Well, I started out trying to get a Texas Instruments Ti-99 something or other, that stores were advertising at $100.
Of course those were all gone so I looked around and started liking the Vic-20. Of course I then talked myself into the 64 for $235
I bought it at Silo’s, which probably doesn’t exist anymore, lol.
The tape drive I added later for ~ $70, then later the floppy drive.
Still have it with lots of bootleg software, but God knows if it works :-)