Consoles that are on the shelf, bought and waiting for their turn at the bench. Each one becomes a story once it is done.
Sold as: Loads to the PlayStation logo, then shuts off. Console only.
This one came in the same box as the PlayStation that just needed a cotton swab. It's an SCPH-7501, one generation older, from 1998. The seller says it gets as far as the PlayStation logo and then powers itself off, which is a different kind of problem than a disc that won't read, and probably a more interesting one. It's next on the bench.
Sold as: Given away for free. Finicky about reading cartridges, and more often than not the power light just blinks.
This one didn't come from eBay or Marketplace; somebody gave it to me. It's an original front-loading NES from the Mattel Canada years, made in Japan, and the top shell has gone the deep yellow these consoles are famous for. It powers on, but it's picky about cartridges, and most of the time the red light blinks at me instead of starting a game. That blink is the most famous NES fault there is, and it usually comes down to the cartridge connector inside. A good candidate for a satisfying fix, and a serious cleaning job on top.
