• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here
  • From now on we will require that a prefix is set for any items in the sales area. We have created regions and locations for this. We also require that you select a delivery option before posting your listing. This will hopefully help us streamline the things that get listed for sales here and help local people better advertise their items, especially for local only sales. New sales rules are also coming, so stay tuned.

Looking for some vintage computers (long wishlist)

achimhb

achimhb

Experienced Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2015
Messages
66
Location
Germany, close to former capitol Bonn
I am looking for some vintage computers. I do collect, not trade and preserve computers from 50’s to early 80’s.
Some examples from my long wishlist:
AIM-65, Altair, Apple II (not IIe, IIc, II+ etc), Apple Lisa 1 or 2, Apple Portable, Cromemco, Datapoint, DEC PDP, GridPad, Heathkit, Honeywell H316 1969, HP-9100/9830, IBM 5100, 5110 and early terminals, Imlac PDS, IMSAI/IMS/Pertec, Intel SIM4, Kenbak-1, KIM-1, Mark 8, Macintosh 128K or XL, MCS-4, Micral, Minivac, Northstar Horizon, Ohio Scientific, Olivetti Programma, Scelbi-8H, Simon, S-100 Computer, SOL, Southwest Tech, Sym-1, Vector-1, Wang 1200 etc.
 
Not to rain on your parade, but good luck!

Some of the items you listed are almost unobtainium.

You might watch estate sales. Not garage/yard/boot sales, but actual estate sales. I've picked up a few items at thse before. Couple of Apples +/e, few Commodore machines. Most were in pretty decent condition once I knocked off the inch of dust.

Still, like billdeg said, ebay is probably your best shot.
 
Maybe I should add that I already got 200+ vintage computers and even some of my wishlist I already got.

But I try to get more respectively to fill the gaps in my collection. Of course I know usual sources.

I hope to find people selling vintage computers. Many times owner of vintage computers want to know that these rare computers are well preserved. That is what I am doing.

My published wishlist contains just a fraction what I am looking for.
 
I think for some of the items like a Mark-8, Scelbi, Kenbak, Micral and Lisa-1 you may not even have luck on eBay. I'd watch the real auction houses, each of those systems will cost in the 10's of thousands each minimum and will come up very infrequently. I think I can get you an original Kenbak-1, but we are talking six figures in U.S. Dollars. Replica Kenbak may still cost you a few thousand. A replica Mark-8 or Scelbi will cost you an arm and a leg also as a completed working kit has 100's of hours in it and people are attached to them for that reason.

Cheers,
Corey
 
...and there are those (e.g. H316) whose sellers will not ship--you'll have to go get them in person. If you're not in a good location (e.g. US), this will involve a fair amount of air travel.
 
Do you have space for them when you get them? Sometimes its a matter of having to trade when something nice comes along. Either to make space or to make money. Also please add your location , it helps us suggest places to look..
 
May location is Germany. Most computers I got are from the USA and so I know the high shipping fees. But that is the way it is.

Up to 130 lbs is no problem. Beyond needs some work.

So far I got mails teilling me what is not or hard to get. Thanks for the advice. But that is not the reason for my question. I just opened to thread to get in contact to people owning (!) those computers and those willing to sell.

For example Lisa 1, MOS and Commodore KIM-1, several Altair 8800 I already got and for Kenbak-1 I got an offer and going to buy it in September. Nothing is impossible.

At the moment I can only collect personal computers and similar. Next year I will have enough space to store mainframes.

Please write to me if you got vintage computers to sell or if you know someone who would like to sell. I collect computers and preserve it. No replica please.
 
I'm a little confused over your desire for an H316. In the form that it's most likely to be found, it's a pretty ordinary minicomputer in a box or rack, like a PDP-8 or PDP-11. Yet, neither of those are on your list, nor are any other minicomputers.

If what you're looking for is the pedestal model advertised in the 1969 Nieman-Marcus catalog, I suspect that you'll be looking for a long time. To quote Wikipedia, "No evidence has been found that any Honeywell Kitchen Computers were ever sold.".
 
Chuck(G) said:
I'm a little confused over your desire for an H316. In the form that it's most likely to be found, it's a pretty ordinary minicomputer in a box or rack, like a PDP-8 or PDP-11. Yet, neither of those are on your list, nor are any other minicomputers.

If what you're looking for is the pedestal model advertised in the 1969 Nieman-Marcus catalog, I suspect that you'll be looking for a long time. To quote Wikipedia, "No evidence has been found that any Honeywell Kitchen Computers were ever sold.".
Click to expand...

"gaps in my collection" .. Honeywell 316 -???? Tell me about it. Me too. It's a shame too because I was at the Honeywell 316 store the other day and I should have picked one up. I only had room on my moped for a Kenbak.

b
 
  • Haha
Reactions: cjs
achimhb said:
I am looking for some vintage computers. I do collect, not trade and preserve computers from 50’s to early 80’s.
Some examples from my long wishlist:
AIM-65
Click to expand...

This looks like a close to mint condition AIM-65 currently for sale on eBay in the US:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/331559115407

Current high bid is $162.50 although my guess is that it will sell for closer to 2x - 3x that amount when it ends tomorrow.
 
gslick said:
This looks like a close to mint condition AIM-65 currently for sale on eBay in the US:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/331559115407

Current high bid is $162.50 although my guess is that it will sell for closer to 2x - 3x that amount when it ends tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Thanks gslick. I am already watching this auction. AIM-65 I go 2 in my collection. One working without case and one not working in a case (so far).
Your mail was useful.
 
This tread is some sort of inside joke, correct? No Apple 1 on the list?

I know it's OT, but I personally have been looking for some used cars:
- Mercedes-Benz SSK
- Ford GT-40
- Bugatti Royale
- Ferrari 250 GTO
- 1953 Corvette
- Any Rolls Royce

You know, stuff like like that….
 
Can we please be nice and gently dash the hopes of our new member?

For the record, the Kitchen Computer was a real thing. Someone I follow on twitter has seen it in person and she tweeted photographs.

Now personally, I'd like an S100 system that doesn't cost an arm and leg, but I've come to accept that that will probably never happen. S100 cards are expensive enough (although I could make my own...)...

The creator of the Kenbak-1 got his last spare, long considered defective, in working order some time ago (2010) and has offered it for sale on his website. However, I'm not even sure if he's alive anymore.
 
Last edited:
cr1901 said:
For the record, the Kitchen Computer was a real thing. Someone I follow on twitter has seen it in person and she tweeted photographs.
Click to expand...

Oh, I don't doubt that the pedestal H316 was real (I remember it from an article in Popular Science), but there's no evidence that Nieman-Marcus (or any dealer) ever sold one. To extend @lisa2's theme, it's like trying to buy, say, the latest "concept car" from BMW. You can't--there's only one or two and not for sale.

Personally, if I were a well-heeled collector, those "animals" from the Honeywell ads would be far more interesting as a conversation piece.
 
For an interesting S100 system, (assuming you don't already know about them) I recommend looking into the Heathkit/Zenith H/Z-100 series (specifically, the 110 and 120 models. One had a built in monitor, the other had a separate monitor). These were 8085/8088 dual processor systems, that came usually with 2 5.25" floppy drives or one floppy and a MFM hard drive... what makes them really cool is the 5? (maybe 4, I'm tired) slot S100 backplane that they used for the expansion slots :D I have three of them, one found on ebay, one on craigslist, and one from a guy on youtube who sold me his. All work, though the MFM drive in the one I got on CL is dead (not a huge surprise). One of them even has a gemini IBM PC emulator card in it :D Anyway, I don't think I paid more than 200 dollars for any of mine, and if you watch ebay, you can usually get them in the 100-200 range when they come up. They aren't as common as a C64, but they aren't exactly rare, either. Hope I'm not preaching to the choir - but they are fascinating machines, and the documentation on them was absolutely top-notch! It's sad they never really displaced the PC - they were mostly compatable, and actually far superior machines! As well as being VERY hackable/modable.
 
Hi
Just joined this forum, and can help you with some of these. I am an old-timer, working with the original Byte Shop (both Lawndale, Ca and Bellevue Wa) and have collected MANY things along the way...

I am just getting around to going through my collection, but a taste of what I have (and will need to now find a new home for -- I'm moving to a boat!):

>IMSAI 8080 with SPECIAL Clear Plexiglass cover (Byte Shop & IMSAI designed, for sales purposes-rare, I think)
>Northstar Horizon
>Otrona 8086
>Processor Technology Sol-20
>IMSAI 8046 SBC -- VERY RARE (In a Binder-Folder!)
>Exidy all-in-one
>Remex Tape Reader
>FACIT 4070 tape punches
>many S100 bds, NEW & used IC's (over 8000 at last count--DTL, TTL, CMOS-some very rare-all from 1970 on PALS, GALS, EPROM, EEPROM, UARTS, LCDs,etc, etc.
>and MUCH MORE...

Give me a shout if you desire more info on anything -- I am in the process of making up a list now (I DON'T DO EBAY or Craigslist -- I've gotten burnt before!)

Cheers-GriffK
 
Hi,

Thanks for your mail and offer! Great to get in touch with you. Indeed you got some fine vintage computer I would like to own. Beside some funny answers here I got some serious offers. It was even more funny to see some answers as I already got some computers from the list I published. I will start this year my website with vintage computers I own.

To your list:
IMSAI 8080: I got several in my collection but none with the plexiglass cover
Northstar Horizon: Would like to have. Unbelievable it is not in my collection
Otrona: I just know the Otrona Attache.
SOL-20: Got a working one in my collection but would like to get one more.
IMSAI 8046: Would need more inforamtions
Exidy: Very interesting.
Remex/Facit: Intersting
S100 boards, IC’s etc: Very interesting!

For all computers I would like to get pictures and to know if it is working.
Would be good to switch to private message and exchange some pictures. You should be able to write me a PM by clicking on my name.

BTW: Moving on a boat sound exciting. Are you planing to go around by boat or just to live on it? I spend several times some weeks on a sailing boat. Great way of living.

Cheers,
Achim
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top