NOS equipment worth less than used? (was: fair price...)

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Thu Mar 6 13:50:01 2003

> Quothe chris, from writings of Wed, Mar 05, 2003 at 03:38:43PM -0500:
> > If it is really new in box, then yeah, I could agree with that price. But
>
> If it's "new" in this sense, then it's old and never used, which, to
> my way of thinking, means that it should be worth less. Having never
> been used, some capacitors may have gone bad and the equipment hasn't

Why all this fuss about capacitors? In all my time fixing classic
computers I've replaced maybe 50 capacitors _total_ (and many more
chips). I've never seen a custom capacitor, and I've never seen major
damage caused by one. Replacing capacitors is _not_ a problem.

> demonstrated that it's survived a burn-in period; the chances of
> failure are higher. Hence, should not a NOS (new old stock) system

On the other hand, provided it's powered up carefully (I am not going to
re-start that flamefest), it's likely that the machine would be easy to
repair. Unlike a machine where, say, the PSU regulator has failed when
the machine is in use, taking out all the chips.

> be worth less than a system that's been used, but not used enough to
> have mechanical and electro-mechanical, components worn, or wearing,
> out.
>
> Any thoughts on this?

I wouldn't pay extra for NIB (after all, the first thing I would do to
the machine is unbox it...) but I wouldn't pay less either. It doesn't
bother me one way or the other.

-tony
Received on Thu Mar 06 2003 - 13:50:01 GMT