Sale Value - iMac G4 20" - working condition

[goodfidelity]

I have alot of vintage Macs, but no place to keep them.

So i was thinking of selling some of them.

I have this iMac G4 20" model that was very rare, it is fully loaded with RAM and has WiFi.

No box, keyboard or stuff like that, but working condition. Some small cosmetic marks.


What is the value of this kind of machine today?
See them listed at up to USD 1000 on eBay but dont think that is possible to reach.

Thanks for any advice
(Machine location i Scandinavia)

 

[CooperBox]

As an AppleMac collector too, I regularly check on prices of PowerBooks, G4 iMacs etc.
Just checked on my favourite French website where I occasionally see a 20" iMac G4 for sale, however on the few dozen G4 iMacs currently available all are either 15" or 17".
The 20" is not a rare machine in the true sense, and certainly not very rare. In my experience however it is 'scarce' and clearly getting scarcer with each passing year, so I would expect the prices to rise. I guess in Scandinavia it's also a rather difficult model to find, so you may be able to sell for a reasonable price, especially if offered with the Harman Kardon speakers and original clean keyboard. A boxed example should fetch a premium.
I have a 15", 17", and x2 20" in my collection, one perfect and another held for spares. I rarely sell any Macs from my collection but 2 years ago sold a 20" G4 iMac for 300euros complete with keyboard, mouse and speakers, plus I'd completely refurbished it and repasted CPU etc.
I note that there are several 17" 1.25GHz models currently with private sellers advertised from 200 - 300euros. I'd never pay that, but arguably the 20" may be a good purchase for those amounts even non-refurbished.
For more info on G4 iMacs, I recommend you check out the PowerPC forum on this site. Full of great info on repairs, installing an SSD, refurb details etc. A few useful links HERE, and HERE.

 

[velocityg4]

All links are sold items.

Condition and presentation is everything. You'll want to clean it thoroughly. Going so far as to clean out the keyboard. Which is a bit laborious. Clean the cables too. If you clean it out internally, take pictures. Briefly make note in your ad of how thoroughly it was cleaned and a clean install of the OS was performed.

Note any scratches or marks and try to get them to show in pictures. To avoid a not as described return. While you won't be able to remove scratches. Any marks are usually removable. Just don't use anything abrasive like paper towels on that clear plastic. I can't recommend cleaning products as I don't know what that plastic can handle. Which is different than the old beige Macs.

An SSD is a cheap replacement and may add value. Not sure if it is worth it though. The SSD may just break even. Then again it appears to be an oddity to find in an iMac G4. Which could increase value beyond the cost. Although I'd stick with 240 to 512 GB. As you'll also need a PATA adapter and 3.5" mount.

PRISTINE highly upgraded Apple iMac G4 800MHz ! SSD ! 1GB AirPort DVD BlueTooth | eBay

The flat panel has no dead pixels. It has been upgraded to the maximum possible 1GB of RAM. There is also an original set of install disks for iLife'04. - an immaculate, pristine white iMac G4 running at 800MHz.

www.ebay.com

Test the DVD for burning and reading.

Finally, neatly lay it out with all included peripherals. Any original documentation or discs help the value. Take nice pictures on a bench, desk or table top. Pay attention to lighting. Make sure there is no clutter in the background. You want it to look good. If everything looks neat, clean and tidy. That shows an owner who took care of their computer.

If you don't have the Apple Pro Speakers anymore. Get them used off eBay in good condition (about $20). Same goes with the original white keyboard (A1048, $30), mouse (M5769, $20) and power cable (no black cables). If any of these peripherals are beyond redemption in appearance. Replace them too. The next generation Aluminum Keyboard and Mighty Mouse are also acceptable replacements but don't add as much value as the original models.

Your main picture should be the full spread with the computer booted to the desktop.

This can make the difference between a $200 iMac G4 20" and a $500-$600 iMac G4 20". Looking at previous eBay items which sold.

Superb Listing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2004-Apple...934308?hash=item3b4c67b0a4:g:8skAAOSwyJFfMhXK

Nice Listing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-iMac...841627?hash=item342ec32a1b:g:ZUMAAOSwhjlfPCJv

Not so nice listing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-G4-iMac-20-034-Sunflower-Snowball-1-25GHz-G4-1-5GB-Ram-120gb-10-5-8-Airport-/164312797811?hash=item2641ce5273:g:7SkAAOSwI5Femc-s&nma=true&si=3qgFg9qhovDOURHu8jIH0ONLrgA%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

If you are willing to wait it out. Just use a Buy It Now price. Then drop it $20 a week. You can also try to sell locally. You won't get as much but won't pay a huge eBay fee and shipping fee either.