryce.

You never had a CRT delivered by courier then? Gosh, you lot make me feel old!

[Bryce]

I did (a 1084). It arrived with lots of glass rolling around inside. I also had an oscilloscope arrive with the tube neck broken, never chanced it again after that.

Bryce.

[chinnyhill10]

Clearly didn't pack it properly then.

[MaV]

I've never had any problems with delivery of CRTs. The two instances where something was broken was due to bad packaging:

One time a key broke off because the seller packaged the keyboard with the keys showing outside and stuffed it at the edge of the box. Fortunately that was easy to fix.
Another time the edge of a PCB broke off. Again proper placement and packaging might have avoided that problem.

Either it's assholes at your local delivery service that are to blame, or you've had a streak of bad luck, Bryce.

[Bryce]

Probably a bit of both. The oscilloscope was packed well enough that you could have drop-kicked it across Europe, yet they still managed to damage it. Luckily I found a replacement tube for it and could get it back working (and it's still in use) .

Bryce.

[MaV]

I've read that some workers at delivery services are said to handle packages which are marked to be breakable even more roughly on purpose. But surely such individuals get booted quickly.

Luckily I found a replacement tube for it and could get it back working (and it's still in use) .

Hehe. That's our Bryce: a major problem becomes a minor nuisance within the blink of an eye.

[TFM]

Now the TFM will foresee the future for you...


It's the year of 2018: People pay a small fortune for a GT65.


Now it's 2025: People would pay a big fortune for a GT65, but they are not any longer to get.






Now, which decision would be smart?
(BTW: I saw a TV modulator on ebay for over 400 bucks sold!)

[Carnivius]

(BTW: I saw a TV modulator on ebay for over 400 bucks sold!)

really?  If that's the case then mine's going on eBay in the morning.

[TFM]

Germans sometimes pay crazy prices ;-)