Computer Pricing

From: John Ruschmeyer <jruschme_at_exit109.com>
Date: Fri Sep 19 20:26:19 1997

>Sam Ismail wrote:
>
>> AuctionWeb, but once I saw that my items (some old common computers and
>> video game systems) were going for far more than I had anticipated, I
>> didn't bother, not caring what bidder ended up with whatever high bid.
>
>I am starting to find the pricing for *some* of the older computers far more
>than I had imagined. My suspicions are that the value of the older
>computers is starting to rise as more and more people starting (finally!)
>thinking about the history of these things. For instance, I had no idea the
>Sol would go for the price it did although it seemed very complete. The Old
>Computer Auction Web had some pricing that I thought high, but I am seeing
>the same type of thing in other places. I still get given quite a bit of
>stuff, but it is declining as I see more and more people looking at the 386
>as old :).

There definately seem to be some machines which do demand what seem to be
disproportionately high prices. The two which come to mind for me are the
TRS-80 Model 4P and the Macintosh portable. The former seems to demand
prices 2-3 times over the price of Kaypros and even Osbornes of the same
era.
The latter has almost schizophrenic pricing, varying from near giveaway
(which I can never find or always miss) to higher than more capable
Powerbooks.
It must be something about the word "portable", as I also see some early
DOS laptops (Zenith Supersport) get priced out of whack like this.

I confess, though, that even though I am a collector, I sometimes don't
understand the interest in certain systems, particularly the things we are
willing to do to obtain them.

Last weekend, I posted a message to this list, looking for homes for
several systems. The three which generated the most interest were an Apple
//c, an AT&T 3B2/300, and an old Perkin-Elmer Unix micro. I understand the
first; Apple //'s are a perennial favorite and the //c is a particularly
interesting model. In the case of the P-E, I had someone willing to make a
2-3 hr drive from upstate NY and in the case of the 3B2, I had someone
willing to drive down from Boston (6 hrs!). Why?

I know what those two systems represented to me... my first and second
personal Unix boxes. This was before Linux and FreeBSD were household
words, back when the only way to have Unix at home was either to run Xenix
(expensive) or run a surplus commercial Unix box.

Maybe I'm a curmudgeon, but I just can't see it being worth the 6 hr
drive... not just for one computer.

>One thing that does deserve some special consideration is the documentation
>and advertising literature of the 70's and 80's. The other night, I got
>what appears to be the first Radio Shack advertising brochure for the
>TRS-80. THIS is the type of thing that is being thrown away without any
>thought and we need to build some awareness that this stuff is equally a
>part of history. I have talked to a number of people who told me they
>cleaned out their files and got rid of this stuff <sigh>.

I agree with you on this one. I was just recently cleaning out my office at
work and found (and kept) the original IBM PS/2 catalog (featuring the
stars of M*A*S*H) and a whole packet of literature on the Sun 3.

<<<John>>>
Received on Fri Sep 19 1997 - 20:26:19 BST