MacEffects Clear Case: Is it worth it?

[Matt_Rogers]

Hi 68KMLA,

I've owned an SE/30 for about 6-7 years. Over these years I've save up for and purchased upgrades and enhancements for it--it's been a lot of fun. Unfortunately, my wife is wanting me to shrink my collection of vintage computers, and I think my SE/30 needs to be the next one to go. I've recapped the logic and analog boards, I've installed the small, modern 300W Seasonic power supply, and I'm waiting for Bolle's Carrera 68040 accelerator and cache to arrive from Germany. Of course, I've also swapped out the old spinning platter hard disk with a SCSI2SD. I'm now considering one last upgrade: the MacEffects clear case. It, of course, costs about $300, and I'm not sure I think it's worth it. Would the clear case upgrade make it a more attractive buy to make it worthwhile?

 

[oldmacuser]

It was $170 not too long ago. It maybe still on sales.

 

[joshc]

A working SE/30 is already an attractive buy, even with no upgrades at all. Why waste money on upgrades just to sell it? Upgrades are worth more on their own anyway.

I thought all clear cases were out of stock now, where have you found them for sale still?

 

[oldmacuser]

They are on sales but clear case is sold out. I just looked it up on their website.

 

[PotShotScott]

Joshc said it best

 

[Phipli]

Yeah, upgrading to sell, beyond a point, isn't worth it. Something to make your listing stand out makes sense, but if you cram it with expensive hardware, you'll make a loss. People are unlikely to pay full new price, or more, because otherwise they would just buy the parts themselves. Mostly. There are people that spend money like that for a short cut to the end result, but there aren't that many of them about.

 

[oldmacuser]

I agree. I’m sorry you have to let it go and sell it but your unit sounds already very attractive since all the important recap work is done.

 

[Matt_Rogers]

Thank you, joshc and oldmacuser. That's what I was thinking. Thanks for your opinions.

 

[Unknown_K]

The only time a heavily upgraded machine is worth more than the sum of its parts is when it is a one of kind machine with unobtanium parts.

Building a computer is like working on a car, your labor is free, and the customer gets the parts you paid full price for at a major discount (not worth it).

 

[DrGonzo]

I'll weigh in as a bit of a retro purist. I almost never do a mod to a collectable machine that isn't reversible. I've had people ask me to drill A/V mods into their RF consoles a number of times and almost always refuse or steer them toward something that can be removed.

I don't think it's ever going to increase the value beyond the sum of the parts and, more likely than not, will lower the long term value over stock. So another 'not worth it' vote.

Take it from a guy that has four Nintendo Virtual Boy consoles... for, reasons...

~Dr. G

 

[ArmorAlley]

Hi 68KMLA,

I've owned an SE/30 for about 6-7 years. Over these years I've save up for and purchased upgrades and enhancements for it--it's been a lot of fun. Unfortunately, my wife is wanting me to shrink my collection of vintage computers, and I think my SE/30 needs to be the next one to go. I've recapped the logic and analog boards, I've installed the small, modern 300W Seasonic power supply, and I'm waiting for Bolle's Carrera 68040 accelerator and cache to arrive from Germany. Of course, I've also swapped out the old spinning platter hard disk with a SCSI2SD. I'm now considering one last upgrade: the MacEffects clear case. It, of course, costs about $300, and I'm not sure I think it's worth it. Would the clear case upgrade make it a more attractive buy to make it worthwhile?

Don't buy the clear case purely on the grounds of resale value. It could very well be that the market turns towards stock machines.
I anyway doubt that the clear case would add on so much extra value that you would recoup what you paid for it.
Only buy the clear case (if you can find one) if it is worth $300 to you and you will be proud & happy to have your compact Mac in it.

 

[mattsoft]

With so much invested in your SE/30, why not keep it and keep tricking it out and getting rid of another machine, maybe something in storage that you never use or have no personal attachment to?

 

[Byrd]

The case is great/amazing for a Mac collector, with the old case stored away. I think most of us that have bought the MacEffects case agree it turns a much loved Mac into a favourite object in the house real quick