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

From: Sam Ismail <dastar_at_crl.com>
Date: Tue Aug 12 15:48:25 1997

On Tue, 12 Aug 1997, Kai Kaltenbach wrote:

> 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.

I won't say who :) but I know of someone who paid $1,400 for an Altair 8800.

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

Shit, if someone knows someone who wants to pay a thousand or so for
these then I have a mint in my garage.

> 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?

I would imagine these are the people who had one way back in the 70s and
want to relieve their former glory...

> 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 :)

...just like the people Kai mentions above who will want to re-live the
days of playing with their C64 or Apples.


Sam
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Computer Historian, Programmer, Musician, Philosopher, Athlete, Writer, Jackass
Received on Tue Aug 12 1997 - 15:48:25 BST

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