About
Keeping the creative spark alive.
Apple Retro begins with a cup of coffee and a love of tinkering. Here in California, near the volcanic landscape of Clear Lake, our simple lumber-built cabin shop and the awning beside our trailer make room for a world of classic Apple machines. I’m Bee, and I’m drawn to neon, clever hardware, and the satisfaction of bringing an older Mac back into useful life.
From careful cleaning and testing to repairs, upgrades, and a little creative problem-solving, I enjoy the whole refurbishing process. My goal is to provide a machine that helps you keep creating—whether you write, make music, explore vintage software, or simply enjoy the character of an older Mac.
Candy, my other half, helps keep the operation moving, making sure messages receive a reply and packages reach the post office on time. Together, we aim to give every customer thoughtful service, clear communication, and realistic turnaround expectations. A small shop, a personal touch, and another chapter for your Mac.
FAQs
Do you accept old equipment?
Yes, we welcome older equipment for possible restoration or parts reuse, although we currently cannot offer payment or trade-in credit. You may mail items to our shipping address. For shipments containing more than three items, please email us first so we can coordinate what we can receive. Please remove your personal data before donating equipment.
Are you Apple certified?
We are not Apple certified, and we do not hold degrees in electrical engineering. Our experience comes from hands-on tinkering: carefully cleaning and testing older Macs, troubleshooting faults, and bringing small parts back to life—or finding suitable replacements. We’ll be clear about what we can take on.
Can you restore plastic shields and panels?
Yes. When you send a Macintosh for a repair or upgrade, we can also discuss wet sanding suitable plastic shields and panels. This is careful manual work offered at a reasonable price. Results depend on the material and its condition, so we’ll review the piece and agree on the scope and cost first.
Do you offer case modifications?
Yes. We offer selected in-house modifications to metal cases and internal frames to improve airflow or make room for larger CPUs, graphics cards, and PCI cards. Suitability depends on the machine and the proposed components. We’ll discuss the work, cost, and any permanent changes before proceeding.
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