On Mon, 26 Oct 1998, Chuck McManis wrote:
> >2) A good portion of the discussions on this list are about what some
> >machine is
> > worth. A hobby that allows a person to gain complex knowledge of
> > so many aspects of their machines and it history has been reducted
> > to the level of baseball trading cards and "beanies". I would
> > rather hear about how someone just got a machine running for the
> > first time in 15 years.
>
> I think for many of the posters on the list "worth" is irrelevant in terms
> of SELLING computers, but many of us find it worth something to acquire
> them. If the promise of wealth, or even just something for what they
> consider to be "junk" gets those machines out into the open at least if
> gives you the _choice_ of deciding what it would be worth to you to get one
> of these computers.
There are many ways to get computers out of hiding. Going door to door is
one way, but I wouldn't recommend it. I've suggested in the past posting
an ad in your local paper. Someone took me up on this suggestion and
posted a follow up message describing their success. I offer that this is
the best way to find old computers, and makes where you live irrelevant,
which is why I have no pity for people who whine that we folks in the
Silicon Valley have it better than most.
The computers are out there. You just have to be smarter than the
computer. Pretend you are a vintage computer, and think to yourself,
"Where would I be hiding?" The answer to that is garages, basements,
closets, attics, storage sheds, etc. "How would I find me?" Ask around.
Send a flyer to businesses in your area offering scrap value for their old
computers. One in ten reponses you get will NOT be a PC, and will make
the effort worthwhile.
So eBay is NOT the best way to find these old computers and get them out
into the open. The trick is to find them BEFORE they hit eBay, so you
have a good chance at getting it for yourself, and for cheap (sometimes
free).
> story shows, the seller can choose not to sell to rude people. Further you
> can always post a message saying in effect "I'm not rude, I'm not turning
> these things around for a quick buck, I'm a serious collector who will care
> for your machines." You'd be suprised that a lot of folks will be
> responsive to this.
In fact, a lot of people will simply GIVE you computers if they know its
going to a good home. Some guy just went through a tremendous amount of
effort to dig out an NEC PC-8000 (a Z-80 based machine from Japan from the
early 80s), clean it up, test it, gather software for it, package it up
and ship it out to me because he knew it would have a new life in the VCF
exhibition.
A lot of people are holding on to their old computers because they feel
they have some importance. They are simply unaware that there is an
interest out there in preserving them, and hold onto them figuring if they
won't, nobody will. It is those people you have to search out. Once you
do, and once you convince them you will hang onto their babies and take
care of them for future generations, they will generally give you their
computers, or in the very least sell them for cheap.
> So this bad thing you rant about has the effect of making computers you
> would never have heard about available to you. That is what a market is all
> about, bringing goods and consumers together.
I think the one point that Doug made that rings out the loudest is that
its no longer fun. Its much more exciting to come across a computer
you've never seen or heard of before in some dusty old surplus store and
have a chance at buying it, as opposed to seeing it listed on eBay and
knowing there's a 1% chance you'll end up with it.
It's a double-edged sword ("double-sided diskette" seems a more
appropriate cliche :). Either you'll never know it existed and thus will
be content, or you'll know it exists but someone with far greater
discretionary income got it instead of you.
Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar_at_siconic.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ever onward.
Coming in 1999: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0
See
http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details!
[Last web site update: 09/21/98]
Received on Tue Oct 27 1998 - 01:09:23 GMT