[Coco] "NEW NORMAL"

[Bill Traynor]

On Wed, Jul 15, 2015 at 6:46 PM, Mark McDougall <msmcdoug at iinet.net.au> wrote:
> On 16/07/2015 5:12 AM, Bill Loguidice wrote:
>
>> I think you're overreacting a bit. As an insane collector of everything in
>> the computer and videogame space (and I've been that way since the 80s, so
>> I've seen prices go from free to insane), I too lament the rise in prices
>> across nearly every brand, but it's purely for selfish reasons. The
>> reality
>> is higher prices mean there's more competition for this stuff and more
>> interest overall in using vintage equipment. While that's bad for our
>> wallets, it's better overall for all vintage communities, getting more
>> people involved and having a larger pool of individuals to both develop
>> and
>> purchase new items for our old hardware. While the cost of entry these
>> days
>> is indeed higher, the potential experience across all brands is better
>> than
>> any other time (save for when these were active on the mainstream market)
>> and will clearly continue to improve for the forseeable future. So yeah,
>> it's not all that bad.
>
>
> Whilst there's definitely an element of truth to this, I don't think it's
> the whole story.
>
> I too have been in the game for decades and again, I started with freebies
> and 'junk' from road-side clean-ups and now can't even afford to round out
> my collection. And I agree with Bill, it's for selfish reasons...
>
> But I do question the up-side to Bill's argument. Higher prices attracts the
> profiteers and from there it's an upward spiral. I would argue it raises the
> barrier to entry for newcomers to the hobby as we see more hardware
> purchased for 'investment' and flipping rather than actually used by
> enthusiasts. Any increase in the enthusiast base is due to other factors
> entirely, such as the socio-economic standing of the 80's users, increased
> awareness of the hobby as a whole due to social media, commericalisation of
> the hobby, and podcasts etc and easier access to software.
>
> The improved experience comes from product development such as CocoSDC and
> RGB2VGA etc etc and I don't believe that's linked to higher prices at all,
> but rather more affordable and accessible technologies enabling the
> development. Most developers aren't in it to make big $$$.
>
> So no, IMHO I think higher prices _is_ all bad. I don't see an up side at
> all. And it will only continue to deteriorate.

The inflation in price for vintage computers is not unlike the massive
jump in price in vintage guitars.  It wasn't impossible to find a 1959
Fender Stratocaster in the 1970s for reasonable price that virtually
anyone could afford.  Now, it's impossible.  And similarly, the
majority of good vintage guitars are hanging on the walls of the
wealthy's home as part of collections.

I really hope that doesn't end up being the case for vintage computers as well.

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