simbalion Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I just groused a little in the comments column about how a guy hauled loads of Apple II computers to the dump from a building he was cleaning up before he relized what they were. I paid $60 for the remaining three he had left and some manuals, only to find out tonight that the three I got appear to be the ones that were earmarked to be junked by the original company he got the building from to begin with. Made me wonder how many good ones he hauled to the dump. Anyways, someone replied on here that they grind up Apple IIs all the time. This makes me wonder how many are left and if I should even bother going out to look for one it they are that worthless? Seems when someone has one up for sale around here or on eBay they sure want a ton of money for them. Here I thought I was doing something good trying to save a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dudeslife Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 mine is priceless. I bought it about 2 hours before Steve Jobs died. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+thegoldenband Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 They're absolutely NOT worthless, and you did do something good! There may be a weird disconnect between what the average person expects they're worth (i.e. nothing) and what Ebay folks are asking (didn't prices spike when Jobs died?), but the Apple II still has a very loyal contingent of fans, and my sense is that it's becoming more in-demand lately, not less. I'd certainly love to get one when I have enough space for it. EDIT: ^Huh, mindmeld with dudeslife! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 The more that get sent to the dump the better. Drives up the cost on remaining "survivors". Currently, this is about what they trade hands for: II $1,000-1,500 II+ $100 //e $50 //c $100-150 //gs $35 //c+ $175 //e platinum $25 //e enhanced $65 /// $200 ///+ $1,200 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+thegoldenband Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 The more that get sent to the dump the better. Drives up the cost on remaining "survivors". I can't tell what level of irony I'm meant to read into this post. (That is: I hope you're not serious.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 More and more often you get those fat ass antique-store ladies with $$ $$ in their eyes when they see Apple electronics. The older and crustier it looks the more it has to be worth. Put it on ebay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I can't tell what level of irony I'm meant to read into this post. (That is: I hope you're not serious.) Well.. it's a shame they are getting junked daily. But the dwindling numbers might drive up the price eventually. Probably the only thing that'll do it. The young crowd doesn't care about this stuff. That's a given. Sure there are aberrations here and there. But probably only a few thousand kid-enthusiasts in the entire USA. The grown-ups have likely kept (or already repurchased) what they had when they were kids. When they keel over the stuff will finally make its way to the dump. So where does the demand come in? I've even had the "pleasure" of helping a defunct computershop "Software re-runs" clean out his Apple II stuff. The material I loaded into my trunk had sat around for years. Unwanted. The rest went to the local recyclers. It's the 20-35 crowd doing the junking these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanrunomad Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Yes, they are worthless. Now if you ship it to me I'll kindly recycle them for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I'd have certainly done that. It sucked helping the guy clean shop because of what we had to dispose of. But 3nahalf years ago I couldn't move them at $10.00 a console and $5.00 a drive. I did some some package deals, monitor, console, 64k card, serial card, disk II interface, 1 drive, 1 box of 10 disks with various utilities on them. All tested and working. Couldn't move a system for as little as $50. After some time I *had* to dump them. And it sucked butt royally. I had even rented out a table at the Kane County flea market thing. All damned day Saturday, little to nothing moved. By Sunday I was getting desperate to find these a home. I pulled out my "for free" signs. Nothing. Not being allowed to bring this much stuff back home I had to use the dumpster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simbalion Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 (edited) Still a shame so many are getting ground up. The young crowd spends too much time with thier heads buried in thier smart phones and such to pay much attention to anything. Or, like alot I see around my area, they are working two to three jobs just to survive and have no real time or money for hobbies. That all said, I hate to see what is still an afforable 'entry level' classic computer getting tossed away. I know, it drives up the cost of the survivors, but then that actually makes for less possible collectors in the future because of the prices. A younger person is going to want to start out small if they dabble in this and start at a price that doesn't hurt their wallet much. If I had the cash and the space, I would have bought all those IIes that got junked and seen how many I could have gotten working. Then, let then go cheap to anyone who wanted one. Edited January 19, 2013 by simbalion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 The problem with classic computing today is you can't really do facebook or mobile twitch gaming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Young people can't IM the person sitting right next to them from an 8 bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanrunomad Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Young people can't IM the person sitting right next to them from an 8 bit. Sure they can. Contiki was ported to many common 8-bit computers like the C64 and Apple II and you can send email, browse the web, or even chat live through IRC on it. Here's a video I made awhile back using it: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 (edited) One of the reasons I hate Goodwill (in Dallas and Ft Worth, TX) is retro computers are turned in all the time. I've been to their computer depot and it was beautiful to see boxed Amigas, Atari accessories and computers, TI-99 computers, bins and bins of them. And rather than try to resell these, they found it easier to have them melted down for the gold components. (this was 1999, but I still don't see retro computers in their stores...) I despise them for that. (Why I like Thrift Town instead.) Edited January 19, 2013 by doctorclu 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simbalion Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 Well, once I get a little more cash ahead, I am going to put up a want ad for unwanted Apple II series computers and see what happens. I have some space now for a few unlike ten years back when I could have had ten complete units with monitors an software all for $20. Wanted the computers, but no space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simbalion Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 One of the reasons I hate Goodwill (in Dallas and Ft Worth, TX) is retro computers are turned in all the time. I've been to their computer depot and it was beautiful to see boxed Amigas, Atari accessories and computers, TI-99 computers, bins and bins of them. And rather than try to resell these, they found it easier to have them melted down for the gold components. (this was 1999, but I still don't see retro computers in their stores...) I despise them for that. (Why I like Thrift Town instead.) When out Goodwill was still a local entity, they had piles of vintage computers and game systems out on thier shelves to sell all the time in the late 90's and for rather cheap. Once Goodwill reoganized and basically became corporate, they changed thier tune. I do know not all those computers get junked as I have heard of workers snatching them up. I have a friend working in ours and he has yet to see any old computers come in the past few years around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSchoolRetroGamer Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 The problem with classic computing today is you can't really do facebook or mobile twitch gaming. Sounds like a bonus feature to me! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarian63 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 (edited) One of the reasons I hate Goodwill (in Dallas and Ft Worth, TX) is retro computers are turned in all the time. I've been to their computer depot and it was beautiful to see boxed Amigas, Atari accessories and computers, TI-99 computers, bins and bins of them. And rather than try to resell these, they found it easier to have them melted down for the gold components. (this was 1999, but I still don't see retro computers in their stores...) I despise them for that. (Why I like Thrift Town instead.) Sadly for some models I dislike or have no use for, that is what we do also, we save the Atari's,Amiga's St's,console game systems,maybe some odd others. Apples,macs,c64,c128,PC's all get the recycle teardown treatment.Just personal preference, we can't save every item. Edited January 19, 2013 by atarian63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+thegoldenband Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Sadly for some models I dislike or have no use for, that is what we do also, we save the Atari's,Amiga's St's,console game systems,maybe some odd others. Apples,macs,c64,c128,PC's all get the recycle teardown treatment.Just personal preference, we can't save every item. I noticed that the comment simbalion referenced was yours, and figured it probably reflected your preferences & that you'd likely rescue Ataris. But I'm sure that somewhere there's an Appledude64 who also runs a recycling business and rescues only Apple IIs and Macs, so it probably all balances out! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simbalion Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 Well, I realize we can't save them all, but I really wish my state of Ohio would slow down on its destruction of just about everything neat. I live in Dover and it's more and more like a wasteland for everything around me all the time. I also collect antique radios and you wouldn't believe some of those a friend and I have saved from the trash, including what could be a high dollar Crosley tombstone type radio someone was throwing out in North Canton, OH. Reason: it no longer went with the new decor of thier 10 year old house. I snagged a somewhat rough, but salvagable Zenith console on the way to work last summer. It was sitting by the curb and I stopped to ask about it. Owner of the house actually came out and helped me load it, happier to see someone take it home than in the trash. It was a garage sale leftover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarian63 Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 I noticed that the comment simbalion referenced was yours, and figured it probably reflected your preferences & that you'd likely rescue Ataris. But I'm sure that somewhere there's an Appledude64 who also runs a recycling business and rescues only Apple IIs and Macs, so it probably all balances out! unlikely, due to gold content however if anyone is interested I would pull some aside as they come in,fewer and fewer these days as most have been disposed of already Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarian63 Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Well, I realize we can't save them all, but I really wish my state of Ohio would slow down on its destruction of just about everything neat. I live in Dover and it's more and more like a wasteland for everything around me all the time. I also collect antique radios and you wouldn't believe some of those a friend and I have saved from the trash, including what could be a high dollar Crosley tombstone type radio someone was throwing out in North Canton, OH. Reason: it no longer went with the new decor of thier 10 year old house. I snagged a somewhat rough, but salvagable Zenith console on the way to work last summer. It was sitting by the curb and I stopped to ask about it. Owner of the house actually came out and helped me load it, happier to see someone take it home than in the trash. It was a garage sale leftover. I see this all the time, we actually do asset management for corporations but many have asked us to open recycling to the public so we have. Yes,sad to see cool items damaged. We see some of the old bakelite cased tube radios and the older wooden ones come in. they were fine till the owners gave them the heave ho into a bin and broke them. not to mention it is very common for the public to get rid of newer stuff that has simple problems, I have seen i5 laptops with only virus issues and ipad II models with just a cracked screen. keep inmind for us it's really just a sideshow provided to the public at our corp clients request so the volume is maybe a 1/2 a semi per month of public stuff. The corp stuff is just boring pc's and not for recycle,schools however occasionally come up with old apples,we even saw a lisa a few years ago. Wish I have know people wanted that. I have an original mac portable that came in friday,not checked yet. Very few of the food old items, amiga,atari,ST. Barely any c64 just all gone or in an attic somewhere. I expect the next big turn in on these will be when the parents warehousing these things pass away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simbalion Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 It all boils down to getting the people who want rid of this stuff in contact with people who want it. All about timing which is rarely right. Right now there are some want ads on CL of people looking for Apple IIs and even vintage computers and parts. It's a challenge anymore for any collector, even of old iron because the price for the metals took off once China decided to take off into the modern age. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Usotsuki Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 I need to replace the keyboard on my //e. Well, it works fine, but... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarian63 Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 It all boils down to getting the people who want rid of this stuff in contact with people who want it. All about timing which is rarely right. Right now there are some want ads on CL of people looking for Apple IIs and even vintage computers and parts. It's a challenge anymore for any collector, even of old iron because the price for the metals took off once China decided to take off into the modern age. You are right, maybe I should start saving more stuff,that apple II price was amazing, I would be happy at 1/3 of that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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