Author: Michael Watters
Date: 16:44:15 02/03/05
Go up one level in this thread
On February 03, 2005 at 17:18:47, Steve B wrote: >>We all see this from our own perspective. You see it from a very lofty perch >>indeed - Worlds Top Collector. > > >Firstly let me say i never claimed to be the worlds top collector >do you recall me ever saying that? >here or any place else? > >i did once say that SOME collectors would say that but i also immediately said >that some would dispute it That is my own opinion on what I know. >i dont think thats good for the hobby even if you do >what i would like to see is 100's of collectors who can afford an Eyeball >and then more collectors can come here or other boards to discuss them and other >dedicated computers Supply and demand will decide the price. Higher prices will coax them out of closets. A Communist allocation system is the only way you could get your wish of Eyeballs for all, but we all know the pitfalls with that. >high prices dont attract true collectors Mike >they never did >they attract dealers and speculators >high ticket item always do >far to many dealers in this hobby already The people you call dealers are often also the most active and enthusiastic collectors. Luis Boj (amiswebos) from Spain, who I notice you have praised as a fine collector several times, he buys and sells, his Ebay profile says he fills up his closet and then sells them. It seems only sensible in the Ebay age to use it to improve your collection and sell off duplicates. That is not dealing or speculating. Making a good profit on chess computers would be hard work starting from scratch. Example Steffen was up last night at 3.30 am German time bidding with 3 seconds to go on the CC1 while I was tucked up in bed. He will make a profit after shipping and import duty. I don't like speculation any more than you, whether it is land, houses, chess computers whatever. It means that things that are useful are not being used. >>On the Eyeball I would not have thought that Karsten had any serious intent. >>From experience I know that he charges more than Ebay prices for ordinary >>machines and can bid high when he wants to. >i can tell you that Karsten would never pay $1700 for a not all that rare >Eyeball even if it were his only computer That is because he has different values and priorities from the average collector. Not that he is right and they are wrong. >>A popular hobby means higher prices, an unpopular hobby and you can have your >>old prices back. I don't see that we can have it both ways. > >totally disagree >high prices dont attract collectors they attract dealers > >cheaper prices for good computers and more knowledge about the old computers >will increase the number of collectors >not higher prices > >Steve Well a popular hobby may attract some dealers to oil the wheels. That is capitalism for you. You are doing more than anybody to further knowledge in the old computers in the English speaking world. You won't agree but that has made the hobby more popular and helped lead to higher prices. Personally I was first encouraged by an article on Kurt in Selective Search. It made me realise that there were nice machines available to buy on Ebay that I had always wanted and could rarely afford back in the 1980s. Making the hobby more accessible has brought more people and money into it. Kind regards Mike
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