Japanese Apple Collectors (was: Seeking information on the Apple II "j-plus" model)

["Bryan Villados" <news002@macgeek.org>]

Oh yes, I figured 40,000 yen is unrealistic. However, I'm amazed that people
on YJ are bidding quite a bit of money on things that westerners take for
granted: Disk II controllers, SSC's, etc. So definitely they're no an
indicator of any sort for calculating the value of an item. If only 2000
j-plus's were sold, and seeing the population of Apple collectors are
increasing heavily, I can see why someone there would pay 25,000 yen or
$1000+ for a IIGS system. Bottom line, Apple II stuff there is SCARCE!
That's pretty much the connection I'm going to flow with for my article.

Hate to bring up the Macintosh Color Classic here, but even for the true
diehard Apple II fan, you gotta love the following article:

http://www.macgeek.org/museum/images/colorclassic_article.jpg

It's an article a buddy of mine snail-mailed to me from New York a couple of
years ago talking about an organization based in Japan called the CCSCC, or
"Club for Creating the Strongest Color Classic". They take the Macintosh
Color Classic and modify the crap out of it! You think today's Apple II club
serves the far minority... You've got to take a look at this article. The
CCSCC web site is:

http://homepage2.nifty.com/Kan-chan/

Too bad that enthusiasm hasn't ported over to the West. Now I know why CC's
have been selling on eBay like crazy until recently. Until just a few months
ago, the value of the CC was around $200. Now, it's down to around $60-$90.
Going back to the Apple II and Japan subject... Call me a traitor and all,
but when the dark, tragic day comes that I have to sell off my Bell & Howell
Apple II set-up, I'm going to sell it on Yahoo Japan!

Here's my proposed plan: I have a friend in Hawaii who flies to Japan twice
a year to purchase hard-to-find Japanese products (music, anime, resin
garage kits, etc.) to sell on eBay for double+ the cost. I'd pay him about
$100 plus the percentage of the overall sale of the collection. He would
take my B&H package with him on the airplane as luggage. Then when he
settles down in Japan, he would create the YJ ad, then post it on YJ with a
very inexpensive shipping charge seeing both he and the buyer are Japan
residents. When you boil it all down, it's all about the money. And if the
Japanese collectors there are putting up $$$$$ for Apple II systems, let's
take advantage of it!

BTW, the Bell & Howell system is NOT FOR SALE! :p

--- Bryan

"A.P.P.L.E. Webmaster" <webmaster@callapple.org> wrote in message
cd9ac5a8.0212290558.6ba3dd92@posting.google.com">news:cd9ac5a8.0212290558.6ba3dd92@posting.google.com...
> Bryan,
>
> You cant use that //e auction as a very good guide.  Normally a nice
> //e with everything will go for 25,000 yen but it must be nice.  That
> guy who is selling his for 40,000 wont get it.
>
> As for the J-Plus, only about 2000 of them or so ever sold as I have
> heard.  The pop up once in a while on Yahoo Japan but the last one I
> bid on started at 25,000 and ended at 68,000 yen.  A bit rich for this
> old boy.  Of course it had all the manuals to go with it.
>
> Izumi san has some information on his web site about it (known as
> SCKOP on Ebay).  You can check out the Japanese Apple II Web ring at
> http://www1.linkclub.or.jp/~sckop/A2Web/ for more information.