I wanted an 8-bit computer to play around with but ultimately didn't want to deal with overpriced (and most likely faulty) 35 year old Commodore 64's or sourcing stuff like ROM cartridges, disk drive, a compatible CRT monitor or anything else that I'd need to make a complete working system.
The alternative (and better option in my mind) is building a computer from scratch. There's a couple of cool Zilog Z80-based projects like the Z80-MBC2 that gives you the bare PCB for the cost of a McDonalds meal, plus a list of off-the-shelf components you need to source to complete it. Chips like the Z80 (used in a number of budget 80's computers) are still manufactured today and so there's no need to deal with new-old or refurbished stock that could potentially be bad.
