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How rich would you be?


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Fahrenheit
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Join Date: Sep 2005
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2022-04-05, 02:32

In a moment of financial and emotional self-harm, I decided to look at the price of the first Apple product I bought, and ask myself "what would I have if I had just bought apple stock of the same value instead?"

I bought my first iBook in April 2004 for £699, at that point in 2004 that was $1300. Which would have bought me 2999 apple shares at 43c a piece.

The current stock price is $178.44.

That $1300 invested then would be $535,320, though this site actually says it would be just over $700k. Either way, I done fucked up.

I now tend to invest a lot of money into index funds and trackers and don't spend a great deal on tech...!

I'm not sure 13 year old me would have forgiven me though for not getting my first laptop though.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2022-04-05, 04:21

I’m going to assume I’ve done something wrong on the numbers…

My first Mac was a Quadra 610, in February 1994. I can’t remember exactly what I paid for it, but I thought it was in the $1,799 neighborhood. But all my Googling says it was ~$2,500 in early 1994.

I simply don’t recall paying that crazy-ass amount, but I also look at how expensive Macs, RAM, etc. were in the 90’s, so I’m sure I must have. I bought it new at Microcenter in Tustin, CA, less than three months after arriving in California with my Marine wife.

So plugging all that in to the calculator at the linked site ($2,500 invested in AAPL in February 1994), the number coming back in the “final return” field is $3,979,622.82 (with the “annual return” showing 29.92%.





Can someone check my math before I go drink a jug of anti-freeze?

Holy smokes.

Had I invested the $599 I bought my first iPhone for in July 2007, that would be $33K+.

Hindsight is a cruel motherf…
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2022-04-05, 04:31

PS - When I first saw this thread in the General Discussion forum, my initial gut reaction, just going on the title, was “ah, another visitor from Toledo…”.

How relieved I was to see it was a longtime ‘Novan with a legit - albeit soul-crushing, mood-wrecking - thread.
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Yontsey
*AD SPACE FOR SALE*
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cleveland-ish, OH
 
2022-04-05, 05:14

The first Apple product I had as a kid was either the LC II or the LC III, can't remember exactly. I do remember the CD Rom attachment costing like $500-600. I had the Apple branded printer as well. Crazy how much that stuff cost.

Die young and save yourself....
@yontsey
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Fahrenheit
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2022-04-05, 10:42

Quote:
Originally Posted by psmith2.0 View Post
PS - When I first saw this thread in the General Discussion forum, my initial gut reaction, just going on the title, was “ah, another visitor from Toledo…”.

How relieved I was to see it was a longtime ‘Novan with a legit - albeit soul-crushing, mood-wrecking - thread.
Pscates I am most honoured to be a longtime Novan, especially given that I was not a member until 2005!
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2022-04-05, 10:58

Hindsight is 20/20.

Had I just put my money into Gamestop last year when it was $13/share …

Yeah, I can think of about 200,000 different ways I could have been rich. But, I haven't got the chops for that stuff.

FWIW, my dad approached me in 1996 to ask advice on a tech stock to invest in. I told him Apple at $16/share. He laughed and told me they'd be bankrupt in a year. No, I said, they've got Steve Jobs coming back. Buy Apple.



He (or I, had I had any money to invest) could have been a rich man!

Only smart investment idea I ever had.

20/20

- AppleNova is the best Mac-users forum on the internet. We are smart, educated, capable, and helpful. We are also loaded with smart-alecks! :)
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Mat 5:9)
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Yontsey
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cleveland-ish, OH
 
2022-04-05, 11:05

My grandpa did the same thing. He went with Dell instead.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2022-04-05, 11:34

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fahrenheit View Post
Pscates I am most honoured to be a longtime Novan, especially given that I was not a member until 2005!
I think the joint came to be around 2004, so you're about as long-time as it can get. You're definitely among the "first year, give or take" club! In my mind, anyone here before, say, 2009 (those first five years?) - and still posting/contributing - is a long-timer.

There ain't many of us left. A nice, tight little core of folks...
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Ebby
Subdued and Medicated
 
Join Date: May 2004
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2022-04-05, 11:47

I had a $5000 check written to buy Apple stock when they were struggling at $0.14/share because "I believe in the company".

I was too young to buy stock and my parents thought it was a waste of money.

Ahh, I still dream about what could have been.

^^ One more quality post from the desk of Ebby. ^^
SSBA | SmockBogger | SporkNET
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2022-04-05, 11:50

Ouch!
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Fahrenheit
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2022-04-05, 12:24

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ebby View Post
I had a $5000 check written to buy Apple stock when they were struggling at $0.14/share because "I believe in the company".

I was too young to buy stock and my parents thought it was a waste of money.

Ahh, I still dream about what could have been.
$6.4 million.

No fear buddy, every single one of us here that were posting in the 2000s would be millionaires now based on our purchases. Jeez, even jumping out to the store for a new Mighty Mouse would give you enough to buy a new car instead now.
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Bryson
Rocket Surgeon
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: The Canadark
 
2022-04-05, 12:43

I would probably be bankrupt, as in the late 90s I would have been looking at my terrible worthless share certificates, while not having a computer to earn a living on.

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Mac+
9" monochrome
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: 🇦🇺
 
2022-04-06, 06:10

Quote:
Originally Posted by kscherer View Post
I told him Apple at $16/share. He laughed and told me they'd be bankrupt in a year. No, I said, they've got Steve Jobs coming back. Buy Apple.



He (or I, had I had any money to invest) could have been a rich man!

Only smart investment idea I ever had.

20/20
I went to see Midnight Oil last weekend with an old friend. He recounted me saying that to him, circa ‘98.

I gave a presentation at a company my old boss runs. He gave me a wonderful introduction and included his big regret, which was not listening to me when I was still recommending AAPL circa 2009.

Surely, some of you invested! Just a bit. Tell me you’re onboard!

All I want is a simple life
twitter
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Yontsey
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cleveland-ish, OH
 
2022-04-06, 06:30

I got it around $100 before the 4-1 split. Have made some nice gains.
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kieran
@kk@pennytucker.social
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2022-04-06, 07:50

I was in before the last 2-1 split. Sold to buy my first card and downpayment on my first house.

Got back in a few years ago before the 4-1 split and am now sitting on some small gains (not that much overall money invested), bu may pull that out to buy another property.

No more Twitter. It's Mastodon now.
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turtle
Lord of the Rant.
Formerly turtle2472
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Upstate South Carolina
 
2022-04-06, 08:02

I bought before the recent split but I still don't have all that much in gains. I also only bought something like 4 stocks back then. I'm not going to bother looking up my count now, just going off the top of my head. Not much either way, though a handsome gain for sure.

If I were to go back to old hardware, by first was a mid-range Mac mini G4. So roughly $700 in 2005 I think? "122,659.67" based on the site linked above.

Louis L'Amour, “To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”
Visit our archived Minecraft world! | Maybe someday I'll proof read, until then deal with it.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2022-04-06, 08:12

*shakes fist at Fahrenheit*

This is about all I've been thinking about the past couple of days, screwing myself into the ground over it all. Every time I deviate/depart from my "ignorance is bliss" approach to life, I suffer greatly.



The trick is finding that outfit - and, no...it isn't Twitter or Squarespace - that doesn't seem like much now, but, in 20-30 years, the world can't do without. Probably should've gotten in on Sudafed about 15 years ago. Kentucky and Tennessee alone would've floated me...
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Ryan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Promise Land of Trustafarians
 
2022-04-06, 10:30

Quote:
Originally Posted by kscherer View Post
Hindsight is 20/20.

Had I just put my money into Gamestop last year when it was $13/share …

Yeah, I can think of about 200,000 different ways I could have been rich. But, I haven't got the chops for that stuff.

FWIW, my dad approached me in 1996 to ask advice on a tech stock to invest in. I told him Apple at $16/share. He laughed and told me they'd be bankrupt in a year. No, I said, they've got Steve Jobs coming back. Buy Apple.



He (or I, had I had any money to invest) could have been a rich man!

Only smart investment idea I ever had.

20/20
Had the exact same conversation circa 2001.

My first Mac was a G4 Cube. I don't remember exactly what it cost (plus studio display, etc) but ballpark at $1500? Would be worth just shy of a cool million today.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2022-04-06, 10:43

I think the G4 Cube was about $1,799 when first introduced. It seems like I remember some of the grousing centered around it costing the same as a G4 tower, but minus any real “expansion”. For some reason “$1,799” has stuck in my head, but it’s been so long.

PS - if you want to feel old (and a bit wistful for the good ol’ days), watch Steve introduce the Cube way back in 2000.

EDIT: Yep, $1,799

Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2022-04-06 at 10:59.
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kscherer
Which way is up?
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Boyzeee
 
2022-04-06, 11:06

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac+ View Post
Surely, some of you invested! Just a bit. Tell me you’re onboard!
We're in.
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BlueRabbit
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
 
2022-04-06, 12:21

I convinced my parents to put several hundred dollars into Apple stock back in 2000 or so, and now that's a decently sized chunk of their retirement money.

My big regret is not mining a hundred or so bitcoin back in 2009 or whenever it first appeared, since I was a computer science major with the ability to mine some bitcoin pretty easily and it would have cost essentially $0 to do. However, I was convinced that it was a fad at the time. I still think it's a fad, but in an alternate universe I could think that while also having millions of dollars.
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PB PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
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2022-04-06, 14:54

I don’t want to talk about this, my wallet is weeping.
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Fahrenheit
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2022-04-06, 16:05

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueRabbit View Post
I convinced my parents to put several hundred dollars into Apple stock back in 2000 or so, and now that's a decently sized chunk of their retirement money.

My big regret is not mining a hundred or so bitcoin back in 2009 or whenever it first appeared, since I was a computer science major with the ability to mine some bitcoin pretty easily and it would have cost essentially $0 to do. However, I was convinced that it was a fad at the time. I still think it's a fad, but in an alternate universe I could think that while also having millions of dollars.
I genuinely don't understand how Bitcoin hasn't collapsed as the ponzi scheme that it quite clearly is. Well done to those that have made a fortune out of it but I don't see any roadmap to it becoming any sort of defacto currency.
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PB PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
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2022-04-06, 21:29

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fahrenheit View Post
I genuinely don't understand how Bitcoin hasn't collapsed as the ponzi scheme that it quite clearly is. Well done to those that have made a fortune out of it but I don't see any roadmap to it becoming any sort of defacto currency.
It’s the currency of choice for crooks and tax evaders. It will have a long life.
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