Regarding old computers being obsolete, I've found on ebay sales of Apple IIGSes Apple IIGS sale on ebay

According to this wiki, **here** these computers were released in 1986.

Would you believe it?

And look at this one - released in 1984. ***here*** Notice not only the price, but especially the fact that this seller has two offers from folks who want this computer.

Searched ebay for old (early 1990's era) Packard-Bell PC's, found none, but did find Commodore **here**

going for over $500.

Another Commodore going for approx. $100 **here**

and all these old computers I have so far are newer than these, even the HP Pavilion 4530, a Compaq Presario 5012US, and imac G3.

So I'm positive that when I'm ready to let go of them (I'm finished with disassembling the HP Pavilion 4530 and the Compaq Presario 5012US, now have that under my belt, hands-on, now have to train on DOS/Win 3.11 and W98) which may take from 6 months - 2 years, approx. so hopefully I can help people using DOSbox and Virtual PC that are running these older OSes.


Comments, please?

Cruise I still have my very first computer - an IBM PC Junior with the original "Floppy Disks"! They really were "floppy"!

You will find there is still much activity focused around the Tandy Color Computer family, specially the Coco3. The CPU was a Motorola 6809, 64K memory extended to 128K with the Coco3. Languages Basic and OS-9. Floppy disk and tape system.
Third party vendors made enhancements available with memory to 8Meg, hard drives, and more.

Your computers are too new to be vintage. Of the vintage computers you saw on ebay, only the Apple II was sold in the 1990's (sold from 1986 to 1992). The Commodores and those other computers you found on eBay are from the early 1980's or earlier, not the 1990's. The Commodore 2001 was introduced in 1977, not 2001. 2001 is a model number.
http://oldcomputers.net/pet2001.html

With the exception of your iMac G3, your computers were never "classic" designs. If you look at those vintage computers on eBay, how many of them resemble today's computers at all? The only one of your computers that has a chance of ever being sold as a vintage type is the iMac G3, 10 or 20 years from now, assuming it's still in good cosmetic and functional condition. When it comes to vintage, older is better, just like an antique chair is more valuable than a new one.

Not only that, you said you wouldn't be selling on eBay, where you'd reach many more customers than you would selling locally. How many of those vintage computers sold on eBay do you think would have sold locally?

On top of what Jenny said, your older computers were mass produced and are pretty much "a dime a dozen." To make something like this valuable, it not only has to be vintage, but collectible.

Are you saying, Drac, that by the time I'm maybe halfway thru school, such as finishing up the spring 2013 semester, these older PC's (I'm holding onto the imac G3 for likely a good while) will be hard to get rid of (although in 2009 I gave away a Packard Bell running DOS 6.2/win 3.11 and a CTX desktop PC that was upgraded from a 4 gig HDD to 10 gig HDD, 32 MB RAM to 64 MB RAM, & a USB port which it didn't have originally & running W95 that was purchased Memorial Day '98 from the local Best Buy brick/mortar store to my friend who in turn gave them to a woman that she likely knew from her workplace and this friend never used ebay to give these computers to this lady)?

I believe that just as my friend found someone who wanted these old PC that I gave her in '09, I will likely have similar success in finding someone who wants these PC's locally. What's your opinion?



Jenny, if that Pavilion and the Compaq are too new to be vintage, do you think they might be able to fill someone's need by then?

As Hatsheput told you, if you alter the computers - including the old imac - they will no longer be valuable as collectors items. As workable computers, there may be someone out there who would want them, but I can't imagine why. If the imac is kept in pristine condition, it may have some value some day, as Jenny mentioned.

You might be able to give them away, but I doubt you could sell them. If the person you gave them to didn't know much about computers, they might think they could run current software on them though, so you should warn them about the low specs before they waste money buying software that won't work with them.

Ok. This was my game plan all along, to take in peoples' discarded computers & software, perhaps upgrade the hardware maybe, and find out who wants them, etc, by following the plan thus outlined in the Whiz Teens in Business book:

A) Q - what is my idea?

A - to build computers, including retro gaming PC's and creating superhero/Christian comics;

B) Q - What will I sell?

A - modern computers, including taking in no longer wanted computers that I will donate along with a complimentary superhero/Christian comic;

C) Q - Who will buy/want it?

A - women'schildren's shelters, community centers, agencies (such as mental health drop-in centers, child care ctrs, day care ctrs, senior ctrs), families, hospitals where people stay long periods of time (such as TB ctrs, and the like), churches, centers for the handicapped, teen ctrs, & adult ctrs, VA ctrs;

D) Q - Where are my customers?

A - in/around the community of West Mifflin & in the Greater Pittsburgh area;

E) Q - How will I deliver products?

A - by driving to their place/building;

F) Q - Why will anyone want what I have to offer?

A - B/c my prices will be right, I'll be fair and honest;

G) Q - How will my customers hear about it?

A - by word of mouth;

H) Q - how will I contact them in the first place?

A - I haven't worked this one out yet - I have to gain the necessary computer hands-on experience/college education (as I'm doing currently by taking these CIT 150/CIT 115 courses, etc,) before I'm ready for this step.

I) Q - Why won't building retro computers for my customers be a good idea?

A - B/c people use DOSbox/Virtual PC to run older OS's/games/other software on their modern computers;

Brainstorm solution: What about people/places that don't have or cannot have internet in order to d/l DOSbox/Virtual PC b/c of their long-standing circumstances?

Anyway, this idea of taking in discarded computers/software and donating them could be like "Computers for Christ" in helping the poor maybe?

Another idea related to this is I'm thinking of going into the computer tech Christian missionary field for short-term trips to other countries/the USA's poverty spots after my schooling/hands-on experience is all gained.

What do you guys think of this?