collectors vs. enthusiasts

<rant> That's because eBay is where "collectors" hang out. Not people like us, for whom collector is an insufficient/inaccurate term. It's like the difference between coin or stamp collectors and classic car enthusiasts. A coin or stamp collector gets the coin or stamp he's been drooling over, puts it in a book or in a display on his wall, checks it off a list, and he's done. Since coins and stamps don't "do" anything, that's fine. But a classic car enthusiast maintains classic cars in working order (or at least attempts to do so), and drives them now and then. They're not just a checklist item. A seemingly large percentage of the computer "collectors" on eBay are just people who see collecting computers exactly like collecting coins. They don't give a shit whether the thing works, as long as it looks cool and will impress their friends. Hell, if they got a PDP-8 that did work, they wouldn't know what to do with it aside from destroying the core planes to make wall hangings. That's why I personally will try never to sell any truly rare items on eBay. I'd rather make sure that they go to a good home, rather than be obligated to sell to one of these collector" assholes, just because he had deep pockets. </rant> Eric