Prices/speculation (RE: A moment of silence, please)

From: Kai Kaltenbach <kaikal_at_MICROSOFT.com>
Date: Tue Aug 12 12:17:34 1997

> The problem I see with this view, is that it does not fully take into
> consideration the class/capabilities/intent of "people" who are
> throwing
> these outlandish amounts of money around!
>
Do we have any evidence of outlandish prices actually being paid?
There are lots of newspaper articles referencing ridiculous amounts for
an Apple I like $10-$15K, but no facts to back them up. The only
documented sale in existence is the one at the 1996 Computer Bowl
charity auction for $22K, but that hardly counts.

Does anyone have any facts about Altairs or IMSAIs going for thousands?

> The 'speculators' who are out to try to make a quick buck on these
> machines while having no regard for their preservation or history will
> only make life much more difficult (and expensive) for those who would
> preserve both the machine and its history.
>
While there seem to be quite a lot of "Altair / IMSAI Wanted" ads on
USENET, I've never actually communicated with anyone who was in this for
the speculation. Does anyone know someone who is?

My advice to anyone who actually wanted to speculate in old computers
would be to buy a ton of Apple IIe/IIc's and Commodore 64's - like a
warehouse full. They're common as dirt right now and go for garage sale
prices. When all of those people whose first computer was one of those
hit age 50 (in approximately 2015) they're going to have to buy one, and
you'd be in fat city :)

> Once the percieved value of a given item is (publically) driven up,
> either
> by speculators with too much money to spend or too many badly out of
> touch
> New York/L.A. Times articles, it can take a very long time for the
> prices
> to return to reality (if they ever do).
>
That's the truth brother.

> And once an item is in the hands of one of these money oriented types,
> it
> may well languish in a vault(sic) until someone will pay the 'proper'
> prices, or when the novelty has worn off the item may still end up in
> the
> trash rather than being released for a more reasonable price. (don't
> laugh, I regularly deal with a *lot* of these types!)
>
Really?!? Egads.

> There has got to be a balance somewhere, I'm just not sure how to get
> there.
>
> Are *you* prepared to pay $500US for an Osborne or a TI99-4a ???
>
Geez, I found homes for a couple of nice Osbornes at your Tigard swap
meet for $15-$20 apiece. What was I thinking! :)

Kai
Received on Tue Aug 12 1997 - 12:17:34 BST

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