I have purchased several Playstation consoles on e-Bay over the last 3 months. Most of these were broken AS-IS units. Most e-Bay sellers I have purchased from were honest and described the unit well. Others were vague on the description. Again, most sellers are honest and try hard to make a good sell. Here are a few things you might want to consider.

1) A broken unit is what it says-Broken. Most are sold AS-IS with no return.

2) An AS-IS unit may have several things wrong and may not be repairable without a lot of money going in to it. They may also have minor problems and be easy to fix. If you have questions about a unit ask before buying.

3) See if the description says the Warranty seal is intact. This usually means nobody has tried to fix it. If somebody has removed the seal and the unit is not working you may end up with a parts only unit.

4) Where is the unit coming from. While not all of the units I bought from the Gulf Coast area were water damaged several were. They had salt water residue on them. All but one were repairable. Again, ask the seller. Most will tell you.

5) Older models may be hard to get parts for. This is true for the CD tray. A CD tray with the bezel will run you around $20.00 if you can find one. There are at least 3 different CD trays depending on the model.

6) Know what comes with your purchase. Console Only means there are no cords, cables, controllers, games, or manuals.

7) If you are buying a working unit, make sure it works as soon as you get it. Most sellers have a time limit on when you can return it. Contact the seller if there is a problem. Most will work with you on the problem. Also check to see if you can buy a warranty on it from an aftermarket vendor.

8) PS2 consoles will play PS1 and PS2 games. They will not save a PS1 game. PS1 and PS2 consoles have different memory cards.

9) PS2 thin consoles require a Sony 8.5 volt adapter. The memory card, A/V cable, and controller are the same for Slim and Fat consoles.

10) The 20GB and 40GB PS3 consoles will only play the PS3 games. They are not backward compatable to the PS1 or PS2. The 60GB and 80GB PS3 console will play the PS1 and PS2 games. They will also allow you to create a "virtual" memory card on the disk so you can save the game.

11) The A/V cable for the PS2 will work with the PS3. If you want to use the high definition you will need an HDMI cable. You can also purchase an adapter online to use a PS2 controller on a PS3 console.

12) Research the model you are buying. You can find information on common issues for most models just by searching for example search " PS2 problems"

13) Be prepared to pay for an item you bid on. If you win an item and don't pay for it you may get a buyer's strike against you and also be barred from bidding on that sellers items again. Pay for your item in a timely manner. If you wait too long the seller may relist it and sell it to someone else.