On Mon, 18 Nov 2002, Erik S. Klein wrote:
> Even scarier:
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2072033128
>
> This is an Altair 8800 with 6 days left that has already reached $4,000.
>
> One reason, I'm sure, is the addendum to the auction which reads:
>
> "In response to several inquiries, the microprocessor on the first CPU
> card is indeed a C8080 with no suffix (please see photo below). For
> those of you who are not familiar with it, the C8080 was the earliest
> version of this microprocessor and is the most sought after and valuable
> of all the early Intel microprocessors. A C8080 chip alone can sell for
> $700-$1000 depending on condition"
>
> "However, it has been brought to my attention that the chip shown below
> is an early production version of the 8080, made in 1973 at an Intel
> subcontractor's assembly plant in Tijuana, Mexico. It is a very rare
> chip, which might be worth 1.5x the value of a more typical C8080."
>
> "I would like to thank Steve of The Antique Chip Collector's Page
> (http://www.antiquetech.com) for his help in researching the background
> of this chip."
>
> I was considering bidding on this until the price reached the
> stratosphere. I'd be willing to bet that the buyer can find a chip
> collector to take that C8080 off his hands for at least $1,500. On the
> other side of lunacy I'd be willing to pay the winner something
> substantially less then that for the Computer Notes that are part of the
> auction.
This is one of the reasons why I despise most "chip collectors".
-Toth
Received on Mon Nov 18 2002 - 12:27:00 GMT