Re: Apple 2 Where/How much

[spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

In article supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer) writes...

>spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector) wrote:
>
>>    The Apple IIgs is worth more than 8-bit Apple II's, but you can
>>generally find a complete base system (CPU, 1 MB RAM, 3.5 and 5.25
>>floppy drives, RGB monitor, keyboard and mouse) for under $50. All
>>in all, if not given away, most Apple II's sell in the low to medium
>>double-digit price range. It has to be *heavily* loaded to be worth
>>over the $100 range. Now before anyone flames me, you have to put
>>things in perspective compared with going prices for used 32-bit PC
>>and Mac computers. The only time it is valid to ignore that is when
>>your selling a very rare item (e.g. LCD screen for IIc, SuperDrive
>>controllers, Video Overlay Cards) or a very, very heavily loaded
>>system (though I can't think of any example where it'd be okay in
>>my book asking some $300-$1,000 for _any_ Apple II setup).
>
>How about a IIGS unit with a SuperDrive, an SVGA controller
>plus 17" SVGA monitor, tons of software, a 1GB hard drive,
>a 56k modem and a laser printer?

    How many Apple IIgs's do you know of, that people are looking
to *sell*, that come bundled with a SuperDrive, Second Sight card,
17" SVGA display, 1 Gigabyte SCSI hardrive, laser printer and a
56K modem (as a side note, a 56K is a total waste on a IIgs. Now
before you flame me, do you even know why I say that?).

    You've just thrown the IIgs into a mix of state-of-the-art
*usable* PC/Mac items. You do know that 17" SVGA displays, 56K
modems, laser printers, abd even to a lesser extent, 1 GB HD's,
still hold value in the _mainstream_ computer market, and people
who are non-Apple II users will purchase them? Basically if you
sold a GS with those things and got a couple of hundred dollars,
which it _would_ be worth, WHAT are you paying for and WHAT are
you getting thrown in as basically a free bonus?

>You can't directly compare to Mac or PC setups because a
>loaded IIGS is rarer.

    Granted there aren't as many used Apple IIgs systems in
circulation compared with used Mac/PC setups, but you cannot
use that logic to artifically inflate its market value. Heck,
used 8-Track casette players are less common to come across
on the marketplace than regular casette deck players or even
CD players, but does that mean an 8-Track deck is worth as
much or more?

>You can always sell the components separately.  $80 for the
>17" screen,

    I know 17" monitors have come down in price, but I'd be
surprised to find a used one selling for as little as $80
(unless it is really, really, low quality or damaged).

>$70 for the Second Sight Card, $120 for the
>SuperDrive card (and before you flame me, that IS what
>these things go for),

    The value for a used Apple II 3.5 Disk Controller Card has
dropped ever since Shreve Systems has been selling _brand-new_
cards for US$69. Perhaps when they run out of stock the value
will increase once more.

>if upgraded to over 10Mhz.  I mean, which one of your
>"giveaway" TWGS units actually WORK?  That's what
>I thought.  A properly working upgraded accelerator is
>still worth some.

    None do, thanks. I attribute that to the TransWarp GS being
a lousy card and having a greater risk of failure because of how
hot they get and the vast number of surface mounted components.
The ZipGS has everything on a single ASIC, with the rest of the
parts (SRAMs and two TTL chips) socketed and run very cool. How
often do you hear about dead TWGS cards here versus dead ZipGS?

    Incidentally, you keep claiming pre-1.5 ROM cards are rare.
Meanwhile, that is all I've managed to come across personally,
and lately, I've seen many people post here (including people
I've spoke with in mail recently) mention their cards have the
older ROM, flakey ribbon cable and the 2A GAL.

>Hey, add up the above and that's over $300.  End of
>story.  ;-)

    If I had to sell my IIgs (no, I'm not about to and probably
never will) I would sell each component separately as I know I
would get much more that way than bundling it all together. It
is just logical sense you can get more selling things separately.
I bet I could get at least $300 for my 15/64 ZipGS along with my
external SuperDrive and FDHD controller. Those go under the rare
catagory I talked about.

    I'm curious, in your estimation, what do you believe a basic
Apple IIgs setup is worth? (1-4 MB RAM, CPU, 3.5 and 5.25 drive,
RGB monitor, keyboard and mouse).

Mitchell Spector
spec@vax2.concordia.ca