Apple I on Ebay

When the original Apple 1 boards were stuffed, the chips were new, or maybe at most just a few years old. The solder wetted the pins nicely, and all is fine. The pin/solder interface ages just as it should - a well known process. Then, 35 years later, some guy wants to fake an Apple 1. Sure, with work, he can find all original chips with proper date codes and everything, but the pins will have had many years to age. If he does not clean up the pins, the solder joints will be suboptimal*, and will be noticed during the authentication process. If he does clean up the pins, he likely will not be able to match to what the oxidation should be, either by overcleaning or undercleaning (or etches, or scratches, or pitting, or a million other effects), and this will be noticed during the authentication process. That authenication process, with all those fancy microscopes and such, can be a real bitch. *This is why chips, especially surface mount parts, have shelf lives, and real manufacturers generally do not like to use parts that are over a couple years old. -- Will