[rescue] I want a VAX

[Richard]

In article <20100505172536.GA29509 at lava-net.com>,
    alex at lava-net.com  writes:

> Yeah, In the past couple of weeks there's a 3100M38 for $700, with 
> unknown spec and in unknown condition.  But it does have free shipping 
> :-p

As for most things on ebay, it pays to have patience.  I'm guessing
the unit you're describing was for sale from seller
"vintagecomputermuseum" in upstate NY?  That guy routinely lists
things for high prices and if you do bite on one of his offers, he
packs them so poorly that there is a very good chance it will arrived
smashed to bits.  That was my experience, anyway.  I learned my lesson
not to purchase anything from him again.

There's also recycledgoods.com that routinely lists lots of vintage
gear for ridiculous prices.  They always have a BIN price with a best
offer option.  I routinely make a reasonable offer which is always
declined.  The item proceeds to remain unsold.  At some point you'd
think the guy would figure out that regularly selling items for lower
prices is more money than rarely selling highly overpriced items.  I
wonder if his mentality is "well, eventually I'll sell everything at
my big price", not realizing that the stuff he's selling isn't
valuable to any going concern but only to collectors like me.

Case in point: item #150440115848, a Honeywell serial terminal.  If
anyone has a serial terminal in a critical piece of their business
infrastructure, they are unlikely to need an exact vintage replacement
for it should it fail.  This guy isn't ever going to get $1000 for
this terminal.  Ever.  Sure, its in good cosmetic condition, but
AFAIK, I am the *only* collector that focuses on serial terminals.
There are lots of collectors that have terminals in their collection
and/or soft spots for specific terminals, but AFAIK I'm the only one
that has attempted to collect terminals explicitly.  I have plenty of
terminals in my collection for which I have no personal nostalgia, but
have simply added them to my collection.

> Mine cost $10 at the MIT Swapfest, and the seller even let me pull the 
> cover off before buying to see how complete it was.

...and it would be great if everyone had something like MIT Swapfest,
but you must acknowledge that you have access to something very
special there, not something commonplace.

About 98% of what I have collected has required shipping to my city.
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