eBay (aka: ePay, eVay, oyVay, etc...)

From: Bill Yakowenko <yakowenk_at_cs.unc.edu>
Date: Mon Oct 26 21:03:32 1998

On Sun, 25 Oct 1998, Chuck McManis <cmcmanis_at_freegate.com> wrote:
] I'll admit that I am confused about the subtext in Jim's message where he
] writes:
]
] At 10:02 PM 10/25/98 -0800, you wrote:
] >Starting Saturday (perhaps earlier, but the first that I noticed) eBay has
] >been running radio spots on the national syndicate program feeds.
] > ...
]
] It sounds like this is a "bad" thing. Is it? If so why? It would seem that
] eBay is making a market for older computers that before didn't exist. Now
] is it that the 'old timers' who were used to picking up C64's at a garage
] sale for $1 will now have to pay $25 are grumbling? Doesn't this
] potentially increase the value of your own collection many fold? Isn't that
] a good thing?
] ...

This is a good thing if you are collecting computers just so that you
can sell them later at a profit. For those of us collecting to keep,
it means higher expenses and/or fewer acquisitions.

Of course, the unhappiness in my acquisitions department is eased by
the knowledge that a few machines may be saved from the scrap heap
by their sudden increase in value to the guy on the street. So the
machines may be more expensive, but in the end there may be more of
them available. Win some, lose some.


] --Chuck
] (Who is waiting for his Korg M1 synthesizer to become 'collectible' because
] he gave away an Arp Odessey when he was still clueless...)

        Bill.
Received on Mon Oct 26 1998 - 21:03:32 GMT