Save or Sell? Collecting Trends in Apple Computers

Nicole Martinelli (6:26 am PDT, Jan 04 2011)

Save or Sell? Collecting Trends in Apple Computers

A view of the Vintage Mac Museum.

2010 was the year of the hot Apple auctions, with an Apple 1 fetching its highest price ever, $213,000 to an Italian collector.

What’s next?

Cult of Mac’s own Adam Rosen, a Mac consultant whose vintage mac museum collection counts some 36 different models and about 75 total computers, was asked to opine for AntiqueWeek on the going prices for some popular Apple collectibles.

The short answer: hold on to your old computers if the people you live with don’t complain too loudly. They may be worth more to you than anyone else.

The Apple 1 is, like a lot of other antiques, a handmade rarity existing in small numbers, by some estimates only about 200 survive. Mass-made Macs may only fetch you a few hundred bucks, at best.

“The original 128K Macintosh is always desirable, the first Mac,” Rosen said. “These typically sell from $250-$500 these days on eBay, depending on condition, included peripherals and whether or not the original box and packing materials are available.”

The Macintosh Portable is also a popular item, he said, Apple’s beefy pre-PowerBook dubbed the “luggable” computer at over 15 pounds with a lead acid battery. “These probably go for a couple hundred dollars on eBay, though they can be found for much less on craigslist from time to time.”

The Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh, TAM for short, is also very popular with collectors, Rosen said. “I never cared for this model myself — expensive and underpowered when new — but it is forward thinking in its use of a flat-panel display and integrated AV system.” It sells for about $500.

What is the most prized item in your collection? How much would you be willing to part with it for?

Via AntiqueWeek

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11 comments »

  • http://www.retromaccast.com John

    My most prized Mac possession is a Mac Plus signed by James Doohan (For you youngsters, that’s Scotty from Star Trek). computer… computer…

  • http://poliography.blogspot.com/ Danny

    I have a total of around 16 Apple products pics can be found here – http://gallery.me.com/dannypolicarpo#100253&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=0

    I would say my favorite has to be the original iMac which i got for £50 from oxfam and it runs so well considering its age i can’t fault it

    • http://www.retromaccast.com John

      Nice collection!

      • http://poliography.blogspot.com/ Danny

        Thanks! i fear i may need to sell some soon though as January bills are hitting me hard :(

  • Joseph S.

    I don’t know… it’s between my G4 Cube PowerMac or my lamp-style G4 iMac.

  • trex67

    My first computer was a Macintosh TV, which has a built-in TV tuner and a coax cable input. The computer itself was pretty weak, with a 68030 processor with a maximum 8 MB of RAM, but I used it as a MIDI sequencer for several years before I retired it. It’s sitting in the original box with its black keyboard and mouse, good as new. I’m sure it’s not worth much, but I’m keeping it around for the hell of it, who knows, maybe someday it’ll be a collectible. Only ~10,000 were made.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_TV

  • Christopher

    As cool as it would be to still have some of my old Macs and computers, I’ve found it much more satisfying to give away old machines once they’ve reached the end of their serviceable life for me. A local youth center is still using an G4 iMac, Powerbook and an old Performa(I think) that I’ve donated, along with various Windows machines, an old DVD player, CRT TV ect.

  • Cameron

    My most prized is hands down my Lisa. It’s the beginning of Apple for me, with its advance technology in such an old case.

  • Art

    The Lisa values seem to have been creeping up lately. I paid £300 for my Lisa 2 in 2003, I’ve seen them advertised for 4 figures, dunno if they sell for that much.

    Favourite in my collection is my NeXT Cube signed by Sir Tim:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/brrm/123433786/in/set-72057594099022837/

    but I do have one or two other curiosities… ;-)

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/brrm/sets/72057594099022837/

  • http://www.myfavoriteapple.com Scott

    My prized is a brand new set of Apple IIc, monitor and stand from 1985 still in their factory sealed original boxes!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-tKhycEbco

  • http://www.foyco.net?p=365 Nobuko Madren

    People look for many different types of antique objects. Some of the more popular items to collect are pottery and the far east, furniture, and glassware. But anything that is definitely over one-hundred years old is known as an antique meaning that most jobs can be collected. While anything could be collected as an traditional, it does not always mean that the good news is market in which to resell the house for profit. If there is absolutely no demand for the piece, the chances that you will note a profit from this are slim. However if you’re less interested in make profit and more interested is likely to enjoyment, then anything claims to be an antique. People collect offers like books, keys, coin, cars and toys among many other things. The key would be to know your market. If you are searching for collecting toys you really need to know what kinds regarding toys are worth committing to and which ones are rare. You also need to learn how to tell this difference between imitation toys and the genuine article. An imitation Barbie doll is definately able to generate all the of a profit for a genuine doll would.

About the author

nicole_martinelli

Nicole Martinelli is a San Francisco native who has lived in Milan and Florence, Italy. She's written for Wired.com, The New York Times and Newsweek. You can find her on Twitter , Facebook and Google+.

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