Did I just make an incredibly stupid purchase (BNIB sealed ThinkPad X61s), $377.51USD

[iamdmc]

Okay, so I think the answer is obvious... but did I make an incredibly stupid nostalgia-driven purchase?
Image
Brand new in sealed box
ThinkPad X61s 7669-3JG Core 2 Duo L7500 1.6GHz, 160GB HDD, 12.1" XGA TN LCD, Windows XP Pro, 2GB DDR2 667MHz RAM, 4 cell battery.
https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/7669-3JG

**The story**

The ThinkPad X61s was my first 'brand new' ThinkPad that I bought in October 2007 in University for the sale price of $1,450CAD (about $1,312 USD in 2007 money, $1,727USD in 2021 money, inflation adjusted). I was 20 years old, I'd fallen in love with the design the first time I saw it, and it was the most expensive thing I'd ever purchased. Previously, I'd owned used A21m, T23, X31, and had bought a T41 for family. It was also my first brand new anything (besides Nintendo 64 and XBox original). In the past 14 years, it's been well used, gone through 7 batteries (2x dock slice, 2x 8 cell, 1x 4-cell flat, 2x 4-cell round) fixed, upgraded RAM/HDD/SSD/LCD, given around to several family members, forgotten about in storage, remembered, and finally restored (https://old.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comme ... 8265_wifi/) to glory. It was the only ThinkPad (and indeed possession) I couldn't bear to part with - ever. I've since owned a T410, X300, X220, X230, X250, T450s, and my current T480s - all of which were upgraded, repaired, and eventually sold on.

It's fair to say I love ThinkPads and I love technology, but I can't say why this plucky little X61s has stuck with me when everything else was sold on, given away, or broken and beyond economical repair (not that the X61s upgrades/restoration were economical).

Flash forward to 2021, a few days ago, when an eBay alert popped up with a BRAND NEW IN SEALED BOX X61s came up for a ridiculous price of 650 British Pounds (about $900USD) from a reputable seller in France. I can't say I was ever going to pay that price, but I figured I'd toss out a few offers, and after a bit of back and forth and trying to negotiate off ebay for a lower price (which I decided against because I'm slightly risk averse) we settled on 300Euro for the machine + 16Euro for delivery (about $377.51USD). I threw my logic out the window and bought it. Now I'm waiting for it to arrive, and trying to decide what to do with it.

One part of my wants to do an unboxing video for YouTube/ThinkPad forums/Reddit to celebrate the ThinkPad 30th anniversary in 2022 (15th anniversary of X61s) and then keep it in a display shelf. Another part of me thinks it would be a good idea to auction it off and donating the proceeds to a charity of the community's choosing - preferably one that John Karidis and David Hill would approve - for the ThinkPad 30th anniversary in 2022. I am already going to do a video or series about "let's build a ThinkPad" and build an X61 from "new old stock" brand new parts I've collected over the years, so I will technically have an almost-new ThinkPad X61 in 2022 - which I was also thinking about auctioning off for charity - and a video showing off my super upgraded original X61s frankenpad (linked above)

So I'm asking the community: what should I do? what would you do? and was this a stupid purchase

[atagunov]

So I'm asking the community: what should I do? what would you do? and was this a stupid purchase

Hey! My answer was going to be hell yeah! Unpack and make your daily driver!

But then I read

I am already going to do a video or series about "let's build a ThinkPad" and build an X61 from "new old stock" brand new parts I've collected over the years, so I will technically have an almost-new ThinkPad X61 in 2022 - which I was also thinking about auctioning off for charity - and a video showing off my super upgraded original X61s frankenpad (linked above)

That's different then isn't it? First of all don't be like me - use those parts to build that X61, see for yourself how good it is, if you totally like it. Keep the BNIB one sealed. Then look again at the Frankenpad. Then at the X61 from parts. Repeat as many times as required. Come to terms the BNIB one out of your hands as a user. Approach that one as a businessman - charitable or otherwise but that's not your desired Thinkpad any more, that's a valuable collector's item that you want use as best as you can - keep, sell, whatever but don't use it yourself. What's the point? You got two others.

[mikemex]

Keep the BNIB as it is. It makes no sense to use it for parts.

[iamdmc]

So I'm asking the community: what should I do? what would you do? and was this a stupid purchase

Hey! My answer was going to be hell yeah! Unpack and make your daily driver!

But then I read

I am already going to do a video or series about "let's build a ThinkPad" and build an X61 from "new old stock" brand new parts I've collected over the years, so I will technically have an almost-new ThinkPad X61 in 2022 - which I was also thinking about auctioning off for charity - and a video showing off my super upgraded original X61s frankenpad (linked above)

That's different then isn't it? First of all don't be like me - use those parts to build that X61, see for yourself how good it is, if you totally like it. Keep the BNIB one sealed. Then look again at the Frankenpad. Then at the X61 from parts. Repeat as many times as required. Come to terms the BNIB one out of your hands as a user. Approach that one as a businessman - charitable or otherwise but that's not your desired Thinkpad any more, that's a valuable collector's item that you want use as best as you can - keep, sell, whatever but don't use it yourself. What's the point? You got two others.

Hey man good to hear from you and thanks for the advice

by the way, I did finally get the SPD modified RAM to work with the pinmod on my modified original ThinkPad X61s. I just had to run it in linux because windows kept crashing :S

[David C]

What happened with this X61 please?

[solidpro]

Keep the BNIB as it is. It makes no sense to use it for parts.

Agreed. X61s machines aren't really worth anything. I have a few and they've just sat there because nobody wants them. Which means two things - anything to make it special is a plus - BNIB and also you can pick up all sorts of complete and spares machines for next to nothing so if you're going to chop some up then do it with those.

[ankurvdesai]

I can definitely imagine a collector being interested in this item--and don't forget the value of being able to show the state of technology at the time. There are limited circumstances (like a tech museum) that might have interest, and on a daily basis there are issues where groups need to prove the state of the art in a particular tech space. I'm looking to make a similarly stupid purchase of an X60 tablet

[iamdmc]

What happened with this X61 please?

Bit late to reply but it's still in its box in my office Like I said in the OP I made one brand new from new-old-stock parts so that's my display model

[David C]

What happened with this X61 please?

Bit late to reply but it's still in its box in my office Like I said in the OP I made one brand new from new-old-stock parts so that's my display model

Congratulations! It's really good news from you!