On Fri, 16 Jun 2000, Charles P. Hobbs (SoCalTip) wrote:
> Not to mention, only so many people who would know what to *do* with
> an old Commodore, VAX, TI 99, etc. As far as the rest of the world is
> concerned, it's "trash"....
Not to mention that most people never knew anything at all about
computers until they bought a PeeCee running Luzewin a couple of years
ago and are the same ones that not too long ago gave you a strange
look if you said the word "Internet;" they just have no concept of what
using any other computer is like.
> Well, not nearly as much as they used to, but one can always hold out
> hope. Know of any new people entering this hobby? Not just squirrelling
> away stuff, or churning it on the auction sites, but actually buying old
> computers, plugging them in, and actually working/playing with them?
It seems so strange to think of people doing anything else with older
computer equipment (or even old radios or stereos, for that matter)
that they find, buy, are given, etc. other than finding some use for
it, playing with it, etc. When I talk of my "collection," I don't
mean a collection of things squirreled away never to be used, or
things that I'm accumulating for the purpose future gains, but a group
if items that I find useful and fun to play with. Alas, many people this
equipment to horde, collect to sell at a quick profit, etc.
Today, I was down in Beltsville at an antique radio flea market - not
sure of the event's proper name; it was like a hamfest, but only
vintage radio equipment. People were selling 1970's transistor radios
for US$30, old wooden tube sets that were scratched up, rusty, had
what looked like mouse eaten wiring, had capacitors leaking white
chemicals, etc. - one set like this was being sold for about US$50!
A Dynaco stereo-70 amp and tuner were going for nearly US$400.
One thing the above made me wonder: how many of these old tube sets
will end up forever unused and unrestored, and treated - like some
other antiques - as being less valuable if restored (like cleaned-up
coins and some wood furniture), just because restoring them might
lower their financial value as antiques?
--
R. D. Davis
rdd_at_perqlogic.com
http://www.perqlogic.com/rdd
410-744-4900
Received on Fri Jun 16 2000 - 14:04:31 BST