collectors vs. enthusiasts

From: George Currie <g_at_kurico.com>
Date: Thu Oct 14 11:12:32 1999

> >
> > > > It's crazy. I can't believe what they are paying on EBay for
> > > > less than *incomplete* systems. I could see $1400 with drives,
> > > > running, tested, manuals, etc... but a shell??????
> > >
> > > <rant>
> > > That's because eBay is where "collectors" hang out. Not people
> > > like us, for whom collector is an insufficient/inaccurate term.
> >
> > 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".
>
>
> My main objection to e-bay (and to most other forms of selling,
> actually), is that I don't know who the item is going to be sold to.
>
> Remember that I am an enthusiast and not a collector, so I _very
> rarely_ sell machines, or even complete peripherals. In general, if
> I've obtained something it's because _I_ want to learn about it,
> repair it, etc.
[SNIP]

The fact that you don't know who it's going to is part of my point.
It's the automatic assumption that if someone paid more than what
you (not you specificially, just the generic "you") view as "too
much", then they must be doing it for nefarious reasons.
 
[SNIP]

> > 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? Would you let it go to a "collector asshole"
>
> Don't be silly. If I have the money for something, and I consider the
> price to be reasonable, and I want it, then I buy it.

My point was that the asking price was more than what you
thought was reasonable (i.e. would you sacrafice your moral ideal
as to what the item is worth to "save" it?)
 
> > than you, is just immature. I get just as bummed as anyone else
> > when something that I've been wanting goes for more than what I'm
> > willing to pay ($100 for an HP Integral, nope, don't think so, but
>
> You know, if I saw an Integral for that sort of money in the UK, I'd
> try to find a way to afford it...

What, you'd be willing to spend over $100 for an Integral, you must
obviously be some collector scum. Your ruining my enthusiasts
pursuits by artificially driving up prices of Integrals ;)

George
Received on Thu Oct 14 1999 - 11:12:32 BST