was: National Semi... is Apple ][ collectability (if any)

[Brad H]

>On 1/2/2017 11:26 PM, Brad H wrote:
> I brought the RFI thing up with him.  No response.  There is a legit Rev 1 there too asking $3500.  I don't find Apple IIs below Rev 0 that interesting anymore, personally.  I think even the legit guy would struggle to get much above $1500.
>The vintagecomputer museum guy on epay is selling mounted and framed motherboards now for $1500 (might not >work noted).

>I guess someone would care about low ref Apple 2's but I'm not sure why there would be any interest.  I've got one >I bought with the original packing box, which I have picked and moved twice, which is rare for my collecting, but I >don't know what makes any Apple 2 like that collectible.  As in why are they collectible with low serials / part >numbers.

>is there any documentation as to when they were made with those numbers that would make them significant?  >The numbers made as Raymond said would make most of us with Apple 2's millionaires I'd think unless they have >some other significance.

>just curious.
>thanks
>Jim

When I got into collecting an original Apple II was as rare as hen's teeth on ebay, etc.  Those got huge bucks, regardless of rev.  Then sellers caught on and stuff started coming out of closets, basements, estate sales.  I actually track Apple II sales and prices have massively declined since 15 years ago.  I mean, there's 60000+ out there theoretically, and II+ shared the same components and production lines for a time.  Only diff was the ROMs.  Now Rev 0 is where it's at, especially a rare ventless case.  Oh, and late SNs in the 70000 range for some reason still get $700-800.  I don't know why.

The one thing I can tell you is, if an 'expert' tells you something about original II production, there's a good chance they are wrong.  Some authoritative sources claimed no Rev 02 boards went into public hands, for example, but I have one in my SN 16000s machine.  Some would claim that can't be original, but it is.. the date code on it is the same as the keyboard and case, all right in the range of other 16000 series machines, which on either side of mine have Rev 03.  Apple didn't use the same rev consistently.. sometimes they just grabbed from the pile.  It's kind of a dogs breakfast after Rev 0.

My Rev 02 operates no differently, other than Integer BASIC, than my RFI II+.  More and more I'm not finding IIs to be all that amazing or worth fighting over.  A Rev 0, just owing to the few truly unique design features, is the only one I might want now.