Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

olePigeon · Nov 25, 2009, 09:07 PM

Color Classic prototype with clear acrylic case. Sold on eBay for just under $5000. I would sell my kidney for that.

downinflames68 · Nov 25, 2009, 10:15 PM

How do they know it's real? Just wondering, since you could just take a regular classic, model the case in Solidworks, then get it SLA'd, buff it, and nobody would really notice.

iMOTOR · Nov 25, 2009, 11:39 PM

That would be a lot of work in Solidworks to just make one.

imitchellg5 · Nov 26, 2009, 12:46 AM

That's awesome. At first I thought the mic was an iSight...

turtle777 · Nov 26, 2009, 02:04 AM

Originally Posted by downinflames68

How do they know it's real?

What do you mean by real ?

Since this has never been in serial production, it's some sort of prototype one way or another.

-t

Spheric Harlot · Nov 26, 2009, 03:46 AM

He's saying someone could have put $15,000 into machining a fake prototype case, in order to sell it for $5000 on eBay.

The only other acrylic prototype Color Classic I've seen for sale was a neon-green one. That would actually be a step up.

moonmonkey · Nov 26, 2009, 04:07 AM

Originally Posted by downinflames68

How do they know it's real? Just wondering, since you could just take a regular classic, model the case in Solidworks, then get it SLA'd, buff it, and nobody would really notice.

"just"?

downinflames68 · Nov 26, 2009, 04:34 AM

Originally Posted by iMOTOR

That would be a lot of work in Solidworks to just make one.

Yeah, but easily less than $5,000 worth. Seriously... if I could produce a case, clear like that, would it be worth... say.. $1500 to you guys? Or what?

downinflames68 · Nov 26, 2009, 04:35 AM

Originally Posted by turtle777

What do you mean by real ?

Since this has never been in serial production, it's some sort of prototype one way or another.

-t

Not necessarily. I'm thinking.... take apart a mac... make latex molds of the panels... then mold them out of some epoxy 2 part based resin. Assemble, list on ebay as some super rare prototype, make $5,000. It really wouldn't be that hard.

iMOTOR · Nov 26, 2009, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by downinflames68

Yeah, but easily less than $5,000 worth. Seriously... if I could produce a case, clear like that, would it be worth... say.. $1500 to you guys? Or what?

I get that, but how many hours would it take to get it finished. My time is worth money, man.

turtle777 · Nov 26, 2009, 01:17 PM

Well, someone must have made it by hand, there's no other way.

So the question is really about the quality off the materials and the workmanship.

-t

downinflames68 · Nov 26, 2009, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by iMOTOR

I get that, but how many hours would it take to get it finished. My time is worth money, man.

Um.... 10 hours for the molds, another 10 hours for the resin... and maybe another 10 hours finishing. It'd take less than a week for sure.

ghporter · Nov 26, 2009, 03:38 PM

My personal opinion here: I think that's a legitimate "engineering sample" (as noted on a label inside). I've seen really good mold copies, and no matter how much work you put into them, you can't get them to produce parts that are as clean and sharp consistently and uniformly as the visible parts in the pictures. I believe that the clear parts were pulled from machined molds Apple produced to make the production units. Or more accurately, I believe those clear parts were produced through injection molding with the original Apple molds.

iMOTOR · Nov 26, 2009, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by downinflames68

Um.... 10 hours for the molds, another 10 hours for the resin... and maybe another 10 hours finishing. It'd take less than a week for sure.

So it begs the question; how much would you charge for a clear shell, then I can get the guts myself.

turtle777 · Nov 26, 2009, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

My personal opinion here: I think that's a legitimate "engineering sample" (as noted on a label inside). I've seen really good mold copies, and no matter how much work you put into them, you can't get them to produce parts that are as clean and sharp consistently and uniformly as the visible parts in the pictures. I believe that the clear parts were pulled from machined molds Apple produced to make the production units. Or more accurately, I believe those clear parts were produced through injection molding with the original Apple molds.

That sounds like a reasonable explanation.

-t

downinflames68 · Nov 26, 2009, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

My personal opinion here: I think that's a legitimate "engineering sample" (as noted on a label inside). I've seen really good mold copies, and no matter how much work you put into them, you can't get them to produce parts that are as clean and sharp consistently and uniformly as the visible parts in the pictures. I believe that the clear parts were pulled from machined molds Apple produced to make the production units. Or more accurately, I believe those clear parts were produced through injection molding with the original Apple molds.

Probably, but you can't really say for sure. I mean, yeah, it is pretty consistently clear. However, resin + fine sandpaper + polish would probably turn out pretty clear as well. If it is real, it was probably a "first shot". The tooling was done, the factory assembles a very small number to send to teh company for quality control. The clear case probably allowed them to make sure everything was lining up and fitting correctly, as well as show any flaws in the tooling. After this was show, they probably blasted the tooling with 10030 or 10040 texture, then shot it in the real stuff.

However, what I'm saying is that if these things go for FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS, there is definitely an opportunity here for some really great profit.

downinflames68 · Nov 26, 2009, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by iMOTOR

So it begs the question; how much would you charge for a clear shell, then I can get the guts myself.

Hrm. $2000? Less than half of that one. Sound like a deal? I can do some tests if you are really interested.

Oisín · Nov 26, 2009, 04:56 PM

Christ, that’s fugly.

ghporter · Nov 26, 2009, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by downinflames68

Probably, but you can't really say for sure. I mean, yeah, it is pretty consistently clear. However, resin + fine sandpaper + polish would probably turn out pretty clear as well.

Given the number of slots, holes and really fine support structures in these pieces, I think it would take more than $5k worth of craftsman's time to make it look that good. Those are some really crystal clear holes. Doable? Certainly. But with an unlimited budget and timeline.

Originally Posted by downinflames68

If it is real, it was probably a "first shot". The tooling was done, the factory assembles a very small number to send to teh company for quality control. The clear case probably allowed them to make sure everything was lining up and fitting correctly, as well as show any flaws in the tooling. After this was show, they probably blasted the tooling with 10030 or 10040 texture, then shot it in the real stuff.

Agreed. You can CAD anything you want, but the real world usually throws you a pretty nasty curve ball if you depend on all the numbers in the computer being right. When these pieces were made, CNC to mill the molds was available and dependable, but I don't think anyone jumps into production, even today, with a CNC program that hasn't been thoroughly wrung out.

Originally Posted by downinflames68

However, what I'm saying is that if these things go for FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS, there is definitely an opportunity here for some really great profit.

Not for a one-off, I think, but for maybe a dozen, using liquid silicone/plaster backed molds that are babied and really well cared for, picking just the right resin product that will give the right feel and buying enough without raising eyebrows, and then finessing everything just right. The kicker in this is that if someone were to come out and say they were making reproduction cases, they could charge a lot less than 5k and still wallow in cash because of the number of us geeky folks who want something this cool.

PB2K · Nov 26, 2009, 05:37 PM

What if all these transparent classic macs are all bought by that 1 person who believes they are actually worth 5000$

downinflames68 · Nov 26, 2009, 05:47 PM

Well, all I'm saying is that it could be recreated for under 5 grand, easy. With today's rapid prototyping and resins, I'd say it's definitely possible. And if they go for 5k, there's an incentive to fake them.

sdilley14 · Nov 27, 2009, 02:10 PM

Maybe I'm missing something here. Why spend $5k on something like that? Its essentially useless. So pay $5k for a 20 year old computer that has no use whatsoever other than just sitting in a corner? I guess maybe some people consider these "works of art", but come on...seriously?

Laminar · Nov 27, 2009, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by sdilley14

Maybe I'm missing something here. Why spend $5k on something like that? Its essentially useless. So pay $5k for a 20 year old computer that has no use whatsoever other than just sitting in a corner? I guess maybe some people consider these "works of art", but come on...seriously?

Ever been to an antique store? People pay tons of money for worthless **** all the time.

downinflames68 · Nov 27, 2009, 03:39 PM

That's why I'm saying it'd be a good thing to fake, and put on ebay.

Laminar · Nov 27, 2009, 05:01 PM

Ah, forgery. Always a good decision.

analogue SPRINKLES · Nov 27, 2009, 05:22 PM

Colour classics are one of my fav macs of all time. I have to say that transparent plastic doesn't do it for me though.

I always browse ebay for a working colour classic but never find one

sdilley14 · Nov 27, 2009, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by Laminar

Ever been to an antique store? People pay tons of money for worthless **** all the time.

Yeah thats true. I just think its crazy when people get all worked up about things like this. It has no real use, it looks like junk in my opinion...just utterly useless in every sense. I could see some fanatics dumping a few hundred bucks on something like this to have a "cool" piece to put in their man cave. Its just one of those things that I will never understand I guess. Much like people spending thousands of dollars on old lamps and dressers and antique toys and junk like that. I suppose one man's junk is another man's really expensive treasure.