Tips to Buying an Original Xbox Console

Copyright (c) 2007 JJ Hendricks

The Xbox is the predecessor to the new Xbox 360 console and it was quite successful. It has a large game selection and brought some new features to gaming like a built in hard drive and online play. Now that Microsoft has moved onto the 360 it can be hard to find the original Xbox anymore. So where do you find one? How much should you pay? What should I know before buying one? These five tips below will answer these questions and help make your Xbox shopping easier.

1. Consoles Cost $90 or Less: The original Xbox stopped selling in the USA for a price of $149.99, but you can find it quite a bit cheaper now. Many stores will sell used Xbox consoles for less than $90. Be sure to shop around because prices can very a lot between stores.

2. Buy Used: Microsoft stopped making the original Xbox in 2005 and most stores don't carry new consoles anymore. You can still find new consoles if you really want one, but you will definitely pay a premium. Thankfully, Microsoft built the Xbox well, so used consoles are still in good shape. The original Xbox isn't like the Xbox 360's that have had technical problems and recalls.

3. Don't Shop in Retail Stores: You will most likely be wasting your time. All major retailers and most used video game stores have stopped selling Xbox consoles and games. They have moved on to the newer systems and don't have room for it anymore. Some smaller independent video game shops in your area might still carry Xbox consoles though. Gamestop and EBGames only sell Xbox games now, no more consoles.

4. Shop Online: The best place to find an Xbox console and games is in online stores or ebay. You can use comparison shopping engines or google to find quite a few Xbox's available. And like everything else in the world, you can find Xbox systems on Ebay too. Be careful when shopping online to make sure you don't over pay for shipping though, especially on Ebay. Many retailers have a low list price for the system, only to charge really high shipping rates.

5. Watch What is Included: The Xbox originally came with one controller, an AV Cords, and an AC Adapter. You need all three of these for the system to work so be sure any sites where you shop explicitly say all three of these are included. You don't want to think you got a good deal on a console only to find it didn't include a controller, which will cost you more money to buy separately.

BONUS Tip: An Xbox console is almost worthless without some games, so try to buy from a store that carries a wide selection of games too. There is no need to spend extra time finding the games at another store, when you can buy them all in one location. And you will usually get discounted shipping on the games too!

If you keep these five things in mind when shopping for your Xbox you should be able to find a great deal and save yourself a lot of hassle. Go buy an Xbox console and start enjoying some of the great games the system has to offer.