collectors vs. enthusiasts - I GOT ONE!!!!!

From: daniel <daniel_at_internet.look.ca>
Date: Wed Oct 13 22:16:23 1999

-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Smith <eric_at_brouhaha.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Wednesday, October 13, 1999 9:52 PM
Subject: Re: collectors vs. enthusiasts


>I wrote:
>> <rant>
>> That's because eBay is where "collectors" hang out. Not people like
>> us, for whom collector is an insufficient/inaccurate term.
>
>"George Currie" <g_at_kurico.com>
>> Whereas I agree that there is a differentiation between the
>> "collector" and the "enthusiast", I must take umbrage to the ,again,
>> generalization of the person who pays "too much" on ebay
>> automatically being "collector assholes, just because he had deep
>> pockets".
>
>I don't believe I said anything of the sort. I said that "collectors"
>hang out on eBay, but I never said that enthusiasts don't.
>
>> Are you implying that one must be of modest means to be an
>> "enthusiast".
>
>No, I didn't. I've seen enthusiasts pay enormous amounts of money
>for certain items. I've done it myself. What I object to is having
>to do it because some non-enthusiast asshole has more dollars than
>sense. More about this later.



My friend... That is what auctions are all about.. and it's not limited to
computers.

When I was 17 I was at the Interhauler Yauht backruptsy auction. They had an
IBM mainframe and a mini. As the mini was old I was hoping to pick it up for
$100 (I was a student). I placed a bid of $50. when all of a sudden the
owner from "Kitchens Construction" thinks the machine can be used and placed
a bid of $500! I did not have $500 on me.... he was arrogant about the win
of his auction... smiled at me and left the room. Little did he know the
next auction was for the DISKPACKS for *his* computer. I bought them for
$60. I went out to him RIGHT after he won the auction and asked him if he
won the bid on the computer. He smurked at me and said "Of Course". I told
him (and I can remember my exact words): "Good, I just bought all the
software for YOUR computer so I guess you WON'T be using it".

His face dropped! He looked down and walked over to the auctioneer to
complain. When he couldn't get his way he came over to me and asked me what
I was going to do with them. I told him I had a PDP 11 and was going to
FORMAT the platters and use them on my system. I knew who he was, I let him
stu all night and called him the next day. He bought the diskpacks without
the case for $750!




>
>> If you saw a rare whatnot that you had always loved
>> and wanted to tinker with, and had the financial means to acquire
>> it, would you let it go to the scrap because you thought the asking
>> price was too high?
>
>No. But I still might complain about the price.
>
>> Would you let it go to a "collector asshole"
>> because you thought the asking price was too high?
>
>Yes, if the "asking price" was "too high". "Too high" is a
>subjective measure. I never buy ANYTHING that I think is priced
>"too high". Of course, tommorow's value of "too high" may be
>different from today's.
>
>> Now of course, there are people who would purchase something
>> simply for the "coolness" of having it.
>
>Those are the people that buy perfectly good, working core memory
>planes, and destroy them to make wall hangings. Those are the
>people for whom I believe there should be a special place reserved
>in hell. I don't think I'm alone in that opinion.
>
>> I fully understand the frustration, but venting it by making
>> generalizations of those who happen to be better financially
>> equipped than you, or are just willing to pay more for something
>> than you, is just immature.
>
>If complaining about life's injustices is immature, then I'm
>immature. But then, so's most everyone else I know.
>
>In fact, aren't you complaining about me based on some generalization
>you've made regarding me? Sounds immature to me. :-)
>
>> Call the guy who purchased an Altair for $2K an
>> asshole/loser collector/not worthy,
>
>Depends on why he purchased it. Maybe he is, maybe not. But I've
>had personal experiences with people who I *KNOW* were just
>"collectors" and had no interest in machines other than because
>they are "collectable". I.e., they had no experience with the
>particular machine, and no real interest in learning about it.
>If you don't think those people are assholes, fine. I do.
>
>Others suggested distinguishing between people who view collecting
>as an "investment", vs. people who collect for completeness. I
>don't see that as being nearly as useful a distinction, because
>there are two kinds of people who collect for completeness. Using
>the Atari 8-bit example:
>
>1) People who want every last Atari model and peripheral because
> they actually like and care about Ataris. That still maps to
> my "enthusiast" category.
>
>2) People who want every last Atari model and peripheral because they
> happen to think they are collectable, even though they have no real
> personal interest in Atari stuff. And they don't really care
> whether the machine is in working order, or about keeping it that
> way if it is. They may or may not think it is an investment. Yes,
> I've met people like that. And that's who I was referring to as a
> "collector". Yes, I consider those people to be assholes. That's
> my opinion, and I'm not trying to force it on anyone else.
>
>Obviously I should be more precise in my terminology: I divide people
>buying old computers into "enthusiasts" (who might be collectors) and
>"non-enthusiast collectors" (who may or may not be "investors"). The
>fact that some collectors are also enthusiasts does not make me like the
>"non-enthusiast collectors".
>
>Eric
>
Received on Wed Oct 13 1999 - 22:16:23 BST