Re: You are (not quite) absolutely Wrong!!! Message #33 Posted by Paul Brogger on 18 Dec 2001, 11:41 a.m., in response to message #31 by Alex Binca
Theories about early bidding and "sniping" all seem to ignore the inalterable, undeniable (and from some naiive viewpoints, unfortunate) fact that there apparently are people more than willing to ultimately, actually pay the prices we are seeing.
eBay has created a new, global marketplace, and items of limited availability, high quality and excellent design (to say nothing of ongoing usefulness!) are naturally going to command high prices. Everyone who might be remotely interested is now easily aware of, and conveniently participating in, the sales.
The MoHPC has done its part in furthering awareness of this one collector's market segment, but I think that such awareness was inevitable, given the uniqueness and quality of the products that are its subject. You can long for the good old days of belonging to a small, select group of knowledgeable insiders, but they're gone. The genie is out of the bottle, and the Market will set the prices.
I'm reminded of the 60's, 70's & beyond, when the prices of used guitars started climbing steadily as collectors gobbled them up. Martins, Gibsons & etc. by the dozens in "rich" collectors' closets, not even being used -- it seemed a crime.
There must be a theory published somewhere about a predictable "collecting life cycle", with an "early adopter" period that is optimum for collection-building, and a later "fad" phase when it's maximally profitable to sell off duplicates and lower-quality items. (I think we're in the latter phase now, with respect to HP Calculators!) I wonder what the total cycle looks like, and what to expect next? (I imagine all such cycles have been accelerated and accentuated recently by the "market lubrication" effects of the Internet and eBay.) Any thoughts?
We might consider joining in a concerted, tongue-in-cheek "Calculator Collecting is Nerdy and Dead!" campaign to drive down demand . . .
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