The most I ever paid for a Mac was $1800...for a new iMac G4 in 2003. For a used Mac, I think the most I ever paid was $50 for a mint in-box Plus (if you're counting only 68Ks) or $100 for an iMac G3 (for newer items).
The reason I had said it was likely teenagers who were the recipients of these older Macs is because their parents may not know the value of the old Macs, especially if said parents are not into technology themselves. An old Mac on eBay often costs about as much as, say, a PlayStation or a few outfits from Abercrombie & Fitch, and as such, the parents are willing to spend that sort of money.
If you're wondering where folks are becoming interested in older Macs, it's probably from a non-web resource. School technology clubs may show off an old Mac from the storage closet. There may be a Mac at a rummage sale at a church that looks interesting. A friend may have an older Mac or two (I got one of my friends hooked on Shufflepuck in middle school and got my cousin into Number Munchers and Oregon Trail in fifth grade).
Also, someone getting into vintage Macs may not join these forums immediately and wait until something happens with their Mac. System 6 is pretty easy to figure out and the hardware is extremely easy to set up. If it's working fine and doesn't need new caps, there are likely to be few, if any, problems. You won't find fair price indexes for 68Ks on Low End Mac or any of the other sites that deal with older Macs.
Of course, it's not just teens. It just seems to be that they, as a group, are the ones who get these over-priced eBay Macs more than anyone, especially since they can get financial support from their parents (either in whole or part of the price). Also, when was the last time you saw a parent buying a Mac for their teen who isn't old enough to use eBay on their own yet on these forums looking for an older Mac?
Folks who have passed that age of emancipation also are sometimes unsure of the Mac prices and will sometimes spend $500 on a 128K to have an "original Mac". There's also that small group of people who will spend whatever it takes to get a certain item. The folks who have the money to spend will do it, just as some people spent five figures on those Bentley laptops that look like clamshell iBooks. The ones who need the money will sell their old Macs at inflated prices to those who have the money to spend or don't know about the prices of the older Macs.
The reason I had said it was likely teenagers who were the recipients of these older Macs is because their parents may not know the value of the old Macs, especially if said parents are not into technology themselves. An old Mac on eBay often costs about as much as, say, a PlayStation or a few outfits from Abercrombie & Fitch, and as such, the parents are willing to spend that sort of money.
If you're wondering where folks are becoming interested in older Macs, it's probably from a non-web resource. School technology clubs may show off an old Mac from the storage closet. There may be a Mac at a rummage sale at a church that looks interesting. A friend may have an older Mac or two (I got one of my friends hooked on Shufflepuck in middle school and got my cousin into Number Munchers and Oregon Trail in fifth grade).
Also, someone getting into vintage Macs may not join these forums immediately and wait until something happens with their Mac. System 6 is pretty easy to figure out and the hardware is extremely easy to set up. If it's working fine and doesn't need new caps, there are likely to be few, if any, problems. You won't find fair price indexes for 68Ks on Low End Mac or any of the other sites that deal with older Macs.
Of course, it's not just teens. It just seems to be that they, as a group, are the ones who get these over-priced eBay Macs more than anyone, especially since they can get financial support from their parents (either in whole or part of the price). Also, when was the last time you saw a parent buying a Mac for their teen who isn't old enough to use eBay on their own yet on these forums looking for an older Mac?
Folks who have passed that age of emancipation also are sometimes unsure of the Mac prices and will sometimes spend $500 on a 128K to have an "original Mac". There's also that small group of people who will spend whatever it takes to get a certain item. The folks who have the money to spend will do it, just as some people spent five figures on those Bentley laptops that look like clamshell iBooks. The ones who need the money will sell their old Macs at inflated prices to those who have the money to spend or don't know about the prices of the older Macs.