Collecting computers - the book and the web site.

From: Unusual systems <kstumpf_at_unusual.on.ca>
Date: Mon Feb 1 11:32:17 1999

Greetings. There was a two month gap in my participation on the List until
recently. Somehow, and no one has yet explained it, my subscription was
removed (this happened again two weeks ago). Unfortunately, I missed a brief
discussion of the book I wrote - it was reviewed in Dr. Dobb's Journal. Had
I known, I would have contributed. To make matters even worse, the
Classiccmp archive maintained by Kevan Heydon (many thanks man), also
suffered from a technical glitch and needed to be restored. Now I've finally
read the thread and please accept two observations and two invitations.

Observation #1 - the books' identity crisis
The book is a guide about the hobby of collecting computers and not a
traditional collector's price guide. In a perfect world one would first read
the guide to collecting and then want to read a collector's guide - the
first guide stokes and refines the interest while the second guide assists
in ensuring a collection is complete and in determining how much to buy and
sell for.

Observation #2 - the book's other identity crisis
The book is for both seasoned collectors and beginners. It is not JUST a
book for anyone who thinks collecting computers could be neat. Sure the
guide will, by design help the novice, but it's equal strength is in helping
the existing collector by affirming our practices and techniques and, by all
means, sharing some of the practice and techniques the veteran collector
might not know about. We should all be open to accepting our knowledge-gaps.
In fact, a computer collector might not consider their collection complete
without a copy of the first-ever book about collecting computers.

Invitation #1 - answering questions about profilees
I've been asked why some collectors were omitted and even why some were
included. I expected such questions. As an author with a deadline and goal
in mind I invited collectors who exemplified the experienced collector, the
new collector, the big collector, the small collector, the international
collector, etc trying to show how collecting is the same all over the world
- same passions and problems. These collectors would/could also be
role-models. The book might have included more profiles if the collectors
had responded on a timely basis and with answers to the questions I asked.
One collector didn't remember the dates and circumstances surrounding his
most important acquisitions so I rejected the story because it was
incomplete (even after several attempts to help improve its accuracy).
Please send your questions about the book to me directly.

Invitation #2 - my first attempt at building a web site
Please take a moment to visit my site. See the orphan 360/22 mainframe
(orphan because it was announced the same year the 370 series was!) and a
few other systems that aren't that popular.

Thank you. Happy collecting.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Kevin Stumpf * Unusual systems * www.unusual.on.ca
+1.519.744.2900 * EST/EDT GMT - 5

Collector - Commercial Mainframes & Minicomputers from
 the 50s, 60s, & 70s and control panels and consoles.

Author & Publisher - A Guide to Collecting Computers &
Computer Collectibles * ISBN 0-9684244-0-6
.
Received on Mon Feb 01 1999 - 11:32:17 GMT