Ebay Altair

From: johnb <dylanb_at_sympatico.ca>
Date: Wed May 10 09:28:25 2000

<snip>
> On Wed, May 10, 2000 at 01:46:43AM -0400, William Donzelli wrote:
> > 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.
>
> And there were originally plenty more where that one came from, but the
> guy who owned them at the time (he had at least a dozen, plus piles of
tape
> drives and over thirty RP06es) was unable to find takers for his machines,
> even for free. Not even the low-serial-number model A that he had (I wish
> I'd had space for it, as it was I just got the TC11/TU56 off the FE). So
he
> ended up driving a liftgate truck slowly across a scrap yard, pushing KL10
> racks out the back every few feet, it was heartbreaking.
>
> I'm sure John B will be quick to differentiate between a 100% restored
KL10,

No, we have already discussed the value of minicomputers from both
perspectives. I guess it depends on where you come from and how you collect.
I can understand the resistance in this group as higher costs *do* make
computers much more difficult to collect. I am far more interested in a KA10
or KI10 (where I have a bid currently). The KA10 is really nice as it runs
off 220V. I believe this question has been answered here before but - does
anyone here actually have a Real KA,KI, or KL running and booting?

>
> Anyway I think it's funny how opposite the viewpoints are here. On the
> one hand there are people who appear to believe that the value of a
machine
> is approximately equal to the maximum that any sucker has *ever* paid for
a
> similar machine. Meanwhile, the rest of us say "hey I got five of those
> for free, working and with docs/software, therefore yours is worthless
too".
> Neither one is quite accurate...
>

The buyers ("demand") will always dictate value. If no one wanted old
computers they would be worthless (in a $$$ sense).

Regards,

John.

P.S. I am moving today so if anyone needs to get a hold of me please wait
until Monday - my DSL will be down.
Received on Wed May 10 2000 - 09:28:25 BST