PDP-10 programming [was RE: Dumb Terminal games (was Re: Looking for a small fast VAX development machine)]

[Sean Conner]

It was thus said that the Great Rich Alderson once stated:
> 
> For most hobbyists, even $100 is too much.  I was simply astounded at the
> chutzpah of the seller--right there on the Amazon list--who was asking
> nearly $1500 for a copy.

  I think that comes from an unchecked computer algorithm, not simple greed.
I think what's happening here is someone (some Amazon third party) offered
the book for, say, $5.  Another third party scans Amazon for such books, and
offers it for say, $6, with the hope that you (the potential buyer) will
only see their their offer for $6 and buy from them, at which point they
will buy it for $5 from the original seller, sell it to you for $6 and
pocket the $1 profit.  The problem comes when a third third-party seller
sees the offer for $6 and does the same thing as the second one, only now
they're offering it for $7, will pay $6 for it and pocket $1 profit.

  Keep repeating that process and you end up with books selling for $1500.

  -spc (Who knows?  If you keep searching, you might find the original
	seller selling it for $5 ... )