Obviously I'm in the wrong business

What I should be doing is going through the boxes of old cards and computer equipment I have and selling it on ebay! Obviously everything over a decade must be collectible at this point right?


So what do we have for today?




An ISA bus TV Capture card. Made in 1995. For $186.65. Frankly its the $.65 that just pushes it over the top for me. What the hell? "Oh! It's a computer part! Obviously it must be worth a lot because it is from before the internet!" I just don't get why someone would think that a card like this is worth that kind of scratch. What is someone going to do? Slap this bad boy in their 486 and then plug in a HDTV converter box?

The best part is what is circled at the bottom left - the part that shows that the seller has had it up on ebay since October of last year.

But you know, that's not all! There is a helpful description!:

Hauppauge Digital Video Card
ISA Card, Made in 1995
P/N: 4701 Rev D1
Model: Win/TV-Celebrity
Does not have the MPEG (Video Out) option
Based on the AuraVision VXP500 chip
Cables are included

Used but looks like new, works like new.

Just the card, no software, no manuals

(Software and Manual are for sale in other ebay auctions)

Crap. It doesn't have the MPEG out option. And I was so close to pulling the trigger! Tell me - is there really a market for left over computer crap from the mid '90s? If so, I'm about to retire!

I think I'll put a bid in right now!

I happened to be looking for a TV capture card the other day when I found this beauty:



That's right! A sweet 1983 vintage PC-XT with a 386DX upgrade! Just what I've always wanted! Oh wait. I used to have one. Now I realize that some people may collect these doorstops, but lets consider the benefits you get from purchasing this one:

Rare IBM PC 5160 Computer

Professionally Upgraded to Hauppauge 386

With Intel i386DX-25

&

Intel 80387DX-20

1-3 1/2" floppy

1-5 1/4" Floppy

4 Meg RAM

60 Meg Tosheba MK134FA1 Hard Drive

VGA Video Controller

Boots to MS-DOS 6.22 on Hard drive

takes std AT keyboard

&

std VGA Monitor

(not included)

This piece of history is clean inside & out, and will make a fine addition to your vintage computer collection.

So let me get this straight - it is upgraded, so thus not in original condition, doesn't include a keyboard or the monitor that is pictured with it, and you want $70 shipping on top of the $350 you are asking? What a deal! Or not.

The asinine prices some people want for their old shit

So I was looking at Craigslist the other day, searching for something, and I came across the following posting for sale:

http://tucson.craigslist.org/atq/1649392925.html

And for posterity's sake, a screen shot:


So let me get this right - a 1980 console TV - the same type that was clogging up thrift stores 10 years ago, and now can't be gotten rid of without PAYING to recycle it, and you think you are going to sell it for $200? Actually the original price they had on it was $225 - obviously market forces are at work.

I have to wonder what sort of alternate reality people live in sometimes. Maybe they would throw in that VCR too if you offered them and extra Benjamin!

So this ad crystallized for me the fact that numerous times I've seen junk priced like it is gold - so I decided to start aggregating them here - those items for sale where their owners are so clueless as to their actual value that some humor can be derived for the rest of us.

I hope you enjoy.