pdp8 tapes trays core memory ebay auction - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

7 Apr 2012

Adrian Stoness wrote: 
...
  i was bidding on it from the start quite strongly . .
.  I switched to JBidwatcher recently, as I have always preferred to 
bid against the clock, not other people. 
http://www.jbidwatcher.com/
It is a Java app and will run with Solaris or Linux.  Launch with:
java -Xmx512m -jar JBidwatcher-2.5.jar
Or if you ahve more mainstream hardware, it runs on Windows or OS X. 
It's free.  I have only used it for a couple of auctions so far, 
but have found it works well.  -For what it's worth. 
And on your free pdp8a, I think it is true that the free stuff is 
often the best.  Maybe just because of the hardware itself, or 
perhaps also because it was given with an unspoken contract that 
you are to take care of it. 
Scott 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Adrian Stoness" <tdk.knight at gmail.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2012 5:56 PM
Subject: Re: pdp8 tapes trays core memory ebay auction

...
 i put a 500$ bid in on that auction didn't expect
this and it proly
 shot up that high cause i was biding on it from the start quite
 stronglyv and my bid was based on what i have seen these individual
 items go for so i am kinda shocked

 as for freebees i score a free pdp8a my pride n joy of my collection
 and have been aquiring parts for it ever since like rk05's and
 controllors rl02's

 as for you talk about freebees mines not as nice as ur stuff but i did
 score a pdp8a with all its software manuals drawings asr33 x2
 On Sat, Apr 7, 2012 at 12:43 PM, Scott Mickey <scott.m.18 at atsgate.com>
wrote:
...
 > I need someone to educate me as to why this DEC
hardware is worth
> more than $1K:
> eBay auction -
> "DEC PDP-8 paper tape software, books and core memory card"
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320880958746
> At first I thought it was a gag, but then I looked at the number of
> bidders and the amounts.
> I know there are a lot of older fellows out there holding on to their
> PDP and VAX hardware because they are quite fond of it. However, at
> some point each comes to the conclusion that unless they want to be
> buried with their computers, the same as the egyptian pharaohs were
> buried with their gold, they need to find a new home for them.
> A fellow who was on oxygen and too weak to pick up his computers any
> longer kindly give me two fully loaded VAXServer 3400's for free.
> A few years later, from another retired gentleman, I received a
> VT103 (11/23), VT100, RX02 (dual 8" flop drives), a pair of
> CDC 9427H "Hawk" drives (which about KILLED me when I lifted each
> one by myself), dozens of floppies, and a dozen 14" rigid platter
> disk cartridges. I got all of this for free too. I did pay $100
> for a MicroVAX II, with all original tapes and manuals. It has been
> very educational learning all this old hardware and running the
> early UNIXes on real hardware (not an emulator). I found all these
> people and all of this stuff locally on craigslist. So when I see
> bits of DEC paper tape and core memory going for more than $1000,
> I am flabbergasted. Completely. Shouldn't this money be staying
> in your retirement account? (No offense intended). Why is this
> particular stuff so valuable?
> Thank you for your time today.
>
> Scott
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Adrian Stoness"
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Sent: Friday, April 06, 2012 6:19 PM
> Subject: pdp8 tapes trays core memory ebay auction
>
>> i put bid in and went to work at 6am and see this when i get back
>> 1100 bucks :O
...
 > >
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&r…
...
 >
true&item=320880958746&si=6c9FJZXW%252BgdjnHCVq%252FpYYQ4M3tI%253D&viewitem=
>> &sspagename=ADME%3AB%3AEOIBUAA%3ACA%3A3160&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc
>...
 > 