A uncommon piece of computing historical past is on the market on eBay, and it may be yours for the low, low value of $30,000. We’ve all heard of the Commodore 64—the best-selling pc mannequin of all time—however had issues gone in a different way, we’d even be wanting again fondly on the Commodore 65.

This proposed successor to the Commodore 64 now instructions a lofty value, and for good causes. For one, the Commodore 65 was by no means formally launched to the general public, and only some prototypes—just like the one being offered on eBay (by way of HotHardware)—have been constructed. There are an estimated 50 to 2,000 Commodore 65 machines nonetheless in existence, and solely a handful of these are operational.

The C65, initially known as the Commodore C64DX, was a proposed successor to the immensely fashionable C64, which had been dropping steam after a profitable 10-year run. It was teased in magazines in 1989, however was first created in late 1990. The intent was to revitalize the Commodore with a system that promised backward compatibility by emulation, a sooner 3.54MHz processor, extra succesful graphics, and a built-in disk drive.

There was only one drawback: by the point Commodore International bought critical concerning the C65, the Amiga 500 had taken off. Those who had owned a Commodore 64 had already made the swap to the Amiga. In the top, after reported infighting throughout the firm, the C65 was tabled, and when Commodore International liquidated, C65 prototypes have been offered on the open market.

If the outline on this eBay submit is correct, the one presently on sale is a real holy grail. The vendor, who is predicated in Germany, suggests this “seller refurbished” Commodore 65 is rarer than most of its form as a result of it’s an “Alpha series” model with a plastic mold that’s fully easy and hasn’t but been “roughened.” The pc supposedly has a serial variety of 27 and a light sticker on the underside stating “Property of Commodore” notes how the system was by no means authorised by the FCC.

“The C65 is [sic] highly sought and valued collector’s items, especially when in fully working order: very few working machines are known to exist. But this particular unit is even much rarer [sic],” the vendor wrote within the eBay itemizing. “The plastic molds are not roughened so the case still has a high-glossy look and the POWER and DRIVE text is missing. The plastic molded cases of these ALPHA Units are totally rare, only a hand full [sic] are known to exist.”

The vendor posted a video to YouTube (see above) displaying the Commodore 65 in motion, taking part in music, working the bitmap graphics editor DeluxePaint (DPaint), and powering Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance. As the vendor notes in his itemizing, the pc seems to be in glorious form, with solely “tiny minor scratches.”

Given the situation, rarity, and significance of this Commodore 65, it’s no shock that the machine is presently bidding at €25,615, or about $27,800. With three days remaining, we think about the worth will proceed to extend. When these methods do present up on the market, they go for tens of 1000’s of {dollars}, with the latest unit promoting at $22,435 and the costliest at $197,526, back in 2017. Sure, you could possibly purchase a pleasant automotive with this kind of cash, however then, what higher approach to rejoice the fortieth anniversary of probably the most profitable pc in historical past than to personal the successor that by no means was?