Ebay Altair

From: William Donzelli <aw288_at_osfn.org>
Date: Wed May 10 00:46:43 2000

> I generally find eBay sells items for *less* money than the real world when
> it comes to classic computers. A *lot* of deep pocket collectors won't use
> the service to purchase old computers from. I have been told by many that
> they would rather do private offers or sales as eBay would *really* blow the
> prices out of perspective [take Nathan Myhrvold bids for example] . I
> personally will have a running KL10 available for offers but would not want
> to sell such a mini as a "featured catagory item" on eBay - some items just
> don't sit well on eBay.

When you go to sell the KL10 and set it as the benchmark value, please
divide your value in two, as RCS/RI received a KL10 for free.

Additionally, if you set a benchmark value for KS10s, please divide your
value by six or so, as a number of us (RCS/RI, RICM, Carl,
myself and others) have received machines for free. Street price kind of
blows the mean, doesn't it?

Another thing, stop advertising vaporware. I do not think you know what
you are in for in a KL10. I know of that specific machine, but I doubt you
will be able to boot it. Some of use are still waiting for that IBM S/360,
anyway. And the PDP-1. And the KA10.

Finally, it is very bad form to comment about a bidder's habits with a
real name in a public forum. The whole idea behind eBay names is to shield
the bidders. This idea applies to most non-government auctions in general.

John B, you may be OK to talk to and certainly you know your way around a
machine, but you need to take some night courses in ethics, economics,
and statistics.

William Donzelli
aw288_at_osfn.org
Received on Wed May 10 2000 - 00:46:43 BST