Ebay Altair

From: Jim Battle <frustum_at_pacbell.net>
Date: Tue May 9 23:12:44 2000

At 06:04 PM 5/9/00 -0700, Sellam wrote:
>...
>As I have always maintained in the past, eBay has done nothing but
>artifically inflate the prices for old computers to the detriment of this
>hobby (and others as well).
>
>Sellam

I think it can be argued differently, especially the "nothing but" part.

Think of how many people are now digging out old computers, or
getting them back into circulation instead of just scrapping them. The
prices might be up, but so is the supply. And, in time, some of the
people who bought some computer in a fit of nostalgia for too much
on ebay will get tired of their machine and probably put it back into
the market, especially if the paid real $$ for it.

It is somewhat contradictory to have the position of wanting to preserve
old computers but at the same time wanting to return to the old days,
days when old machines were cheap but where most were trashed.
What better way to guarantee something will be preserved than to put
a value on it?

So, what do you want? To preserve these wonder old machines,
or just have a lot of free/cheap playthings?

And sorry, not just to pick on you Sellam, it is a question I have
thought about a lot myself. Whenever I get the itch to pick up
something on ebay or a swap meet, I try to really think if it is
something I can actually spend time with, or is it just another
butterfly in the butterfly collection.

I like ebay.

-----
Jim Battle == frustum_at_pacbell.net
Received on Tue May 09 2000 - 23:12:44 BST