Apple Collecting Concepts (LONG!!!!)

[Bryan Villados <news001@nospam_macgeek.org>]

I'm finding the thread "Last HS SCSI Card sold for $260.00 on Ebay" to
be very interesting. One of the things I'm finding is that the majority
of people who replied are more Apple II users than they are collectors.

There's a clear distinction between users and collectors...

"Users" use the equipment as mere appliances/tools. These are the
people who regularly comment about "I can get a much much better piece
of equipment for the same price." They have no interest in the spirit
of the collecting aspect. And this is quite common among people who
have been into the Apple II since the late 70's and/or early 80's.
Users will also upgrade their Apple IIs to the maximum through the use
of accelerators, IDE cards, and VGA displays.

"Collectors" are a totally different breed... And users have a
difficult time understanding collectors, sometimes to the point of
users bashing their own heads on desks. Most collectors do use the
equipment they own, but they're more interested in filling the gaps in
their collections than just using the equipment. They'll research about
the pieces that completed a unit, then they'll go out and get them.

If you can't reason with this practice in the computer realm, then
think about the other forms of collecting... Van Gogh... Picasso...
Edsels... Beanie Babies... Baseball cards... Speaking of baseball
cards, look at the baseball card that went for over $600,000 on eBay.
Only collectors can comprehend the logic behind putting up that kind of
dough on a piece of cardboard.

The profile of a collector is quite intesting... Very driven to
completeing collections... Makes a good living that brings in the
income to afford such items... And researches very heavily on the
historical significance of the collection. Collectors know quite a bit
of information users would find completely useless. And they use these
collections to educate others. Collectors also have a goal of
achievement... Many CEOs that head the world's largest companies are
collectors themselves, where they collect paintings, coins, cars,
stamps, etc. Again, completing a collection is a sign of achievement.

Geographically, Japan has more possessive collectors, especially in the
Apple collecting realm. Many of the world's most impressive collections
are based in Japan, which is the home of the largest Beatles
collection. Two collectors I know in Japan have Apple collections I'm
so envious by. I'm not impressed by their hardware... I'm more
impressed in the documentation they own.

I'm the curator of the Apple Museum-for-a-Day, which I started in 1996.
I'm currently residing in Hawaii... And that makes it challenging when
collecting Apple equipment and memorabilia. Very little of it ever
crossed the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. I had very little in the first two
years of the Museum's existence. But in April 1998, I joined eBay and
started shopping for the items to fill the gaps in the collection. I
think this explains Japan's dillemma as well.

The concept behind my Museum is to display Apple's legacy in terms of
functionality, spirit, and contribution. Each of the 58+ units are
functional and prepared not only for display purposes, but also for
hands-on purposes. That means each machine has its own software and
hardware. And it's very important that I keep each unit in the same
configuration as you would have seen it the first year of its
existence. In otherwords, I couldn't put an Iomega Zip drive on an
Apple IIgs because it would throw off the historical accuracy of the
unit. And that's also why I own an Apple IIe that is unenhanced.

The concept I use is engined by my personal belief that the users, who
have been using computers for less than 10 years, are spoiled with the
great advances in technology they take for granted. So the Museum is
really more about concepts and preaching than anything else. With this
in mind, I collect items that build on the concept. I concentrate on
items that document the history of Apple, such as what the Apple CEO's
and Presidents were thinking, or what contributions Apple technologies
have made that we appreciate today. That's why I own almost every book
written about Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and many other players.

Now, the collectors that pay $260 for a SCSI card are in a league I
don't take part in. However, as a collector, I fully understand the
logic behind making such bold purchases. I've made some what most
people here would consider ridiculous purchases. But these were MUST
HAVE items. For example, I paid over $200 on a 20-page b/w book Apple
distributed to executives in January 1984 to commemorate the Apple IIc
and Macintosh 128k. And I paid $150 for a 1998 b/w book that contains
all the images Apple used during their "Think different" campaign.

There is a huge difference between price and the "value" of an item.
Value cannot be measured or predicted. The only way you can find the
value of an item is to put the item on auction, then let the highest
bidder take the item. People who are pissed off at the idea of spending
$260 for a SCSI card have a set price in their head, but they're not
concerned about the value of the card. Again, the people who think
along the line of price are merely users and not collectors.

I can only guess that the reason why the person paid $260 for a SCSI
card is that he saw the importance of the card on some level. He may
see the card as being the item that fills the gap in his collection. He
may also already be using this card and needs another as a backup. I'm
also guessing that other cards, such as a RAMFast SCSI card, could not
be a replacement, not based on functionality, but based on the idea
that it is NOT an Apple-logo component. Believe me guys... Third-party
components have NO room in an Apple collection. It would ruin the
integrity of the collection. It's like putting a fiberglass frame
around a Picasso work of art. It serves its purpose functionally, but
it's just not the same!

I learned about the concept of historical accuracy, or the context of
an item, in 1989. Sergio Aragones (MAD Magazine, Groo the Wanderer,
etc.) made a public appearance in my town. I brought with me issue #1
of Groo, and a blank piece of glossy white cardboard. Sergio signed the
comic book, then asked what I wanted him to draw on the cardboard. I
wanted him to draw Groo, a 12th Century figure, bashing a computer with
his sword. He had a hard time grasping the concept and he said that the
concept would be out of context. Out of context... Never thought about
that! People like Sergio want to keep their characters within context.
And that's how collectors like myself want to keep our Apple
collections.

About a year ago, I was angry at the idea that an Apple II system (not
the II+) was sold at a very high price (I think it was $690). I was
angry because I wanted the unit so badly, but I couldn't afford it. I
was also upset because the person who won the unit was from Japan. And
they're known to pay very high prices on these units and memorabilia.
And therefore they're the ones who are throwing off the value curve out
of whack.

Without much thought, I whined about it on comp.sys.apple2. But after
posting, I thought about it more. And I came to understand the
definition of value a lot more. If I want to keep collecting, then I
must accept the value of these items, and to go with the flow. From
that point on, I started bidding a lot more aggressively. And I have to
in order to win these items.

I don't have the benefit of taking advantage of garage sales, flea
markets, and Goodwill stores like others in the continental US because
these items never made it to Hawaii to begin with. Unlike the rest of
the US, Hawaii residents are not considered pack rats. We have no
cellars or basements to store unused items. We throw away what we don't
use to save space (homes here are also smaller than those in the US).
Therefore, many unused items, including Apple equipment, are thrown
away. These items never had a chance to be re-sold. Again, it's the
same in Japan. That's what makes my Apple collection even more
impressive than those in the mainland. I've put more dollars and time
into it. And that's why we pay the huge amount of dollars for an item a
mainland person could get by paying just a few dollars.

I hope that this explains the concept of collecting. And I hope users
have a better grasp at the definition of "value", and not to mistake
value for price.

---
Bryan G Villados
Curator, Apple Museum-for-a-Day
Pearl City, Hawaii

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