Ebay notices, was re: PDP-8 on e-bay

From: Doug <doug_at_blinkenlights.com>
Date: Wed Jan 20 14:34:20 1999

On Wed, 20 Jan 1999, Marvin wrote:

> I understand there is more than a little competition for that stuff at some
> of the bay area swap meets and perhaps that is where your philosophy comes
> from. I've missed some spectacular bargains at similar swap meets, but I
> also know the stuff went to good homes. When I first started collecting, I
> might have had the same philosophy, but time has taught me that the real
> bargains come through my contacts, not ebay. Most people who know me
> realize I am not in this thing for money but rather attempting to keep as
> much as I can from hitting that great dumpster in the sky. A side benefit
> is helping other collectors.

That's what makes your actions even more ludicrous to those of us who do
buy stuff on ebay -- the guy at the swap meet with the bull horn is not
there to buy or sell, he just came to advertise using his bull horn!

Ebay advertises their service nationally, and they have a $10 billion
market cap to draw from. I don't think they need your help. If your only
concern is that every orphaned computer find a home, then I think the only
right thing for you to do is to make sure that every one of the contacts
from whom you get your old computers has the name and phone number of
everybody on this list just in case you're out of town when they call.

You expressed concern when you found that somebody was willing to pay a
higher price than a closing bid. Did you have that same concern when you
paid a few dollars for an Altair or an IBM 5100?

-- Doug
Received on Wed Jan 20 1999 - 14:34:20 GMT