For a collector, the B&H / Darth Vader models just represent rarity ontop of rarity. It's also not an Apple II clone like a Franklin or a Laser, as it is actually running Apple hardware under the hood.. Everything from the power supply on up is Apple-manufactured. The only thing that isnt Apple about the B&H is the backpack, and the sticker on the lid.
If I remember the lore correctly, Apple ran into a problem where they couldn't sell Apple IIs to certain schools because the unit didn't pass a UL certification; UL flunked Apple over the fact that kids could remove the lid of an Apple II
while it was running, which represented a safety hazard..so, to get around this, Apple approached Bell & Howell, a prominent maker of A/V equipment for schools, and said,
hey, make a giant A/V dongle for us that fits onto the back, and make it so that it effectively locks the lid...make it so that opening the thumbscrew to this backplate causes the power to turn off. That way, we can sell it to schools, legally. So they did.. Bell & Howell made the backplate dongle, painted the Apple II to match it, and sold it as a Bell & Howell to schools. Apple's happy, because they're making money on the sale to Bell & Howell, and getting their system into schools they otherwise could not infiltrate.
One of the other factors that drives the price on B&H / Darth Vader models is the presence (or lack thereof) of the serial number being visibly etched into the case. These units were commonly sold as part of lend/lease agreements which required the owner to physically engrave the serial number into the plastic somewhere, usually on the hood. Its totally common to see these with numbers literally gouged or melted via soldering iron into their hoods in accordance with the agreement. Finding a "clean" one which doesn't have a serial number etched into it is exceedingly rare. The more out-of-the-way the etching is, the better.
From what I can recall, Apple only manufactured these for a relatively short period of time, and by quantity, in the low ten thousands range. I think I've seen a grand total of two in my lifetime, in the wild.
The one I just purchased, which is currently en route, may even be a Bell & Howell Apple II, not an Apple II+ ..so, rare, on top of rare, on top of rare. It also has an unusual "48K" stamp on the badge, which I have not seen on other units. Case serial number is 977.
