Friday, April 15, 2011

Just like wine, older is better

Besides owning and operating an e-scrap company I am also a writer. Back when I first started writing I was sending out query letters to various agents around the country trying to generate some interest. Most of the responses were negative but one took it a bit further. You see, I am a humorist by nature and love to write things that will make people laugh. Well one agent replied that while he would be willing to read my book he noted that selling humor was like trying to sell old computers.

He made the entire statement sound insulting but in it was a bit of knowledge that he was not trying to give.

What I have learned over the years is that older computers are much better for anyone that is trying to make a buck, especially in e-scrap.

Lets take a look at why older is better....

First and foremost, many older computers contain higher quantities of gold and other precious metals. When gold became a widely used material in electronics the companies had yet to discover that it could be pounded into a micro thin layer. As such they were using higher amounts to ensure that the connections were secure.

This is exactly why many e-scrap companies actively seek out the older models. The older the model the better chance of getting high gold content.

Furthermore, the older computers from the 1970's and 1980's were made better than their contemporary counterparts of this day and age. I heard one computer tech say that new computers are simply throw away models. They have dropped so far in price that they are much easier for many people to afford. As such many choose to simply buy a new computer rather than paying to have their current model fixed.

But during the older days this was not the case. Some personal computers were selling for $10,000 or more. They were a major investment and not something that the average person was able to afford. Not only that, they were made to last. When you find an old computer it is not uncommon for it to still run despite the fact that it is 30 years old. They were made to run and run they did.

Now, old computers are valuable in two different ways.

First off they are valued for their high precious metal content. BUT, I do not scrap an older computer until I have tested it and checked on its overall value.

Older computers have become collectors items and many of the collectors are willing to pay high prices to add a new piece to their collection. This is especially true if the item is in working order or at the very least complete.

The above picture is the Osborne 1, a highly coveted machine in the collectible computers world. This unit was considered the first real portable computer for the market. Prices for this unit can reach the tens of thousands of dollars for the right collector, especially if it still functions.

Of course who can forget the old Apple computers. Apple designed and marketed the first computer that was affordable enough for the casual user. When they decided to donate to schools all over the US Apple was on the map and they are still a hot company. Some of their machines sell for high dollars in the collectible market.

So it is important to remember that older computers get better with age. Always cover your bets because the last thing you want to do is scrap out a machine that could have netted you $10,000 to a collector.

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