Buy check: XYBots perfect

Mike Valmike

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Donor 2012, 2014
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Hi,

OK, that XYBots that the seller claims is basically pristine, is available in AZ for $700. This is way more than that equipment is worth in typical condition. However, the mitigating factors are:

1. This game is one of my semi-grails, call it Tier 2, ranking behind TRON, SW, and SF2 (which I own) and 720 and TE 2072 4-player (which I don't). I'd roughly tie it with games like the System 1 stuff, SF Alpha 2, Tetris, the Neo Geo library, the multi-Williamses, etc, some of which I own. I rank it ahead of stuff I totally dig but for which I've had plenty of chances to play through emulation, ports, or what have you: Black Tiger, MK2, Ghouls n Ghosts, anything on the 60-1.
2. This would be a keeper. I wouldn't be planning to resell it.
3. He has had it since at least last October, and refused to budge a penny on the price then. He is refusing now, just the same, but will deliver it if I pay full chop.
4. Honestly, with this game NOT being a classic... how many of these am I likely to find in this condition? I am thinking not too many.

So, opinions? What would you do in my shoes? I'm patient enough to wait if there's a genuine likelihood that I'll be able to get into one of these down the road. I also don't want to let a white elephant slip away if it's not as likely as I seem to think.

Thanks!

EDIT: The photos back up the claimed condition fairly well.
 
If its a game that you love, $700 is a no-brainer in pristine condition. Established values for average condition games really doesn't influence the value of pristine examples. We all know that restoring a game, 9 times out of 10 costs far more than what the finished product is worth.
 
That happens to be a game I am looking for myself in pristine condition. It would be very hard for me to pay $700 for it though. If you won't miss the money then do it I guess but it is really $200 too high in my opinion. Nice ones can be had for $300 when sold by reasonable sellers. Delivery may be worth $50 plus though so take that off the asking price.

Tough call.
 
Here is the ad:

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/ele/3561331189.html

If someone beats me to it, more power to ya. But I'm leaning in favor of pulling the trigger. I do love the game, as craig noted, and I do think I'd be overpaying by at least a hundred or two, as Todd points out. But if I don't plan to flip it for the foreseeable, maybe the value holds on this thing anyway. I don't mind waiting 7 years or whatever for it to be worth the $700, especially if I am getting to play it in the meanwhile.

This is helping a lot, guys. More opinions definitely welcomed.
 
Ok, I assume you are going by pictures that the guy sent you, not those terrible two pictures on craigslist that tell you nothing. I would be wary of relying on this guy's described condition, as he is dumb enough to price a Xybots at $700 firm then he is probably too dumb to properly assess a machine. Just from his ad, something can't be "mint condition" while at the same time having "the usual nicks and dents" etc. It doesn't say that it's HUO, and for that price it better be right out of the freaking box. Edit: also it looks like there are lockbar holes in the front by the lower coin door, so throw out that whole "pristine" thing...

Furthering my position that the seller has no idea about arcade games, the most important part of any Xybots is the joysticks, which are almost always in need of being rebuilt, being super loose and no longer returning to center. This guy doesn't mention the condition of the joysticks at all (which is the first thing anyone wanting to buy a Xybots would inquire about). **Edit: I see he does squeeze in "buttons and joysticks work flawlessly" but I wouldn't take his word on it...

Xybots is a very common machine that you can get for $100 - $200 all day every day. Practically *every* Xybots I have come across has been in good condition with full art in good condition - so paying top dollar for something that is commonly in as good condition is not a good idea.

This guy sounds like a kook, another Xybots will come along, just because it's a grail doesn't mean you have to do something dumb to obtain it.
 
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Hell I'll sell you mine for $600. $650 delivered. Not 100% perfect but still very nice. AND I have 2 more joysticks to go with it. Try and find those!
 

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Hell I'll sell you mine for $600. $650 delivered. Not 100% perfect but still very nice. AND I have 2 more joysticks to go with it. Try and find those!

Sounds like a plan! Great talking to ya, see you tomorrow.
 
Hell I'll sell you mine for $600. $650 delivered. Not 100% perfect but still very nice. AND I have 2 more joysticks to go with it. Try and find those!

Ok I give up

*footsteps*
*door opens*
*door closes*

I do appreciate your input, my apologies for not replying directly and acknowledging. What you said makes sense to me as far as: it seems like this equipment should be cheap and abundant. I haven't seen it, though obviously now that I've pulled the trigger on A buy (not THE buy I came here for, so I'm pleased about that) it stands to reason that I will be offered six more Xybots at <$200 each and I'll feel like a moron for overpaying.

I accept that possibility. :) In all seriousness I'd probably buy at least the first couple of them just to make sure I could combine parts and absolutely optimize my keeper unit.

So yeah, even though it may appear as though I wasn't listening, I was, and I appreciate your perspective.
 
I am a Xybots owner, it was my second game, and I still own it. Maybe some of this will help you out.

The commonly needed joystick rebuild starts with the ring of black rubber that is supposed to impact the micro-switches. On all machines this has turned to a goopy tar-like consistency and is terrible to clean off. You can use a pinball rubber as a replacement. You should also replace the four microswitches on each joystick because it is likey the tar has gummed them up too. Next up is a white plastic auto-centering piece. If you have some of the Atari logo sticks, the part is the same....you will know it when you see it.

Be on the lookout for the original Sharp XM-2001N monitor. It is a pretty big pain in the rear to cap, but if you have time and take it slow, things will come right along.

The game and sound board are very stable and built well. No suicide batteries to worry about.

The game has no ending and can be played forever. On later levels, player shots can hurt the other player, so you can deathmatch in a way.

The joysticks should have a twist to turn sticker on each top.

Glad to hear it will be a keeper for you. Seems to be hard to sell if you need to get rid of it.
 
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I am a Xybots owner, it was my second game, and I still own it. Maybe some of this will help you out.

The commonly needed joystick rebuild starts with the ring of black rubber that is supposed to impact the micro-switches. On all machines this has turned to a goopy tar-like consistency and is terrible to clean off. You can use a pinball rubber as a replacement. You should also replace the four microswitches on each joystick because it is likey the tar has gummed them up too. Next up is a white plastic auto-centering piece. If you have some of the Atari logo sticks, the part is the same....you will know it when you see it.

I appreciate the tip. That was exactly the part that was no good on the unit I just got in this morning. I actually found a workaround that doesn't seem as dependent on specific parts. I just use the microswitches that have the metal tabs coming off them, and thicken the tabs up with some mounting tape. It's slightly squishier than I would like (though not really any different than with the rubber grommet) so I suspect there's a way to make this more precise, like thickening it up by super-gluing on a plastic tab. It ALMOST, but not quite, reaches without any augmentation. I wish it did as that would be the most precise assembly. I'll experiment more when I get some more of those micros in, I actually only had four!! :)

Be on the lookout for the original Sharp XM-2001N monitor. It is a pretty big pain in the rear to cap, but if you have time and take it slow, things will come right along.

The joysticks should have a twist to turn sticker on each top.

I lucked out here: the display is just about perfect. I do need to get that twist sticker, which I'll probably do after Zapcon (to make sure I don't buy it and then just lose it).

Thanks very much!!!
 
Here is the ad:

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/ele/3561331189.html

If someone beats me to it, more power to ya. But I'm leaning in favor of pulling the trigger. I do love the game, as craig noted, and I do think I'd be overpaying by at least a hundred or two, as Todd points out. But if I don't plan to flip it for the foreseeable, maybe the value holds on this thing anyway. I don't mind waiting 7 years or whatever for it to be worth the $700, especially if I am getting to play it in the meanwhile.

This is helping a lot, guys. More opinions definitely welcomed.

If you are never gonna sell it, what difference does it make how much it will be worth in 7 years?

I would imagine that overpaying by $200 won't hurt as much if you don't get it and kick yourself everytime you think about it.

Besides price is relative to who's buying it.

$300 = someone who doesn't really like the game but will part it out.
$400 = someone who likes the game and has room.
$500 = someone who really likes the game.
$600 = someone who really really likes the game and been looking for awhile.
$700 = a grail for someone, even more so in excellent condition.
 
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