Where to buy an used/collectible IBM Thinkpad

[kobalt]

Hi all

I've been reading those forums for quite some time now as a valuable source of information about Thinkpads.
I've been using Thinkpads since 2003, mostly X-series. My first Thinkpad was a X21, got a X31 then i loved for years, followed by a X60s and a X200t...And my current daily laptop is a X220.

Like many users here, I do love those machines, especially classic Thinkpads from the IBM era. For instance, I still own a X30 that I use almost daily as a IRC and SSH client.

I'd like to buy more of those machines from, let's say, the 1997-2005 era (like X20 to X32, T-series, etc...). I'm even interested in elder models I would happy to restore.
So my question is quite simple : where to buy such machines, ideally in good/mint condition ?
My current "sources", here in France, are :
- Ebay
- A famous personal ads website here in France
- local secondhand market

I know USA users use a lot Craiglist, but it lacks notoriety here.

So do you know other sources, available ideally in Europe/France ? (Shipping taxes + VAT from USA are quite painful)
I was thinking about a dedicated marketplace website for instance...

In my opinion though the USA classic Thinkpad market is by far the largest, according to Ebay offers for instance.
No problem buying a Thinkpad there though, except maybe for the QWERTY keyboard and the A/C power wallplug (not EURO compatible).

Sorry if my post doesn't fit with this subforum.

Thank you !

[rkawakami]

Welcome to thinkpads.com!

This forum has a Marketplace where you can buy/sell items (ideally Thinkpads but we do allow other computer-related stuff). There are some members here that live in France or the EU so you may be able to connect with them or they may be able to refer you to a local site. I agree that eBay offers the most variety but as you say shipping and import duties can turn a great deal into something that's way overpriced.

I believe that all Thinkpad AC adapters are dual-voltage, meaning you only need to use a plug adapter or replace the AC cord with one designed for your country. Locating the proper AZERTY keyboard can be difficult and/or expensive.

[kobalt]

I'll visit this marketplace subforum, thank you.

I believe that all Thinkpad AC adapters are dual-voltage, meaning you only need to use a plug adapter or replace the AC cord with one designed for your country. Locating the proper AZERTY keyboard can be difficult and/or expensive.

No problem for the plug adapter. About the QWERTY/AZERTY problem, I can live with this, but when you get used to a certain layout, it could be a bit unpleasant to switch between all the time.

Anyway it seems that Ebay tends to offer the best deals, it's all about being patient in my opinion...

Finding very old Thinkpads (1992-2000 era) in good condition is pretty tough, and often comes at a discouraging price...

Is there any reliable second-hand quoted list, with average prices ?
I found this list, what do you think about this ? http://ktgee.net/post/49423737148/thinkpad-guide

[Norway Pad]

What you say about being patient is probably the key here. I would put in an ad on the personal ads website you mention, and just let it sit for as long as possible. I would also pay attention to what people have to sell there, maybe set up a search for "IBM Thinkpad". The best deals I have had are actually those who show up at random times, where people find an old Thinkpad in the closet and just want to get rid of it. Some of my nice collectibles are obtained that way. You have to be patient, as these opportunities are very rare. But generally, a good collection isn't built over night. It takes years.

If you target a certain model, eBay or this forum is the best place. I have bought some of my very best collectibles from members of this forum, so try here first. If that gives no result, try eBay. Buying stuff from eBay is a story of it's own, and can give you both the best and worst deals. I have had good experiences there, but be careful.

And it seems like the really old Thinkpads are getting harder to find as time goes by. Even on this forum the older models aren't as easy to find as they were when I first joined. You can probably just forget about the old tablets, and even 700C models seem to be impossible to find these days.

[kobalt]

Agree with you, especially about the "closet-cleaning" part.
Fortunately I met a lot of individuals thanks to my job, as you said the best opportunities might come this way.

I remember for instance about a Thinkpad my father owned like 15-20 years ago, I don't remember the exact type but its CPU was a 486SL or 486SX, with 4 or 8mb RAM, and Win95 as OS (Thinkpad 360 family maybe).
He used it for years because he needed the MSDOS and parallel port for a specific task in his job.
But when I asked him a couple of years ago to give me this laptop, he told me he simply trashed it like any other waste...


And by the way, many people are selling BIOS-locked Thinkpads...
Is this legal ? If yes, is it complicated to override this protection ?
I recently saw a nice bios-locked A30p in very good condition at low price, I've been hesitating a lot but eventually didn't buy it.

[theterminator93]

I don't see why it wouldn't be legal, as long as the buyer is aware of what they are receiving.

As far as what you can do with them, it depends what type of lock/password is on the system. A user password can be removed in most cases by disconnecting all the batteries (including the yellow CMOS battery). Discussion of supervisor password hacks is against forum rules, but the official maintenance procedure from IBM for getting around it is to replace the system board.