From: erh0362@tesla.njit.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: How much for used Mac SE? ImageWriter II?
Date: 9 Apr 92 03:49:43 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology


>>My Mac is a SE with 4 Mb RAM and a 40 Mb HD (internal). It _does_ have the
>>Superdrive. What is a good price to ask? I am considering posting in the
>>
> Your SE is still a very valuable machine.  The Classic which replaced it is
> without an expansion slot, and has a weaker power supply.  The keyboard 
> supplied with the Classic is also terrible.  
> 
> As equipped, your SE, if in mint- or excellent+ condition, should go for
> about $950.  Yes, you can get a Classic II 2/40 for $1000, but I still
> think that the SE is a better machine.
> 
> Definitely do not go lower than $800-$850!  

	This isn't even close. First of all a 4/40 Classic is going for
$900 with a little haggling (admittedly in New York City, one of the most
competitive markets in the country) and used equipment of the age of an SE is 
worth no more than half the going new rate. $500 is a much more reasonable 
price. People buying used SE's nowadays are  home users who'll never need 
the slot and won't be impressed with the stronger power supply, and the 
keyboard's not worth a premium. Of course the SE is worth a lot more than $500 
to the owner, but considering that you're getting a minimal machine (by today's 
standards) with no warranty (as opposed to one year on a new machine) and 
internal parts of unknown quality (power supplies, flyback transformers, hard 
disks etc. do get more likely to fail with age) It's certainly not worth more 
than half the price of a new machine. IF this person really wants to sell, 
though, he shoud sell now becasue as soon as Apple discontinues the Classic I 
(in about six months I'd guess) he loses another 50% on the value of his 
machine.
 
> Just my opinions.

	Mine too, but I did work for an Apple Authorized Dealer for awhile and 
do consult on Mac purchases on occasion.(And I hate to see people get 
ripped off when they buy a computer.) I'm not implying that you're 
suggesting someone be ripped off, but I do think you're confusing the use
value and the fair market value of a Mac. You really need to make a distinction 
between how much a computer is worth to the person who uses it and how much its 
worth in the marketplace. With freefalling prices nowadays computers are worth 
far more to the people who use them, than anyone should ever actually have to 
pay! They really are GREAT buys and getting better every day. But just becasue 
soemthings worth $10,000 to you doesn't mean you ought to pay that much when 
you can get it for a $1000.
 
> David L.
>  
> 
>>Thanks in advance for any help. Please email responses, if possible.
>>
>>Jay Boisseau
>>Astronomy Dept.
>>University of Texas at Austin
>>
> 
> 
> -- 
> "There are hundreds of tiny balls in every machine, and hundreds of machines
> in every pachinko parlour, and a pachinko parlour on every block in every
> town in Japan; so there are billions of little balls falling forever, like a
> chromium-plated hailstorm that never melts."  - from "Clive James in Japan" 
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