First post, by KT7AGuy
- Rank
- Oldbie
File this under the "advice" category.
I've got a pretty large (to me) collection of Win9x hardware and software. It's enough to keep me busy for the next decade. However, I didn't start my collection as a retro-hobbyist. I just kept the stuff I had from 1997 onwards and slowly added to my collection as time went on. I just really liked the games from the late 90s and early 2000s, so I planned ahead.
March of 2012 was the last time I bought a V5 5500, for $65 shipped. At the time, I thought that prices were getting silly. They've gotten even more hilarious since. Over the past several weeks, I've noticed that the cards themselves are becoming more scarce on eBay.
In Janurary of 2013, I posted about how AWE64 Gold prices were getting silly. It seems that the price has since stabilized at about ~$50, but that's still too much IMO.
Awhile back, there was a guy on eBay selling Compaq V3 3500 non-TV cards for about $25 shipped. That source dried up a few months ago and I see prices for V3 3000 cards starting to rise. Availability also seems to be decreasing. I'm glad I bought a pair of those when I had the chance.
It used to be that you could choose from a bunch of sellers offering KT7A boards on eBay; not anymore. They're getting scarce too.
The days of cheap Win9x computing are over. Parts are becoming scarce and prices are rising.
Fortunately, I think we're in the middle of a great time to build WinXP machines!
Last year, I picked up a complete ABIT IP35 Pro C2D system in a Silverstone HTPC case for $60, including WinXP MCE and Win7 Home discs and licences. After selling off the software, the computer was essentially free for me.
This summer, I grabbed a non-working Dell T3400 off craigslist for $10. After tightening screws and reconnecting cables, it works perfectly fine. It will be a really great WinXP/Win7 32-bit PC.
People are practically giving away really nice C2D systems nowadays. Grab 'em while you can. The millenial kids who grew up with XP are going to start getting misty-eyed soon, then prices will rise and availability will fall.
(I love my Phenom II desktop PC, but I'm a realist. C2D and C2Q are the better systems to collect for WinXP.)
(Strangely, V2 prices and availability seem to be staying the same. I would have thought those cards would become much more scarce.)