PRS-505 How much for a used PRS-505?

afa · 06-01-2010, 01:13 AM

So, I found a guy here who is selling a PRS-505. From everything I've read here, it seems that this is a terrific reader.

I was wondering, though, how much do you guys think I should pay for the device? The guy's asking price is around $270, but that seems quite steep to me for a used device that is discontinued and no longer supported by Sony (at least in terms of firmware updates). Also, there's no warranty.

So how much do you guys think would be a reasonable price point for this? I'm thinking of trying to convince him to go for, say, $200.

Also, in his ad, he mentioned the formats supported, and it didn't mention ePub. I Googled the 505's specs, and the official Sony Style page also doesn't mention ePubs. I assume this was something that was corrected with a subsequent firmware update (the webpage was probably made a long time ago)? This is quite important as the ebook stores that I'm planning on getting the books from are mostly ePubs.

Thanks in advance.

AgentBEATS · 06-01-2010, 01:54 AM

I got mine off of ebay just a week ago (well I won the auction farther back but just received it last week) and I got it for $175 US ($202 if you include shipping and conversion to Canadian). Another auction ended a couple hours after with a similar price, so I figure around $200 sounds reasonable. I've seen it go upwards to $270, but there are indeed cheaper ones around.

The 505 does support epub.

redhead231 · 06-01-2010, 03:37 AM

I bought mine second hand as I too wanted the 505 & I paid £120 sterling. That was in April.

Worldwalker · 06-01-2010, 05:37 AM

The 505 does indeed support epub. I just got finished reading a very good novel (Ashton-Kirk Investigator, from right here on MobileRead) in epub format. You may need to apply the firmware patch if it's an older 505; I got mine post-upgrade, so it came with epub support.

There's a fair segment of the market which agrees with me about the 505: it's the best reader Sony has made. The 300 is too small, the 900 is too big, and the 600 has that damnable touchscreen, which (aside from its effects on clarity) just doesn't work for people with corrosive skin or a bad Cheetos habit. Since Sony, being Sony, has ignored our demands for a 510 and concentrated on selling ebook readers that we don't want to buy -- has tried to force us to buy them by discontinuing the one we do want to buy -- the prices on the secondary market remain fairly high.

Sure, it's discontinued. Then again, so am I.

I'm a one-off model, and the manufacturing facilities were shut down years ago. Hopefully that doesn't make me worth any less! Given the dubious quality of Sony warranty support, being out of warranty isn't really that big of a deal. If a device works the way you like, and does the job you need done, whether or not the company is currently pumping them out of the production line shouldn't be a major factor. They don't make these anymore, either, but that doesn't mean I don't lust after one at a level which probably imperils my immortal soul.

That said, if a 505 has been here in the Flea Market long enough to negotiate about the price, instead of selling within hours, yeah, it can probably come down some.

suecsi · 06-01-2010, 09:10 AM

Worldwalker

My 505 is just out of warranty so I figured I'd try PRS+ on it.

I had bought a second hand 300 in as new condition but it has an irritating habit of resetting itself in the middle of books - every few pages sometimes. I had thought it was the book at fault - but the same book worked flawlessly on the 505. So I'll probably sell the 300 instead and keep the trusty 505.

I like the PRS+ ability to show the clock in the progress bar at the bottom of the screen - during my late night reading sessions this is proving invaluable. Our bedroom is so small that the clock is behind me so without the clock on the 505 I can easily read well into the small hours and then realise I'll only get 2 hours sleep before I have to get up and go to work

I also tried a Elonex EB511, which was nice and clear but the keyboard was a bit redundant and it was hopeless with pdfs.

A lot of the books I have are borrowed from the library and come in pdf format so for me pdf reflow is very important. So far the Sonys - notwithstanding the flakiness of the 300 - are by far the best I've tried.

I think the second hand prices of the 505 are a testament to how good it is.

Worldwalker · 06-01-2010, 12:16 PM

A clock on my reader won't help me. A timer that shuts it off at a specific time, so that it absolutely cannot be turned back on until the designated wakeup time, now that would be useful.

afa · 06-01-2010, 01:49 PM

Thanks for the replies, guys. Specially Worldwalker; your post was quite helpful.

You're right, the 505 does have ePub support. Apparently, it was added in firmware update 1.1.

I'm gonna try and get the guy to lower the price. I had actually been considering other devices* like the Sony Touch (too expensive), Kobo (too new and unproven), and was leaning heavily towards jetBook Lite. It's cheap, and doesn't have the refresh rate lag that exists on eInk displays. But the 505 is the only reader I've come across that has near universal praise. Plus, the PRS+ hack is supposed to make it even better, so I'll have to get that, too.

Wish me luck!

* Mainly because I didn't think I could find the 505 here, and getting it shipped from US would be too expensive.

mattress · 06-04-2010, 04:39 AM

In December 2009 I paid roughly $95 for a new one from a leading electrical retailer (Currys) here in the UK. A bargain, it seems!

Halk · 06-04-2010, 05:23 PM

Hrm, you're trying to get him down to $200, but you think the Touch is too expensive? Have you priced the touch recently? I picked mine up in Best Buy in the US for 200 dollars. I'm pretty sure if Best Buy sell for 200 it could be gotten for less. Or is there an extra price premium on getting the device across to Dubai that there would not be for buying the 505? Have you considered getting family/friends from where you are, to send one over to you there (assuming you're not from Dubai originally?)

I'd be much more inclined to buy a new device than a second hand one - but there are differences between the 505 and the 600, the touchscreen does hamper contrast for example.

Worldwalker · 06-05-2010, 01:14 PM

People have recently been willing to pay a premium for the 505 because they want a 6" Sony reader without a touchscreen, either because of the readability issue, or just because they don't like touchscreens. We could actually have gotten a 600 cheaper when we bought our second 505, but I'm so happy with my 505 (and again, there's the touchscreen issue) that we wanted a second one.

Halk · 06-05-2010, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

People have recently been willing to pay a premium for the 505 because they want a 6" Sony reader without a touchscreen, either because of the readability issue, or just because they don't like touchscreens. We could actually have gotten a 600 cheaper when we bought our second 505, but I'm so happy with my 505 (and again, there's the touchscreen issue) that we wanted a second one.

That's what I meant, yes.

Siwickimom · 06-06-2010, 11:40 PM

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-PRS-505-E-R...item20b14cec02

I'd say his price is a bit high based on what I'm seeing used ones go for on ebay..

suecsi · 06-08-2010, 11:30 AM

I've seen them go for nearly that in £ .......

Dreamnine · 06-09-2010, 07:26 AM

That's way too expensive for a used device.

redhead231 · 06-09-2010, 08:15 AM

Supply & Demand dictates.
I researched & decided I wanted the 505, so bought mine on E Bay for £120. Its the one I wanted, had been used very little & I am thrilled. I dod nit want the 300 or the Kindle, nor the 600 with the touch screen. Its recognised that the 505 is a blooming good reader, so it holds its price.

06-01-2010, 01:13 AM	#1
afa The Forgotten Posts: 1,136 Karma: 4689999 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Dubai Device: Kindle Paperwhite; Nook HD; Sony Xperia Z3 Compact	How much for a used PRS-505? So, I found a guy here who is selling a PRS-505. From everything I've read here, it seems that this is a terrific reader. I was wondering, though, how much do you guys think I should pay for the device? The guy's asking price is around $270, but that seems quite steep to me for a used device that is discontinued and no longer supported by Sony (at least in terms of firmware updates). Also, there's no warranty. So how much do you guys think would be a reasonable price point for this? I'm thinking of trying to convince him to go for, say, $200. Also, in his ad, he mentioned the formats supported, and it didn't mention ePub. I Googled the 505's specs, and the official Sony Style page also doesn't mention ePubs. I assume this was something that was corrected with a subsequent firmware update (the webpage was probably made a long time ago)? This is quite important as the ebook stores that I'm planning on getting the books from are mostly ePubs. Thanks in advance.

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06-01-2010, 01:54 AM	#2
AgentBEATS Connoisseur Posts: 72 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Canada Device: Sony PRS-505, Nintendo DS, HTC Desire	I got mine off of ebay just a week ago (well I won the auction farther back but just received it last week) and I got it for $175 US ($202 if you include shipping and conversion to Canadian). Another auction ended a couple hours after with a similar price, so I figure around $200 sounds reasonable. I've seen it go upwards to $270, but there are indeed cheaper ones around. The 505 does support epub.

06-01-2010, 03:37 AM	#3
redhead231 Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 102 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Cambridgeshire UK Device: PRS 505	I bought mine second hand as I too wanted the 505 & I paid £120 sterling. That was in April.

06-01-2010, 05:37 AM	#4
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	The 505 does indeed support epub. I just got finished reading a very good novel (Ashton-Kirk Investigator, from right here on MobileRead) in epub format. You may need to apply the firmware patch if it's an older 505; I got mine post-upgrade, so it came with epub support. There's a fair segment of the market which agrees with me about the 505: it's the best reader Sony has made. The 300 is too small, the 900 is too big, and the 600 has that damnable touchscreen, which (aside from its effects on clarity) just doesn't work for people with corrosive skin or a bad Cheetos habit. Since Sony, being Sony, has ignored our demands for a 510 and concentrated on selling ebook readers that we don't want to buy -- has tried to force us to buy them by discontinuing the one we do want to buy -- the prices on the secondary market remain fairly high. Sure, it's discontinued. Then again, so am I. I'm a one-off model, and the manufacturing facilities were shut down years ago. Hopefully that doesn't make me worth any less! Given the dubious quality of Sony warranty support, being out of warranty isn't really that big of a deal. If a device works the way you like, and does the job you need done, whether or not the company is currently pumping them out of the production line shouldn't be a major factor. They don't make these anymore, either, but that doesn't mean I don't lust after one at a level which probably imperils my immortal soul. That said, if a 505 has been here in the Flea Market long enough to negotiate about the price, instead of selling within hours, yeah, it can probably come down some.

06-01-2010, 09:10 AM	#5
suecsi Rock Chick Posts: 429 Karma: 4965 Join Date: May 2009 Location: near Heathrow Device: Kindle 2i, Kindle DX, Kindle 3G	Worldwalker My 505 is just out of warranty so I figured I'd try PRS+ on it. I had bought a second hand 300 in as new condition but it has an irritating habit of resetting itself in the middle of books - every few pages sometimes. I had thought it was the book at fault - but the same book worked flawlessly on the 505. So I'll probably sell the 300 instead and keep the trusty 505. I like the PRS+ ability to show the clock in the progress bar at the bottom of the screen - during my late night reading sessions this is proving invaluable. Our bedroom is so small that the clock is behind me so without the clock on the 505 I can easily read well into the small hours and then realise I'll only get 2 hours sleep before I have to get up and go to work I also tried a Elonex EB511, which was nice and clear but the keyboard was a bit redundant and it was hopeless with pdfs. A lot of the books I have are borrowed from the library and come in pdf format so for me pdf reflow is very important. So far the Sonys - notwithstanding the flakiness of the 300 - are by far the best I've tried. I think the second hand prices of the 505 are a testament to how good it is.

06-01-2010, 12:16 PM	#6
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	A clock on my reader won't help me. A timer that shuts it off at a specific time, so that it absolutely cannot be turned back on until the designated wakeup time, now that would be useful.

06-01-2010, 01:49 PM	#7
afa The Forgotten Posts: 1,136 Karma: 4689999 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Dubai Device: Kindle Paperwhite; Nook HD; Sony Xperia Z3 Compact	Thanks for the replies, guys. Specially Worldwalker; your post was quite helpful. You're right, the 505 does have ePub support. Apparently, it was added in firmware update 1.1. I'm gonna try and get the guy to lower the price. I had actually been considering other devices* like the Sony Touch (too expensive), Kobo (too new and unproven), and was leaning heavily towards jetBook Lite. It's cheap, and doesn't have the refresh rate lag that exists on eInk displays. But the 505 is the only reader I've come across that has near universal praise. Plus, the PRS+ hack is supposed to make it even better, so I'll have to get that, too. Wish me luck! * Mainly because I didn't think I could find the 505 here, and getting it shipped from US would be too expensive.

06-04-2010, 04:39 AM	#8
mattress Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Sony PRS 505	In December 2009 I paid roughly $95 for a new one from a leading electrical retailer (Currys) here in the UK. A bargain, it seems!

06-04-2010, 05:23 PM	#9
Halk Fanatic Posts: 538 Karma: 469999 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Sony PRS-650 (PRS+ alpha - thanks Kartu!)	Hrm, you're trying to get him down to $200, but you think the Touch is too expensive? Have you priced the touch recently? I picked mine up in Best Buy in the US for 200 dollars. I'm pretty sure if Best Buy sell for 200 it could be gotten for less. Or is there an extra price premium on getting the device across to Dubai that there would not be for buying the 505? Have you considered getting family/friends from where you are, to send one over to you there (assuming you're not from Dubai originally?) I'd be much more inclined to buy a new device than a second hand one - but there are differences between the 505 and the 600, the touchscreen does hamper contrast for example.

06-05-2010, 01:14 PM	#10
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	People have recently been willing to pay a premium for the 505 because they want a 6" Sony reader without a touchscreen, either because of the readability issue, or just because they don't like touchscreens. We could actually have gotten a 600 cheaper when we bought our second 505, but I'm so happy with my 505 (and again, there's the touchscreen issue) that we wanted a second one.

06-06-2010, 11:40 PM	#12
Siwickimom Bookin' it! Posts: 64 Karma: 16 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Rochester Hills, MI Device: Sony PRS-505- Sangria :) and Black Aluratek Libre	http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-PRS-505-E-R...item20b14cec02 I'd say his price is a bit high based on what I'm seeing used ones go for on ebay..

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06-08-2010, 11:30 AM	#13
suecsi Rock Chick Posts: 429 Karma: 4965 Join Date: May 2009 Location: near Heathrow Device: Kindle 2i, Kindle DX, Kindle 3G	I've seen them go for nearly that in £ .......

06-09-2010, 07:26 AM	#14
Dreamnine Enthusiast Posts: 40 Karma: 471232 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Device: Nexus 7, iPod Touch 5	That's way too expensive for a used device.

06-09-2010, 08:15 AM	#15
redhead231 Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 102 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Cambridgeshire UK Device: PRS 505	Supply & Demand dictates. I researched & decided I wanted the 505, so bought mine on E Bay for £120. Its the one I wanted, had been used very little & I am thrilled. I dod nit want the 300 or the Kindle, nor the 600 with the touch screen. Its recognised that the 505 is a blooming good reader, so it holds its price.