Hot Selling eBay item: Windows 98 Upgrade
Hot Selling eBay item: Windows 98 Upgrade
You might think that selling CDs of a PC operating system that was first released 9 years ago was clutching at straws. You might also think that selling a PC operating system that is no longer actively supported by its manufacturer was nothing short of plain daft. However, you would be quite wrong.
I was as astonished as you to discover the hot selling eBay item that is the Windows 98 Upgrade disc. These items are totally legal and unregistered (necessary or else eBay won’t let them be listed) and are perfect for anyone out there using an old PC that is running Windows 3.1, Windows 95, or some versions of Windows 98. Generally, these packs come with the original CD-ROM, the case, the product key for activating the software, a manual, a 3.5-inch boot disk for installing the new operating system, and an original certificate of authenticity.
Nevertheless, where has this software come from? Basically, with the boom of the internet in the late nineties/early nineties, PC manufacturers at first struggled to meet demand for the revolution that was taking place, as thousands of shoppers descended on electrical stores and high street retailers demanding PCs and laptops with which to “get online”. Although three new versions of Windows were expected, they were either considered inferior, too expensive or inappropriate, or too far in the future. Not only that but Windows 98 SE (Special Edition) is widely regarded as the best, most stable version of Windows ever. Not only that, but games are still released that will run on Windows 98, “Half-Life 2” and “Guild Wars”, being two examples that I have thought of immediately off hand.
Instances of this software are depending on whether it’s boxed and sealed or simply an upgrade CD-ROM, selling for as high as $95. Just where can you pick up copies of this software, 8 years down the line? The best sources are of course clearance sales, but also offline auctions and charity shops will be good sources, as well as newspapers and businesses moving to Windows XP. In fact, these businesses may have already moved to XP and still have the Windows 98 SE Upgrade disks.
As long as the disks haven’t been installed or registered, and include the unlock key, they are viable for sale on eBay.
JaVa963’s eBay Store features various software packages including the Windows 98 SE Upgrade. With Power Seller status and a feedback, rating of 220 JaVa963 has successfully sold what is effectively an eight-year-old operating system for $40 a time to satisfied customers.
Meanwhile, eBay Power Seller “has_soft” has a 100% feedback rating of 486 and currently lists several instances of the Windows 98 SE Upgrade disc for under $80.
This is an open market. As long as you can secure a source of unused Windows 98 discs and there are still a lot out there this is a market any eBayer, new or old, can profit from.
The supply of software brings with it certain responsibilities. As detailed above, these discs must be unregistered and must not have been opened or installed. And, of course as ever, your conduct is measured via the eBay feedback rating system; best behavior and treat your customers as you would expect to be treated yourself.
Resources:
http://www.skipmcgrath.com/
http://pages.ebay.com/education/selling.html
http://computers.search.ebay.com/Windows-software_Vintage-Computing_W0QQcatrefZC12QQfromZR40QQsacatZ4193
