Does anyone want to sell me one, or give me one, or trade it for something? I think mine is about to kick, and right now i’m looking at monitors on ebay but i don’t really know if i trust monitors on ebay. I also don’t want to spend $90 on a new monitor. Is this the right forum for this?
Where are you from?
My first suggestion for you would be to look into a local computer fair. I find decent used monitors there for $40 and up.
bloomington indiana. Maybe indianapolis (50 miles north) would have some of those but i doubt bloomington would.
With parcel post shipping or fedex ground and a zip code that starts with either 3, 4 or 5 shipping is under $15 alot of the time for a 40 lb monitor.
Meaning that i can go on ebay and buy one and still get a good deal even with the shipping costs (ebay monitors are around $25), but i have to check tons to find one in a nearby zip code and i still have no assurance the monitor is any good.
Find someone locally who wants to unload a monitor, or do what Kinthalis says, go to a local computer fair. Shipping a heavy CRT monitor just isn’t worth it. I bought a used monitor on eBay once (it came “bundled” with a computer) and the damned thing was broken when I got it, even though the seller packed it extremely well. (And I don’t think the seller gave me a dud monitor, because he promptly refunded me all my money when I told him the monitor was busted.) I’ve heard from others that the cost of shipping a heavy monitor—and they’re all heavy—just doesn’t compensate for any money you might save.
You’re in luck by virtue of being in a college town. Check with IU – some universities have “swap shops” where you can buy discarded but working equipment for ridiculously cheap prices.
I dont have a monitor, but if anyone could use a new in package Laptop PC2100 DDR266 256MB ram chip… it’s yours!!
Hey, I could use that bear!
Thats the thing though, you can get them shipped cheaply. I was looking at a monitor from charlotte NC, 48813 and getting it shipped to my zip code (47403) is only about $15 for a 40 lb package via USPS parcel post or fedex ground. UPS is a ripoff though.
But i have to wade through tons of ebay auctions to find auctions in-state or in a nearby state, and i just have no assurance that the monitor will not be a dud. I try to stay away from buying electronics and things like that on ebay after 2 dvd players and one watch i have ordered seperately arrived broken.
Well, that’s better. But the risk of getting a jacked up monitor still exists. Unless the monitor is shipped with its original packing and is insured and everything, that might be okay. It sounds like you already have figured out what a hassle it is to find a monitor on eBay. 
One of my friends is a vendor on eBay and he buys and sells tons of computer stuff. He’s sworn off buying or selling monitors off of eBay, because they just seem to be too tricky to ship.
If you get someone to send you a used monitor for, let’s say, $15 shipping, who will compensate you for the $15 if the monitor arrives broken? I don’t believe that postal insurance covers the shipping charges.
WC:
I’m from the indianapolis area and there are tons of computer fairs there. I believe the company that puts them on is called ACS. I’ll have to search around for an add for them when I get back into town, but I have seen some great deals there. I would google for computer fairs in indy and see what comes up. Should have some decent luck.
I have a 17" monitor that’s taking up space.
The bad news is that it had some problems. It would go black periodically, and it took a well-aimed whack on the left side to get it to turn back on. It might just have some dust or something that’s messing it up. (Else, why would it “come back” with a whack?) Or it could be broken and in need of expensive repairs.
The good news is that it’s free to a good home. Or a bad home. I don’t really care. I don’t know how much it weighs. It may or may not be worth the shipping.
There’s a small independent computer store here that sells used 17" monitors for $50. Check the phone book, see if there’s a similar place in your town.
Sounds like a typical cold-solder joint or similar mechanical problem. Let me know how much shipping would be, and I’ll take my chances trying to fix it. Email me.
I’ve got a bunch of very nice 17" monitors that are just cluttering up the house. If you rang my doorbell I’d hand you one and wish you well.
Your best best is to visit a local thrift. Usually 17" units they are around $ 10. or so. If you can bring a PC or notebook as a video input source to test the monitor in the store before buying (they usually have a space where you can plug in electrical items) you can snag a good deal. Interestingly (IMO) some thrift monitors are considerably better than retail store 17" monitors. Truly high quality 17"CRTs are getting to be a rarer breed as people move to flat panels. Most of the 17" CRT in stores these days are fairly cheap generic units made to be bundled and sold cheaply. Many thrift units are very nice monitors that were replaced when an office went flat panel and are in excellent shape.
Sorry, I don’t have a monitor for you, but I wanted to mention that my dad, who has a business where he ships a lot of stuff, says that FedEx Ground is actually cheaper than both UPS and USPS most of the time.
Does anyone know how i find info on computer fairs or local thrifts? I don’t know what a local thrift is exactly, unless its a flea market of sorts. But i still don’t know how to find them. I have checked the classifieds for monitors but there weren’t any there.
Wesley Clark, local thrifts are resale shops - Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.
Check the notice boards at school for computer fair announcements and monitors for sale by students. Check http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/ periodically.