Sun3 valuations?

[jim stephens]

On 1/22/2018 3:32 PM, Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote:
> On 01/22/2018 04:06 PM, Noel Chiappa via cctalk wrote:
>> So did we ever get an answer to the original question (the value of a 
>> Sun3)? All I saw was 'you'd have to pay to recycle them'.
>
> I've not seen an answer to that question.  I have seen multiple people 
> raise their virtual hand in interest.  But no discussions of $ other 
> than disposal fees. 
I did mention mine came free.  I also did sell my systems in the late 
80s for some amount.  I think the answer will be relative to who is 
collecting them and their budget.  At least on this list that didn't 
seem to be many..

As I said I'd be glad to help you make yours have value if you want my 
system, or the tapes.

Al said he was open to offers for his system, which, by the way sounds 
like the 4/xxx system I had. A historical note on my system, might have 
been true of Al's depending on history too, Hamilton pre merger had a 
group which bought some of these systems, which were in my case in a 6' 
cabinet similar to the Dec H960 in size, and used them as systems for 
doing pal and other utility work.

At out local Hamilton office in Orange County, where mine came from, 
they would let people come in and get accounts and use them for whatever 
they needed, usually by convincing the two local guys that you had 
something that would result in Hamilton selling some product.

As to value, I'd say with the tape, my system should be worth a couple 
hundred.  No disks, but should have SCSI controller.  The tapes being 
the thing adding value.  That is with it in the state of a project 
machine.  Add in the monitors and have it restored, I'd say 1000 to 1500 
would be a reasonable asking price.

Worth noting my 3/260 has a monochrome graphics port, so one would have 
a very large and power hungry Sunos 3 or Sunos 4 graphics station.  I 
think I have the Hitachi monitors that went with the system.

Thanks
Jim