Where to buy laserdisc players (1 Viewer)

[BrianMu]

I am wanting to buy a laserdisc player and am wondering what type of local places I can look in addition to the internet. I'm not fond of having one shipped (I have heard stories where the players didn't take to shipping very well regardless of packing - since it would not be the original box) and the costs add up for shipping as well. Who here has recently purchased a used laserdisc player without going through the internet and how did you find it? Are there typically businesses that would sell a used LD player? Should I look into flea markets? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Brian

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I like the classifieds and pawn shops and thrift stores. You can easily save 50% or more off eBay by going this route.

 

[BrianMu]

Thrift Stores? Really? Like Goodwill, St. Vincent's, etc.?

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Well, I have found LD players at thrift stores. Usually very old ones, usually without digital audio capability. I haven't actually bought one at a thrift.

But pawn shops and classifieds have better players.

 

[Sean Dayton]

Really good deals can be found by going to the Pioneer website and finding your local authorized repair shops and call them. They some times have players for sale that where repaired and the owner did not have the cash to cover the repair bill.

 

[BrianMu]

Well, I just called the only Pioneer laserdisc service center in Cincinnati and they said that they rarely, if ever get used laserdisc players in for sale. So much for that possibility...

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I'll give away one of my big secrets. I do have a couple of other other big secrets, that I'm not giving away.
Search the online classifieds at http://www.bargaintraderonline.com/adsearch.html
laserdisc
laser+disc
laserdisk
laser+disk
Do that every day for a few weeks and I guarantee you will find a decent player near you. And don't be afraid to haggle.
I wouldn't recommend having players found this way shipped, there are definitely a lot of people who do not give accurate assessments of equipment condition (and who don't know how to pack anything well).

 

[Rachael B]

I'd check local hi-end dealers for players in on consignment. Good luck!

 

[Ralph Bru]

whats with people saying LD dont take shipping very well ?

doesnt make much sense as they had to get to the stores somehow.

 

[BrianMu]

Ralph,

I'm assuming that's because most that you find on eBay, etc. don't have the original boxes, forcing the sellers to come up with their own packing method which is most likely inferior to the original box and custom molded styrofoam, etc.

Brian

 

[greg_t]

For those who are leary of ebay, I've never yet had a bad experience with it. I've bought two lD players off of ebay. Both came with the original box, remote and manuals. Both arrived in great working condition. The key is to review the sellers feedback, email the seller with questions, and you may even send emails to people who have bought from the seller and see if they were satisfied.

 

[Phil A]

E-Bay is filled with nightmare stories. My experiences are not all the worst. I would personally avoid it. I have gotten a LD player from someone with good feedback that was not in condition advertised nor covered by insurance (due to the determination by UPS of insufficient packaging) even though it was adverised as being insured. I have several people I know who have had similar experiences of a much worse degree, including stuff with the original packaging from people with good feedback. Every one of my friends into audio who has used it has had similar problems and they used it long before me and told me to avoid it and I of course ignored it until I realized they were right. E-Bay's response when I gave them the facts was that I should file mail fraud charges and that was the end of it. The news the other day indicated people are buying ATMs and card scanning devices via E-Bay used to commit theft of peoples bank accounts. Someone I know lost $1,200 to this type of scam. My personal choice would not be to support a business whose model is based on taking fees and washing their hands of documented criminal offenses with little or no effort. The problem with E-Bay is just that they don't sufficiently police their site. If someone has 100 positives and rips off another for something, E-Bay's goal is just to keep the fees coming in plain and simple. I have also in the past bought a LD player from E-Bay not in the original packaging that came in fine. One does not look at those issues or ask around until there is a problem. So E-Bay is fine, unless there is a problem, kind of like a very sleezy HMO in my opinion - take the money and when there is a need for something to be done avoid it at all costs.

 

[Ralph Bru]

I have had well over 100 transactions including electronic equipment on ebay and never a problem. I just bought a LD player on ebay from a guy with a no blemish record. everyone states he packs excellent and he has the people skills to put trust in him. he says gaurantees against DOA for any reason and promised to pack it so it doesnt arrive as he doesnt like problems to arise after the auction. plus I only spent $50 and got 6 LD too so im not worried if I do lose. $50 is a trip to the movies and eating out after. I wont lose sleep over $50

just got to be careful how much you spend and who you buy from. the deals are there without spending alot you just gota work hard at finding them & winning them.

I have seen some great deals as of late on ebay on Pioneer LD players with 10 or more LD's.

 

[Steven Simon]

A good person to ask this question is our HTF Admin. Gregg Loewen. He may have a few......

 

[Keith Paynter]

If you have a Cash Converters store in your area, I would suggest you check them out. Before our local one pulled up stakes, you could count on seeing at least 2 or three in the store at any time.

 

[Phil A]

E-Bay will be fine for 95% of transaction as long as you know when there is a problem on the 5% you are on your own. The only policing they generally do is for people who they see are trying to get around their fee structure. I bought some region zero DVD from someone on E-Bay in Taiwan who sent me an E-Mail even though I was not the high bidder. I subsequently bought several more from his website and noticed that he was canned by E-Bay and he was a great person to deal with. Evidently someone told E-Bay about his E-Mails and they did not like the fact that there fee structure was at stake and that is the type of policing they do, not for the problems of transactions between parties with the rarest of exception. I know for a fact from my former days in the online industry with a major provider that the law enforcement authorities work closely with many cos. to try to prevent internet fraud and they are very concerned with sites that skirt the spirit of the laws but with online gambling, porn and Sept. 11, they have bigger fish to fry. E-Bay from what I understand, has many complaints that end up going to the deparartments of consumer affairs in many states and take up stacks of drawers and since E-Bay's contract or fee collection is with the seller, they can't do much. A private sale is best for this type of item as noted above. I actually have a Pioneer 406 that I could sell, but don't have the packing material/original box and prefer not to ship it (I hate shipping anyway - I have to pack my 47 lb. Proceed BPA 2 I just sold to NY this weekend).

 

[BrianMu]

Aside from the debate over whether or whether or not eBay us evil, does anybody have any other suggestions as to where I might find a LD player locally? I've tried all of the suggestions so far (high-end dealers, online classifieds, newspaper classifieds, pawn shops, thrift shops, flea markets, repair shops, etc.) and have come up empty handed (one high end dealer offered to order me a Pioneer 919 LD/DVD combo player for $1200 - what a deal!!). I can't believe a city the size of Cincinnati doesn't have a single used LD player! Am I missing something, or is Cincinnati just LD player deprived?

Brian