So which models are at the bottom of the market curve now?

[Unknown_K]

Every laptop has a period where it goes from new to still usefull to can't give it away and then after they mostly get recycled they start being collectable and worth something again. So in 2013 which models are at the bottom of that curve?

[dr_st]

You're asking a very personal question.

What you see as an interesting collectible, someone else will see as worthless crap and vice versa.

[EasyMac308]

I think Unknown_K's point is how the *market* sees it.

Right now, I'd say the T60/T61 is the best value for money in the Performance/Price equation. Personal opinion, but you can find functional T60s for around $100 if you look hard enough. I whine every time about the 3GB limit, but other than that, they'll do most anything.

[pianowizard]

Every laptop has a period where it goes from new to still usefull to can't give it away and then after they mostly get recycled they start being collectable and worth something again.

I don't think I know of any laptop that devalues and then increases in value again. Many laptops' values drop to more or less a steady state after 8 to 10 years but none of them go back up. Correct me if I am wrong.

[Unknown_K]

Sure they go back up in value (depending on condition). I just took a quick look on ebay for the 760 series Thinkpads and a bunch sold from $30 to $100. Those models are pretty much useless as mobile computers and at some point you could not give them away ($0 value). The early 486 and Pentium models seem to sell these days to collectors. 701's seem to do well.

I am sure there are a bunch of people here who refurb old Thinkpads (or maybe know people in recycling) and they would know what is currently not worth fixing to resell and what is the best bang for the buck.

[craigmontHunter]

I think the difference is that the early laptops were so unique, they follow a different curve; the transnote is probably similar. I believe that 99% of computers will never become "classics" and the value increase, since ultimately they're all the same thing in a different case (a dell D630 has the same basic components as a T61 (core 2 duo, Intel or nivida graphics, 14 or 15" screen...)) ultimately nothing makes them that special as a computer.

Bottom line, I would consider computers (laptops especially) to be very bad investment opportunities, unless you want it personally; in that case it's up to you to decide what it is worth to you.

[Unknown_K]

I never collected anything as an investment, just for the fun of it (it was a 760CD that got me into collecting Thinkpads). A Dell D630 is different then a T61 because of the design, some people prefer one over the other.

[dr_st]

Also, I noticed that in the computer world, a lot of the appeal of a particular "collectible" to a specific person has to do with what was in the market at the time when that person was first exposed to it, and also to the items he owned over the years.

My first PC was a Pentium 100MHz desktop. To this day I still may have some interest in Pentiums, whereas 486 and older machines are simply not appealing. Same thing about pre-Pentium 4 laptops. I never owned one, and so I don't find them exciting.

[Unknown_K]

That has something to do with it. I have every type of PC from XT to Athlon 64 to play every type of game I ever liked. But I also have Amiga/Atari ST/Atari 800/ 68K macs that I never had when I was growing up just to check them out.

[ThinkRob]

Also, I noticed that in the computer world, a lot of the appeal of a particular "collectible" to a specific person has to do with what was in the market at the time when that person was first exposed to it, and also to the items he owned over the years.

This is very, very true. I still have fond memories of the 68030. Why? Not for its performance characteristics -- it wasn't that hot when I owned it either -- but because it was the CPU that powered the machine that I wrote my first programs on.

When it comes to vintage hardware, nostalgia trumps design every time.

As far as the OP's question: I think that right now high-end T23s are about the oldest machines usable for most daily tasks. Maybe 600Xs if you're particularly patient.

[pianowizard]

Sure they go back up in value (depending on condition).

By "they" did you mean all laptops? That's news to me.

I think the difference is that the early laptops were so unique, they follow a different curve; the transnote is probably similar. I believe that 99% of computers will never become "classics" and the value increase, since ultimately they're all the same thing in a different case

Well said. That's my opinion as well, although the OP seems to disagree.

[Unknown_K]

Not all machines go up in value, in fact Thinkpads are cheaper then Gateway and old NECs from the looks of it. Some old Compaqs seems to be collectable as well.

You would be surprised how many people are starting to collect old laptops, especially people who don't have the space for full sized machines.

[DRobinson]

As has been said before, probably the T60.

I got one from ebay for around 100$. 150 total into it with new caddy and SSD.

I also just picked up a T42 from a recycling center, 10$. Gonna go compact flash on this, so maybe 40$ total with flash/caddy/ide-flash adaptor. BTW, there were many of the T4x that were corporate machines that had been recycled. Sad to see these all get destroyed, but it would cost too much to get them going well (pc-2700 is expensive)

Single core vs multi-core is possibly the line in the sand now?

[EasyMac308]

At my former employer the vast majority of T40s and T42s had to be scrapped, versus falling out of service gracefully. They're decent machines, but we had so much trouble with the motherboards/graphics failing. I wish I knew as much about reflowing as I do now; I could have saved a lot of machines... .

[pianowizard]

As has been said before, probably the T60.

I don't think that's old enough because the OP's question was this: "Every laptop has a period where it goes from new to still usefull to can't give it away and then after they mostly get recycled they start being collectable and worth something again. So in 2013 which models are at the bottom of that curve?"

He wants something at the BOTTOM of that curve, meaning it would need to be a laptop that you can't even give away. I would say the T20, T21 and T22. Right now I have Dell's counterpart, the Inspiron 7500 in my signature, which I consider to be a great collectible thanks to its rare 5:4 screen, but I doubt I would be able to sell it for even $10 on Craigslist.

[DRobinson]

He wants something at the BOTTOM of that curve, meaning it would need to be a laptop that you can't even give away. I would say the T20, T21 and T22. Right now I have Dell's counterpart, the Inspiron 7500 in my signature, which I consider to be a great collectible thanks to its rare 5:4 screen, but I doubt I would be able to sell it for even $10 on Craigslist.

True, I did not answer his question well. My answer was for "what laptop actually still holds some market value."

The T2x will only get taken by someone who has to have it (a collector type). I have an Inspiron 7000 that is a great solid laptop, but I could not give it away if I tried. If I did, it would be quickly recycled by the next owner and that would make me unhappy. I too doubt there will be a general increase in value of these machines. There are too many of them. I do wish I had held on to my old AT 8086/7 that I gave away to Goodwill in the early 90s. Those are hard to come by in good shape.

[Unknown_K]

The way scrappers are going everything that is common these days will be rare, they go from general use directly to metal reclamation.