Few electronics brands can boast of this: that their computers from two or three decades ago become collectibles. There are more and more people who want to seek out one of Apple’s most iconic Mac models to go all out and fill multiple rooms in their homes with the company’s computer history.
It is possible that you are already an age and you may have considered buying one of these pieces to wear at home and remember other times. You’re lucky: the market for buying and selling old Macs is generally dynamic. Let’s see some examples that can encourage you to take the first steps.
If you have the money and the space, there’s a sea of possibilities.
Let’s start by looking for one of the Apple computers that most fans want to have: the iMac G3. Its shapes and colors symbolized Steve Jobs’ return to Apple and showed that personal computing didn’t have to be a beige tower full of wires.
In Wallapop we can find models of iMac G3 at prices around 300 or 400 dollars, although there are prices as low as 50 dollars (another thing is that you trust, because Wallapop is not a scam-free place). We can even choose between models with Mac OS X or Mac OS 9 Classic installed, and price variations can also indicate whether it comes with a mouse included or not.
Another great buy and sell site is eBay, where we can find working iMac models from around the world (if we accept certain shipping costs). This is perhaps where we find much more precise things, like an empty box of this iMac G3 for just under 60 dollars or a promotional badge from the time of these computers for 20 pounds. These aren’t Macs per se, but they are pieces of pure Apple history that are hard to find.
There are tons of iPod models on portals like eBay, especially the classic and Nano
Another iconic product ordered by the thousands for the collection shelves? Sure, the iPod is another. A Wallapop search returns us a vast catalog of models (working or broken), almost all under 100 dollars. The anecdote here is how many sell AirPods by naming them “iPods”. We cannot avoid this kind of confusion.
eBay returns similar results, especially iPod Classic and iPod Nano of the most recent generations with an apparent good condition. Now that these players have ceased to be sold, they have become more valuable items for collectors (although there are people who still use them on a daily basis).
And of course we can search the oldest and most valuable objects: Macintosh Performa models, the first generations of PowerBooks, or unused Pippin models if you dare leave more than 1,000 dollars on whim. Or if you already want to let off steam completely, for 12,500 dollars you can have an Apple Lisa with its manuals and discs soft impeccably included in the purchase.
Ultimately, It doesn’t take much to start your own collection of vintage Apple memorabilia.. Perhaps the most difficult part is finding a place for all of them, in addition to the money you need for certain specific computer models. For those of us who don’t have room, we still have to admire the most absurd collections some people have made.
pictures | Melvin Lauber
