29 Oct
2001
29 Oct
'01
3:26 p.m.
Tony Duell wrote:
If there is a price guide that says 'Commodore 64s are worth $200 each',
and people actually manage to sell them at that price, then there won't
be any available at prices that most of us can afford.
But Commodore 64s AREN'T worth $200 and no one is going to get that price
buy or sell for anything that would establish a market. Your "what if" scenario
ignores actual market information.
Great, that is what makes collecting computers fun.
Well good for you. Make sure you get that in writing and make sure it sticks.
Yes, that is something I _must_ get round to doing, and soon. Before I
connected myself accidentally across an HV PSU, for example....
Good luck,
Eric
If the prices are low, then everybody (however little
spare money they
have) has a chance to get some interesting machine, if they happen to be
in the thrift store (or wherever) when it comes in. If the prices are
high, then it becomes a rich man's hobby only. I, for one, would not be
happy if that happened.
But its not a rich man's hobby as there is plenty to go around. In the context of Apple I computers it IS a rich
man's (or woman's) hobby.
Yes, but at the moment it's still possible to find things a lot rarer and
a lot more technically interesting than Apple 1s. Even if you don't have
much money.
[...]
Why would you want anything to go up in value? Answer me that and I'll
answer your question.
Oh come on. If I bought something as an investment only (say I bought
shares in some company), then I would obviously want the value to
increase. The only 'use' for that item is to get me more money in the
future. That's why I bought it.
Fine, a computer can be both and interesting item to collect and an investment.
Is that so bad? Don't you want your collection to
go up in value?
WHy would I?
But I don't treat classic computers as an investment. Their use is not to
make me money in the future. Their use is to be programmed, modified,
repaired, hacked, and so on. So the financial value doesn't matter.
That is your take, don't expect the same treatment from everyone else just
because that is what you want.
One day your collectionwill be sold off, as you
can't take it with you. Don't
you want to get the most from your collection/investment?
Mine won't be. Another collector in the UK gets the lot if I die. And he
also wants the machines for their computing interest, not to make money from.
Notarized and the like. Maybe donation to a
museum so all can enjoy is really
the best approach?
Due to the total cluelessness of every computer museum I have ever come
across in the UK, I specifically state that no part of my collection is to
go to any museum. I'd rather my machines went to an enthusiast who will
at least look after them and use them. Rather than lose them.
-tony