[rescue] Stumbled on this pdp8/m? on ebay...

[Lionel Peterson]

>From: "Curtis H. Wilbar Jr." <rescue at hawkmountain.net>
>Date: 2007/05/25 Fri PM 10:55:54 CDT
>To: The Rescue List <rescue at sunhelp.org>
>Subject: Re: [rescue] Stumbled on this pdp8/m? on ebay...

<snip>


>I'm pretty cautious on the 8 listing....  it can get relisted a hundred 
>times, but
>it won't change the range I'll bid in as I don't want to be scammed or 
>end up
>with an empty case that will cost me a few hundred plus more to repopulate
>with cards to make a working 8.  Why the seller doesn't respond to inquries
>I don't know (including the second inquiry on the second identical unit
>I found asking what happened with the previous auction).

His listing concerns me - his title is bad, the description is non-existant, and he seems to *revel* in the fact that everything is sold as-is, with no warranty. But the final thing that gets me, and this alone could break the deal for me, is he claims 900,000 positive feedbacks, yet eBay shows 200,000+, and he has a 90% positive approval - that means 20,000+ folks felt "burned" or unhappy with their transaction (assuming any "no response" is left out of the calculation)...

>What are others thoughts on this listing ?  If it was devoid of cards, what
>is the general opnion here on what it would be worth in that state ?

I'd like a PDP-8, but it would have to be in PERFECT condition, include lots of software, and be local ;^) If it came to you as an empty case, you could always put an ATX board inside and run a PDP emulator ;^)

Lionel