Another request for help from our archivists

[Janine]

No picture now, but I have time to type and I need to jump on that. :-) It's a black bag with a black interior; I'll try to photograph it in daylight tomorrow.

What can you guys tell me about the "Cafe Computer Bag"? I just got one on eBay. It was mislabeled as a Medium Cafe Bag. It's new with tags, and the tag lists a price of $80. I checked the blog but didn't see a post about it, so I think this might be another oldie but goodie.

Thanks, O Wise Ones!

ps. One day I hope to have enough Tom Bihn lore in my own brain to answer someone else's questions. :-)

[Janine]

I'm doing a bit of digging and I found a reference to this bag on a Mac forum from waaaay back in 2003. The author had purchased a Cafe Computer Bag 3 years before, but notes "its no longer made in the same form as the the one I have". So I'm guessing this bag is 10+ years old. The construction certainly supports that theory; it's obviously from a time when laptops were blocky and thick.

[ncb4]

No picture now, but I have time to type and I need to jump on that. :-) It's a black bag with a black interior; I'll try to photograph it in daylight tomorrow.

What can you guys tell me about the "Cafe Computer Bag"? I just got one on eBay. It was mislabeled as a Medium Cafe Bag. It's new with tags, and the tag lists a price of $80. I checked the blog but didn't see a post about it, so I think this might be another oldie but goodie.

Thanks, O Wise Ones!

ps. One day I hope to have enough Tom Bihn lore in my own brain to answer someone else's questions. :-)

Wow, you have really scored several great finds on eBay lately!

[Janine]

This is certainly an interesting bag, but for me it's more historical interest than "ooh I can really use this" interest. The bag was mislabeled in the auction and the seller has agreed to take it back. I'm just asking questions now because I'm curious. :-)

The not-Storm MCB is a treasure, though. I love it.

[Janine]

The seller has relisted this bag on ebay: Vintage TOM BIHN "Cafe Computer Case" NEW with Tag! Collectors Take Notice!! | eBay.

If you are looking for something like it, he was very good to deal with and the bag is NWT as advertised.

[moriond]

The seller has relisted this bag on ebay: Vintage TOM BIHN "Cafe Computer Case" NEW with Tag! Collectors Take Notice!! | eBay.

If you are looking for something like it, he was very good to deal with and the bag is NWT as advertised.

I think that at least some of the bags with that older design label may date from back when Tom operated out of Santa Cruz, CA. I don't know the detailed history, but I think this period was in the 1990s. I'm inferring the date from the fact that a year ago someone who went to school at UCSC looked at my Synapse, and said "That's a Tom Bihn bag. I have one of his bags that I bought when I was at Santa Cruz that I still use. They're great bags. Funny, I was just browsing their web site this morning."

moriond

Update: The "Cafe Computer Case" shown in your eBay link was the version of the Cafe Shoulder Bag developed for Apple's G3 laptop (1997-2000). Here's a product description from 1998. Later on he also sold larger versions of this case. At that time, Tom's store was located at "103 Locust Street in downtown quake town, Santa Cruz, California". Later, in February 2000, he moved to 108 West First St. Port Angeles, WA.

[Janine]

Once again, I am impressed by @moriond's research skills. :-) Thank you!

[Katy]

The seller has relisted this bag on ebay: Vintage TOM BIHN "Cafe Computer Case" NEW with Tag! Collectors Take Notice!! | eBay.

If you are looking for something like it, he was very good to deal with and the bag is NWT as advertised.

Very cool to see something like that still new with tags!