Fair software pricing - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

20 May 1998

...
 I know that we recently discussed fair prices for
hardware, but what
are fair prices for software? I know that there must be hundreds
of thousands of titles, but I have some specific questions.

1)Software that once WAS expensive, like old versions of AutoCAD,
SPSS, etc.
2)Rare software, like Xenix
3)Famous software, like VisiCalc
Should these things be expensive? 
...
 More specifically, and perhaps more to the point, do
you think that
a copy of VisiCalc (black binder/manual c1981) and MS Multiplan are
each worth $5? 
Good topic! I was just thinking about the same thing the other day.

I would certainly drop $5 on an original Visicalc, and maybe that for an old
Multiplan.

The nice thing is, it shouldn't be hard to find them for that price either.
Old software is NOT attracting the attention of old hardware. But why is
that? For the life of me, I dunno. But hey - I'm happy it's cheap - it means
I can still get some while the gettin's good.

What would I think is collectable?

Version 1 of anything that later became famous. (DOS, Windows, Visicalc,
Lotus, etc)
Oddball packaging (Lotus Symphony, early Infocom games)
Big-time failures and dead-ends (Lotus Jazz, GEM, Visi-ON)
Software from the cassette and paper-tape era (Apple Brickout, Microsoft
Altair BASIC)

My .02

--Larry