The Most Collectible PCs of All Time
Is that computer in your attic a treasure...or trash? Here's the scoop on 19 historic digital antiques, worth from $10 to $10,000 and beyond.
Harry McCracken
TRS-80 Model 100 (Tandy, 1983). Estimated units sold: 6 million; original price: $799; current market value: $25 to $200
The Model 100--sold, like all TRS-80s, at Radio Shack--was the first popular notebook computer. (The sales estimate of 6,000,000 quoted above comes from Wikipedia, and sounds high: It may include foreign models marketed by other companies, and/or descendants such as the Model 102 and Model 200.) Sturdy, practical, and portable, the 100 and its offspring gained a loyal following among reporters, some of whom used them into the 1990s, long after DOS-powered laptops had taken over the market. Almost 25 years after the Model 100's introduction, you can still find folks who do real work on them. Rick Hanson of Club 100, caters to people who "use our computers in the most remote place such as the middle of the ocean doing research or as space satellite control units." He sells "pristine" 32KB units for $200; less minty examples often go for $100 or so on eBay. (Photo courtesy of the Obsolete Technology Website.)SMB Networking Center
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