The Vintage Mac Museum tends to get several emails per month from people with older model Macinti, looking to sell their systems and wondering how much they’re worth. Being familiar with old Macs and visible on the web, I understand why folks are asking me this question. But this can be a tough value to determine, there isn’t a blue book or single exchange available for old Macs.
“I am the original owner of the Bondi Blue iMac Rev C, which is usable and in excellent shape for it’s age. The serial number sticker attached to the case shows date of 1/7/1999. Does this mac have collector value?” “Since I want to give some money to a friend of mine for Christmas, I have decided to sell my Macintosh IIsi computer.
Unfortunately, I am not sure what a fair price would be. Can you please give me some advice?” As of this writing (2011), on average I’d say most old Macs are worth about $100. Many less than that. An original 128k Mac, truly rare items and prototypes can command hundreds to thousands of dollars. For most systems, sentimental values tend to be higher than resale prices. Here’s how you can determine how much your old Mac is worth: Jason Ponic’s compiles resale prices for various models of vintage Apple equipment.
It’s a nicely compiled resource, most values seem fairly representative of eBay market rates. Is the largest market and a good resource to help determine Mac prices. There are two types of sellers listing this type of equipment, professional sellers and closet cleaners. The professional seller is going to ask the most, these are good upper bound prices for insurance purposes. The closet cleaner just wants to get rid of his/her old stuff at a fair price, these are the more practical values. Check Completed Listings to see what things have actually sold for (or not), rather than the initial asking values.
Guns for sale. M-11 9mm magazines for cobray swd 9mm, smg & semi auto. Mac-10 smg/open bolt replacement parts. Magazine pouches & belts. Magazine speed loaders. Machineguncentral.com NFA classified ads main page. Great website for NFA enthusiasts. Machine Guns FOR SALE Page: 1 of 1. (M1A) Original Springfield Armory.
Heavier items may have lower values unless they’re very rare, due to higher shipping costs. Is the classified ads of the web, broken down by city. Search for your model in your local version as well as those for other major cities ( e.g., New York, Boston, San Francisco) You’ll quickly get an idea what average prices are and who is still thinking their $1500 computer is still worth $1000 7 years later. Craiglist by design is a local service, so selling your Mac across the country this way is not typically viable. And tend to be a good resources for current retail market values.
These vendors buy some used systems, usually at one-half to two-thirds of retail value. Average out the values you find to determine an approximate worth. You also need to factor in the rarity of the particular model, and the relative availability based on your location. Here in the Boston area there is no shortage of old computers, with many colleges, high tech companies, the and a vibrant local craigslist. But if you don’t live in a major metro area or are looking for something less common, you can wind up paying multiple times what someone else might for the same item. Such I suppose, is how the market works. As of this writing for both the Mac IIsi and the iMac G3 I’d estimate about $50 each, I see these models selling on my local craigslist regularly.
A rev A bondi blue iMac might be worth twice that. A G4 Cube or PowerMac G5 can go for $250. If you have an working Mac 128k you can probably get $1000 on eBay. For a Mac Plus in a carry bag, don’t expect more than $100. If you have the original packaging that can increase the value.
You can often get more money for old Macs – if they aren’t rare models – by breaking them down and selling them for parts. The whole is usually worth less than the sum of its parts when reselling on eBay. The Vintage Mac Museum is a private, working collection of the pre-Intel Apple Macintosh and related memorabilia. We provide services, along with into old Mac technologies for patent searches or academic purposes. This thread is closed and new comments have been disabled. Thanks for your interest! ORIGINAL BLOGSPOT COMMENTS: Anonymous said I find there are certain macs out there people will pay a higher price for because of rarity.
The G4 cube for example was not one of Apple’s best sellers. It was not on the market long, was known to develop cracks in the plastic, so finding one in great shape is rare. I’ve seen them sell as high as $300 on ebay. The imac G4 was also quickly replaced and they sell well today.
Another interesting item was the isight webcam. Apple later had tgem built in screen, so the actual webcams today go for a high price.
January 27, 2012 at 10:33 AM Anonymous said Those weren’t cracks in the Cube. People tended to mistake injection molding seams for cracks. I still have my Cube. August 30, 2012 at 2:58 PM Joey Srour said i have a fully working macintosh classic ii in perfect working condition with user manual keyboard mouse, running system 7. How much would u think its worth? September 29, 2012 at 11:50 PM Anonymous said most likely not much more than $100.00 unless you have a printer to go with it October 1, 2012 at 4:30 PM Beale Bernson said I have a Macintosh 128K which I purchased new in 1984.
Model # 0001 (or something like that) running OS 1.0. I get a sad face when it turns on. I’m pretty sure it got fried from an electrical surge, which took out some other vintage Macs at the same time, including a FX (ughh!). How do I get the 128 repaired, and what is it’s value? November 8, 2012 at 12:23 PM Jim said Would my old mac plus be worth anything still sealed in factory packaging secured in it’s natural form fit styrofoam, never touched by human hand except for power cord and the 3 floppy install disk package?
Specs in Brief: Macintosh Plus Data from Low End Mac. © Cobweb Publishing Inc. Used by permission. Specifications introduced 1986.01.16 at $2,600; discontinued 1990.10.15 requires System 3.2 (System 3.0 and Finder 5.1) to 7.5.5 CPU: 8 MHz 68000 CPU ROM: 128 KB RAM: 1 MB, expandable to 4 MB 9″ b&w screen, 512 x 342 pixels last Mac with keyboard attached via coiled telephone-like cable last Mac with mouse attached via DB-9 connector serial: 2 mini DIN-8 RS-422 ports for printer and modem SCSI: 1 DB-25 connector on back of computer hard drive: none floppy: 800 KB double sided floppy connector on back of computer size (HxWxD): 13.6″ x 9.6″ x 10.9″ weight: 16.5 lb.
PRAM battery: 4.5V PX 21 (a.k.a. Eveready 523, ANSI 1306AP, IEC 3LR50), discontinued power supply: 60W part no.: M0001A addressing: 24-bit only maybe?ok,morespecs? Macintosh Plus MacPlus Boxed – No SE Classic or 128K Manufactured in: E = Singapore Year of production: 1989 Week of production: 36 (september) Production number: 4H7 = 5209 Modell ID: M5880 = Macintosh Plus Your Macintosh Plus was the 5209th Mac manufactured during the 36th week of 1989 in Singapore.The only thing wrong with this potential Museum Piece would be the DB connector on the mouse. Specs say “DB-9 connector, and mine has 8 pins awwwww so sad, design flaw? How do you find out if it was an actual factory machine error that got by the inspector on dayshift, nightshift, or graveyard? Would like to take a few more steps forward than backward or stand idle. Should i make an appointment with a curator at our museum of History and Industry for a viewing?
I would like very much to show.jpg pics of it and try and uncover this mystery. Jimkportal64 @ hotmail.com January 19, 2013 at 3:12 AM Adam Rosen said Jim, a new-in-box Mac Plus certainly has value, especially if the box is also in good condition. 8 pins on the mouse connector is normal, one is empty. It’s hard to specify an exact amount (as noted above), but I’d suspect at least $500??
Put the system on eBay and see what you get! January 19, 2013 at 10:14 AM Cheryl said My Classic II is signed by the original team members (Jobs too).
Great condition, keyboard, etc Had it online with a modem too! What’s it worth today? March 14, 2013 at 1:46 AM. I have the original Apple Macintosh Classic. I purchased it in 1983 from University of Pennsylvania, about six months before they were released to the public in January 84.
When the 512 upgrade and external Drive came out, it was like heaven. So it’s had another memory upgrade but I don’t remember exactly how much. It’s it’s in my basement. I haven’t fired it up in years but I imagine it should work. Are you interested? Since I’m not really a collector, it probably should be in the hands of someone that would appreciate and maybe even use it. I have an original Macintosh with a Drexel University D branded on the face of the case (yes, branded, before they started printing the blue D on them.
I was a Drexel Student that bought one when the first Drexel let students buy them in 1984. I still have the original manuals and stickers unopened it the plastic wrap, and all of the original system and word, etc disks. I also have the original external floppy drive.
Does anyone know how to remove the front cover to see if it is one that has the signatures? The serial # is f424khnm001 – produced in 1984 @ Fremont, CA – 22564th unit made. I m also curious how much it is worth.
The Apple Macintosh revolutionized the entire computer industry by the year of 1984. Steve Jobs and his ingenious Macintosh team arranged for the computer to be used by the normal “person in the street” – and not only by experts. Apple Macintosh (1984) “Insanely great” – Steve Jobs could hardly put into words his enthusiasm by the launch of the Macintosh.
On the legendary annual general meeting of January 24th, 1984, in the Flint Center not far from the Apple Campus in Cupertino, the Apple co-founder initially quoted Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” in order to then polemicize against an imminent predominance of the young computer industry by IBM. The early 1980s.
1981 – Apple II has become the world’s most popular computer, and Apple has grown to a 300 million dollar corporation, becoming the fastest growing company in American business history. With over fifty companies vying for a share, IBM enters the personal computer market in November of 1981, with the IBM PC. Apple and IBM emerge as the industry’s strongest competitors, with each selling approximately one billion dollars worth of personal computers in 1983. The shakeout is in full swing.
The first major personal computer firm goes bankrupt, with others teetering on the brink. Total industry losses for 1983 overshadow even the combined profits of Apple and IBM. It is now 1984. It appears that IBM wants it all. Apple is perceived to be the only hope to offer IBM a run for its money. Dealers, after initially welcoming IBM with open arms, now fear an IBM dominated and controlled future and are turning back to Apple as the only force who can ensure their future freedom.
IBM wants it all, and is aiming its guns at its last obstacle to industry control, Apple. Will Big Blue dominate the entire computer industry? The entire information age? Was George Orwell right? The crowd, among them the complete Macintosh developer’s team, shouted back: “Nooooo!” The introduction of the first Mac on January 24th, 1984; taken from the There had been only two milestone products so far: the Apple II in 1977 and the IBM PC in 1981, Jobs continued. “Today we are introducing the third industry milestone product, the Macintosh.
Many of us have been working on Macintosh for over two years now and it has turned out insanely great.” Taking a look at the history of the personal computer today, Steve Jobs was on the right track with his historical comparison. However, it would not be IBM that became the great dominator of the computer industry over the years, but rather, the alliance of Microsoft and Intel. Steve Jobs Previous to the Macintosh developer team, others had already tried to design a computer with a mouse and a graphical user interface – one year before Apple did, with its own business computer Lisa, which retailed for 10,000 dollars. Advertising spot for the Apple Lisa However, the Lisa computer proved to be a huge flop.
With a price of 10,000 dollars (exclusive of a hard disk drive), it was far too expensive; the graphical user interface devoured the Lisa’s power so that the computer did not work particularly briskly. It lacked the necessary programs to induce the business world to buy the Lisa in large numbers. Moreover, the newly established distribution team could hardly resort to any experience in the handling of Corporate America.
Contrary to its elitist predecessors, the new Macintosh was not only to delight a few experts in the Californian Silicon Valley, but also to conquer the masses – and set the standard for future computer generations. Computer columnist Bob Ryan immediately caught the Mac’s revolutionary core: The Macintosh is the best hardware value in the history (short though it may be) of the personal computer industry. It is a machine which will appeal to the masses of people who have neither the time nor the inclination to embark upon the long learning process required to master the intricacies of the present generation of personal computers. Barring unforeseen technical glitches and assuming that a reasonable software library is in place by the end of the year, the Macintosh should establish itself as the next standard in personal computers. The developers of the Macintosh introducing the Mac see also the articles: Against Big Brother IBM Given the innovative Macintosh, Apple believed it had discovered a way to reclaim the leadership of the then still young market for personal computers from computer giant IBM.
In 1981, IBM had introduced its first PC and seized the Apple II’s position of the most successful personal computer within a few months. Within three years, “Big Blue” had sold more than two million IBM PCs. Therefore, Apple’s 15 million dollar advertising campaign on the occasion of the launch of the Macintosh directly aimed at IBM. The enormous sales campaign had eventually also been responsible for Apple raising the Mac’s originally planned launch price by 500 dollars to 2,495 dollars. Lisa Flop Causes Trouble for Apple The Lisa’s failure put Apple into a precarious situation in 1983.
The hitherto existing cash cow, the Apple II, had been eclipsed by newer technology and found itself exposed to intense competition. Now the Macintosh was to save Apple Computers from ruin. In its first business plan of summer 1981, Apple had assumed that 2.2 million Macs could be sold between 1982 and 1985; that is about 47,000 units per month.
However, the Mac was not brought to market until the beginning of 1984. After the community of the computer nerds (at least those who could afford the first Mac) had satisfied its buying frenzy, the sales of the Macintosh dropped dramatically to about 5,000 units per month. Apple boss John Sculley could not change much about this either. In order to professionalize Apple’s management and marketing, Steve Jobs had enticed Sculley away from Pepsi with the sentence: “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?“ Despite diverse management methods, Jobs and Sculley initially collaborated harmonically and were celebrated by the public as Apple’s “Dynamic Duo.” However, the Mac’s depressed distribution soon caused serious tensions to arise between Jobs and Sculley. It didn’t do very much. All this article says is True.
But it neglects to mention that Xerox PARC had all the MAC technology operational by 1978 (Alto). Xerox itself started to sell a GUI-based workstation around 1981, but is cost around $20,000. Steve Jobs saw this technology during a PARC tour and borrowed it and a number of PARC staff. There was a court battle between Microsoft and Intel in the 1980s on who owned the GUI technology. The Judge ruled both Apple and Microsoft stole in from Xerox so there was no case. Xerox PARC invented modern computing (see Fumbling the Future), but they never patented their technology.