Valuing classic computers, was re: eBay sniping

From: Dan Wright <dtwright_at_uiuc.edu>
Date: Mon Apr 28 11:03:01 2003

Vintage Computer Festival said:
>
> > All these factors play a role and that is why I think eBay prices DO
> > reflect market value. eBay provides an almost perfect global marketplace
> > and in such an environment prices will fluctuate around a "market value".
>
> And again, I disagree, precisely because of the way that eBay auctions
> work, and the factors that can influence a final selling price.

No matter what anyone says, it remains a fact that eBay DOES determine a fair
market value of an item -- the value of that item on the eBay market :) eBay
prices really have no relevance outside that scope, since any (most?) other
markets you'd be selling classiccmp items in (hamfest, local shop, etc) are
inherently local and/or specialized can't really be judged by the same
standards as eBay. There can be more then one fair market value for
something, dependant on the market in question.

This is why it's SO annoying to hear someone try to bargain at a hamfest by
saying "but I could get 10 times that on ebay!"

- Dan Wright
(dtwright_at_uiuc.edu)
(http://www.uiuc.edu/~dtwright)

-] ------------------------------ [-] -------------------------------- [-
``Weave a circle round him thrice, / And close your eyes with holy dread,
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       Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Kubla Khan
Received on Mon Apr 28 2003 - 11:03:01 BST

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