The first generation iPhone sold at a sky-high price. Outdated electronic products = garbage?

As we all know, the masterpieces left by masters are of great collection value. They will not deteriorate with the passage of time, but will become more precious because of the passage of time. It is common for a bowl or a painting to be sold at a price of tens of millions. So, if we extrapolate this to electronic products, can these electronic products also be priceless?

Alex, an American teenager, started collecting various Apple devices when he was 10 years old. So far, he has collected more than 250 Apple prototypes and devices, including the very rare Apple I. But recently he had to make a heartbreaking decision, which is to sell all the Apple devices he collected.

Alex did not become rich by collecting these treasures, but was forced to give up his Apple treasures because of life. Obviously, most electronic products have no collection value. Why? Next, let's talk about why most electronic products have no collection value.

Electronic products are easy to copy and their functions are easy to be replaced

Electronic products exist as consumer products, which are mass-produced and easy to replicate. In addition, the value of electronic products lies in their practicality. Once their performance cannot meet the requirements of use or is replaced by better products, their value will disappear. Looking at the mobile phone industry, the CPU has gone from single-core to multi-core, the RAM has gone from 512MB to 6GB, and the screen has also changed from small to large in just a few years. The hardware development of electronic products is staggering, and the mobile phones in users' hands are one after another.

Most electronic products will go through generations, and new products are often better than the previous generation in terms of function and design, which makes the previous generation useless. Crafts, calligraphy and paintings are often difficult to reproduce, and there is no such thing as a generational upgrade. Therefore, most electronic products, especially consumer-grade electronic products for the mainstream public, have no collection value.

Most electronic products are not unique or rare, and there are a large number of them on the market.

The value of any collection is inversely proportional to the number of pieces in existence, and directly proportional to the unique cultural art or other inexplicable connotations it possesses. The passage of time will reduce the number of pieces in existence, and the ability, background and other attributes of the creator will enhance the connotation of the collection. For most electronic products, as consumer goods, the more they are sold, the better, so the number of pieces in existence can be considered countless.

As for the connotation, electronic products are updated very quickly, and except for groundbreaking works, it is difficult for them to win people's hearts. However, these products that are deeply rooted in people's hearts have a large number of users (everyone wants to buy them), which leads to a surge in production, resulting in a huge number of them in existence.

In addition, due to the materials and working characteristics of electronic products, early products often have significant defects in function and appearance over time, and therefore have no collection value.

How to choose some valuable electronic products to collect?

Of course, we cannot generalize. Not all electronic products are not worth collecting. If we only look at it from the perspective of satisfying personal emotional needs, some electronic products are given special value by individuals and are worth collecting. For example, they were given by first love, or accompanied me through difficult times. These products have collection value on an emotional level. Are there no electronic products that have both collection value and commercial investment value? The answer is no.

Limited Edition Vertu Good Luck and Blessings

First, examine the number of existing products. Products that are rare and have a small number of units on the market are worth collecting, such as some limited edition mobile phones, the limited edition of 77 Golden Dream customized iPhone 7, the limited edition of 68 Vertu auspicious Ruyi mobile phones, etc. These electronic products are rare in number, and the production process is also exquisite and difficult to replicate, so they are worth collecting.

Secondly, products with groundbreaking significance are also worth collecting, such as the first batch of Walkman, the first MP3, etc. Another example is the iPad, which pioneered the tablet computer. These are like Apple's earliest desktop computers, and may appreciate in value at some point in the future. Of course, it is best to have both.

Unopened first generation iPhone auction

Finally, the ones with better investment value are those that are well preserved, with all accessories, and even unopened. A news report not long ago said that the price of an unopened first-generation iPhone has reached 135,000 yuan, while the price of an opened one will be much lower.

Collecting electronic products mostly satisfies personal emotional needs, just to be happy

In short, it is difficult to get a satisfactory return in the short term if you collect electronic products for investment purposes. On the one hand, electronic products have their own upgrades, and on the other hand, electronic products are highly replicable, so it is difficult to maintain their rarity or inherent value. However, if it is to satisfy personal emotional needs and is given special meaning by individuals, then there is nothing wrong with collecting electronic products.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.