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Right now it all seems that patience is the key. Thus I would be very glad if someone in this community could help me acquire my first PVM.
It definitely takes some time to find the right deal.

Where-abouts are you located?
 
It's so cool to read about all your responses. I feel a little intimidated by the plethora of monitors a lot of you guys own. Right now it all seems that patience is the key. Thus I would be very glad if someone in this community could help me acquire my first PVM.
Patience is key but so is diligence. I have about 30 or so daily ebay email (saved search) notifications, as well as about 30 or saved Craigslist searches, and even book marked searches on YAJ that I manually check every day.

It might be 6 months or even 2 years before an item I'm looking for pops up for sale, the key is to be there when it happens and be ready to buy it.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you really want these things you can always get it by spending more money. There are a handful of PVM listings running right now where you could have it in your hands within a week if you're willing to pay $1500+ for it. If you're patient and diligent you might find one under $300 within the next 6-months to a year... There's a trade off, how much cash are you willing to spend vs how much time are you willing to spend.

With specific items you can also try to be more pro-active. These monitors were used in TV and Movie studios/Broadcast locations. Call local TV stations or schools with a broadcast program see if they have any kicking around that they'd want to get rid of. Buying these from broadcasters who no longer want them you'll probably get them very cheap because to them they're likely worthless and just taking up useful space... buying these from video game enthusiasts means you'll be paying a lot more because they know what they're worth to other enthusiasts and how difficult they can be to find.

I don't think anyone can do much to help you without knowing where you're located though.
 
I learned something new today.. I did not know about the Craiglist or eBay email save notifications staff.. I have been doing things the wrong way:)
 
CL notifications are how I snagged my first PVM after over a year of waiting. I went to pick it up the same day and the guy said that he already had three other people email him about it. Whatever you do, throw down and don't make offers. Just say that you'll buy it in cash and come pick it up ASAP. Take off work if you have to! :D

My 2030 was from an eBay search set to within 500 miles. The seller had it listed for $200 in a horribly made auction, so I messaged him with a cash offer and I said that I'd come pick it up immediately. I drove to Chicago and made a day of it. I'm not suggesting to go around low-balling sellers to get your PVM, but if something has sat for a while you know they'll be willing to haggle. Regular people despise CRTs, so you know they just want them gone in the back of their mind.

CL notifications can be fun because you just set a bunch and forget about them. I have so many that every few months something comes up and I'm usually the first to contact the seller, sometimes within an hour of their post.
 
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Thank you so much! These have been great ideas. Sharing information is the power of our community and the key to success. I always think of the teaching: "If you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk together."

So together we'll get far, grow and prosper to succeed in our endeavors.

I live in LA and have family in Germany.
 
Seriously that's probably the best place in the USA to find PVMs... so many TV and movie studios there.

Not that shipping a CRT from Germany is in any way shape or form cheap but most European TVs support RGB out of the box without any modification. they used the SCART standard (which was never officially used in the USA) and SCART inputs typically support RGB.
 
Thanks for the encouragements. I guess I have a good starting point. Still have never seen any NECs or Mitsubishis monsters in any form here in this area. I guess it's like trying to find a unicorn. I always thought bigger is better but when I think of having to move these 200-300 pounds monsters, I will be content with nice 20"s. I came across commodore monitors and I thought those would be good entry monitors to start though they are only 14", still they are nice, don't take up too much space and portable. What do you think of those? How do you actually hook up an rgb cable to them?
 
Since you're in LA, just search craigslist. Between OC and LA, you can, any day of the week, pick up a PVM/BVM for $250 or less. Usually much less. I've bought and sold 6 or 7 since I moved to the IE, each coming from LA or Orange County.

If you decide you really REALLY want an NEC XM37+, I can probably put you in touch with the right guy since you're local.
 
Since you're in LA, just search craigslist. Between OC and LA, you can, any day of the week, pick up a PVM/BVM for $250 or less. Usually much less. I've bought and sold 6 or 7 since I moved to the IE, each coming from LA or Orange County.

If you decide you really REALLY want an NEC XM37+, I can probably put you in touch with the right guy since you're local.
damn you Los Angelians.
 
Since you're in LA, just search craigslist. Between OC and LA, you can, any day of the week, pick up a PVM/BVM for $250 or less. Usually much less. I've bought and sold 6 or 7 since I moved to the IE, each coming from LA or Orange County.

If you decide you really REALLY want an NEC XM37+, I can probably put you in touch with the right guy since you're local.
PM him the info and let him make the decisions.. If he has space for a 20" monitor there should not be a problem for a 37":)
 
Since you're in LA, just search craigslist. Between OC and LA, you can, any day of the week, pick up a PVM/BVM for $250 or less. Usually much less. I've bought and sold 6 or 7 since I moved to the IE, each coming from LA or Orange County.

If you decide you really REALLY want an NEC XM37+, I can probably put you in touch with the right guy since you're local.
damn you Los Angelians.
I'd offer to buy them and ship them for people, but another member looked into having the XM37+ shipped and it cost as much as a cab... Not really worth it.
 
I'd offer to buy them and ship them for people, but another member looked into having the XM37+ shipped and it cost as much as a cab... Not really worth it.
oh for sure... a pallet is a pallet whether it's got a big blue or a TV. It's just the irony of this thread... as if someone from Tokyo came in here asking where to find a candy cab.... :D
 
Thank you guys. All the responses have been very helpful. I feel a little bit more knowledgeable after reading all your personal experiences. Though the prices are high, I think we live in a great time to enjoy all these retro consoles.
 
I'm picking up a B&O MX4002 this friday as they are relatively easy to come by in my country and they are cheap. Don't have a PVM so can't compare but certain B&O's seem to do a decent job as well from what I have read and seen on youtube. Maybe an alternative while you are waiting and hunting for a PVM?

mx4002.JPG
 
Congrats on your purchase! B&Os are so pretty. It's a good idea since these TV sets should have scart RGB and thus would be ready to go for retro consoles. The onely thing is I need to look into the shopping of these massive things. Thanks for your support.
 
Does anyone need a sony-pvm to game on?
I have a few for sale am based out of NY
 
I just passed on a NEC xv29 in Houston. It's similar to the xm29, not nearly as capable though. RGB is through a d-sub 15 pin. Kind of regretting it now. The shadowmask of the NEC and Mitsubishi monitors are very forgiving for N64 rgb output. It's the closest thing I've found in substitution for a xm29 or xm37. The PVM and BVM monitors are absolute perfection, but it's too perfect for my eyes. Been searching for 3 years for a NEC.
 
Since you're in LA, just search craigslist. Between OC and LA, you can, any day of the week, pick up a PVM/BVM for $250 or less. Usually much less. I've bought and sold 6 or 7 since I moved to the IE, each coming from LA or Orange County.

If you decide you really REALLY want an NEC XM37+, I can probably put you in touch with the right guy since you're local.
  • I know I'm a new member here, been on shmups and neo-geo for awhile. Do you think you could pm me the contact or set something up through you? I've been searching for nearly 3 years now... I think shipping is worth it at this point. Thank you!
 
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