Yahoo Movies 10 Priciest Vintage Tech Items
In a society obsessed with and deeply dependent on technology, consumers are constantly amassing shiny new objects.
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According to Statista, the global information technology spending on devices (including phones, PCs, tablets, printers, enterprise software, communications services and data center systems) weighed in at $4.26 trillion in 2021. That number is expected to elevate to around $4.43 trillion in 2022.
This number does not include video gaming-related devices, which is its own massive category. According to a report from The NPD Group, people spent $12.35 billion on video gaming in Q2 2022 alone.
Consumers are clearly scarfing down new tech, but what’s happening to the old — particularly vintage — tech?
It’s being sold for potentially thousands of dollars on auction sites.
Vintage Tech and Gaming Gear Goes for a Fortune
A new study from Simple Ghar, carried out in collaboration with NeoMam Studios, compiled a list of the 10 priciest tech items looked up on Mavin:
Nintendo 64 Lawson’s Ticket Station J-League: $64,646
Nintendo Game Boy Advance: $24,000
Apple iPod Classic 1st Gen White (sealed): $20,000
Nintendo Game Boy Advance Charizard (sealed): $15,008
Apple iPhone 1st Gen Black (sealed): $11,900
Apple Macintosh M5126: $10,155
Apple Macintosh Mac SE: $10,150
Nintendo Game Boy Advance Pokemon Center Groudon: $10,010
Apple iPhone 3GS Black (sealed): $8,001
Nintendo 64 Launch Edition: $8,000
What Makes These Items So Valuable
“What makes these items so valuable is the fact that they are in mint condition,” said Luke Doyle, outreach team lead at NeoMam Studios. “You’ll notice that most of them are ‘sealed.’ Also, some of the top-grossing items are limited edition.”
Though these price tags are shocking, they’re not exactly surprising.
“It’s not surprising that many old electronics now fetch sums tens of times higher than their original values,” Doyle said. “We’re living in an age where buyers value rarity, retro design, performance and nostalgic attributes — and collectors are willing to pay thousands for these features.”
One Surprising Find
What is somewhat surprising, however, is the fact that nostalgia doesn’t appear to value some vintage items that one would think would be worth fortunes.
“While top vintage consoles like NES, SNES and N64 tend to sell for thousands upon thousands of dollars, the vintage gadget market hasn’t been so kind to Atari 2600,” Doyle said. “Even the highest-priced specimen of this iconic console of the late ’70s didn’t break the $700 barrier.”
Got Tech To Sell? Head to eBay
If you have any of these highly valuable tech items, your best bet to sell them for top dollar is to head over to eBay.
“The best platform for selling old tech that might be worth a fortune seems to be eBay,” Doyle said. “That’s where most of the most valuable gadgets were sold to online bidders around the world.”
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Priciest Vintage Tech Items
