5 Dec
1999
5 Dec
'99
12:42 p.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: Clint Wolff (VAX collector) <vaxman(a)uswest.net>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Sunday, December 05, 1999 10:38 PM
Subject: Scrap value of machines (was Re: ebay feedback)
The problem is: *some* minis/mainframes his company is willing to pay more
for than it is worth in it's unrestored condition. Ie: What can I resell a
Fujitsu super computer for, restored??? Unfortunately, it looks like it's
worth more in gold. I can justify paying higher dollars for 1950/60s minis
but I won't pay $8000 for something that is 7 years old.
Please remember this is "profit talking"... Maybe there might be someone who
*really* wants a Fujitsu... but are they willing to compete with a scrapper
at $8K? I am lucky in that I still have a lot of paper mills/factories he is
not into yet so I can grab huge racks of minis for a couple thousand.
Gotta hand it to the *sneaky* guy.. He even offered to go to the sites I
purchase from to pick up and deliver what I want and pick up what I don't...
and I am sure to add his name to the bidders list :-(
john
http://www.pdp8.com/
On Sun, 5 Dec 1999, John B wrote:
>
> David Winter (the guy in France) has bid on some of my items and always
paid
> quickly. He seems to collect boards but does not
buy entire systems.
>
> >I don't think any IBM 1130 is worth more than a couple of hundred in
scrap
> by
> >the way. I suspect less than that.
> >
>
> Then I guess the scrappers will be outbidding you..... The larger 1960
mini
> computers had a lot more gold in them than the
'70s models as the gold
was
> plated thicker in the '60s. The 1130 (from
what I can remember) has more
> than $100US in aluminum in it (just cpu + printer). I don't know what the
> gold content is.. (I'll find out.. I know a company that does).. BTW I
just
> lost an IBM 360 to a gold scrapper [bid more than
me]. Some of the metal
> scrappers I know never bothered to look at gold content.. what's scaring
the
> hell out of me are these guys that know to the
penny what they can
extract
out of it and
generally bid a lot higher than most.
Where can you find out what the gold/aluminum/steel value of a
computer at? The obvious solution is to know what a scrapper is
willing to pay, and add $10 to your bid. A scrapper will never
spend more to buy something than it is worth, a collector will.
Clint