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Kenbak-1

R

rl1856

New Member
Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
5
Hello, This is my first post to this forum. I am an active participant on Ebay and my neighbor approached me to find out if I can help him sell a Kenbak-1. He briefly explained that he was affiliated with the company and had 1 of 40 known units. He told me it was in working condition. Please respond to me directly if you want to pursue to item. His initial thought was to list the computer on Ebay and he may still want to go that route. Thank you.
 
Not in the market and might p.o. people that are interested in this, but given the historical significance of the item and its provenance, I would consider contacting the Computer History Museum first (yeah, they've got one already). If you can strike up a deal with them it would probably be good.
 
rl1856 said:
Hello, This is my first post to this forum. I am an active participant on Ebay and my neighbor approached me to find out if I can help him sell a Kenbak-1. He briefly explained that he was affiliated with the company and had 1 of 40 known units. He told me it was in working condition. Please respond to me directly if you want to pursue to item. His initial thought was to list the computer on Ebay and he may still want to go that route. Thank you.
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The last two Kenbaks I saw on ebay, which I think were the only two I have ever seen on ebay, one sold for $16,000.00. The other was documented with paper work and signatures. I think that one was being sold by an engineer who worked for the company. That one sold for around $40,000.00.

Get as much info as possible. Take a lot of pictures, maybe open a free photobucket account to help you show them, document the story and get signatures. Show it working if possible, and include pictures of the inside.

Good luck. That is one rare computer.
 
Sent you an email. That's awesome btw.. not many folks get the opportunity to be around an original kenbak. :) I think the $40,000 one was actually John Blankenbaker's last (or last spare) unit but could be wrong. Not sure of todays value with the economy but as I said in the email I'm an honest person and not the type to take advantage but it would be valued probably somewhere around $10,000US and yes ebay would probably be the best and largest audience (depending on the percent they take which sucks). You could I suppose post it here on the VCGM for no cost but it would be up to you and others to post about it. I swear I was up this morning fixing a server in the AM hours and while I was waiting I curiously searched completed system auctions.. I hope there wasn't really an Altair 8800 that sold for $160 for the final bid.

Depending on the economy I would still say it should fetch $5000, definitely over $3000 and the more documentation the better the value. Very cool to gather his stories as well.
 
If you have time, do let us know if he puts it up for auction. We'll all drool with ya :) .. well except Erik .. who of course already has one ;-p
 
Just so people know, that original Apple I, signed by Jobs that sold on ebay for 50 grand last year, resold at Christie Auction House for $210,000.00.

Research your item before you list it. Some things are way more valuable right now, even with a slow recovery. There are a lot of collectors outside of the United States with money.

If anything, start high and take offers.
 
Vintage 1976 Apple Computer Sold for $210,000

Vintage 1976 Apple Computer Sold for $210,000

http://www.cnbc.com/id/40152568/Vintage_1976_Apple_Computer_Sold_for_210_000
 
The slow recovery has nothing to do with big money collectables. The people who would pay over $10K for a vintage computer are richer now then ever before. I wouldn't be shocked to see a huge bubble in rare vintage computers within the next 5 years or so just like people dumped a ton of money on art.
 
I certainly agree, it's a matter of who's looking and who has money but yes the people that are in the market for a $10,000 computer are probably still perfectly fine with the bidding wars. On the down side it looks like ebay (recently?) hiked their prices up again? On the swcollect list it was mentioned that ebay now includes the shipping in the calculation for the total of their 9% they take out of the total sale. I didn't realize it was so much now adays, but as the other person pointed out. Sell something for $5 + shipping ($25?), now they'll take their insertion fee + 30*.09 ($2.70) + (say you use ebay's paypal with fees to receive the payment + 2.9%+$.30 (30*.029)+.3=$1.17).

So you just made $1.13 out of your $5. Good thing gas prices aren't high.. (ok I'll stop) ;-)
 
The ebay fees will keep people from selling low value items that are bulky to ship (which people tend to not want to put on ebay anyway, they freecycle that stuff or junk it). Lets face it quite a bit of common old computer devices are sold on the basis of shipping anyway (items are pretty much free). I expect to see more people using VCM to sell low margin stuff in the future or just recycle it.

Lately it seems people are more inclined to swap items (each paying their own shipping) then flat out sales.

If anything ebay will encourage people to get off their rump and rummage around their city for low value collectables like in the good old days and just use ebay for higher value rarer stuff they cannot find locally. Garage sales will have more finds, and maybe people will not be as socially inept from not talking to real people like they are now.
 
Thanks everyone for your replies, information and advice.

I have relayed everything to the owner and he has opted for an Ebay sale. He is fully aware of what the machine is worth. He was the owner of a technical college that at one time was a licensed vendor for the Kenbak-1. The machine that he will sell has been in his possession since new. At one time he had 8 machines; this is the last one.

He has created a You Tube video to show and demonstrate the computer. I have taken several high resolution photos of the outside and inside of the machine.

After the sale of the Kenbak, he wants to sell his collection of Kenback memorabilia.

Look for the auction to appear early next week.

Again, Thank you.
 
Awesome! I'm not sure what would give a better grand total though, although I suppose there could be the handful of folks with a Kenbak and wanting the memorabilia. Generally the more you have with the machine though the higher the value too, so dunno. Does he not get on the net much? He should come here and chat. :)
 
barythrin said:
Awesome! I'm not sure what would give a better grand total though, although I suppose there could be the handful of folks with a Kenbak and wanting the memorabilia. Generally the more you have with the machine though the higher the value too, so dunno. Does he not get on the net much? He should come here and chat. :)
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Well said. Anyone that has watched Antique Roadshow knows this. I refuse to say the word they use. Starts with a p. Still I'm going to guess barythrin is 100% right. Something like that make it all a big giant package.
 
rl1856 said:
. . .
He has created a You Tube video to show and demonstrate the computer. I have taken several high resolution photos of the outside and inside of the machine.

After the sale of the Kenbak, he wants to sell his collection of Kenback memorabilia.
. . .
Click to expand...

Ah yes, I remember the last time he tried to sell it. That wasn't very long ago. As I recall the price was higher than anybody wanted to pay at that time. Perhaps the market is a bit hotter now. BTW, wasn't the memorabilia part of the offering the first time?
 
Unknown_K said:
The ebay fees will keep people from selling low value items that are bulky to ship (which people tend to not want to put on ebay anyway, they freecycle that stuff or junk it). Lets face it quite a bit of common old computer devices are sold on the basis of shipping anyway (items are pretty much free).
Click to expand...
People will dump their items or sell them at garage sales. It also depends where in the US: vintage computer items are extremely rare here on Long Island, NY for instance. I feel people here just drop it off at the recycling center or have it picked up by metal recyclers curb side.

Unknown_K said:
I expect to see more people using VCM to sell low margin stuff in the future or just recycle it.
Click to expand...
I doubt it.

Unknown_K said:
Lately it seems people are more inclined to swap items (each paying their own shipping) then flat out sales.
Click to expand...
Where do you see this?

Unknown_K said:
If anything ebay will encourage people to get off their rump and rummage around their city for low value collectables like in the good old days and just use ebay for higher value rarer stuff they cannot find locally. Garage sales will have more finds, and maybe people will not be as socially inept from not talking to real people like they are now.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I am not so sure.
 
barythrin said:
I certainly agree, it's a matter of who's looking and who has money but yes the people that are in the market for a $10,000 computer are probably still perfectly fine with the bidding wars. On the down side it looks like ebay (recently?) hiked their prices up again? On the swcollect list it was mentioned that ebay now includes the shipping in the calculation for the total of their 9% they take out of the total sale. I didn't realize it was so much now adays, but as the other person pointed out. Sell something for $5 + shipping ($25?), now they'll take their insertion fee + 30*.09 ($2.70) + (say you use ebay's paypal with fees to receive the payment + 2.9%+$.30 (30*.029)+.3=$1.17).

So you just made $1.13 out of your $5. Good thing gas prices aren't high.. (ok I'll stop) ;-)
Click to expand...

But it does help with the idiots that put a low 'buy-it-now' price and OUTRAGEOUS shipping fees. Within the last month I saw a PC board (new, not vintage) that would cost no more than $5-$10 to ship, having a $300 shipping fee. Instead of pricing the board near it's MSRP price of $400, they priced it at $75. The total was in line with what everyone else was selling it for, but they were trying to trick people into buying it quickly without noticing the shipping fee (and/or trying to get out of paying any fees on the majority of their sale).

Also the 'shipping' fee is 'shipping and handling', so if the real shipping fee is $25, the seller could bump it up to cover the extra fees and the gas to drive it to the post office.
 
He had tried to sell it before, but the memorabilia was not part of the first attempted sale. His thought, and I tend to agree, is that those that have a Kenbak-1 already (very few I know), may be interested in the memorabilia but not necessarily another machine. Selling the lots separately should engage the largest possible audience.

Again, thanks for all of the help and advise. Look for the Ebay listing next week.

Best,

Ross
 
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