What Determines A Model M Price?

[DuckNorris]

Hello Guys,


   Today I was wondering after looking through ebay and seeing other websites got me curious about the price. I know SSK go on higher price since they are rare but others are not as high. Are older ones worth more? Does it depend on the label? Thanks for your input!

[phx]

think most people just price theirs on how clean it is, no reason to get one that's shiny and stuff, just clean it yourself.

[nubbinator]

It's largely rarity and condition. New In Box ones will go for more, fully functioning boards with all original caps are obviously going to be worth a little more, those with PS2 are going to be worth more than those with RJ45 in most cases, less common models like the SSK, Model M Industrial, or M15 will be worth more, and models with the less common blue label will be worth more.

[fohat.digs]

Blind stupid luck.

Personally, I like the old ones with the heavy metal backplates, and think that the metal badges are cool.

But other people like newer ones with fresher springs.

They are easy enough to take apart and rehab, so there is less risk in buying used.

[terrpn]

just curious............exactly which ones have the heavier back plate? i know the 401's went for a long time.

[fohat.digs]

which ones have the heavier back plate? i know the 401's went for a long time.

The early ones. The 1390120 and 1390131 had the metal badges and went through about 1987 or so. The 1391401s ran for years, well into the Lexmark era. ISO equivalents had different numbers.

I think that the heavy back plates were generally concurrent with the wire stabilizers, up through early-mid-1989, but I don't know if there is a definitive cutoff or if different plants made changes at different times.

The yellow/gold backplates went through 1986, give or take, and were replaced by the dull gray ones. I think that these were the same except for the finish.

This is purely empirical and based on owning at least a couple from each of those years. My opinion is just that, but I suspect that you will not find more specific written records.

I am sure that someone like rootwyrm will chime in on this.

[rootwyrm]

^ re pricing. Pretty sure drugs are involved too.

Heaviest backplate is pre-'89, there's two variants. One is gold hued, the other is unfinished steel. They're the same thickness, but the gold hue version has slightly higher hardness and looks nicer. Specific models, well, too many to list. The unfinished steel is however, the exact same thickness as the gold one within expected tolerances. The gold one just has a different treating process.

The next version is slightly thinner, still unfinished steel. Hate these so much because they're prone to rust - there's no anti-corrosion on them. At all. Usually found in '89-'92ish but they're all over the place.

Third version is the '93+. Same thickness as the '89-'92ish but IBM apparently put the anti-corrosives back in the mix, since I rarely see these with significant rust damage. Unicomp's current are the same. However, IBM relaxed tolerances and may have made some die / pressure adjustments plus tooling wear/tear.

I'd agree with fohat there's almost no chance of written records. Maybe you'd find an order for the raw materials but that's about it. Each plant seems to be different in some minor or major ways, depending, and I don't know if they made all the plates in a central location or each facility had the tooling.

I'm going back to being sick now.