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Tekserve auctions their vintage Mac collection

50 points by talos 10y ago

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
empressplay 10y ago
US$29,000? I think you could probably put that together yourself for quite a bit under that price (including a machine or two signed by Woz...)
- astrodust 10y ago
  Knock yourself out. For a serious collector that's not a lot of money and could save a lot of time in tracking down, vetting, and arranging for transport of the various pieces involved.
  - tluyben2 10y ago
    That and as I notice 'non collectors' are seeing online this is worth something and asking serious $. 5-6 years ago I picked up brilliant 70-80s stuff for next to nothing, now all that shot up to amounts I even do not think it is worth it. This is a good deal but the bidding is not over.
- ChuckMcM 10y ago
  You'd be surprised then. There are two things going for it, one it has a lot of machines in it, and two they seem to be in pretty decent shape. You could probably spend the next 3 - 10 years going around garage sales, haunting Craig's list and other auction sites, and put something together. But it will take time and the outcome is uncertain. Remember there will be seasoned collectors bidding on this bunch, they already know all the places where things like this might be found, and they are still bidding. Bottom line, unless you're a collector it is hard sometimes to see where the value comes from. That said, you could try it and perhaps make a quick $5 - $10 thousand? I warn you though, you start and it gets weirdly addictive. I tell you this as someone who owned 63 variations of MicroVAX at one time.
  - lallysingh 10y ago
    I narrowly dodged a bullet a few years ago when someone outbid me on a pile of SGI workstation hardware. I was ready to become a hardware hoarder, but someone out there saved me.
- robterrell 10y ago
  Some of those just aren't available. Well, at least one. The Outbound Portable original (not the laptop clamshell form-factor) is incredibly rare. (I was going to say the eMate 300 was also rare, but there's a dozen on eBay right now.)
RobSpectre 10y ago
This is just heartbreaking.
- astrodust 10y ago
  They had a good run, unlike the Atari ST and Amiga shops that went bust not years after opening. There was a store here that specialized in Newton hardware which, for a few years, was flying high and could do no wrong. Then the end came and they shuttered the store. That was heartbreaking. We had a Concorde moment there and we still haven't caught up with it.
- po 10y ago
  My favorite part about waiting at tekserve was always getting your ticket and then just watching the fish in that giant aqua-scaped freshwater aquarium they had. It was so impressive. I always wondered who maintained that thing.
gergles 10y ago
Don't forget the 25% (!!) extra fee tacked on to the final price. Definitely not for the bargain hunter.
alrs 10y ago
I can't ID the Macs, because "Apple ][ Forever" people don't dig Macs. I can point out that there is an Apple //e, an Apple //c, a Lisa, and an Apple /// in that lot, none of which are Macs. The NeXT Cube isn't even an Apple.
- rbanffy 10y ago
  > a Lisa Could be a Macintosh XL
  - electroly 10y ago
    It's a Lisa. The auction page lists some of the computer models including the Lisa: > Macintosh 128k (TED 25th Anniversary Edition), Macintosh 128k (Signed by Steve Wozniak), NeXTcube, Apple IIc, Apple IIe, Apple Lisa, Apple III, Macintosh 128k, Macintosh SE, Macintosh Classic, Macintosh Portable, Macintosh LC II, Macintosh PowerBook 100, Macintosh PowerBook Duo 230, Macintosh Quadra 700, Macintosh Color Classic, and others.
sheraz 10y ago
I would love some of those cattle and auto auctioneers to run the show. https://youtu.be/CITxLRXPk1U?t=6 https://youtu.be/CITxLRXPk1U?t=6
sharkjacobs 10y ago
that's pretty impressive but just earlier today i saw this: http://denver.craigslist.org/sys/5732303316.html http://denver.craigslist.org/sys/5732303316.html
- theklub 10y ago
  Wow, those all-in-one type macs with the floppy disk slot just brought me back to middle school days.
crux 10y ago
I worked at Tekserve for 2 years. It's quite interesting to hear the strong emotional responses that many people express about its closing.
jimcavoli 10y ago
I used to have an Apple ][ and it's one of my few regrets that I sold it when I did. Luckily, I've still got the IIGS but it's not quite the same. I never made it to Tekserve before they closed either...maybe that's 2 regrets now.
stuff4ben 10y ago
Not just a Mac collection as it has a bunch of Apple II's, but sadly no IIgs. That's the computer I first fell in love with. Most kids my age back then were into Playboys. I was lusting after the back cover of some computer magazine that had the IIgs on it. But then a friend told me how much better the Amigas were than any silly old Apple product and I switched allegiances. Those were the days...
mattaltieri 10y ago
I really want to know what happened to that nickel coke machine. I bought a soda from it every time I went, which was often when I was working @ Yodle on W23rd.
- DewLines 10y ago
  It's up for auction: https://new.liveauctioneers.com/item/47137408_vmc-33-5and162-vending-machine-coca-cola https://new.liveauctioneers.com/item/47137408_vmc-33-5and162...
bettyx1138 10y ago
i'm sad that they're closing

50 points by talos 10y ago

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

US$29,000? I think you could probably put that together yourself for quite a bit under that price (including a machine or two signed by Woz...)

astrodust 10y ago
Knock yourself out. For a serious collector that's not a lot of money and could save a lot of time in tracking down, vetting, and arranging for transport of the various pieces involved.
- tluyben2 10y ago
  That and as I notice 'non collectors' are seeing online this is worth something and asking serious $. 5-6 years ago I picked up brilliant 70-80s stuff for next to nothing, now all that shot up to amounts I even do not think it is worth it. This is a good deal but the bidding is not over.
ChuckMcM 10y ago
You'd be surprised then. There are two things going for it, one it has a lot of machines in it, and two they seem to be in pretty decent shape. You could probably spend the next 3 - 10 years going around garage sales, haunting Craig's list and other auction sites, and put something together. But it will take time and the outcome is uncertain. Remember there will be seasoned collectors bidding on this bunch, they already know all the places where things like this might be found, and they are still bidding. Bottom line, unless you're a collector it is hard sometimes to see where the value comes from. That said, you could try it and perhaps make a quick $5 - $10 thousand? I warn you though, you start and it gets weirdly addictive. I tell you this as someone who owned 63 variations of MicroVAX at one time.
- lallysingh 10y ago
  I narrowly dodged a bullet a few years ago when someone outbid me on a pile of SGI workstation hardware. I was ready to become a hardware hoarder, but someone out there saved me.
robterrell 10y ago
Some of those just aren't available. Well, at least one. The Outbound Portable original (not the laptop clamshell form-factor) is incredibly rare. (I was going to say the eMate 300 was also rare, but there's a dozen on eBay right now.)

RobSpectre 10y ago

This is just heartbreaking.

astrodust 10y ago
They had a good run, unlike the Atari ST and Amiga shops that went bust not years after opening. There was a store here that specialized in Newton hardware which, for a few years, was flying high and could do no wrong. Then the end came and they shuttered the store. That was heartbreaking. We had a Concorde moment there and we still haven't caught up with it.
po 10y ago
My favorite part about waiting at tekserve was always getting your ticket and then just watching the fish in that giant aqua-scaped freshwater aquarium they had. It was so impressive. I always wondered who maintained that thing.

gergles 10y ago

Don't forget the 25% (!!) extra fee tacked on to the final price. Definitely not for the bargain hunter.

alrs 10y ago

I can't ID the Macs, because "Apple ][ Forever" people don't dig Macs. I can point out that there is an Apple //e, an Apple //c, a Lisa, and an Apple /// in that lot, none of which are Macs. The NeXT Cube isn't even an Apple.

rbanffy 10y ago
> a Lisa Could be a Macintosh XL
- electroly 10y ago
  It's a Lisa. The auction page lists some of the computer models including the Lisa: > Macintosh 128k (TED 25th Anniversary Edition), Macintosh 128k (Signed by Steve Wozniak), NeXTcube, Apple IIc, Apple IIe, Apple Lisa, Apple III, Macintosh 128k, Macintosh SE, Macintosh Classic, Macintosh Portable, Macintosh LC II, Macintosh PowerBook 100, Macintosh PowerBook Duo 230, Macintosh Quadra 700, Macintosh Color Classic, and others.

sheraz 10y ago

I would love some of those cattle and auto auctioneers to run the show. https://youtu.be/CITxLRXPk1U?t=6 https://youtu.be/CITxLRXPk1U?t=6

sharkjacobs 10y ago

that's pretty impressive but just earlier today i saw this: http://denver.craigslist.org/sys/5732303316.html http://denver.craigslist.org/sys/5732303316.html

theklub 10y ago
Wow, those all-in-one type macs with the floppy disk slot just brought me back to middle school days.

crux 10y ago

I worked at Tekserve for 2 years. It's quite interesting to hear the strong emotional responses that many people express about its closing.

jimcavoli 10y ago

I used to have an Apple ][ and it's one of my few regrets that I sold it when I did. Luckily, I've still got the IIGS but it's not quite the same. I never made it to Tekserve before they closed either...maybe that's 2 regrets now.

stuff4ben 10y ago

Not just a Mac collection as it has a bunch of Apple II's, but sadly no IIgs. That's the computer I first fell in love with. Most kids my age back then were into Playboys. I was lusting after the back cover of some computer magazine that had the IIgs on it. But then a friend told me how much better the Amigas were than any silly old Apple product and I switched allegiances. Those were the days...

mattaltieri 10y ago

I really want to know what happened to that nickel coke machine. I bought a soda from it every time I went, which was often when I was working @ Yodle on W23rd.

DewLines 10y ago
It's up for auction: https://new.liveauctioneers.com/item/47137408_vmc-33-5and162-vending-machine-coca-cola https://new.liveauctioneers.com/item/47137408_vmc-33-5and162...

bettyx1138 10y ago

i'm sad that they're closing