It was five or six years ago when I started, I bought three established hives, the boxes weren't in that good of shape. I built new boxes and moved the frames into them. I got the three hives with some extra supers, supers were shallow, brood was in deeps for $125 each. Now you don't usually find them for that price, the beek had died and told his daughter to sell them for that. I have found some since for 450 to 600, they were in great shape and full of bees, another beek had died and his wife was selling them.
Joe D