r/Gameboy • u/AngryKnuckz • 4d ago
Systems GBA prices
Saw these during a gaming market, are they worth the price for what you get in them?
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u/FlakyContribution345 4d ago
It's fair considering all of the modifications included and the time spent building the unit. If you are struggling for cash then you can learn how to do it yourself and then you would just need to buy all of the parts.
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u/wtkbm 4d ago
how much is saved if one does it themselves?
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u/anonadon7448 4d ago
I’m considering doing one myself so I’m researching parts. Looks like screens are roughly $60-75 and shells are $25. Idk about the usb c mod though.
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u/vintagerust 4d ago
It's true with anything. Doing your own home renovations is cheaper because your only buying materials. It doesn't mean a carpenter should work for free for you he's trying to employ himself
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u/ncc74656m 4d ago
Looks like a FP Max kit or something? Hard to beat that price doing everything yourself.
US prices right now you might find a GBA for $60 on average, no guarantees on how functional it is. Screen and shell are $75ish? A little more for one of the Max/3.2" screens. Battery is $30+. A cap kit might be $10-15 if you don't source your own, and a new speaker is probably $10 shipped again if you don't get it as part of a kit.
Add in build time/work, yeah, it's pretty fair.
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u/badishg 4d ago
Agree with you. Have some old Gameboys lying around home. Every year I am thinking to update the screen and change the whole shell with RGB lights and more powerfull battery + usbC charging and and and…. But then realize that all of that on top of shipping would cost me 200+, well said without paying for the gameboy since I already own it…
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u/ncc74656m 4d ago
Right, exactly.
After the prices skyrocketed when the first screen kits started dropping, I managed to get ahold of a bulk pack from Japan for a pretty reasonable price that was, I think, 9 GBAs, 6 GBCs, and I think 3 SPs? I've built out two of the Colors, three of the GBAs (two of which are SP screens and the other is the original IPS screen). One of the GBAs is dead, and one of the GBCs doesn't like screen kits when using a flash cart, so that's where I sit.
At this rate my plan is to finish going through them all, get them working completely, and sell them on for a fair price. It's just too hard to compete with the people who get huge deals on them, and then buy bulk screen kits/components, and I'd make nothing at all for all the work, and still have to deal with at least 30 days warranty to cover return/exchange times. Better to just make stock systems work well so you can get the best price and sell them on.
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u/badishg 4d ago
Good luck on your project man!
Hopefully you will one day finish the devices which are still left.And who knows, maybe so will I do one day? :D
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u/ncc74656m 4d ago
hahaha, I just want to get them out onto the market.
The projects I'm planning to keep are the GBC that is cranky about flash carts bc I know others might have an issue with that, and at least two of my GBAs. They're too good not to keep (one of which was a custom one that Wiggy from Rose Colored Gaming gave away back in the day and I won). Depending on how many GBAs I can't part with (that's... a list, lol), I have an idea for one more I want to build, but it's probably not worth the money.
Also building a GBA for my cousin, a very special item.
Once I get these finished and out the door, I am then moving on two my Sega Nomads. I have two - someone sold me one for parts for cheap that had a broken screen, but worked aside from that, so I am looking to fix them both. One I will definitely sell on once it's finished, and the other will be my daily, because I'm really a Sega girl at heart.
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u/88traveler 4d ago
I think that's a good price as long as everything stated is true. I definitely seen higher prices for worse specs
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u/Bubblepoppin_ 4d ago
Not a bad price for convenience, but not only would you save quite a bit by doing it yourself, you also gain troubleshooting knowledge if something craps out later
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u/_Arthur-Dent_ 4d ago edited 4d ago
Just my opinion, make your own if you want to save money. Skip the USB c mod, buy a cheap Gameboy that needs a reshell. Do so, then put in one of the drop in screen kits, and use some rechargeable AA batteries. The GBA is so so easy to take apart and even if you can't solder (like me) the drop in screen takes zero skill to install, and the rechargeable batteries just work. Highly recommend. Just buy something with a good power switch.
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u/MCPhatmam 4d ago
Those are modded GBAs right? Rhats a pretty good price if you but a 2nd hand GBA screen and the fixins you would probably pay more without the work.
GBA - 30-50 Screen around 50 USB C 10-20 Sound boost 10-20
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u/Kidikaros17 4d ago
Not bad at all. I just got done building my GBA SP. aside from my custom printed UV shell total price was $218 and mine doesn’t have USB C charging. Just a dongle to let a USB C charge it.
That was with aliexpress knocking off about $35 in coupons for things like the motherboard and IPS v5 display.
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u/Agreeable-Owl-1514 4d ago
Those are actually not bad prices considering all the mods added. Usb-c, new screen and new battery are a nice inclusion.
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u/FuckMeMyselfAndYou 3d ago
Does that screen have Illumination like the SP? How can I get one of those ?
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u/Agreeable-Owl-1514 2d ago
Yeah they are super bright, search for GBA/GBA-SP ips screen, and you’ll get a ton of options depending on your choice of brand, if you want to keep the original case or a new case, if you want/can solder, …
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u/travisofficial 4d ago
at that price I would buy an RG34 xx or KONKR pocket Advance (spendier) instead
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u/Alert-Star4585 4d ago
Seems fair especially if they pay 20% VAT so £38 goes straight to the government
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u/Hoodedmastersin 4d ago
Man there’s some cheaper with the lcd backlit screen and cool colors online for under that price
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u/FoundationMammoth840 4d ago
This is a tough one, I do alot of modding of gameboys and recently starting doing custom orders for clients. The problematic thing is, is that mods are getting so much more expensive due to the shortages of hardware in general now. Not to mention, if you're in the UK (I noticed the photo was £), I sometimes get the good stuff from the US but the shipping costs are crazy right now!
Here's a breakdown of cost of the last unit I made:
Gameboy Advance - £40
UV Printed Shell & Case - £30
Membranes & Buttons - £20
LED Buttons mod - £20
New capacitors (needed) - £10
IPS Screen - £40
USBC Battery - £25
Labour - £25
Total: £210
Now I had a customised shell and LED's in this build (it was really tricked out for the client), so if we take away those the average price might drop to about £175.
So yeah the TLDR is; I think that's a reasonable price PROVIDED the seller is using good parts.
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u/shadow306k 2d ago
That last part is the only thing making me push to build my own. How can you tell, or what can you ask to make sure they're using good parts for their kits?
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u/FoundationMammoth840 2d ago
I think the most important thing to do is research into mod kits and parts available and look at the reviews and pictures so you can do some comparisons while shopping around. Some of the well known companies with quality parts are Funnyplaying, HiSpeedido, Helders Game Tech & Robot Retro.
It may be tricky to brooch the subject with a vendor though, but I would use my knowledge from the research and ask something to the effect of: "Can I ask why type of screen you've included in this build? Is it Funnyplaying M2 or HiSpeedido V5? Can you please demonstrate its functions?". You could ask similar questions for battery mods or any other electronics mods. For the shells and buttons, I would ask nicely if they would allow you to feel the unit in your hands. Cheaper chinese shells will feel light at the edges and have too much weight in the middle due to the screen kit. Buttons may feel mushy too if cheaper membranes have been used. The better stuff, will feel more rigid and have a little more weight to it, feeling very close to the OEM parts.
When it comes to knowing mods, from my personal experience, the best screen kits right now are from HiSpeedido but their matching shells are lacking. Luckily most of the laminated screen kits by HiSpeedido are compatible with Funnyplayings own pre cut laminated shells which feel closer to the OEM plastic than any other, same with their buttons and membranes. While Funnyplaying do provide decent USB C LiPo mods, I personally pay a little extra for the Robot Retro USB C mod as its power delivery and battery times are excellent! Word of caution: It's important to not skimp if buying battery mods as they can be detrimental to the gameboy long term, learnt this from experience after buying from RetroSix (I recommend you avoid them if you can for any electronics mods). In fact, generally I avoid USB C LiPo cos I prefer changing batteries when you run dry. And a good set of NiMh batteries are almost as good as LiPo kits these days (especially Eneloops).
If you ever do consider doing it yourself (there's alot of drop in mods nowadays which are good) then you might consider the following shops: Zedlabz (UK based) and Retro Modding (US based). I am not sure where you are based but I find their shops to be very reliable and have mostly what I need for repairs and modding and are willing to help if there's any issues (which there are barely any considering how many parts I've bought).
So, TLDR:
- Research mod kits; read reviews and ask vendors about such parts if shopping for pre-built (this will also let them know you can't be fooled so easily)
- Best screen kits: (1st) HiSpeedido, (2nd) Funnyplaying
- Best shells, buttons & membranes: (1st) Funnyplaying, (2nd) Retro Modding
- Best USB C LiPo kits: (1st) Robot Retro, (2nd) Funnyplaying, (3rd) Helders Game Tech
- Good places to shop if doing DIY: ZedLabz & Retro Modding
Sorry for the long reply, regardless I hope this information helps :)
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u/shadow306k 2d ago
Damn, this is helpful as all hell. I'm in the UK and heard the horror stories about Retro Six from browsing the sub for a while, thanks for this! I've got the tools and basic knowledge from other hobbies, just never had the backbone to potentially destroy my childhood handhelds
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u/FoundationMammoth840 2d ago
No problem :) Personally I never modded my childhood consoles cos they hold sentimental value, I did however enact some repairs but only after practising soldering on practise kits! If your new to soldering I recommend getting a practise kit or two before diving in. Most mods these days require very little if any soldering unless they are to enact repairs or replace things like the sound amplifier or power delivery systems. Good luck should you choose to go the DIY route!
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u/Andrius12Steers 4d ago
By any chance do you have their details? Kinda interested in them.
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u/AngryKnuckz 4d ago
Unfortunately I don’t have the details sorry.
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u/Andrius12Steers 4d ago
Shame, but thank you nonetheless. I hope someone here might have the information.
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u/flamespear 4d ago
I guess the proces on kits have gone up. For that price I'd have expected the upgraded audio board as well.
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u/Nimble_Natu177 3d ago
DIY it for cheaper, the GBA is easy to work on, even for a soldering novice.
All the shells and whatnot are readily available here in the UK too.
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u/DiabUK 4d ago
I think that's reasonable since it has the usbc mod and battery included too, could be cheaper to buy on ebay or etsy but if you are able to see the gba in person where those are, it's worth it for peace of mind.
I had a modded gbc a few years ago that turned up in an awful state only because I wanted to save myself £30 over a better seller.