I gotten dealy good deals from Electromyne. I bought two 24core amd servers for 200$ shipped.

Jade Falcon wrote:

I gotten dealy good deals from Electromyne. I bought two 24core amd servers for 200$ shipped.

OK, and your point? The problem is that they are trying to manipulate the retro market. Same with people saying they get good prices on ram. They can't raise the price on that very easily and it's easy bait to bring people in. And in your specific case, used server equipment never has much value even when it becomes retro.

xplus93 wrote:

Jade Falcon wrote:

I gotten dealy good deals from Electromyne. I bought two 24core amd servers for 200$ shipped.

OK, and your point? The problem is that they are trying to manipulate the retro market. Same with people saying they get good prices on ram. They can't raise the price on that very easily and it's easy bait to bring people in. And in your specific case, used server equipment never has much value even when it becomes retro.

Fact is, I sould have told the entire story. They were asking 1k a pice at first.
No one buys it so they ether have to take a loss and toss/recycle it or lower their asking price.
Its only the buyer has the ability to set prices, oh the seller can ask all they want. But if the buyer doesn't buy it the seller will lose a sale. We do this to are selves by paying stupid prices. It will only get worse if we keep paying.

I have also gotten good deals on isa sound cards from them too. All less then 10$. even terra tech cards. I have seen a few retro parts from them that's overpriced, like some high end video cards, but for the most part I gotten grate deals from them as far as any online parts retailer goes.. But I never bought anything they listed on eBay just there main site

Also keep in mind they are you or me, they likely refurb/test what they sell and quite possibly the lister picks what ever prices they want.

xplus93 wrote:

I'm a college student with no income. It's pretty high on my priority list. If you can't understand that then that highlights your lack of passion for the hobby. Some of us jump at free CL postings and spend half their day driving around in the middle of summer with no A/C to pick stuff up.

FeedingDragon wrote:

That isn't necessarily true. I'm on a fixed income, and maintaining a calm & relaxed (stress free,) lifestyle is one of the main goals for me to actually stay alive. It's one of the reasons that I'm not allowed to work. Stress can actually kill me.

luckybob wrote:

Pardon my salty language and knee-jerk reaction, but fuck you and the horse you rode in on.

Just because I don't have as much money as you do, suddenly I'm not supposed to enjoy the things that give my life meaning? Somehow, having a hobby is not permissible unless you make over X per year? I would highly suggest you reword your statement, because I think you just rubbed a whole bunch of people here wrong.

Richo wrote:

You could've phrased that a little better no? Also please define low income since that's relative, also everyone is entitled to their hobby as much as the next. Also I am curious as what other priorities a lower income family has compared to a higher one cause frankly you made me curious 😀

Yea, maybe I could've phrased that a little better. But let's not hide the fact that unless you're in denial, we live in a world where rich people control the means of everything. Aside from random luck (e.g. sniping a bid on eBay or locally), people with more resources will statistically get more things. I am not rich at all; I work a regular 8-5 tech job (funny how that used to be 9-5) and sometimes do unpaid overtime when a project nears completion. But I won't delude myself to the fact that you are facing an extremely uphill battle fighting more resourced people.

I came from a very 'low income' background; my family (with parents) came to the US with $100 total to their name. So it struck me weird how various people interpreted what was meant by low income. College students (@xplus93, you're still in training for a career), SSI (@FeedingDragon, I specifically removed fixed income), or relative income (@luckybob). So yea, when I think of low income, I think of something totally different. So I'm going to rephrase it as such (I won't bother removing my original post because I don't believe in being a revisionist historian).

Low income people have more things to worry about than collecting useless (for practical purposes) stuff.

>>

Not sure what you mean by low income, but most people in poverty have more things to worry about than collecting things that have no practical value (they'd be only interested in market value). If you're talking about being disadvantaged from an income perspective against wealthy people in terms of buying power for this hobby, then welcome to the real world. Affluent people tend to find ways of screwing over everyone else in just about everything.

But let's not hide the fact that unless you're in denial, we live in a world where rich people control the means of everything.

Not really, they rich are only rich because the masses gave them money for some reason and alow them to be in control.
The mob of plebeians are who's truly in control. We just don't all know it. Without the poor and middle class the rich would never have gotten there money. If we all were to stand up the rich would not last long.

Jade Falcon wrote:

But let's not hide the fact that unless you're in denial, we live in a world where rich people control the means of everything.

Not really, they rich are only rich because the masses gave them money for some reason and alow them to be in control.
The mob of plebeians are who's truly in control. We just don't all know it. Without the poor and middle class the rich would never have gotten there money. If we all were to stand up the rich would not last long.

Lets not get too political here. (no matter how right you are). Lets keep it within the focus of the discussion.

As far as the rich controlling things goes you have to consider the fact that they are susceptible to "marketing" as well. I've dabbled in the art community and have seen it all. The rich can easily be more stupid with their money than the rest of society. What seems to be happening is an aura of exclusivity is being created which attracts those types. By parts of the community, as well as the re-sellers. The point of this thread, from what I understand, is to be a voice of reason against that ugly future.

The ones who are in control are the owners of pre-2000 computers.

oeuvre wrote:

The ones who are in control are the owners of pre-2000 computers.

Please elaborate. Are you saying it's a buyers market since the only people who could use the stuff is people who have compatible system or a sellers market because they have the systems people want?

luckybob wrote:

I'm really conflicted with their relationship with Phil. (from Phil's computer lab obviously). I hate shills. I hate advertising of any kind. HOWEVER, I understand people need money. For some reason it seems EVERYONE likes to eat, likes A/C in the summer, heat in the winter, etc. And if I were to trade spots with Phil. I'm 95% sure I would happily plug their business for free shit.

People forget that Phil has always been an advocate for builds made with common and accessible gear. He put considerable time and effort into projects like the Roland emulation video, P4 DOS machine, and K6-2+ time machine. You may not be a fan of some of his sponsored videos. I'm not, mostly because the boards he tests in them don't usually hold my interest. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate much of the cool stuff he's done for the retro gaming community, and I certainly don't consider him to be some kind of shill or traitor when he tests more rare or unusual hardware.

I think there's still room in the market for collectors willing and able to pay premium as well as buyers looking for a great bargain. Sometimes it requires patience, creativity, or compromise, but it can be done.

No, you misunderstood. The ones who have pre-2000 computers are those who run the global economy.

Get a grip on yourselves people, we're talking about the price of old computer bits here - if that's the issue that keeps you up at night then you're doing OK. And as for AbandonwareGuy - who instigated this price pity party yet again - I'm under the impression you're maybe 17 years old? So are we talking about your pocket money here? If yes then take it up with your parents mate, it's not the internet's problem.

badmojo wrote:

Get a grip on yourselves people, we're talking about the price of old computer bits here - if that's the issue that keeps you up at night then you're doing OK. And as for AbandonwareGuy - who instigated this price pity party yet again - I'm under the impression you're maybe 17 years old? So are we talking about your pocket money here? If yes then take it up with your parents mate, it's not the internet's problem.

Again, i'll point out a lack of passion. Life isn't worth living if you can't find something that's special to you. This may not be your thing.

oeuvre wrote:

No, you misunderstood. The ones who have pre-2000 computers are those who run the global economy.

The ironic thing is that there is so much truth in that it's more sad than funny. From CNC machines and assembly lines to "billionaire" elites who have their assistants tweet for them.

badmojo wrote:

Get a grip on yourselves people, we're talking about the price of old computer bits here - if that's the issue that keeps you up at night then you're doing OK. And as for AbandonwareGuy - who instigated this price pity party yet again - I'm under the impression you're maybe 17 years old? So are we talking about your pocket money here? If yes then take it up with your parents mate, it's not the internet's problem.

17 actually but I'm glad I'm 17 and am capable of civilized conduct. In my opinion that's much better than being whatever you are. Also, you can't ask your parents for money they don't have. I can recall multiple times that you, bad mojo, have tried to degrade or insult me on this forum. I kindly ask that you stop.

Anywho, can we move the Electromyne discussion to a new, separate thread? I don't feel this thread is an appropriate location.

xplus93 wrote:

I'm a college student with no income. It's pretty high on my priority list. If you can't understand that then that highlights your lack of passion for the hobby. Some of us jump at free CL postings and spend half their day driving around in the middle of summer with no A/C to pick stuff up.

Yea, I've said I spend many hours per week looking for stuff online and locally. Now imagine you are in a situation where money is not the primary concern. All of a sudden, you may find yourself allocating your time much differently and paying for services you would otherwise not pay for (e.g. Electromyne).

xplus93 wrote:

You have a very simple understanding of the "free market" (possibly from watching too much fox news?) So you don't think it's possible for someone to manipulate the market if they have sufficient influence?

By definition, manipulation is part of the free market. I hate resellers because it adds a middle man and drives up prices, but unless you want to set up a regulatory body to enforce items go to end-users, there will always be manipulation in free markets.

xplus93 wrote:

Shipping internationally has nothing to do with the sale value. (Again, showing your flawed egocentric thought pattern)

Actually it does. Having a wider audience for a product *may* raise its price. If a seller choose not to ship internationally on eBay, international eBay sites will automatically filter out the search result. There have been multiple German/UK eBay auctions posted on Vogons for items I wanted. Since those sellers do not ship to the US, I'm barred from bidding/BIN on them. At least one of those items, I would've paid more than the winning bid for, thus the final sales value is affected.

There are obvious risks to international sales (namely language barrier, shipping, and returns), which is why some sellers avoid it. You can also argue sellers taking on those risks will just pass the price increase to their customers. Thus, changed sale value.

xplus93 wrote:

The bottom line is that giving control of the market to a few key players will push the market in a direction that many people don't want it to go. Look at the audio collecting and video game collecting markets. Do you really want to have the size of someones wallet be more influential than their passion? Do you want it to be purely about prestige and associating a dollar value to it? That really seems like what you are saying by telling people if they can't afford it then get out.

I'm saying some people allocate more time to this hobby than others. I specifically listed that Hercules card as being overpriced. But if some rich guy doesn't want to spend hours and hours each week sifting through the proverbial vintage parts hay stack and pays $300+, then so be it.

Also on the reverse note. How many here (and I have done this) snipe items off eBay that had BIN way too low or were listed incorrectly? How many people here bought really cheap items locally (flea market, recycling center, etc) and gave lowball offers? Sure it feels great to score a deal. But in essence, you're manipulating (to a small degree) the free market to your advantage. Because I'm sure we're all such upstanding (yes a little sarcasm) people that we message the seller informing his $10 ATI Rage is actually a Voodoo3 instead of hitting the BIN button. Or when we're hauling away some free 486 system, we inform the person that it may be worth anywhere from $50-250.

This is just part of life. Love your great deals and humor the overpriced things. Unless you're rich, then you just laugh at everyone else and buy the overpriced things.

TheAbandonwareGuy wrote:

badmojo wrote:

Get a grip on yourselves people, we're talking about the price of old computer bits here - if that's the issue that keeps you up at night then you're doing OK. And as for AbandonwareGuy - who instigated this price pity party yet again - I'm under the impression you're maybe 17 years old? So are we talking about your pocket money here? If yes then take it up with your parents mate, it's not the internet's problem.

17 actually but I'm glad I'm 17 and am capable of civilized conduct. In my opinion that's much better than being whatever you are. Also, you can't ask your parents for money they don't have. I can recall multiple times that you, bad mojo, have tried to degrade or insult me on this forum. I kindly ask that you stop.

Anywho, can we move the Electromyne discussion to a new, separate thread? I don't feel this thread is an appropriate location.

Done

Electromyne and others overpricing. Changing face of the hobby. Opinions?

dexvx wrote:

Yea, I've said I spend many hours per week looking for stuff online and locally. Now imagine you are in a situation where money […]
Show full quote

xplus93 wrote:

I'm a college student with no income. It's pretty high on my priority list. If you can't understand that then that highlights your lack of passion for the hobby. Some of us jump at free CL postings and spend half their day driving around in the middle of summer with no A/C to pick stuff up.

Yea, I've said I spend many hours per week looking for stuff online and locally. Now imagine you are in a situation where money is not the primary concern. All of a sudden, you may find yourself allocating your time much differently and paying for services you would otherwise not pay for (e.g. Electromyne).

xplus93 wrote:

You have a very simple understanding of the "free market" (possibly from watching too much fox news?) So you don't think it's possible for someone to manipulate the market if they have sufficient influence?

By definition, manipulation is part of the free market. I hate resellers because it adds a middle man and drives up prices, but unless you want to set up a regulatory body to enforce items go to end-users, there will always be manipulation in free markets.

xplus93 wrote:

Shipping internationally has nothing to do with the sale value. (Again, showing your flawed egocentric thought pattern)

Actually it does. Having a wider audience for a product *may* raise its price. If a seller choose not to ship internationally on eBay, international eBay sites will automatically filter out the search result. There have been multiple German/UK eBay auctions posted on Vogons for items I wanted. Since those sellers do not ship to the US, I'm barred from bidding/BIN on them. At least one of those items, I would've paid more than the winning bid for, thus the final sales value is affected.

There are obvious risks to international sales (namely language barrier, shipping, and returns), which is why some sellers avoid it. You can also argue sellers taking on those risks will just pass the price increase to their customers. Thus, changed sale value.

xplus93 wrote:

The bottom line is that giving control of the market to a few key players will push the market in a direction that many people don't want it to go. Look at the audio collecting and video game collecting markets. Do you really want to have the size of someones wallet be more influential than their passion? Do you want it to be purely about prestige and associating a dollar value to it? That really seems like what you are saying by telling people if they can't afford it then get out.

I'm saying some people allocate more time to this hobby than others. I specifically listed that Hercules card as being overpriced. But if some rich guy doesn't want to spend hours and hours each week sifting through the proverbial vintage parts hay stack and pays $300+, then so be it.

Also on the reverse note. How many here (and I have done this) snipe items off eBay that had BIN way too low or were listed incorrectly? How many people here bought really cheap items locally (flea market, recycling center, etc) and gave lowball offers? Sure it feels great to score a deal. But in essence, you're manipulating (to a small degree) the free market to your advantage. Because I'm sure we're all such upstanding (yes a little sarcasm) people that we message the seller informing his $10 ATI Rage is actually a Voodoo3 instead of hitting the BIN button. Or when we're hauling away some free 486 system, we inform the person that it may be worth anywhere from $50-250.

This is just part of life. Love your great deals and humor the overpriced things. Unless you're rich, then you just laugh at everyone else and buy the overpriced things.

This will be my last comment about this on this thread. But it just simply seems you have too much of laissez faire attitude to the combination of morals and economics.

TheAbandonwareGuy wrote:

I can recall multiple times that you, bad mojo, have tried to degrade or insult me on this forum.

And yet I'm nice to most everyone else - conclude from that what you will 😵

Whatever your opinion, try and explain away a $20k lot of RAID cards.

(Link fixed, thank you luckybob!)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/192258018290

link broke

this one works - http://www.ebay.com/itm/192258018290

and it would not surprise me to see that sell. Mac people... are different.

luckybob wrote:

link broke

this one works - http://www.ebay.com/itm/192258018290

and it would not surprise me to see that sell. Mac people... are different.

"For parts or not working" 20k? 😕
How the heck did people who buy this stuff get so much money in the first place?