[rescue] My U5 buy

[Mike Nicewonger]

On Sat, 11 Aug 2001, you wrote:
> I think the simple answer is that the Ultra 5 and 10 failed to displace a
> significant number of desktop PCs as Sun had hoped...
> 
> Not to say they were failures, but Ingram Micro supplies PC stores/large
> companies - I suspect that most foilks that wanted Sun Ultra 5 and 10 tended
> to call their local Sun rep, not Ingram...
> 
What I find disturbing about all of this is that inventory I have is suddenly
worthless, ok, maybe not worthless but nearly all my profits have evaporated.
Perfect example is this U5. I have 2 used 270's in stock and I have in the past
been selling them for ~$685.00. While these are very clean used machines well
equipped too, people will look at that deal and say "Well gee if I can get a
new one for that money.... Yours must only be worth X number of $" I have been
noticing a very bad trend in the second hand sales market of late and frankly
it has me more than a bit worried. The funny part is, at least in my opinion,
is that the (price) dumping of gear in venues like eBay is harmful to the seller
as well as to the rest of us. In another life I refused to play the price game.
And it worked. Think of the "price, service, quality" triangle. As the saying
goes pick two. You cannot get all three. There will always be somebody who will
sell stuff cheaper. I flatly refuse to play that game. So as I sit here with a
few really nice workstations in stock I can only hope my "institutional"
customers come along and buy for close to a price where I can at least make a
little more $$$ toward my freaking mortgage.

Sorry for the rant. <mike sets rant mode to silent now>

-Mike N