#19314 - SimonB - Sat Apr 17, 2004 1:27 am
I have been thinking about if it would be a good idea to buy some flash kits (20+) straight from the manufacturers and then sell to users on this board and other developers for prices far below what they would have to pay at "real" online stores.
I have done rough calculations on prices for popular 256mbit flash kit
sets such as the EFA and EZFA:
EFA:
gbadev: ~80$+10$ for world-wide airmail shipping
success-hk: ~108$+20$ for world-wide airmail shipping
mwelectronics: 95$+20$ for world-wide EMS shipping
EZFA:
gbadev: ~80$+10$ for world-wide airmail shipping
jandaman: 100$+??$ for world-wide airmail shipping
mwelectronics: 100$+20$ for world-wide EMS shipping
ElectricBirdLand: ~150$+11.50$ for world-wide Recorded shipping
Please let me know if there is any interest in this as I wouldnt mind
having a go at it.
Simon
#19334 - jma - Sat Apr 17, 2004 5:38 pm
Simon,
I definitely wouldn't mind doing this. However, I would ask that lots of things be considered as well: warranties? returns? doesn't work? etc. Would you be testing the units as you got them and you handle the return if they didn't work? or would each person be able to return them to the original manufacturer? The idea is good, and I certainly buy one, just being devil's advocate here...
Jeff
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http://www.retrobyte.org
#19335 - SimonB - Sat Apr 17, 2004 6:21 pm
jma:
warranties: I would make sure warranty is given to match "real" gba flash retailers at the very least. If the kit is faulty and you live in Europe you could return it to me and if you live in the US I should be able to get a friend to accept returns to help lower the costs for the "customer".
EFA units are "sealed" but at the request of the "customer" I would have no problem testing his/her cartridge.
Im sure it would be possible to get better discounts on smaller flash kits such as 64mbit and 128mbit kits as "non-developers" tend to buy the latest and biggest flash sets...
Thanks for the reply. keep them comming =)
#19337 - abilyk - Sat Apr 17, 2004 6:32 pm
Simon,
Though I have enough carts to suit my needs now, later on I will need to buy more for game testing purposes. For anyone starting up a small studio, one linker and multiple small carts seems to be the most cost efficient option. I'd recommend offering single 64mb carts as well as the kits if that's feasible.
#19411 - Cearn - Mon Apr 19, 2004 2:47 pm
Getting a flash kit for ~20$ less then via the usual channels with the option of having it tested by someone who knows what he's doing (so that when total noobs to flash-kits like myself can't get it to work, we can be sure it's our own fault), hmmmm...
Oh, yes plz. That would be very nice.
#19413 - ecurtz - Mon Apr 19, 2004 4:15 pm
I think abilyk has a good point about cart sizes. It might make more sense from a developer vs. pirate sense as well. 64Mb kits are probably big enough for anybody doing development, but are less attractive to those who are pirating games. I doubt any of us are writing games that need a sunlight sensor or a realtime clock either...
#19414 - ScottLininger - Mon Apr 19, 2004 4:20 pm
I'd buy a few if you were able to get this worked out.
Scott
#19429 - zazery - Mon Apr 19, 2004 11:33 pm
I think that it's a great idea. I would also suggest 64M carts however I personally would use 128 because that's the largest size cart used for comercial games to my knowledge. But I think 64M is suitable for gbadev.org members. Well if this works out I'll probably buy another one so I can try making some multiplayer games.
#19430 - SimonB - Mon Apr 19, 2004 11:35 pm
of course...20$ less than regular retailers was for 256mbit kits. Havent compared prices for 128mbit ones and the only 64mbit flash carts that are still sold are the flash2advance carts and they are quite cheap as it is. Ill look into it and see what I can come up with
Si
#20122 - Fatnickc - Sun May 02, 2004 5:48 pm
Please, Please, Please do this!
I need one of them, and live in the uk. please do it! also, could you lot reading this please answer my question(s) at this address: http://forum.gbadev.org/viewtopic.php?t=3335
#20248 - bahnhof - Wed May 05, 2004 4:27 pm
It's a very nice initiative, I might buy another one :)
#20653 - BeeWarloc - Fri May 14, 2004 11:09 am
For $90 including shipping I'll buy one too..
Just bought a X-rom and shipping was $37, since I live in norway..
Cheers
#21010 - Fatnickc - Fri May 21, 2004 3:44 pm
Simon, any news on if you can do it? I would really appreciate a new one that isn't to expensive!