25 Nov
1999
25 Nov
'99
5:06 p.m.
John,
Would it be correct to say that you define "collectible computer" as a
computer with "high resale value" ? If so then I think I understand the
problem here.
There are many people on this list who willingly buy machines that have
zero resale value just because they want to run them and use them. The
list's definition of collectible might be "Any computer that any person
might want to posses." and by that definition damn near everything is
"collectible."
You mention that you used to "scrap 8/Es and 8/Ms, but now you will keep
them." I presume you will "keep them" because some people on Ebay have paid
over $1000 each for them. Think about what it means that people on this
list have been collecting PDP-8s even when they were still being built.
That should tell you something.
You're plan to mention things you are thinking about scrapping on the list
first is a good one. Since they are "worthless" to you, and since you are
"scrapping" them, you should not have any objection to selling them to
someone on the list who will pay to have it transported for the same price
that the scrapper would give you, right? Logically this should be true,
since you profess that you don't care about these systems, and yet somehow
given your other postings I think that if someone actually expressed an
interest in something you were scrapping you might want to get much more
for it. I can't know so you will have to tell us what the "scrap value" of
the machine is.
You've also mentioned that MicroVaxes are "worthless" but I can tell you
that for the people running NetBSD and VMS on them they are a lot of fun.
The BA23/BA123's are more interesting to me personally but the later ones
are interesting to others.
From a sociology point of view, people on this list will regret it when
you say "I've got a VAX 8000 coming that I've got no room for, so unless
someone wants to come pick it up by X/X/XX I'll send it to the scrap yard."
People on the list will actually get angry when you say, "I just picked up
a load of stuff but quickly jettisoned a couple of VAX 8000s to the
scrappers, whoee what pigs." Everyone knows that all machines can't be
saved, but many of us would go to extraordinary lengths to save machines we
really wanted. For example I would fly to Canada and drive out a PDP-11/55
if I could find one. But I wouldn't leave the San Francisco bay area to
save an IBM 1401. I know another person who is completely the opposite, he
would jump immediately to save an old IBM box and leave the DEC machine to
the vultures.
So if you want to be popular (and I concede that there is no profit per se
in being so), give the list a heads up on the "40 - 50 minis" you go
through every year. It may be that only an additional 10 or 20 a year get
saved but that would be something.
--Chuck