Collecting PCs

From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis_at_mcmanis.com>
Date: Tue May 18 01:13:10 1999

Hmm, I didn't make a very clear point. Consider the following:

Lots of people on this list moan about the "Good old days" when PDP-8's
could be had by swinging by a university and offering to take it off their
hands, or an IMSAI or Altair because it was "worthless junk." These same
people complain that now "collectors" have moved in and are charging and
getting "outragious" prices on ebay, etc etc. Here's my point, are you
ready? _Today_ is the "good old days" for PC collecting, and if it is like
any other system, be it Apple Lisas or PDP-6's, in 10 or 15 years the
newbies on the list will be asking where they can find an original Hercules
monochrome display adapter for the PC they are restoring. So let's not 'dis
the PC collector when it isn't our particular cup of tea, let's help out as
those before us helped out (at least two former DEC folks gladly gave me
docs that they now thought were worthless because they no longer cared
about them. Similarly I give away PC stuff to anyone who can cart it away
if they want to collect it.) [I've got a 5150 here somewhere if someone in
the SF Bay Area wants it, or is willing to pay to pack it up and send it
somewhere.]

--Chuck
Received on Tue May 18 1999 - 01:13:10 BST