[Coco] going "back" to the CoCo/Response to Allen's Fest Coments

[Mark McDougall]

On 30/04/2013 1:28 PM, Glen VanDenBiggelaar wrote:

> My theory and excuse for coming back to the CoCo is that the
> Commodore scene has just become too insane over the last few years.
> Absolutely INSANE prices on Ebay (Not ask, but actually selling for),

I'm seeing exactly the same here in Australia, with the trend getting
worse each month. I have a modest collection of retro microcomputers, but
still missing a few items I'd really like. Unfortunately I think I've
missed the boat; prices are getting outright silly now.

You won't find a C64 with a few bits 'n' pieces now for less than $100 in
Australia. Pets are several hundred $$$. Apple II's are edging towards
$200 now. TRS-80's can fetch up to $400, depending on Model and condition.
Even the Coco - a machine you'd be hard-pressed to give away a few years
ago - is becoming more expensive. I was looking for a cheap second-hand
Coco3 purely for a backup - doesn't exist! I gave away an MC-10 several
years ago... now it's well worth the trouble of advertising and posting out!

The Australia-designed computers are just as ridiculous. I've been looking
for an affordable Microbee for a while now and they just get more and more
expensive going for $200-400! Super-80's were seemingly built from
unobtainium.

My advice is to buy everything you want now, before they do become
unaffordable to the greater masses. I don't know if it's a trending thing,
or collectors "investing" or purely an opportunist greed thing, but retro
computers and video games are going to just get even sillier in the next
decade.

Regards,

-- 
|              Mark McDougall                | "Electrical Engineers do it
|  <http://members.iinet.net.au/~msmcdoug>   |   with less resistance!"