A Couple of Sites Worth Visiting

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2009, October 25 - 4:59pm

MacWise

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A Couple of Sites Worth Visiting

http://www.oldapplestuff.com/

They sell all kind of stuff for the Apple II and the pre-OS X Mac, from printers to stickers to magazines and everything in between. I'm not associated to them in any way, but I wish I were (that Blue Classic II rocked!) If anything, this site will be the unwilling donor of plenty of box shots that will end up here.

http://excalibur.sourceforge.net/

An open-source spell checker with built-in LaTeX support. There are dictionaries for know languages as well as for other things like HTML and medical terms. Universal, PPC and 68k versions available.

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2009, October 25 - 6:26pm

MacWise

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Joined: 2009 Apr 29

Plus...

http://macintoshgarden.com/

I got there by accident. This Japanese site seems to have the sole purpose of redirecting people to a site about a treatment for baldness for men--and women! I'm assuming that thing is based on McIntosh apples. Bald Japanese women... Nope. I still find them sexy. So sue me!

2009, November 2 - 2:58pm

(Reply to #2) #3

theCollector

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Old Apple Stuff : several factors drive pricing, among them are taxes, employee salary, utilities, profit, and "supply & demand". Our Apple computers are disassembled, cleaned, checked, reassembled and checked again. Buyers receive a one-year warranty. Some of this stuff is hard to find, which can also drive the asking price. Also, it can take 15 - 20 hours of bench time to make a unit right for the new owner.

I look for pricing to go higher as good quality vintage Apple systems and software become more difficult to find. The bottom line is, they are still, after 30 years or so, enjoyable to use.

Wayne Bibbens
"Welcome to Macintosh", the Collector

2009, October 25 - 10:12pm

Euryale

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Joined: 2009 Jul 22

Interesting, If I were in the USA I'd buy everything for the Apple ][ (I love that Computer)
but the prices of that Web Site are SO OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH!!

I remember I used to go to the Costa Mesa Swap meet and the Orange County Goodwill stores every weekend and I'd get the same machines for less than $20 US Dollars
(specially during Xmas season)

I got my Apple//c, monitor and Imagewriter II printer for exactly 20 bucks
and I see the same setup i have for $500!! (yes, and I have the disk drives too)

..I miss those times!

I think some people just try to take advantage of of People like us (Apple Fans)
and they believe we are just up to buy anything "Apple" at ANY price, and I don't like that,
and by promoting their web sites here, we are helping them to ripping us off.
I think that kind of links (promotion) to Web Sites of that type, shouldn't be posted here.

2009, October 28 - 5:10pm

(Reply to #3) #5

MacWise

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Joined: 2009 Apr 29

Look at it this way Euryale, you could sell on eBay, for $500, something that cost you just $20. That's a 2000% profit! What are you waiting for? Go for it.

Seriously, I didn't post the link expecting someone to buy anything; especially since plenty of the software sold there (like Xenocide for $18) it's been available elsewhere for free for a very long time. That's why I wrote, "If anything, this site will be the unwilling donor of plenty of box shots that will end up here". I guess I'm of those guys who browse an entire store without buying anything even if I have the dough and now I'm actually inviting people to do the same! You can call me a "screenshot shopper"

2009, October 27 - 1:23am

Euryale

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Joined: 2009 Jul 22

Well, I have nothing else to say.

2009, October 27 - 3:32pm

Attila

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The "old apple stuff" is Wayne Bibbens' store; you can see him interviewed in "Welcome to Macintosh." He just puts the stuff that could fetch a good price on that site; he's got other cheap crap for sale from time to time on eBay if you're a bargain hunter. I got a bunch of old PowerBook G3 stuff from him awhile back that I assembled into a couple working models and a bunch of spares.

Those lovely "thrift" markets out west just don't exist in most of the rest of the country, at least not in the same form. Out there the weather is nice year-round and cheap places can be found to host them in the desert or abandoned parking lots. Not so much elsewhere. Anything up here in the north that might be comparable isn't any cheaper or easier than eBay, and it gets worse in rural areas.

I visited a friend in Arizona once and wished I had brought a truck with me to cart back all the bargains I saw. And I couldn't believe all the old cars still on the road out there; they don't have the same problems with rust that the rest of us do!

2009, October 28 - 5:52am

MacWise

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Those lovely "thrift" markets out west just don't exist in most of the rest of the country

...or other parts of the world, especially Mac stuff. If I wanted to buy a vintage Mac over here in Panama I would have to go to electronics repair shop and star asking around. Whatever I could find, I doubt it will cost me less than a hundred dollars, and if you throw a printer into the deal, then it will definitely cost me three digits. Maybe that's why I'm not shocked about those prices as Euryale is.

In fact, if it wasn't for the shipping and handling, I would gladly buy the copy of Marathon they're selling for five bucks just to have the original package. The artwork looks so good on the screenshot.

2009, October 29 - 6:22pm

Attila

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Joined: 2009 Apr 22

And another thing... There are a good many thrift stores in my home city but whenever I go there (by bus) I always see people filling their late-model SUVs full of crap and the shelves are bare when I go in. I think you can guess what I think of them!!

2009, October 30 - 1:05am

#10

ive

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Joined: 2009 Sep 30

http://www.grenier-du-mac.net/

maybe you know it lready, they got also some games, unfortunally in french only

2009, October 30 - 3:04am

#11

Euryale

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I always see people filling their late-model SUVs full of crap and the shelves are bare when I go in. I think you can guess what I think of them!!

.
.
.
.
- I was one of..."them"

2009, October 30 - 6:39am

#12

IIGS_User

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Joined: 2009 Apr 8

... in a Windows-filled world, if a thrift market offers Mac stuff, it is like walking through the apple paradise...

2009, October 30 - 7:14am

#13

Euryale

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Joined: 2009 Jul 22

It seems like You guys never been in the BEAUTIFUL Southern California,
(I'm really sorry for you! Haha!)
Well, let me tell you that SoCal is indeed Mac Paradise!

besides the thrift stores,the School Sales, the Garage sales, the Goodwill store, Salvation Army
, the Swap Meet at the Costa Mesa college which is full of ALL kind of Stuff and a lot of Macs everywhere, there's another computer ONLY SwapMeet
at Santa Ana only the 1st of every other month at the corner of the Grand Ave.
and Edinger and thats Apple ][, Mac heaven (and windows PC's of course)
there I bought a lot of Stuff, as Attila correctly said (My SUV was full of that Crap)
one of them was the Original Apple//c monitor for $5 BUCKS! that's just an example
and that's why I'm so angry at Websites that sell the same monitor for over $100!!!
anyway here it is more info I just found as I'm writing this to show you,

http://www.wiredco.com/news/index.php?blog=2&title=may_27th_hyperactive_...

(I think they change the dates since I left the States...but I'll be back!)
Also I didn't mention the offers held at my School: Irvine University (U.C.I yeah!)

2009, October 30 - 6:29pm

#14

Attila

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Joined: 2009 Apr 22

My main beef with the SUVs is in my town there's no need; we have an awesome bus system and everything is close together. Out west everything has sprawled so badly that you practically can't live without a car. The Southwest's one big drawback, in my view.

And up here the thrift stores barely have anything for any computer. People either throw it out or send it to a recycler, just assuming that no one would want it. People are very spoiled here.

I could gripe all day about this stuff!! Freecycle.org isn't worth using for me because people apparently hover over their e-mail all day and speak for things that are offered within minutes of their appearance on the list. By the time I check my e-mail all I've got is a list of stuff I'm already too late to get.

Complain, complain, complain.

2009, October 30 - 6:58pm

#15

MacWise

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I couldn't be angry at them because if I could I would do the same, buy something cheap and sell it expensive, although not that expensive so people would prefer me. It's a dirty job but someone gotta do it That reminds of that quote by Balzac, "Behind every great fortune is a great crime." I going to enter into politics...

2009, October 31 - 6:34am

#16

Euryale

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Joined: 2009 Jul 22

There's a saying I read long time ago at the Office I used to work back in SoCal
and it goes like this..

" Politicians are people who couldn't make it as normal criminals."

2009, October 31 - 5:38am

#17

IIGS_User

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"Politiker sind Menschen, die nicht wie gewöhnliche Verbrecher handeln können."

2009, October 31 - 1:26pm

#18

MacWise

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Yeah everyone loves to bitch about politicians, but they all want to be presidents.

The last thing I'm going to say about the prices is that the difference lies on logistics. It's easy to sell stuff for cheap on swap meets because the vendor don't have to worry about things like electricity, rent or pay roll. Selling stuff on a web store is not that easy. Even if it's a single-guy operation ran from his home, there are still bills to pay every month.

And lest not forget customer frequency. Swap meets are blink-and-you-missed-it events, so people will show up at a massive scale and will shop in the same fashion. That translates into guaranteed return of investment. Small on-line stores don't attract that many people at once and unlike swap meets, most visitors won't buy a thing, so sales are slow.

Combine those factors with the current economic crisis and you'll see why even if they buy cheap they can't sell cheap without losing money.

2009, November 2 - 8:39pm

#19

Euryale

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Joined: 2009 Jul 22

The bottom line is, they are still, after 30 years or so, enjoyable to use.

...I think the REAL bottom line is:
" Rip off Apple Fans, they're stupid enough to pay our OUTRAGEOUSLY HIGH prices"

You (Internet Apple stuff Sellers) have no remedy.
and I won't apologize for speaking my mind KNOWING that is true.

2009, November 2 - 10:55pm

#20

MacWise

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Euryale,

I believe Wayne's telling the truth. You don't. That's okay. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. But accusing him as having no remedy and calling his customers stupid is over the line. We're on a public forum after all, so lets try to keep things civilized, shall we?

2009, November 3 - 2:37am

#21

Euryale

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Joined: 2009 Jul 22

No MacWise,
people and some business REALLY try to take advantage of people like us,
specially Apple fans, and don't tell me it is not true because personally I've seen and confirm that many times, in many places,
and I understand that utilities ands bills have to be paid,
and profits have to be made,we all do,
but raising the price 1000% on an item, like the Apple //c for $375USD
or the OLD Apple //c 9 inch green monitor for $175 US Dollars!!

http://www.oldapplestuff.com/Apple2Hardware.html

well, I call that WAAAY OVER THE LINE

Believe me, for $375 USD I could easily buy a Round-trip ticket to California,
go around any garage sale or the Swap meets I've mentioned before, Visit my Family there,
and still bring with me the same computer.

I know Business ONLY care about their own business, and the truth hurts,
but nonetheless it IS the truth.

and I'm not shy pointing it out, (that's the American way)

and when I see that way of "doing business"
I am the one who actually feels offended when they try to insult my intelligence.

BTW, just because I'm a Girl, doesn't mean I'm dumb,
(like Tatamisia once implied.)

2009, November 3 - 8:29pm

(Reply to #21) #22

MacWise

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Joined: 2009 Apr 29

Believe me, for $375 USD I could easily buy a Round-trip ticket to California,
go around any garage sale or the Swap meets I've mentioned before, Visit my Family there,
and still bring with me the same computer.

In other words, if you add the travel expenses the computer would had cost you $375. There you go!

BTW, just because I'm a Girl, doesn't mean I'm dumb, (like Tatamisia once implied.)

That's odd, because I'm under the impression Tatamisia is a woman.

2009, November 9 - 12:48am

(Reply to #24) #23

theCollector

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What retail store does one walk into to purchase a vintage Apple // or Macintosh??? there aren't too many, if any, other than OldAppleStuff (Wayne's Computer in Elbridge New York). That leaves garage sales, and open market sales (eBay, Craigslist, etc). You would expect garage sale items and eBay to be less than retail, and they are. The huge difference is on eBay and garage sales is that you are purchasing something that someone wants to get rid of and they're glad they did, thus the price difference.

Most of the items at OldAppleStuff were acquired more than 15 years ago... and are guaranteed to work and guaranteed to keep working, unlike eBay and the neighborhood garage sale. When you purchase part of someones collection, you are not buying an item they want to "get rid of", you are buying part of a collection, and it is reflected in the selling price.

All in all, it's a tribute to several individuals that had the mindset to develope these computers so they could be used and enjoyed even 30 years later.

I can't wait to use our 27" iMac in 2039 !!!! Hopefully it will be worth more than $20.

Wayne
the Collector

2009, November 3 - 7:14am

#24

IIGS_User

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True, especially professional ebay sellers try to catch too much money:
eBay results in Macintosh games category: 80 to 100 Euro - comes near to 80 up to 100 US-$.

They even don't know what talking about:
Apple 2: Transylvania - Penguin Software 1982,
but describing it as "Amiga game for the Apple 2"

2009, November 3 - 4:24pm

#25

Attila

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Joined: 2009 Apr 22

It's like anything, some are good, some are bad. Bibbens won't just pass crap along to you, he'll service & test it, etc. He's more an antique shop than a garage sale or flea market. Not everyone has time or patience to get a piece of junk working again.

There are always those sellers on eBay who just price crap they found on the curb real high in hopes some sucker will come along and buy it, without fixing it up or guaranteeing anything. You just have to be a scrupulous buyer.

2009, November 4 - 3:21am

#26

Euryale

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Joined: 2009 Jul 22

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