Future Collectables

From: Innfogra_at_aol.com <(Innfogra_at_aol.com)>
Date: Sun Nov 8 16:54:26 1998

In a message dated 11/8/98 3:45:59 AM Pacific Standard Time, yowza_at_yowza.com
writes:

<<
 When desktops disappear, and only notebooks survive, then the first
 laptops will be very collectible. If pen-based computing continues to
 gain ground, then the first pen-based machines will be nice to have. If
 wireless communications becomes commonplace.... If voice recognition
 replaces the keyboard....
 
 There are lots of future collectibles out there.
>>
Doug is right. Look for the first developers of an idea. Limited production
runs of a popular item.

Any collector will tell you that a lot depends on rareity. An item produced in
the millions is less valuable than one produced in the thousands. Prototypes
of popular machines will be very valuable. Machines that bombed in the market
will be valuable. Accessories and documentation that disapears readilly will
be valuable.

Hm, how about masks of 386, 486, 586 chips.... from the manufacture process.
Very rare and often beautiful. Most companies desroy them. Test runs of a
product that didn't make it to market (anyone remember the Biin machine. I
doubt there is a single example of that one left.)

The Gold plated Cyrix Chips. Most will go to scrap for the gold content.
Beauty has little value untill much later. Add art and design to your
collectors criteria.

Some of the speciallized gear to make systems work. Ethernet repeaters, thick
cable, some of the first fiber optic gear, routersand other peripherals.
Anything that helps popularize or develop new concepts and revolutionary
equipment changes.

Yes the iMac will be collectable because it is taking a lot of new people into
the land of computerdom. It is a revolutionary device, the thought of
unpacking it from the box, plugging it in and going to work is very attractive
to new computer users. How many computers of today will survive when crashes
become totally unacceptable. It will be 20 years though, before it gains value
as a collectable. Any limited edition iMac that Apple may make will be
collectable. This is going to be the first computer for millions of people.

Follow important people in the field. Many of the computers Steven Jobs had a
hand in are collectable. I bet there will be more.

Paxton
Received on Sun Nov 08 1998 - 16:54:26 GMT