Number of Apple II items on ebay continuing to increase.

[Keatah]

Over the last decade I've been watching the number of Apple II items on ebay increase. This year it's about 2500. Maybe 2700 if you do a comprehensive search with alternate keywords and terms.

 

This up from 2 and 4 years ago. In fact it's an increasing trend.

Wonder if it's because people are getting out of the hobby? Enthusiasts passing onward? The hobby itself is growing? Or pricing is out of hand?

[spacecadet]

I think it's probably pricing. Apple II stuff is going through the roof. It may not be worth it for somebody to sell a computer that's worth $50, but when it's $400 or more (as a lot of Apple II's now go for), that's different. Same with peripherals and anything else. Even a lot of Apple II cards now go for over $100. People realize they have this stuff lying around and now it's worth something.

[AMenard]

I think it's probably pricing. Apple II stuff is going through the roof. It may not be worth it for somebody to sell a computer that's worth $50, but when it's $400 or more (as a lot of Apple II's now go for), that's different. Same with peripherals and anything else. Even a lot of Apple II cards now go for over $100. People realize they have this stuff lying around and now it's worth something.

 

This is especially true for the z80 CP/M board... I wonder if CP/M is making a comeback or not :-)

Edited November 27, 2017 by AMenard

[Keatah]

I think it's probably pricing. Apple II stuff is going through the roof. It may not be worth it for somebody to sell a computer that's worth $50, but when it's $400 or more (as a lot of Apple II's now go for), that's different. Same with peripherals and anything else. Even a lot of Apple II cards now go for over $100. People realize they have this stuff lying around and now it's worth something.

 

Well that's another way to look at it. Pricing. Priced too high so it sits around and rots. Or priced high enough to make a potential sale, thus bringing the fence-sitters out of the woodwork.

[Keatah]

This is especially true for the z80 CP/M board... I wonder if CP/M is making a comeback or not :-)

 

Some Z-80 boards actually move at $300. Making a comeback? I don't know.

 

On one hand it could be that some CP/M programs are piquing interest because they demonstrate real world productivity, like WordStar or DBase II vs. some gay-ass custom thing like Jane with its half-baked GUI-wannabe and non-standard 'everything' that got in the way and slowed down real work.

 

WS or DB were things we actually used back in the day as opposed to J which was a resource hog and a demo of things to come.

 

Z-80 boards were always "holy-grail" types of things to me as a child. Imagine having not 1 microprocessor in the house, but two. TWO!! That's some pretty heavy stuff. And to have it in the same machine, the thought was all-consuming to a kid-geek then. Now.. Now!! Finally!! Maybe someone would program a dual-processor game.

[polyex]

Hipsters are figuring the ultimate ironic statement is to buy an old Apple II computer and pay more than they did for an iPhone X.

[Tempest]

We haven't reached peak Apple II hipsterness until I see someone using one in a Starbucks trying to act all casual.

[eightbit]

People now believe that their old crap is a goldmine precisely because of internet articles like this:

 

https://turbofuture.com/computers/vintagemacintosh

 

I have a mint 1st Gen iPad, anyone want to buy it for $1350?

Edited December 24, 2017 by eightbit

[BassGuitari]

I say bring it all on! It will only get cheaper that way.