[rescue] "My city had been torn down, replaced by online auctions. Hey, ho , way to go - eBay" (with apologies to Chrissy Hynde...

[rescue at sunhelp.org]

>Previously, the reseller took surplus/excess items from one person and
>resold it to others who had no means to purchase directly. In the near
>future (today?), the buyer will locate the seller (or vice versa) and the
>reller will be squeezed out - any resellers that do remain will exist
>because they are able to locate sources for equipment significantly under
>market value, but with the internet/eBay type markets, market value will be
>well known, and finding poorly informed sources will be very hard. The only
>market opportunity that will persist will be the reseller than can take a
>broken part and make it work - leveraging their skills/abilities to bring a
>broken (undervalue) item to a higher value (market).

I dunno. I think there will always be sources for stuff in tiny lots. I see it a lot out here in silicon land. Comdisco isn't going to go out and buy 3 u2's. Nor a single u5 (which would be nice to have.....)

The smaller reseller has actually got a new leas on life with ebay, because people- even knowing market values, will bid up the "few extra bucks" to get the auction.

And if people were that well informed, we'd have a better guvmint, among other things. I think trend will stay pretty much the same for a bit. If I had the money for some of the really small auctin out here, I could be picking up u2's loaded for $350. and anyone who *knows* is going to take a u2 over a u5 any day :)

The other issue is the rising period. I can't give away ss1/2/670 ram now. in another 5 years, I'll be getting a dollar a meg for it, and in 10, $2. 

THe market for REALLY old stuff isn't big, but it is there. I still kick myself for having passed up a box of IDI drives a few months back. and Weird stuff has a $5k bounty out for a couple of winchesters!

It's tough all around- predicting what will drop in price next week- and for how long. (10 u30's don't a market flood make)

-Christof