The original CRT iMac's popularity today

[Unknown_K]

Seems like the original series of CRT iMacs turned Apple around when they came out. For some time the used machines were the cheapest G3 you could find making them popular untill faster machines killed the usefulnes of the G3 Mac.

What I want to know is how popular are they currently with collectors? Seemed like they had overheating issues and other reliability problems. The original Mac seem kind of cool looking in their beige glory today, will the fruity imacs be as popular when they are 25 years old?

 

[LCGuy]

Ever since they came out, I've had a theory that the original Rev. A Bondi iMac would one day be a sought-after collector's item, up there with the Lisa and the original Macintosh. That still hasn't happened, but still, I'd really quite like to get my hands on an good condition, original Rev. A one day simply to preserve it for the day when it does become a collector's item.

As you were saying, it was really the machine that turned Apple around, not to mention it introduced quite a few modern trends, such as USB, colours other than beige/platinum (yes, I know the iMac was not the first computer, or even the first Mac to come in a colour other than beige/platinum, but it was by far the most common, not to mention the most inspiring, with all the PCs, accessories, alarm clocks, toasters, irons, etc that came in Bondi and later on fruit flavours), and no floppy drive.

 

[Mars478]

I have a Rev A. Built Sept 8 I think 1999.

Niiiiiiice Condition.

 

[aftermac]

I've got a Rev. A, I'm not sure of the production date though. I preordered it two months in advance from MacMall, it was my first new computer. I do think in another 10-15 years it will be a collectors item. I still have the box for mine, but not all of the packing material.

I also think that the Flower Power and Blue Dalmation iMac's might end up as big collectors items someday.

 

[Dog Cow]

I gave an original Bondi to my friend for his birthday a few years ago. It was his first-ever Mac. I have wondered if they'll ever be collectible, though.

 

[Quadraman]

When collectors start trying to make a complete set of every revision and color then some will become valuable because that will separate the rare ones from the commons.

 

[wardsenatorfe92]

I still think they are very common. Although some people try to sell them for big bucks, I personally don't think they are worth it right now. $30 seems about average for a used G3 based iMac. Tons of schools and places bought them, so you have countless out there.. no telling how many are still in use (our school district just phased ours out last year..replaced them with HPs.. .

I wouldn't doubt theres still tons out there, I don't see them being rare for at least another 5-10 years or more.

 

[Hrududu]

Yes the iMac G3 really was a revolutionary device for Apple back in 98, but so many of them were made and sold I just don't see it ever becoming nearly as rare or desired as a Macintosh TV, TAM, or Lisa. They were far too cheap and plentiful for that to happen. Even the Cube, which was far more expensive and quickly discontinued, has tanked in value right now and is probably still several years away from being "collectable" as so many are readily available for around $100 on fleabay. I think if you're holding onto a bondi iMac hoping to sell it as a collectors item someday, you had better plan on keeping it for many years to come.

 

[Unknown_K]

They could end up like a C64 then, many people want one but so many were made that they are worth little.

 

[Christopher]

My friend uses an Indigo iMac to control a small DMX light board for a small chapel. It's pretty wicked.

 

[Scott Baret]

I think they'll get to be more of collectables after the following have happened:

1. G3s stop showing up in surplus lots. Right now, schools are still unloading them.

2. The generation born between 1982-1997 start to get nostalgic.

As far as which ones will be worth something, I think you'll see the greatest demand for the original Rev. A Bondis, the Flower Power and Blue Dalmatian 2001 models, and the Sage model (which was only available for a few months). I see the G4 iMac being a hot item someday too, but not the G5 and later, mostly because the designs are, in a sense, quite boring.

 

[Mars478]

I am 1995 and nostalgic

 

[luddite]

I see the G4 iMac being a hot item someday too, but not the G5 and later, mostly because the designs are, in a sense, quite boring.

Same could be said for pretty much the entire 68K line, yet here we are ;-)

 

[gilles]

when I added a G3 500 DV to my collection... My daugther (8years old) immediatly said it will be her computer...

so I think this line of imac is still attractive... (now she finds that flash games are a bit slow... )

 

[Strimkind]

Maybe this ebay auction will give us a better idea of the original iMacs Popularity and value.

 

[II2II]

The G3 iMacs will never truly become collectors items. After all, they are awfully hard to stack a hundred and twenty to a pallette. }

If anything from the PPC onwards has lasting value to collectors, it will be because of the physical design of the machine. So the G3 iMac will be a candidate. The Quadra and earlier have a different type of appeal: the software available for it. There is a lot of unique software available for the 68k Mac simply because Apple spurred on an era of innovation through that quirky invention called a GUI.

 

[johnsonfromwisconsin]

I would argue that the G3 iMac will eventually become a valuable item because of the following:

It was iconic, yet has now become a complete white elephant. they are readily available because no one wants them and like you said, are very inefficient to store. They'll eventually find there way into scrap piles as social governances make free crt recycling more available and they'll be thrown away wantonly. IMO

 

[Strimkind]

Looking back at this article after finding an original Bondi Blue iMac (not sure of the revision) at a school it made me wonder. That ebay auction did end up selling for $350 but it was complete.

I am beginning to think that the original, Rev A, model will be worth something or is already. It was only sold for a few months before the rev b model was released. Has anyone had any luck on ebay with the Rev A or watched others? Has anyone found any demand for them as a collectors item?

 

[zerotypeq]

I saw some rev a units going for 5 a piece at a thrift store not too long ago.