My collection (hoard?) about 20 years ago...

[collectorcraig]

I starting collecting in the late 1970's when I was part of a small group trying to start up a computer museum in Minnesota. It never happened, but I sure filled my garage with lots of stuff. In 1996, a collector was coming to buy one of my Apple 1 computers and wanted to see what else I had available. So I shot a video of what was in the garage. Thought you might enjoy taking a video tour of my garage as it looked 20 years ago.

Many of these computers were acquired at Ham Radio swap meets in the early years of collecting and from MECC (where I worked for 20 years). Most of the single board computers have been sold on eBay and the three Apple 1 computers were unfortunately sold privately years ago.

 

[circuit]

Amazing! Almost every single frame contains something desirable!

I have to ask... how much did you sell your Apple I's for?

 

[collectorcraig]

The first one I sold for $20,000 to a VP at Apple. The second one went for $25,000. The guy that bought it resold it on eBay for $50,000 and it then sold at Christies Auction in London for $213,000 and is now in a museum in Italy. The third one sold for $45,000 and about a year later the buyer resold it on Breker's Auction in Germany for $645,000. I think I let these go too early!

 

[circuit]

The first one I sold for $20,000 to a VP at Apple. The second one went for $25,000. The guy that bought it resold it on eBay for $50,000 and it then sold at Christies Auction in London for $213,000 and is now in a museum in Italy. The third one sold for $45,000 and about a year later the buyer resold it on Breker's Auction in Germany for $645,000. I think I let these go too early!

Oof! Still, if that was the going rate at the time, it was still a very useful amount of money in the '90s. The market really has surpassed what most could have predicted. Better than being one of the many who simply tossed them in the trash, and you have a hell of a story. That vid with all those goodies fills me with wonderment and more than a bit of envy

 

[collectorcraig]

Oof! Still, if that was the going rate at the time, it was still a very useful amount of money in the '90s. The market really has surpassed what most could have predicted. Better than being one of the many who simply tossed them in the trash, and you have a hell of a story. That vid with all those goodies fills me with wonderment and more than a bit of envy

No regrets here! The first one was sold in the late 1980's for $20,000. We had 3 children at the time and wanted a mini-van to make traveling a bit more bearable. So we sold the Apple 1 to Jean-Louie Gasse at Apple. So the story goes like this...Jobs and Woz sold their van to help finance the Apple 1's and we sold our Apple 1 to finance the van!

 

[Rick Ethridge]

Those are nice systems. Reminds me of some of the computers I used to have. Just no room for more.

 

[jltursan]

Oh, wow, it's like a treasure cove!

Really nice video, thanks!

 

[roflwaffle]

wow, that brought back memories, and envy. thanks for the post, not likely to see many like that (from a forum noob anyway)

 

[Unknown_K]

If you got into collecting/hoarding pre ebay (1999?) you probably made out well (much better if you started much earlier).

 

[collectorcraig]

I started actively collecting in about 1975. In the 1970's and early 1980's, ham radio swap meets were the primary events where I had the best luck in finding computer related items. Eventually they became ham radio/computer swaps and brought together the electronic buffs to unload their surplus. In the early 80's the single board training computers (SYM-1's, Micro Aces, Cosmac Elf's, etc.) were being sold at these meets for a few dollars each. I think at one time I had at least four SYM-1 Computers in their original box with manuals. It was a great time to be collecting and I wish I had a larger storage space at the time.

Ebay got rolling in about mid 1996. I joined in November of 1996 and it was a very good place to pick up computers and calculators for a few years. Then the whole world discovered it and things got a bit crazy.

 

[pski]

"...here are some Lisas..." wow

 

[Unknown_K]

I started actively collecting in about 1975. In the 1970's and early 1980's, ham radio swap meets were the primary events where I had the best luck in finding computer related items. Eventually they became ham radio/computer swaps and brought together the electronic buffs to unload their surplus. In the early 80's the single board training computers (SYM-1's, Micro Aces, Cosmac Elf's, etc.) were being sold at these meets for a few dollars each. I think at one time I had at least four SYM-1 Computers in their original box with manuals. It was a great time to be collecting and I wish I had a larger storage space at the time.

I remember in the early or mid 1990's driving with a friend to a Dayton Hamfest/computer show. This was before I was into collecting just using and there were tons of outside tents full of old equipment I knew nothing about while I checked out the current stuff and boxed games. Sometimes I wonder what I could have snagged if I was looking.

 

[cheesypig]

Wow...