I asked this on vcfed and I don't know how much overlap there is here so I apologize if this is hitting all the same people over again.? As some are aware I recently won an auction for 9 original Mark-8 boards (it has 4 1k RAM boards).? To say I was elated would be an understatement - I certainly have some unusual stuff in my collection but this is something truly rare. And these are rare both in their own right and for what they are - unused. Pretty much spotless. I feel kind of in a bind about it now though.? As an amateur historian, my first impulse is to stick em in a frame and hang em.? Not even lay a finger on them.? But I've a stubborn practical side.? Like that guy that has an original AC Shelby Cobra and actually drives the thing.? He was asked why he'd actually drive such a rare and valuable vehicle and he said 'What's the point of a car you don't drive?'.??? But then he can say that - that Shelby doesn't have zero miles on it. Realistically, I'm never likely to own a complete, vintage Mark-8.? There are simply too few of them and I couldn't afford one even if one popped up (I could afford the computer, just not the divorce afterwards :)).? So here I am with one path to having one that would be, by virtue of the boards, way more legit than a clone, but still have that 'built in 2016' asterisk beside its name for serious collectors. Anyway, I'm just soliciting opinions from those I haven't already heard from.? This is just for the purpose of discussion, because I'm sure this isn't the first and won't be the last time somebody buying vintage gear runs into a situation like this.? Whatever I end up doing, it will not happen for years anyway.? I'm not at a skill level yet to pull it off, and I'd still like to build that clone first and see what I achieve before touching priceless originals.

Steve.