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Thomas Harte

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 30, 2005
401
19
As in an M0001, saying just 'Macintosh' on it — so predating the launch of the 512k and the rebrand/slight internal redesign to make the 128k proper. This is a fully functioning machine, in all its original packaging, all manuals and all original disks and cassette tapes (including MacWrite and MacDraw).
 
As low as zero (no kidding) to maybe $300 or so. But then an original box, packaging, manuals, etc—but no Mac—sold for $536. Go figure.

The practical value is basically nothing. The collector's value is whatever the market will bear. Find the right sucker collector, and you could get a few grand out of it. You'd probably get the most return by donating it to a museum and claiming a deduction.

http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/commentary/cultofmac/2002/03/51208
 
Oh, no, it's the other way around. I've been offered one for just shy of $1000 and can't seem to find sufficient information to determine how seriously I should pursue it. It sounds like $1000 is within the established bounds (for collectors, anyway), but better deals often occur?
 
I don't know about "often," but you never know until you test the market. The only thing that could potentially drive up the value to real interesting numbers is if it were completely new, as in never unpacked or used, utterly virginal. "Proof," as it were.
 
I remember when original Macs went for a lot of money on eBay, in the late 90s. I was in high school then and desperately wanted one. I actually found one by random chance. It's an interesting story.

Thomas, how did you get MacWrite and MacDraw on cassette tapes? I never knew that was even offered for the Macintosh. Do you have any photos?
 
Sorry, a very poorly constructed sentence. I meant that MacWrite and MacDraw were present in the "all original disks and cassette tapes" (hence my use of two 'and's in that sentence — I'd mentally turned them into a single item).

I turned down the $1000 Mac on the basis that without having any idea how much the item should cost, it was unlikely I'd chance upon the correct price like this, and I'm not so interested in owning one that if $1000 turns out to be well below average then I'll be forever regretful.

For the record, I've recently seen one go on eBay with no boxes, the original floppy drive broken (but an external one provided for booting, etc) go for a little over €600 and there's currently one on eBay without boxes but fully working and exceptionally unaffected by time, with an external floppy drive with a buy-it-now price of $775.
 
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