Why do people buy old computers????

[Phantoms001]

486DX 33 Tower Computer with Bonanza EXTRAS | eBay

150.00 for an old 486?????

I just picked up a working one today. Why are people paying so much for old junk? I could get a pretty good used desktop for that price.

Maybe a better question may be why do we scrap old 486 computers rather than fix them when they resell so high?

[jghilino]

I just got an 8086 computer in. According to my research the 8086 motherboard is worth $100 and the 43mb hard drive that came with it is going to sell for $50. Socket 3 motherboards are going for $30 and socket 5 are going for $20. I am really starting to get into vintage electronics/ computer parts.

turns out theres 2 chips on the 8086 board that say 8087 and 8088 so im not sure what it is exactly, looked up the values for those and its still right at $100

Most people scrap this stuff because they think its worthless. Actually the opposite is true, so much has been scrapped that the values keep going up.

I am interested in buying and reselling this stuff for anyone that is unable to do so.

[DiamondN]

Man, that tower's tall...I personally don't buy old computers, but I do have a few vintage Apple units in my collection that were free. I don't care much for Window based PC's, so they usually get scrapped.

[wannabemechanic]

I just got a half dozen towers today from a local scrap yard, among them was a Commodore sx-64 with the keyboard, keyboard cable, and power cable; it turns on too! Looked it up on Ebay and there is one with seven bids that is up to $130 and it doesn't even turn on...... SCORE!!! :-D

PS, are there any good parts in a Tandy 1000? One of those was in the mix too....

[jghilino]

i tore down a 5" floppy drive earlier today, turns out that was a mistake also, as they are going for about $20-30

[GeorgeB]

i tore down a 5" floppy drive earlier today, turns out that was a mistake also, as they are going for about $20-30

You kidding right? Diskettes/Floppies are going for about $20 to $30 on ebay? I will have to definitely look into that, alone with my DVD drives.

I figured floppies were nothing but junk now a days.

[jghilino]

the 5" floppies are a solid twenty dollar bill possibly more depending on the brand/model, that is what they are going for. The commodore floppy drives are going for $30+

Teac FD 55GFV 07 U 1 2MB DSHD 5 25" Floppy Drive 5 1 4" | eBay

[ryanw]

I was reading the forum right after eyeing a floppy drive that I pulled.

IBM 5 1/4'' FLOPPY DRIVE /W 3 1/2'' FLOPPY DRIVE COMBO P/N-1619721 TESTED

Not sure it's worth what this person is asking, but worth not scrapping nonetheless.

[Bear]

Man, that tower's tall...I personally don't buy old computers, but I do have a few vintage Apple units in my collection that were free. I don't care much for Window based PC's, so they usually get scrapped.

Those old cases and power supplies are also getting scarcer, by the minute I suppose

[jghilino]

I was reading the forum right after eyeing a floppy drive that I pulled.

IBM 5 1/4'' FLOPPY DRIVE /W 3 1/2'' FLOPPY DRIVE COMBO P/N-1619721 TESTED

Not sure it's worth what this person is asking, but worth not scrapping nonetheless.

its worth around $50

Vintage Canon 5 1 4" Over 3 1 2" Combo Floppy Drive Model MD5511 V 6 | eBay

[Bear]

I was reading the forum right after eyeing a floppy drive that I pulled.

IBM 5 1/4'' FLOPPY DRIVE /W 3 1/2'' FLOPPY DRIVE COMBO P/N-1619721 TESTED

Not sure it's worth what this person is asking, but worth not scrapping nonetheless.

Check his completed listings, he got $50 for a Creative CD-ROM

[DiamondN]

I just broke down a bunch of really old PC's after doing a mini barn clean out, and have quite a few of the 5 1/4 drives leftover. Maybe I better do a bit more research before scrapping them. Of the remaining units to be disassembled, there is a Commodore Colt PC that may have better than scrap value.

[jghilino]

My 43mb seagate hard drive just sold for $40. The 8087 motherboard is still available. Would have sold the 5.25" floppy for $20 if i hadnt scrapped it, live and learn i guess.

Seagate St 251 1 MFM 43MB 5 25" HH Hard Drive ST251 Legacy Vintage | eBay

Vintage Intel Motherboard 8086 8087 8088 D8087 2 MBL8088 2 IC'S | eBay

[PartTimeScrapper]

I use to buy 5.25 floppy drives because I resold them on ebay. Kinda dried up for me so I stopped taking them in. I have about 20 sitting on my shelf right now. Guess I should throw them up again and see if the market has come back any.

[tedanderson]

Also, if they don't get scrapped, many times these old PC's and PC parts have value in the legacy market. I do tech support for small businesses and sometimes I'll get a client that has had the same equipment for the last 20 years and they are too old/set in their ways to learn anything new. Also, I have a few pieces of high-dollar video editing equipment that interfaces only with socket 7 motherboards on an ISA slot running Windows 95. It works perfectly fine for right now but I know that if I ever have a problem, I am going to need to find a vintage PC to get it working again.

[Bear]

Also, if they don't get scrapped, many times these old PC's and PC parts have value in the legacy market. I do tech support for small businesses and sometimes I'll get a client that has had the same equipment for the last 20 years and they are too old/set in their ways to learn anything new. Also, I have a few pieces of high-dollar video editing equipment that interfaces only with socket 7 motherboards on an ISA slot running Windows 95. It works perfectly fine for right now but I know that if I ever have a problem, I am going to need to find a vintage PC to get it working again.

There's a score of high dollar equipment that will only operate with older computers, such as old medical equipment and xray machines still being used in 3rd world countries

[AuburnEwaste]

With the 5.25" drives it is all about the model. There are a few that people are looking for and those do sell. The combo drives with the 5.25 and the 3.5 do much better.

[jghilino]

There's a score of high dollar equipment that will only operate with older computers, such as old medical equipment and xray machines still being used in 3rd world countries

ive been to a few 3rd world countries and the internet cafes pc's are all pentium 4 or older machines.

[GeorgeB]

My 43mb seagate hard drive just sold for $40. The 8087 motherboard is still available. Would have sold the 5.25" floppy for $20 if i hadnt scrapped it, live and learn i guess.

Seagate St 251 1 MFM 43MB 5 25" HH Hard Drive ST251 Legacy Vintage | eBay

Vintage Intel Motherboard 8086 8087 8088 D8087 2 MBL8088 2 IC'S | eBay

You know, I tried the "buy it now" on some hard drives, and no luck...even had the prices very good to.

So, then I have them up as an auction, and no bids...puzzling me, as I have sold every hard drive I have ever listed lol.

[unknownk]

486DX 33 Tower Computer with Bonanza EXTRAS | eBay

150.00 for an old 486?????

I just picked up a working one today. Why are people paying so much for old junk? I could get a pretty good used desktop for that price.

Maybe a better question may be why do we scrap old 486 computers rather than fix them when they resell so high?

Buyers are picky about brand, condition, completeness, and location (shipping can be pricey). As far as why do people collect old computers, you can ask that about anything people collect. The supply is drying up and there seems to be more people collecting so there is some money to be made.