Snippet: How to Start a Collection of Classic Macs ☇

D. Griffin Jones for Cult of Mac:

Apple computers are highly collectible. They span the entire history of personal computing. The company’s unwavering design philosophy, always pushing ease of use, means even the oldest and weirdest Apple computers are never hard to figure out. The historical lineup spans all different kinds of form factors and designs. Not to mention, they look rad.

So, you want to collect old Apple computers, too? Where do you start, and what do you want? Here’s a quick guide to buying classic Macs. These tips should get you started and help you avoid common pitfalls. (If you want to go even deeper, we also provide some links to further reading on the subject.)

This is a fun little guide for anyone who wants to get into playing with an old Mac or two. I used to have way too many older Macs, especially of the early-’90s vintage, and pared down my collection by giving them to collectors that had the space. On the other hand, it’s really weird to think of anything in the Mac OS X-era being old and collectible—like the iBook G3 and original Mac mini that both did the heavy-lifting on this site in its early years. Nonetheless, I’ve kept a few examples (space permitting) and have been mindful of more recent classics, including an original iPad and iPhone.