Is it time for an International Vintage Computer Association? Was: Yo

From: William Donzelli <aw288_at_osfn.org>
Date: Tue Jun 27 15:01:26 2000

> Now, alas, there's no way I could afford a valve radio at the prices they
> sell for over here. A common battery portable, useless to most people
> because the batteries are impossible to obtain, sells for \pounds 50.00.
> Anything Bakelite is going to sell for over \pounds 100.00.

Computers or radio - why all this thinking that they are all expensive?
Certainly there are scores of free computers (good ones, too) available
all of the time.

Do what I do - TRADE. You need to build up some trading stock, but that
is not hard nor is it expensive. Then start the swaps. You might also
start selling stuff at hamfest (rallies) - it always suprises me what
little bit of junk I manage to sell, most of which I have no money in.
Now this won't make so much money that you can retire (well, maybe if
your really good), but a good day at a hamfest might make that radio or
computer you have been eyeing look VERY affordable.

For example, I have a lot of junk. And I mean a lot of junk. It basically
consists of parts pulled out of whatever freebies I get that are not worth
keeping, minus the parts I keep for my own projects. The junk gets thrown
into big grey bins and hauled to the hamfest. The pricing is simple - the
_buyer_ names the price and I take it. Most people are very fair, and on a
good day, I can make a nice lump of cash on just the junk out of the
bins. With that money, a $100 radio or computer part is not an impossible
dream. In fact it can be quite painless.
 
> I've actually heard it said that the person who pays more for an item is
> the person who most wants it, and who will best look after it. To which
> there is only one sane answer : Rubbish.
 
I have seen a lot of collections around the country, many of quite notable
"deep pocket" collectors, and I can conclude that these "big guns" do
treat their collections better than the norm. Just an observation.

And before someone puts words in my mouth - this does _not_ mean that
that the all (or even most) "normal" collectors treat their things poorly.

William Donzelli
aw288_at_osfn.org
Received on Tue Jun 27 2000 - 15:01:26 BST