Vintage Computers - Where do computer collectors find them ?

Bugbooks 

SCELBI Microcomputer 

How did you find the computers in your 40 years+ of collecting ? That is a question I get often. My historical collection of microcomputers is very nice and includes a lot of hard to find computers - like the Apple 1, SCELBI , and a warehouse full of historical computer memorabilia.

First of all I have been involved directly with computers for over 50 years  & that was a big help. However the source of most of my collection was a result of just advertising for them.  For more then 30 years I ran  very simple classified advertisement "wanted pre1980 microcomputers for historical collection".

Enlarge the photo's by clicking on them and then even more by a right click and select "View image' you can easily read the text.

Ad in QST magazine

 This simple ad placed in about 6 publications every month for many years resulted in 1000's of responses and resulted in a wonderful collection of computers  for the 'Bugbook Historical Microcomputer Museum' collection. Often a pleasant and sometimes humorous dialog would develop between me and the person responding to the advertisement. 

Computer Collector

I have many 100's & probably 1000's of letters, fax's, emails, postcards, notes scratched on the back of napkins, and phone logs as well.  I kept them all and now it is interesting to look back at them. 

I selected a few of the offer letters and notes -  I hope you find them interesting.

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Schoolsky Apple 1

Schoolsky Apple1 Computer

I did purchase this Apple 1 Microcomputer from Adam Schoolsky & you can see in the letter many other nice items as well. Here is a video about this computer in our "Bugbook Historical Microcomputer Museum" 'CLICK'

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Craig Solomonson offered me this Apple 1 computer July 1996 for his price of less then $40,000.

WOW I sure missed a computer that made the big time - Auction at Breker Nov 28, 2010 - Yes, Italian collector Marco Boglione paid $212,000 for a 34-year-old Apple-1

Craig Solomonson  Apple 1

The information below is from the Apple 1 Registry 

Solomonson Apple 1 

NTI logo at one time purchased from Frank Anderson, an electronic dealer in Great Falls, Montana by Craig Solomonson for MECC.  Craig reports that this computer was sold by Jobs and shipped from his parents address. Woz seemed a bit confused when Craig showed him the invoice and asked about it. He said "Not sold by us, although Job's may have sold it without telling me." 

• Sold by Craig to Jesse Sackman in California
• $50,000 unit sold in Ebay auction 320447681957, late in 2009

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Byte Magazine 1

Donation Postcard Larsen Blog

Sometime we  received a note on a card or scrap of paper.  This card from John was loaded with good stuff and for only $25.  First issues of Byte and Kilobaud magazine and a COSMAC VIP microcomputer. This was added to our historical collection.

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Regis and Steve Jobs 

McElwee Letter Larsen Blog

At times the letter or inquiry had lots of interesting historical information about the collector or computers. In this letter McElwee tells about his activities in the very early days of the Microcomputer Revolution - MITS Altair, Pertec, first person to work with Apple at the Regis Mckenna Advertising Agency ( He still has a copy of the first Apple Marketing Plan), also he worked for Atari. That is an interesting  historical background. I don't remember just what I purchased from him - I know I would have liked everything in his letter.

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