While lining up for hours, or even days, to get the latest gadgets is common among tech enthusiasts, at the other end of the spectrum are those with a craving for retro gadgets.
Retro gadgets appeal to collectors not only because of the bragging rights but also because of the nostalgia factor. Another reason retro tech is in demand is because of its high resale value. Knowing the value of these gadgets will have you scouring your attic or basement for long-forgotten treasures.
1. Apple I
Steve Wozniak designed the first Apple I computer in 1975 and sold it the following year for $666.66. Despite being outdated computer technology, the device is considered a collector’s item.
In 2014, a buyer purchased an Apple I at auction for $905,000. You would think that a Mac computer would be expensive today, but compared to the going rate for the Apple I, it’s a bargain.
2. iPhone 1
Always innovating, Apple shook up the mobile phone market with the release of the iPhone I in 2007. Despite its price of $599, the first generation iPhone sold in the millions. Apple didn’t keep the 4GB phone on the market for long, making the device extremely rare and valuable in its original unopened factory packaging.
In 2023, a new original iPhone sold at auction for more than $190,000. Even used models can sell for more than $1,000.
3. Super Mario 64 Game Cartridge
Fans of Nintendo consoles know better than anyone that Mario games are readily available at a variety of price points, but in the summer of 2021, one bidder won a rare, still-unopened console from the factory. Super Mario 64 A Nintendo 64 game cartridge sold at auction for $1.56 million, the most ever paid for a video game, and there’s a lucrative market for unopened classic games.
4. VHS Tapes
If you or your family have owned a VCR since the 1980s, you probably still have some VHS tapes lying around the house. If so, check them over before you toss them in the trash.
Some titles, such as Disney films, are extremely popular among nostalgia seekers: At an auction in 2022, a buyer won a copy of the 1985 film. Back to the Future $75,000.
5. TRS-80 Laptop
One of the earliest portable computers was a TRS-80 laptop, which sold at auction for $25,000. This technology was special because Microsoft founder Bill Gates personally used it and wrote code for it.
The TRS-80 is more than just a collector’s item, it’s a piece of history.
6. Vintage Leica Camera
In the United States, Kodak, Polaroid, Canon, and Nikon are well known for their cameras and photographic equipment. Germany’s Leica may not be a household name, but it has made its mark in history as one of the first companies to mass-produce 35mm cameras.
Old Leica cameras are so hard to come by that one was purchased at auction in 2022 for $15 million.
7. Nintendo PlayStation Prototype
Like original packaged video games, factory-new video game systems also sell for high prices, especially if they are limited releases. Prior to becoming Sony’s PlayStation, the manufacturer of the Nintendo PlayStation only produced 200 prototypes for sale.
One fan purchased an unopened system at auction for $360,000 in 2020. Limited edition games and gaming systems can go for a lot of money if they’re unused.
8. Toshiba Laptop
Anyone who’s bought a laptop in the last few decades knows that Toshiba-branded computers are readily available online and at big-box retailers. But at one auction in 2014, a Toshiba laptop sold for nearly $62,000. Why so expensive?
In 1998, then-President Bill Clinton used the device to send an email to astronaut John Glenn aboard the space shuttle Discovery, becoming the first president to send an email into space.
9. Special Edition iPod
The Apple iPod revolutionized the way users listened to music on the go, but it eventually became obsolete with the advent of smartphones like the iPhone. Collectors interested in classic iPods can find them online from private and third-party sellers for anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred.
The real money is made by limited edition iPods like the X-Files iPod Nano and the U2 edition, for which some people have paid nearly $90,000.
10. Commodore 64
For Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, the name Commodore 64 will conjure up memories of 1982, when the home computer system hit the market. The company’s devices were popular at the time, but it went bankrupt in the 1990s.
A Commodore 64 in mint condition would be worth over $1,200 today.
11. Apple Newton PDA
If you’ve never heard of the Apple Newton PDA, you’d be forgiven. Apple tried to develop and sell a personal digital assistant (PDA) in 1993. The device was a rare failure for the tech giant, but despite never gaining popularity, it did have value for some users.
At an auction in 2022, a buyer won a working version of the Apple Newton for more than $800.
