Is there any money to be made in refurbing consoles? Mostly to support my hobby.

[SuperSonic]

Been buying console/game lots and refurbishing the system keeping the games selling the system. Now I am looking at buying some lots of systems to refurb and sell. Most of them come with no av or power supplies. Mostly I am just curious if any of you are currently refurbishing and reselling. If you have any tips.

I am also somewhat concerned that after I polish the connector pins the person who buys it has problems a month later. Probably from using dirty carts but still.

[needler420]

A lot of people restore consoles to resell. It's getting more and more competitive. Everyday I see on craigslist new people getting into console repairs and mod services.

I don't depend on it as a main source of income but it helps with growing my collection.

[SuperSonic]

A lot of people restore consoles to resell. It's getting more and more competitive. Everyday I see on craigslist new people getting into console repairs and mod services.

I don't depend on it as a main source of income but it helps with growing my collection.

Do you only buy a console if it comes with a lot of games you want?

[needler420]

Do you only buy a console if it comes with a lot of games you want?

No. It also depends on the price.

Just last week I got a N64 with just a power cord for $6 bucks. The reset button was jammed down but I fixed it in like two minutes.


I don't try to sell until I accumulate a lot. IMO it's not worth the effort trying to sell a few things at a time for a nickel and dime profit.

Just have to decide on what is and isn't worth it for you good luck.

[JakeM]

Itd be all about how much time and money you spend on each console and who youre able to sell it to. Id say you should seek out people who need repairs for their systems and have a good rate in mind already when they ask how much itll be, and see how much time their project would use up, then negotiate. Treat it like a business that maybe you could become a real pro at, never know right?

Maybe you should ask Luke Morse how much he charges for stuff or check out his channel? Hes just a repairer I like to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/user/lukemorse1

[SuperSonic]

Itd be all about how much time and money you spend on each console and who youre able to sell it to. Id say you should seek out people who need repairs for their systems and have a good rate in mind already when they ask how much itll be, and see how much time their project would use up, then negotiate. Treat it like a business that maybe you could become a real pro at, never know right?

Maybe you should ask Luke Morse how much he charges for stuff or check out his channel? Hes just a repairer I like to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/user/lukemorse1

I have watched that guys channel before he is really cool. He lives in japan too. There is this other guys channel I watch he is Australian I believe. Not sure how some of these guys find these deals but he bought two broken AES systems for 20 dollars and repaired them for pretty much nothing. This was off of ebay too.. I never find broken ebay stuff for that cheap. Another thing he was doing was picking up broken 3ds repairing them and trading them for store credit at gamestop lol.

Wow never mind I just won a lot of SNES Mini and SNES regular for 30 dollars shipped.. Thats a pretty good deal Id say if its a quick fix. The mini should net me 60 and prob a quick 45 for the SNES.

[Polygon]

If you're simply talking about repair and refurbishing old consoles, then I'd say no. Using Luke as an example, he has a day job and doesn't fix these things for a living, just a hobby.

[SuperSonic]

If you're simply talking about repair and refurbishing old consoles, then I'd say no. Using Luke as an example, he has a day job and doesn't fix these things for a living, just a hobby.

And I am guessing the money from current gen repair is going to shrink due to the fact the next gen is coming out in like 5 months.

[otaku]

I should get back into this as well, actually I never really did consoles unless selling my own but I did find hard to find and import games for people to make some money when the economy did well that and selling the games when done with them helped me afford to play things I otherwise couldn't have but sadly I've never done well enough to actually keep collections. Around here in cali there are many people who will buy and restore lets say 50 xboxes and then sell them I don't have the knowledge yet or I might try it

[wiggyx]

No. It also depends on the price.

Just last week I got a N64 with just a power cord for $6 bucks. The reset button was jammed down but I fixed it in like two minutes.

I recently got a N64 from a flea market for $6 dollars with the power cord. The reset button was jammed down and I didn't realize it in till driving home.

It took me like twenty minutes to get a cast good enough to take out the first 2 screws then my cast got messed up. I made another cast which came out much better and got the remaining four security bits out in about five to ten minutes.

.....

[SuperSonic]

.....

I just drill them out O.o if the security bit doesn't work.

[needler420]

I just drill them out O.o

That remark was directed at me. He likes to call me out every time I'm wrong. So I said it took twenty minutes the first time and mistakenly said two minutes in this post. It was more around 30 minutes to fully fix the console.

[ApolloBoy]

I just drill them out O.o if the security bit doesn't work.

Drilling them out is one of the worst things you can do. Why not just spend a few bucks on proper security bits?

[SuperSonic]

Drilling them out is one of the worst things you can do. Why not just spend a few bucks on proper security bits?

I have proper bits.. Sometimes the screws rust out or have been stripped by someone trying to open it without a bit.

[sloan]

Unless you have an endless source for $5-$10 consoles, this is not the business for you. The margins just are too nominal to make it worth the while. For instance, if you have to drive all over to thrifts and fleas looking for old consoles, then you have lots in gas and vehicle expenses. I have thought about this business, and without a store front in a busy shopping district, you will have no viable means of keeping the money supply replenished. As has already been said, if you are looking for some extra spending cash, then maybe, but do not quit your day job.

[SuperSonic]

Unless you have an endless source for $5-$10 consoles, this is not the business for you. The margins just are too nominal to make it worth the while. For instance, if you have to drive all over to thrifts and fleas looking for old consoles, then you have lots in gas and vehicle expenses. I have thought about this business, and without a store front in a busy shopping district, you will have no viable means of keeping the money supply replenished. As has already been said, if you are looking for some extra spending cash, then maybe, but do not quit your day job.

I agree. The thing is with a store front no one wants to pay 60 bucks for a NES which is what they seem to sell for at retro stores. Ebay lots usually don't have NESs cheaper than 20 dollars each for parts but if you simply have to clean them to get them working again. Sell them for 40 isn't bad. Guess you would have to refurb a ton to be able to live tho lol

[wiggyx]

Unless you have an endless source for $5-$10 consoles, this is not the business for you. The margins just are too nominal to make it worth the while. For instance, if you have to drive all over to thrifts and fleas looking for old consoles, then you have lots in gas and vehicle expenses. I have thought about this business, and without a store front in a busy shopping district, you will have no viable means of keeping the money supply replenished. As has already been said, if you are looking for some extra spending cash, then maybe, but do not quit your day job.

There are a LOT of ebay sellers that sell large lots of broken consoles. To be honest, that's where I get a LARGE chunk of the GBAs that I restore and modify.

[SuperSonic]

There are a LOT of ebay sellers that sell large lots of broken consoles. To be honest, that's where I get a LARGE chunk of the GBAs that I restore and modify.

I think about buying lots like this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPER-NINTEN...item4173f28b6c


Or bigger that is cheaper per unit but I notice a good portion of them are from used game stores. Makes me think they already tried the quick fixes and are just passing the big problems onto you. At the same time I hear game stores will buy consoles that don't look good enough to sell in store and ebay them for some money.

[wiggyx]

I think about buying lots like this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPER-NINTEN...item4173f28b6c


Or bigger that is cheaper per unit but I notice a good portion of them are from used game stores. Makes me think they already tried the quick fixes and are just passing the big problems onto you. At the same time I hear game stores will buy consoles that don't look good enough to sell in store and ebay them for some money.

Yes, your suspicions are totally warranted.

I typically buy from Japan and have far more luck with "broken" units simply being dirty or just needing a little TLC here and there. Of course US and JP GBAs are identical, so it doesn't matter at all that I'm buying JP units. You've got a different set of concerns with the SNES and SFC :/

This lot came about a week ago, and there are only about 2-3 (of 50) that will end up in the scrap parts bin. The rest are completely salvageable.

[SuperSonic]

Yes, your suspicions are totally warranted.

I typically buy from Japan and have far more luck with "broken" units simply being dirty or just needing a little TLC here and there. Of course US and JP GBAs are identical, so it doesn't matter at all that I'm buying JP units. You've got a different set of concerns with the SNES and SFC :/

This lot came about a week ago, and there are only about 2-3 (of 50) that will end up in the scrap parts bin. The rest are completely salvageable.

The biggest problem with the with the SNES/SFC is the pins being wore out. The replacement part is 20 dollars so by the time you pay 10-20 dollars for the SNES and 20 dollars for the part its not even worth it.