At 09:55 PM 4/13/00 +0100, Dan Kolb wrote:
>Incidentally, how much would you folks think a MicroVax 2, 2xRA81
>drives, monitor and keyboard (don't know how much memory) is worth?

Exactly the same amount as 2000 ounces of gold evenly distributed
throughout the volume of a 3,000' mountain. If you had the gold in your
hands it would be worth on the order of $4,500,000. If you had to set up a
re-processing facility at the mountain, break the mountain up into
volkswagen sized chunks, pay a staff to work on this non-stop for 12 weeks,
you end up paying out much more than the $4.5M you get back by selling it. 

MicroVAX II's are in this same category. If you are on the door step with a
hand truck and the gear, I'd bet many people would pay you over $200 for
that system. If on the other hand it required any sort of shipping (even
over a relatively short distance) most people would end up paying out more
to ship it than it was "worth." Thus, they don't bother.

Actually nearly all MicroVAXen are in this category except that the
value/shipping weight ratio begins to go positive on the 4000 series. (the
3100/9x would count too) 

Of course if you sit on it, keep it running, and maintain it. Then at some
point you might find someone who has a lot of money and they want to keep a
VAX running because they don't have source or anything, and they'll pay a
very hefty fee for that MicroVAX. But if you did that then you'd be a "DEC
Reseller" :-) [Who are annoying me on Ebay lately.]

Bottom line: Its worth is highly volatile and unpredictable. Decide what
you would be willing to part with it for, and sell it for that much if you can.

--Chuck