Date   : Sun, 25 Apr 2004 00:25:08 +0200
From   : John Kortink <kortink@...>
Subject: Re: crazy bids being placed on Beeb auction

On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 19:20:06 +0000, W.Scholten wrote:

>John Kortink wrote:
>
>> AFAIC it does't represent 'value' anymore. 'Value plus insanity
>> factor', more like. There's always just a few that are bidding
>> these amounts for 8-bit stuff. What about that Domesday system
>> that went for 770 UKP a few weeks ago.
>> 
>> 'Steep ? It's effing vertical !' ;-)
>
>It depends on your point of view. Some people are 'collectors' and in
>that case, the sky is the limit. What about a painting by Rembrandt or
>van Gogh... Is it really worth the price they are sold for?
>
>If a B+ was your first real computer, then 300 quid to 'buy back your
>youth' (a good description by thcvh on this topic, he's one of the
>bidders in that auction btw), then is it expensive? I don't think so.

I agree, to each his own. If it's worth it to you by all
means make yourself as well as the seller very happy.

I just don't think 'buying back their youth' is what is going
on here. Since the last couple of months, there are three or
four people that seem to scoop up almost /every/ piece of
interesting 8-bit hardware. And for unusually high prices,
because each one of them seems to be as tenacious as the
next one. Ebay at its best (from a seller's point of view).

Aside from the fact that it sometimes keeps one of the few
things I'd like to get out of my own hands, like I said, to
each his own. Absolutely. If they're happy to buy at such
prices, that's fine. I just /hope/ these people aren't unduly
ruining what was, before, an (in my view) reasonable market
for 8-bit stuff. Or, worse, are just trying to artificially
inflate the prices they'll be able to ask for their own
superflous stuff (which could very well be abundant by the
looks of it).


John Kortink