I notice they keep going up, especially in Europe. I just wonder If it is people 'collecting' them or are there less usable ones to go around? I don't mind people collecting computers, it's just that some of us actually use them, including me. Last summer I bought my first Platinum, and I love it. However, tbh, the //e keyboard seems a little better to me, but it could be because I'm just very used to it.
Have you notices the prices of Apple IIs lately?
- Thread starter Alex
- Start date
Tell me about it... I've been looking for one in the UK and they seem to be very hard to find.
It seems amazing to me how people in the US find loads of them for less than $300 or even free!
It seems amazing to me how people in the US find loads of them for less than $300 or even free!
If you're looking on ebay, everything is overpriced. I see old Macs asking prices crazy high sometimes. And for regular goods, sometimes higher than new.
And then eBay is used as a reference by others selling on FB Marketplace and Kijiji and Craigslist etc.... I've basically given up any hope of finding even broken machines for what I would consider sensible prices in the usual places. But I suppose this is the 'market' in action, and what I might consider a sensible price might be out of alignment with the market. Maybe because I'm old and I remember people giving these things away (a chunk of my collection was acquired for $0).
I just bought a IIc with a blown drive (and possibly IWM), and some RAM issues (all fixable) along with the RF modulator / switch boxes, manuals, and PSU (working) for $80 (before shipping) - I expect that will be the best deal for an Apple II product I'll see for some time. Worth noting that the deal was struck via text with an eBay seller after I won his auction for a IIc case, and he was wondering if I wanted to save him the hassle of listing the other items. I worked him down, but that was still more than I wanted to pay for a broken IIc.
I just bought a IIc with a blown drive (and possibly IWM), and some RAM issues (all fixable) along with the RF modulator / switch boxes, manuals, and PSU (working) for $80 (before shipping) - I expect that will be the best deal for an Apple II product I'll see for some time. Worth noting that the deal was struck via text with an eBay seller after I won his auction for a IIc case, and he was wondering if I wanted to save him the hassle of listing the other items. I worked him down, but that was still more than I wanted to pay for a broken IIc.
In 2005, I got these for FREE from someone looking to offload his vintage stuff:
-Mac 512k (had water damage and a horrible mold stench, I didn't keep it)
-Mac SE/30 (kept)
-Mac iifx (kept it for years but it completely ceased functioning, I brought it to an eco-center - I didn't have any repairing chops and nor youtube, nor BRANCHUS CREATIONS @Branchus
was around to teach this stuff quickly)
-Mac LCIII (kept, but has a battery explosion that I've since cleaned up, gotta figure out the rest without a monitor)
-12 inch apple monitor (kept, but has ceased working in the last years)
-13 or 14 inch apple monitor (kept, but has ceased working in the last years)
I also saw a SE/30 laying around in the recycling bin of a Bureau en Gros/Staples store (must have been 2008 or 2009) and I was moved to consider asking for it, but I was out with my girlfriend and we were calculating our space for our plans to move in together and it wasn't a good time to increase my collection. With hindsight and/or time travel, I would so much have liked to nab it. It's very possible that even back then, they could have refused me due to data privacy concerns, but it was definitely less draconian than today's.
If I didn't have any of these machines, it would absolutely suck to go hunt for them. I think current me would bite the bullet for just for SE/30 and even then, I'm not sure. Ebay and facebook marketplace are generally bad places - local vintage user groups are infinitely better to find great stuff. You can stumble upon several massive hoarders in these groups and they are more than willing to hook you up with a nice machine if your needs are specific enough. That's how I got myself a not-top-of-the-line-but-still-good 486 DX/66 IBM PC 2 years ago with an ok CRT. The cost wasn't low but it was more than fair and getting it local without shipping anxiety and cost and the human connection you get with knowledgeable same-minded folk is an intangible HIGH value.
-Mac 512k (had water damage and a horrible mold stench, I didn't keep it)
-Mac SE/30 (kept)
-Mac iifx (kept it for years but it completely ceased functioning, I brought it to an eco-center - I didn't have any repairing chops and nor youtube, nor BRANCHUS CREATIONS @Branchus
was around to teach this stuff quickly)-Mac LCIII (kept, but has a battery explosion that I've since cleaned up, gotta figure out the rest without a monitor)
-12 inch apple monitor (kept, but has ceased working in the last years)
-13 or 14 inch apple monitor (kept, but has ceased working in the last years)
I also saw a SE/30 laying around in the recycling bin of a Bureau en Gros/Staples store (must have been 2008 or 2009) and I was moved to consider asking for it, but I was out with my girlfriend and we were calculating our space for our plans to move in together and it wasn't a good time to increase my collection. With hindsight and/or time travel, I would so much have liked to nab it. It's very possible that even back then, they could have refused me due to data privacy concerns, but it was definitely less draconian than today's.
If I didn't have any of these machines, it would absolutely suck to go hunt for them. I think current me would bite the bullet for just for SE/30 and even then, I'm not sure. Ebay and facebook marketplace are generally bad places - local vintage user groups are infinitely better to find great stuff. You can stumble upon several massive hoarders in these groups and they are more than willing to hook you up with a nice machine if your needs are specific enough. That's how I got myself a not-top-of-the-line-but-still-good 486 DX/66 IBM PC 2 years ago with an ok CRT. The cost wasn't low but it was more than fair and getting it local without shipping anxiety and cost and the human connection you get with knowledgeable same-minded folk is an intangible HIGH value.
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I'd hate to be just getting started today. I paid about $100 on ebay for my //c a year and a half ago during the early days of the pandemic. But looking on ebay now, prices for Apple ][ stuff (as well as Mac stuff) have gone up quite a lot. I imagine there might be others like me that went on a pandemic buying spree and caused prices to shoot up.
Lately, I've just been buying and trading with VCF, TD and 68kmla folks. Occasionally, there's an ebay auction that's reasonable. But some of the ebay asking prices are just stupid high. I'm in Central New Jersey so there's a lot of action in this area, not as much as central California though.
You got lucky. Even then.
Less prolific Apple II systems have been going for big money for a few years. Peripherals too.
As soon as someone comments that a product is "rare" there is a feeding frenzy to get it.
Then FB posters loooove to show off their hoarded gear. Like the dude who hoarded 20 Unidisk 3.5 drives. I mean, come on. Really?
You mention you're looking for something like a Liron card on FB and immediately some idiot says "like this?" and attaches a photo of 10 of them. Are they on offer? Nope.
I bought a IIc+ back in 2007 or so and thought I overpaid at $150. Especially since the internal 3.5" drive didn't work. Now, $700 is common, and sometimes more.
Macs are the same. I was offered an SE/30 a few years ago for $150 at a pawn shop (it was functioning) and decided to pass. That was probably a dumb move, becasue after a retrobrite and a re-cap I could have sold it the following week on e-Pay for $450 or more.
Probably to some "collector" who has 5 already.
I got started right as the pandemic kicked off purchasing an Apple IIe green CRT and base off eBay for from 2 different sellers for about $100. Like most of us I suddenly had more time than I knew what to do with. Over time using Craigslist and FB marketplace I got a 17" iMac G4 800mhz for $40 and a non bootable Mac Classic II for $125. The guy selling the Classic II was using ebay prices (wanted $300) and I talked him down to that knowing I'd be putting money in it and honestly I don't think anyone else was interested. I also got a free Mac SE with a bad logic board and after trying to fix it I just bought a new one for $40. Also got a 500mhz slot load G3 iMac from the in-laws for free. All in all with mods, recaps, and memory and storage upgrades I think I'm in for $350-$400 for all the machines. Not bad at all.
What I notice now along with the crazy prices that these units sell almost immediately regardless of condition compared to a year ago when they seemed to stay listed for weeks to months. It's like everyone caught on in the last 6 months. I talk myself out of buying these since I know I've got a decent collection but it's tempting.
What I notice now along with the crazy prices that these units sell almost immediately regardless of condition compared to a year ago when they seemed to stay listed for weeks to months. It's like everyone caught on in the last 6 months. I talk myself out of buying these since I know I've got a decent collection but it's tempting.
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i paused my collection a few years ago because i ran out of room. When i moved into this bigger house 3 years ago, i still almost never pick anything up because the prices have just gone full rocketship.
However, sometimes you get lucky. an early Mac128k with sad mac i got for ~$50 a year ago. It only need two ram chips replaced.
However, sometimes you get lucky. an early Mac128k with sad mac i got for ~$50 a year ago. It only need two ram chips replaced.