value of classic DEC machines?

From: Douglas Quebbeman <dhquebbeman_at_theestopinalgroup.com>
Date: Wed Oct 24 06:33:52 2001

Heinz Wolter wrote:
> Glen Goodwin wrote :
> > > I talked to Ken this afternoon.
> > > He needs 3-4K to cover the back rent on the storage
> > > and is looking for someone to take all this stuff and
> > > sell it on eBay for him. He thinks it's worth $100000
> >
> > Well, hey, if a CoCo is worth $2500 . . .
>
> We'll if there's a complete working PDP-10 (KL10), with
> disks, it might have a collector value of 20-30K$US,
> but you'd have to search carefully to find a rich buyer...

I know of three in private hands, and I think they were
each acquired at not cost.

> Now a PDP-1 would certainly be worth 100KUS$,
> as might a KA10 or KI10. If all that was needed to
> cover back-rent was 3-4KUS$, then a couple of PDP-8s
> or early PDP-11s should do the trick.

The PDP-1, working, complete, might well be worth US$10K,
but it's unlikely he's got one. Probably a boatload of
Vaxen & -11 stuff. Or maybe even Alpha.

> There are collectors out there like Mr. Allen paying
> big dollars for not so rare machines...I've even heard
> of unscrupulous "museum" collectors selling off machines
> that were donated to so called ~not-for-profit~ organizations.
> I don't think paying the rent is a bad idea, but selling off
> donated valuable items for huge personal profit is wrong,
> unless of course, you paid for or removed the machines,
> made no misrepresentations, and it's a legitimate business.

The Bostom Computer Museum was trying to support itself by
selling modules from systems that weren't complete.
 
> Still no matter what the source, it would bet better for these
> machines to find good homes (even in eccentric millionaire's
> collections) than to end up in the scrap heap or raped for their
> gold plating.

On this, we agree...
 
> I wonder what item Al K. is looking for that could be worth
> any good part of 100KUS$, or 3KUS$ ;)

I don't think anything that expensive is in Al's budget...

Though wouldn't we all love to have a sugardaddy like that!

-dq
Received on Wed Oct 24 2001 - 06:33:52 BST