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Rare Pixar Image Computer Selling on eBay for $25,000

Quick, there are only three days left to drop $25,000 on a rare Pixar Image Computer, which cropped up on eBay this weekend.

July 23, 2012

Quick, there are only three days left to drop $25,000 on a rare Pixar Image Computer, which cropped up on eBay this weekend.

The "museum-quality historical artifact," which was originally developed in the 1980s by Lucasfilm's computer division, carries a hefty price tag, but costs $105,000 less than its original sale price.

The tombstone-modeled matching monitor and tower, engraved with the Pixar logo, was made commercially available in 1986, when Steve Jobs bought the company. But regular consumers weren't expected to plunk down $135,000 for the machine – it was intended for high-end visualization markets like medicine, geophysics, and meteorology, according to Cult of Mac, which first reported the eBay sale.

Only 120 of the company's Image Computers were sold in its two years on the market; Pixar later respun it into the P-II, a $30,000 model. According to the seller, the computer may not be in working condition, since the power cord is missing. But a test of the monitor proved semi-positive: It powered on and lit up with a green light, but the screen did not materialize, according to tomkin84, who is selling the machine as a non-working computer.

"I doubt anyone will ever find another historical computer directly linked to so many legendary names," tomkin84 wrote in the product description, citing Steve Jobs, Pixar, Disney, and Lucasfilm.

"The lucky buyer of this rare machine will be getting a piece of history that will increase in value forever," the Virginia seller said.

According to tomkin84's description, the monitor has a small hairline crack in its plastic molding, as well as a blemish on one of the corners, as shown in the 11 photos available on the product page.

The auction ends at 4:42 p.m. Pacific on July 26. As of Monday morning, there have been no bites on the item, which is set at a starting bid of $15,000. The "buy it now" price of $25,000 is still available.

The Pixar auction comes shortly after a French collector's set of complete titles for 22 game systems on eBay.