21 Apr
1997
21 Apr
'97
2:05 p.m.
On Mon, 21 Apr 1997, Bill Whitson wrote:
Fun article ;)
I'm just curious - have any of you (with the possible exception of the
apple I) ever seen anyone selling these models at these prices much less
purchased one for so much? Do any of these warrant such a price for
you? $400 for an Apple II? $300 for an Osborne? I bought an Apple II+
with 3 Disk IIs, color monitor, and box of accessories for $50 -
in 1988!
Yeah, but that's the ][+, which are easier to find than the ][. I've
heard some people mention that the ][ is harder to find, and so far I
believe them because I've hardly ever seen one advertised. A guy at my
work is supposed to give me his, which he says is a ][, but he's not
always all there, so it could just be a ][+. But I would say a ][ is
probably worth about $100 with some accessories, like a disk drive and
monitor and the language card.
I get nervous when journalists start quoting prices on
old computers.
There are still a number of machines I want in my collection - but
only if I can continue to find them for $5. Maybe I'm just nuts ;).
I don't think you're nuts. I think the idiots who paid the prices that
the journalist quoted are nuts. Or perhaps the journalist himself is a
dope. You know how these stupid reporters always get their facts screwed
up. But I agree with you. Its great going out and picking up systems
for $5-$20 a pop. I would just give up if I had to pay $50, $100, $200
and up for what really does amount to "junk" (although wonderful,
beautiful, sometimes bring a tear to your eye junk).
I don't know if anyone else here uses auction web, but its both a blessing
and a curse. Its a blessing because a lot of people sell off their good
old computer stuff there, and it usually is working stuff. Its a curse
because then people who a lot of times don't realize what they're bidding
on (Sure *I* know a commodore 64 is practically worthless, but not other
morons) run the price up to ridiculous levels. I've seen commodore 64s go
for $20 and up with some accessories such as disk drives. I've seen atari
2600 carts go for $10 EACH for some "rarer" ones. In a lot of cases with
the carts, some dolt runs it up just because he never heard of it or had
it when he was a kid, so he thinks its rare and decides $10 is a good
price, whereas I would've had it for $2-$3 if it wasn't for him. BAH!
That's why I'd rather just spend a weekend at a flea market. Its funner
to come across stuff sitting in a pile of junk and then haggling the
seller down until he breaks. Then going home and finding out the stuff
works, and it was a good day.
Sam
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Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass