If you\'re looking for a piece of hardware - a component that plays Video CDs - it will be MUCH easier if you just find a cheap DVD player that supports VCDs. Your theory that a VCD-only player will be cheaper is probably not correct. There are so many more DVD players around that your chances of finding a cheap one are better. There\'s no market for VCD-only players anymore, so you won\'t find them very easily.
Another advantage: Almost any low cost interlaced DVD player will provide much better DVD video and audio quality than the PS2. Of course a lot depends on the quality of your television and amplifier. If they suck, you might not notice the difference.
What have you got against Ebay? If money is a factor, and you don\'t mind used equipment, that\'s the way to go, m\'man. Believe it.