15 replies to this topic

[Keatah]

Ok folks! I don't mind giving this auction some public attention. Today we have for sale an Applied Engineering Vulcan HDD interface for the Apple II. -- eBay Auction -- Item Number: 120842292579

With a fantastic price of, you guessed close, $699.95! Hurry up and get them bids-a-rollin!

Personally, I think this way out of line - which seems to be rapidly becoming the norm these days. I'm observing that the search for "Apple II" on ebay is returning 1000+ items. Which is quite alot. 10 years ago I'd scan for the same search-term and come up with maybe a hundred or two-hundred items.

And I see that a seller will come across something that might, on off-chance, look rare or be something they hadn't seen before. And is not listed. Ok. And they will then automatically think that, "Wow!! This is nowhere to be found. It's not even on ebay! Let's see what I get for it!!!!!!"

So it seems that because something is the only one of its kind to be listed, that it can command a high price.

One other way to spot a newbie or unknowledgeable seller of Apple II stuff is to see that they've automatically associated "Steve Jobs" with whatever they're selling. The quoted name goes right into the auction title, and they're thinking this is gonna be a big-bux seller!! Fer chrissakes..!

But let's get real folks. While the Vulcan HDD interface is rare. It isn't that rare. And if I was selling it, I would be asking $39.95, or perhaps $49.95 with dox & box. Anyways.. I sent the auctioneer the following text, let's see what kind of reply I receive.

"As a purveyor of fine classic computing hardware; I'm wondering what is special or unique about this card. Typically these cards would sell for 49.95 or thereabouts. So I'm trying to determine what is special or unique about this specific board.

The classic computing connoisseur in me can't immediately see anything visible from the picture that strikes me as unique or having the ability to command a $699.95 price tag. Does this have a special history behind it or is there some version of firmware or PCB revision that warrants a high price?"

Edited by Keatah, Fri Jan 13, 2012 12:56 PM.

[magnusfalkirk]

Keatah,

Did you see this ridiculous Apple II auction: eBay Auction -- Item Number: 200696351376 $10,000 for the lid of an Apple II+ that both Jobs and Woz, the more important of the two IMHO, signed? I'm glad to see no one was stupid enough to buy it.

Dean

[Keatah]

Ridiculous! I bet though, that it will eventually sell, someone rich and uninformed will pick this up sooner or later.

Now, a nicely-priced II+ which started out at $20 is now almost $100 by bidding. THIS is a real auction -- eBay Auction -- Item Number: 140678589392 -- and it was pulled from the recycling stream to boot. We need more shit like this on epay.

It is good to see the IIgs prices swinging upwards though.

[JamesD]

magnusfalkirk, on Fri Jan 13, 2012 1:12 PM, said:

Did you see this ridiculous Apple II auction: eBay Auction -- Item Number: 200696351376 $10,000 for the lid of an Apple II+ that both Jobs and Woz, the more important of the two IMHO, signed? I'm glad to see no one was stupid enough to buy it.

Actually, Woz and Jobs signed several machines. Some were repairs and some... who knows why they signed them. I've seen several machines that have a signed lid go for over $5000.
<edit>
Those were signed on the inside. This auction looks like one someone asked for it to be signed. Probably at a computer show or fest.

Edited by JamesD, Fri Jan 13, 2012 5:29 PM.

[madmax2069]

I have seen quite the few auctions like this for the Apple IIgs, some sellers was asking upwards of $250+ for a Apple IIgs with no expansion cards, some without drives, some with drives but without monitor.

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 160711766525

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 180779415214

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 320825094756

at most these above systems could fetch $50-$100. i do not see why the above systems are listed for such a high price. i have seen these spike up ever since Jobs passing (Jobs hated the IIgs, the IIgs is/was Woz's baby). Hell many people think that the Woz edition is rare and put a high price on it.

and to go along the Vulcan HDD eBay Auction -- Item Number: 110808880924 which is still better then the $600+ asking price of the controller card.

on another note I have seen people ask $300+ for 286 and 386 (Compaq deskpro) machines on ebay a few years ago.

[Keatah]

The important thing is if the stuff is moving at those prices. It would seem not. Not yet anyways. From my recent estate buyout I was thinking about putting together a IIgs system for sale - And based on going prices, prices where things actually move and trade hands, this would come to be about $1,200, perhaps $1,500.

1 - IIgs Rom03 1MB onboard
2 - 4MB Ram Memory card
3 - Second sight vga board
4 - Zip GSx 7 MHz
5 - PC transporter (early PC compatibility)
6 - 5.25 and 3.5 drive
7 - SCSI rev.C board with hard disk (size tbd)
8 - Koala Pad
9 - Joystick & Paddles
10 - Monitor
11 - AE fan dock bay
12 - Z80 Softcard
13 - RF modulator
14 - AppleCat II + 212 card modem, firmware, BSR x10, expansion module, tone decoder chip
15 - External USR v.everything
16 - SCSI cd-rom
17 - ADB mouse and keyboard.
18 - Box of cables to bring it all together.

I have enough crap to make 2or 3 of these systems right now, with the possibility of a 4th one if I skip the Transporter and Koala Pad.

[Keatah]

madmax2069, on Fri Jan 13, 2012 7:02 PM, said:

on another note I have seen people ask $300+ for 286 and 386 (Compaq deskpro) machines on ebay a few years ago.

Did they actually change hands?

[JamesD]

Keatah, on Fri Jan 13, 2012 9:54 PM, said:

4 - Zip GSx 7 MHz

I think the Zip board would bring the most. They easily bring several hundred dollars on their own.

[madmax2069]

Keatah, on Fri Jan 13, 2012 9:55 PM, said:

madmax2069, on Fri Jan 13, 2012 7:02 PM, said:

on another note I have seen people ask $300+ for 286 and 386 (Compaq deskpro) machines on ebay a few years ago.

Did they actually change hands?

Unfortunately yes, i know of 2 that sold at those prices. i had around 6 of them in that price figure in my watch list to see if someone had excess money to blow (or stupid enough) to buy them at that price point. a few was re listed and eventually disappeared (probably scrapped).

Last year someone was selling a 4mb ram card for the IIgs (the one you can buy from Briel Computers) for $200 marked as rare, and someone bought it.

I use to visit ebay daily to check on things like this.

Edited by madmax2069, Sat Jan 14, 2012 4:01 AM.

[BydoEmpire]

There's a Commodore 128D up right now with a $3500 buy it now.

[madmax2069]

BydoEmpire, on Sun Jan 15, 2012 7:24 AM, said:

There's a Commodore 128D up right now with a $3500 buy it now.

The same seller is selling a 1571 for $499, as well as selling a old brick cell phone for the same price.

[Keatah]

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 260922681399
I told the guy I was interested.. And that I have a number of questions.

And here we have a AE Vulcan hard disk set for $1200.00
http://rover.ebay.co...&mtid=824&kw=lg

[Keatah]

I seem to have to "hurry up" as this is the last one he has for sale..

[madmax2069]

humm eBay Seller: lzf70000 am i missing something here (i know most of them are lots of 200 or less, but what about the first one)?

[Tickled_Pink]

Saw one nutty auction here in the UK today. Guy was selling 2 x Sinclair Spectrums (probably faulty - he didn't know if they worked) about 20 Spectrum games and a couple of ZX81 games. All at a bargain price of £999!

He even gives the reason for his bizarre pricing as being because he doesn't know what a sealed ZX81 tape (yes, one is sealed) is worth and that he may even sell it in its own auction.

Unfortunately I don't have the link (moving house again and having to use my phone) but it's worth finding, if only for a laugh.


Edit: found it ... eBay Auction -- Item Number: 140679295293

[BydoEmpire]

Keatah, on Sun Jan 15, 2012 12:26 PM, said:

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 260922681399
I told the guy I was interested.. And that I have a number of questions.

Awesome. Are you going to ask him if it's gold plated?