Bay Area: IBM 4341 and HP3000

[Johannes Thelen]

I agree.
I think these all Storage Hunters, Storage Wars and other Shit Collectors "reality" TV series, is what to blame here: 
"What is is?" "Looks like old door but it is just probably pile of shit!" "Man, you get AT LEAST 5000$ of it!"
Oh, I can't wait episode when they find full IBM 360...
If I'm serious, eBay prices are totally out of this planet. Like that PDP-8, which looks like seen nuclear war (probably twice), driven over Caterpillar D9 and covered manure, price tag: 4800$. Whoooaa!
Some weeks ago there was little bit beaten up System/3 on auction, start price was something like 10 000 or more. I offered couple thousand of it, which I think should be quite fair price (at my point of view fair price, I have to pay another thousand of freight, toll and taxes), but seller refused my offer. Even I really like to own one, I'm not needing that bad I spend it more than my car. I think any realistic chance to get some really good stuff is another hobbyist or just pure luck to get donated some old good stuff.
But another thing is collectors. Would be reasonable if we have just some machines, those what we really, really want, not hundreds and hundreds just for standing still and collecting dust? What is value for machine which nobody can come to see, nobody use and like Al said, machine which will be dumped to scrapyard by our childrens after our journey ends? 
Of cource it more than nice for all if somebody collect stuff and understand its (historical or emotional) value to others. I try to do that. If I see some computer which I'm not personally interested, but I can understand somebody other would love to get it, I'll take with me. I'm not that greed that I should take profit of it, just my own costs.
I tried keep my collection in reasonable state, I sold and donate all my 80s (home) computers away around year ago. It is totally insane to stock items which not mean to you that much. I have never used some Spectum, so why have to own something like that? What for? When I gave those Commodores and MSXs I made over ten people happy, when they get their childhood computers (...or they just put computers to dark warehouse, waiting for scrapyard...) I think shared fun is better fun.
What I want (for my whole lifetime) is just couple minicomputers and mainframes (first is coming!), so I can use all my efforts to bring those back to life, study them and show those to people fairs and etc.  I have over 50 good years ahead, but still I have no time to study all computers on the world.
I introduce myself later better, but quick version: I'm from Finland and I work automation business. Interested 60s and 70s minis and mains and all things what is related same eras automation and process control. And I'm not big fan of Storage Wars...
Johannes ThelenFINLAND



> From: cctalk at fahimi.net
> To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
> Subject: RE: Bay Area: IBM 4341 and HP3000
> Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 10:39:07 -0800
> 
> > The problem is that most collectors pay diddlier squat.
> > 
> 
> I don't know if that is true. The question is if the seller has something collectable for sale. If you have a beat up, rusted, gutted item buried under junk then it really has no collectable value. It is junk and yes the junk dealer will pay more for it. However, if you have a nicely cared for system that is just being disconnected from service (properly disconnected not just cutting wires because it is easier) in working condition a collector will definitely pay more than the junk dealers. This is true across all collectable items - comics, baseball cards, cars, whatever. No one will pay top dollar for a bunch of moldy, water damages, torn up comics - why should computers be any different?
> 
> Problem is that most sellers are selling junk but want collectable prices.
>