Most of the time, when some piece of technology becomes obsolete, that’s it. No one wants yesterday’s news, and many gadgets that were once examples of cutting-edge technology are now examples of archaic refuse that you can’t give away for free.
Even so, many people today are fascinated by old technology, especially Gen Z kids born after the invention of the iPhone. That’s made many old, forgotten tech products become valuable collector’s items. Here’s our list of 13 that we’re pleased to see commanding a high price.
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1. Sony Walkman
In the 1980s, there were two kinds of high school students – those with social skills and those who wore Walkman headphones 24/7. The Walkman took a big hit when people stopped buying cassettes in favor of CDs, but you can still get them, albeit for extravagant prices like $6,999 for those in good working condition. You can also get a wholly destroyed one for five dollars and try to jailbreak it.
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2. Nintendo Game Boy
In a long-forgotten era that archeologists call “1990,” the Nintendo Game Boy ruled supreme, and if you were lucky enough to play on one during the MC Hammer years, count yourself lucky – you got to buy one at a regular retail price instead of the $155,000 some sellers charge on auction sites.
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3. Motorola cell phone
The first cell phones were comically large objects begging to be downsized, but alas, the technology that first emerged didn’t allow for that. Now, of course, you can get a discreet flip phone for a price that’s within the reach of almost anybody. Still, if you want the experience of being a Wall Street trader during the go-go 1980s, you’ll have to buy this original Motorola Dynatac 8000X UK, the first-ever brick cell phone on earth, for $56,441.66.
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4. LaserDisc player
Before the DVD came along, the format of choice for cinephiles who wanted the best sound and image quality was the LaserDisc. The disc was the size of a vinyl LP, and you had to play an entire two-hour movie that way, too, flipping the thing over at various intervals to play the next side. It didn’t catch on, but if you invested in a few of those discs back in the day and still want to watch them, you can get a player for $1,500.00, as long as you specify “working” in the search box.
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5. Atari 2600 games
Anyone looking for an original Atari 2600 console should prepare to part with a lot of money. Those who do should also prepare to fork over even more money if they want to buy one of the games. A factory-sealed copy of the “E.T. the Extraterrestrial” game for that system costs a jaw-dropping $39,999. Still, it’s a great way to experience firsthand the glory of video game technology that’s over 40 years old.
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6. Sony Betamax
Long ago, two video formats waged hand-to-hand combat against one another to determine who reigned supreme – VHS or Betamax? As everyone who threw down with Team Betamax knows, VHS won, and owners of Betamax players had to get with the program and buy a VCR. But if you’re a Betamax ride-or-die and just spilled coffee on your unit from 1981, you can get a new one for the bargain price of $2,959.
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7. Polaroid instant camera
Gen Xers will have fond memories of the Polaroid instant camera, which could amazingly produce the photo you just took in about a minute. If they want to go deep down a collector rabbit hole, they can buy this transparent demo model for $2,000.
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8. MiniDisc player
The MiniDisc was introduced in the 1990s and was supposed to render CDs obsolete, but it never really happened, and in 2013, Sony discontinued them. Still, somebody must have bought the MiniDiscs because the players are still out there, and some command as much as $1,999.99 and more on auction sites.
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9. Windows 95
People of a certain age will remember the near-frenzy that accompanied the introduction of Microsoft’s Windows 95 operating system. People today who’d like to relive their technical frustrations of 30 years ago can get a new copy of the Windows 95 special edition for $2,000. For the full effect, put on the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up” as you wait 20 minutes for it to load.
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10. PlayStation 1
We’re now up to PlayStation 5, but many years ago, there was PlayStation 1, a modification of the original console called “PlayStation.” The PlayStation 1 was more compact than the original, and today, you have to concede that future models were vast improvements. However, you can still get one for $4,999, although that’s a lot to pay for a brief period of tech nostalgia.
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11. The original ‘Star Wars’ on VHS
In 1984, if you had the VHS version of the first “Star Wars” movie, you got the same version people initially saw in theaters before director George Lucas went back and started futzing with it. If you have a VCR and want to see the movie as it originally came out, VHS copies are available, but call your financial advisor first since they can sell for $25,000.
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12. Brother word processor
The gadget known as the “word processor” is so obsolete that if you say the term out loud, no one under 40 will know what you’re talking about, and everyone over 40 will treat you like you’ve been in a coma since 1980. Prove them all insignificant by buying one for $2,500 and writing your next great novel with it.
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13. Apple 1 Computer
In 2022, an Apple 1 computer hand-numbered by Steve Jobs sold for $442,118. Not to be outdone, a model of the same computer designed by Steve Wozniak turned up on eBay for $1.5 million, and was sold immediately.
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.
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