On 1/13/2015 11:49 AM, Noel Chiappa wrote:
From: js
as a frequent buyer, it also highly annoys me
when systems on eBay or
Craiglist are found and rebroadcasted here. Now, my chance find has
been made aware to a much wider audience, the competition shoots way
up, and I have to pay more.
Since I'm one of the people who has been doing this (e.g. recent PDP-8
postings), I'd like to weigh in with a few thoughts on this topic.
To begin, as to the point that it's costing you more money, I'm afraid I
don't find that a big factor, for several reasons. First, as Mark Tapley
explained down-thread:
http://www.classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctalk/2015-January/002533.html
from the point of view of saving history, higher prices are better. If people
start to think of these older machines as possibly collectable items of some
value, they are less likely to toss them into the trash without further ado.
** That's true... but what makes those
prices go higher more than anything are
demand and rarity. So someone's got to
want the machine to begin with, and then
the harder it is to fine, to more of a
price it can command. From that angle,
sometimes it's good when machines are
recycled. It increases the rarity of
those left... but with the caveat that
we don't want them all to be thrown out.
I
It's a difficult question to answer, as
to, "how many of any machine example do
we need to save?" And will humans
feel it necessary to keep saving
examples of all the machines they ever
make, ad infinitum? Perhaps at some
point, we'll need to examine our
materialistic values a bit more soberly.
(Yes, yes, I know, not all old computers are worth
saving - just like not all
old cars are, either. But unless you ask someone who knows, you don't know
whether your old junker is a clunker or a jewel in the rough.) Second, you're
only getting that item 'for cheap' because some other collector, to whom it
might be even more emotionally important, doesn't know of it.
I do have more sympathy with the point of view that says 'I spent a lot of
time trawling through eBay, etc listings looking for that one diamond in a
sea of pebbles; why should all my work be devalued by someone who just posts
the listing so everyone can get on board?' I have some sympathy for that take
(especially since I myself spend a fair amount of time looking through eBay
for PDP-11 stuff :-)
** Yes, that is the point I was making,
about the frustration of time spent and
potentially lost.
but for me it's out-weighed by the 'hey, I
have this
information, it's no use to me, I'd like to share it with people for whom it
might be highly useful'.
** Ok, but part of the the fun is the
treasure hunt itself, and it can be
argued that you're short circuiting that
for the people who really are out there
looking. Of course, some will be
grateful that you've saved them the
time... as they might not be in it for
the treasure hunt.
Auctions are
not collegial -- they're competitive, and since when is
competition a negative?
I'm not sure of your point here (the second part seems to be at odds with the
first), but I will say that I think widely-attended auctions, starting at a
modest price, are desirable: they are the best way to set the _true_ value of
something.
** Agreed.
Too many items on eBay have some incredibly high
Buy-It-Now price, and they
sit forever, until someone really desperate buys it - which just encourages
other sellers to ask for un-realistic amounts. So I applaud the sellers who
put things up for real auctions.
** Agreed.
- JS