Modern day "tulip mania" with 1200XLs on eBay today

[Matej]

Its not only with 1200XL same with 130XE!

You can buy it for less than 150USD.

Or look at Atari Falcon 030 price.

I think some people are buying vintage computers

as old paintings or old cars.

As investment.

People who are not 8bit users at all.

 

So why I am happy with 1088XEL, EclaireXL and similar

projects. They will be backup for normal people in 5 years

when prices will be very high.

Edited May 25, 2017 by Matej

[ACML]

It continues....

 

 

$356 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Atari-1200XL-Computer-with-Atarimax-32-in-1-APE-Warp-Upgrade-SUPERB-/311881217457?hash=item489d91b5b1:g:buEAAOSw42dZJ0Er

[flashjazzcat]

Crikey. I'm gonna have to put my prices up.

[Brentarian]

It continues....

 

 

$356 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Atari-1200XL-Computer-with-Atarimax-32-in-1-APE-Warp-Upgrade-SUPERB-/311881217457?hash=item489d91b5b1:g:buEAAOSw42dZJ0Er

Makes me sick. Wish I had bought a few more a few years ago.

[Timothy Kline]

Makes me sick. Wish I had bought a few more a few years ago.

 

Me, I'm just happy I already have my 50 plus 2 1200XLs now. I would never have been able to do it at current prices. o.O

 

--Tim

[+mytek]

Me, I'm just happy I already have my 50 plus 2 1200XLs now. I would never have been able to do it at current prices. o.O

 

--Tim

Tim you and Bob Woolley need to get together to see who has the most 1200XLs, although I think he still has you beat. But you might win on how many are still in their case.

 

- Michael

[Timothy Kline]

Tim you and Bob Woolley need to get together to see who has the most 1200XLs, although I think he still has you beat. But you might win on how many are still in their case.

 

- Michael

 

As far as I'm concerned, Bob is the KING when it comes to 1200XLs. I'm just an admirer of his who hopes to be able to carry on the 1200XL tradition with my microscopic fraction of his experience, insight, and know-how. Bob's a one-of-a-kind and always will be.

 

Having said that, you're probably correct in saying that I have more systems that are still in their case, lol!

 

--Tim

[ACML]

Wow!!

 

$510 + shipping http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_sop=10&_dmd=2&_nkw=atari%201200&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc&_trksid=p2045573.m1684

Edited May 27, 2017 by ACML

[+mytek]

If that truly was in mint condition as in never opened, and with a pristine box, then maybe... just maybe it would be worth that asking price. But the one pictured... NO.

 

- Michael

[toddtmw]

I don't know. That one looks much nicer than most of the ones out there. Box is in great shape.

[+DrVenkman]

This pretty clean unit shot up from $111.50 to over $217.50 in the last 5 seconds. Whew.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/152566041843?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[+kheller2]

I tracked 17 of these with serial numbers over the past two months. Prices are crazy. And I didn't bother to look at the ones w/o a serial number (there was probably 5 of those, not including the one auction selling FIVE units -- which I should have snagged, but $100 for a 1200XL is still a bit crazy in my book).

[+DrVenkman]

As I've said before, I'd like to have another (especially since my two are currently giving me angst) but not at these prices.

[re-atari]

You do how the black tulip mania ended, don't you? The crowd madness all of sudden collapsed completely overnight without any specific reason, prices of tulip bulbs plummeting to only a fraction of what they were before. It caused a lot of people to lose lots of money or even go bankrupt. I'd call it the first documented pyramid scheme (or scam) in history, caused by speculation fuelled by greed of the 'not so initiated' in the trade.

 

Something similar has happened with another hobby of mine, collecting (Marklin) model trains, which I've been doing since the 1970's. About 20 years ago model trains were discovered as a good way of investment, with predictable consequenses for the 'esteemed value' of items. Right up to pure speculation with certain models built in the 50's and 60's (like the CCS800 Crocodile locomotive). The last couple of years common sense has gradually sunk in along with (or maybe because of) a flood of collections for sale, eg. after a collector's death, and the investment hype quickly faded away. Because of this prices have been falling ever since, especially so with the models that were once regarded as a good investment item.

 

Personally I have never really cared about the value of my model train collection, just enjoy the beauty of watching them on display in the cabinet on the wall. Never felt the urge to get carried away in the investment hype, and pay overinflated prices for specific items just for the sake of owning them, either. Value is just a matter of perception and a result of your own definition.

 

The 1200XL madness will probably fall through as well. Until then, if you don't think the items on eBay are worth the asking price, just ignore the gold digger sellers and let it pass.

 

re-atari

 

[GlowingGhoul]

There's no reason to believe there will be a crash in prices any time soon. There are fewer and fewer functioning 8-bits every year. Spares are getting scarce. While demand will decline as those of us fond of these things die off, supply may go down even faster. It would be wise to stock up when the opportunity presents itself. Luckily, the 600Xl is the ideal model for me, and they are near the bottom of the heap price wise.

[gozar]

Kind of off topic, but I'd love to see an ITX motherboard case in the 1200XL form factor.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ACML]

This pretty clean unit shot up from $111.50 to over $217.50 in the last 5 seconds. Whew.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/152566041843?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

The previous one on eBay sold for $370 (May 29th). I believe the insanity will continue. No more spare parts for the 1200XL, so you have to buy a working machine as a backup. I think it was estimated that Atari made ~110,000 1200XLs and I'm sure +85% are now in landfills now. I was comparing my 1200XL to an 800 and the foot print is almost identical, but the 800 is almost twice as tall and a lot more girth (volume). What's particularly nice about the 1200XL over the 800 is one PCB vs seven on the 800. I know the 600XL, 800XL and XE are also one PCB, but the build quality doesn't stack up to the 400, 800 or 1200XL. The 1200XL was the last Atari 8-bit machine designed to sell north of $700 in 1983 and the quality of components, keyboard and case reflect that. The Commodore C-64 insured that no one would make a machine as well built again. I consider the 1200XL to be the M-14 (Last US Main Battle Rifle adopted in 1959). The M-14 was a perfected (WWII) M1 Garand that came out as a replacement and saw little service in Vietnam before it was replaced by the M-16. Like the 1200XL, collectors and shooters today hold the M-14 (M1A civilianized) as a prized possession. Wow, that was a tangent wasn't it.

Edited June 4, 2017 by ACML

[+DrVenkman]

The previous one on eBay sold for $370 (May 29th). I believe the insanity will continue. No more spare parts for the 1200XL, so you have to buy a working machine as a backup. I think it was estimated that Atari made ~110,000 1200XLs and I'm sure +85% are now in landfills now. I was comparing my 1200XL to an 800 and the foot print is almost identical, but the 800 is almost twice as tall and a lot more girth (volume). What's particularly nice about the 1200XL over the 800 is one PCB vs seven on the 800. I know the 600XL, 800XL and XE are also one PCB, but the build quality doesn't stack up to the 400, 800 or 1200XL. The 1200XL was the last Atari 8-bit machine designed to sell north of $700 in 1983 and the quality of components, keyboard and case reflect that. The Commodore C-64 insured that no one would make a machine as well built again. I consider the 1200XL to be the M-14 (Last US Main Battle Rifle adopted in 1959). The M-14 was a perfected (WWII) M1 Garand that came out as a replacement and saw little service in Vietnam before it was replaced by the M-16. Like the 1200XL, collectors and shooters today hold the M-14 (M1A civilianized) as a prized possession. Wow, that was a tangent wasn't it.

 

I can't dispute your observations on build quality - 400's and 800's are amazingly, meticulously well-built compared to later XL's and XE machines. However, the earliest 800XL's, especially the rev A boards built by Chelco, are pretty well-built - generally fully-socketed, easy to work on, etc. Later revision boards by other contractors are noticeably lower quality (a donor 800XL I picked up a couple months ago has a ram socket soldered in crooked, for instance, and BASIC, the OS and MMU aren't socketed).

 

Also can't arrgue with what's happening on eBay. Prices are kinda nutty. I bought mine together as a pair back around 2002 or so, along with a 1050, a pair of 410 Program Recorders, etc. for about $100 if I remember correctly. eBay doesn't maintain purchase history long enough for me to go back and check and I don't have the same email account either.

 

I would love for online/auction prices to drop back down again but I doubt they will. As you say, they're not making any more of 'em. Bargains can be had though if someone is diligent. Friend of mine from a FB gaming group I run found one, boxed, in a thrift store in central Florida last year for $50. *shrug*

[_The Doctor__]

The insanity will die down after all the retro movies and retro reference in movies/tv die down... there have been a good deal of them in theaters over the last couple years and a number of them are still to be released.... in the scheme of things it'll work out... it always does... it's a cycle when viewed from a distance it looks normal but close up omg the world is on fire!

Edited June 6, 2017 by _The Doctor__

[gozar]

The insanity will die down after all the retro movies and retro reference in movies/tv die down... there have been a good deal of them in theaters over the last couple years and a number of them are still to be released.... in the scheme of things it'll work out... it always does... it's a cycle when viewed from a distance it looks normal but close up omg the world is on fire!

 

At least until Ready Play One is released next year. :-)

[KLund1]

This can all be simply explained:

Business 101;

Supply & Demand,

Buy low, sell high.

 

Those of us that used 8-bit in our formative years now have a lot more disposable income as we are getting into the later half of life. We seem to want to 're-live' part of that simpler time.

[GlowingGhoul]

This can all be simply explained:

Business 101;

Supply & Demand,

Buy low, sell high.

 

Those of us that used 8-bit in our formative years now have a lot more disposable income as we are getting into the later half of life. We seem to want to 're-live' part of that simpler time.

 

You're exactly right, and with supply of functioning units dwindling prices will only move in one direction. The people waiting for the 'crash' are never going to see it.

[tschak909]

So the way to counter-act it is literally to make reproductions.

 

-Thom

[+kheller2]

So the way to counter-act it is literally to make reproductions.

 

-Thom

Or to purposely devalue 1200XLs. Don't buy them, and spread nasty rumors that they have too many incompatibility issues, prone to failure, no parts left, keyboard is a disaster to repair, no modern self power drawing device will work with them. In general they just suck and you would be better off with a nice shiny 65XE.

[flashjazzcat]

If a few people are stockpiling comparatively huge numbers of 1200XLs, surely by definition 1200XLs are becoming rarer. Of course everyone has the right to own as many 1200XLs as they choose, but I have to wonder what the reasoning is for collecting them in huge numbers, other than as a financial investment (on the assumption that the price will continue to rise or at least remain high).

 

Contrast this with at least one notable community member giving away 1200XLs in large numbers a few years ago (I received one) - a gesture which is probably responsible for the large number of 1200XL owners today. I have three and would probably keep a fourth. Beyond that, it gets a little crazy.