DEC PDP8 Collection value?

[MFV6909]

Hi everyone,

I am new to the forum, and have a question about this hoard of DEC PDP8 stuff I have.

This was all in an old shop I was cleaning out and I got to keep it.

I originally thought it was junk, but upon further inspection it appears as if some of the stuff is somewhat valuable having looked around a bit.

They were pack rats, and kept literally everything as far as paperwork goes. It has all of the original manuals, print sets and just about everything associated with this thing. Most of the stuff is from around 1972.

The computer is a PDP8, and it has the floppy disk drive.

As far as the tape puncher, is it possible that a teletype machine was used? They are next to eachother, and are wired together (the teletype is mine also).

I hate having a post like this be my first, but I figured someone here would know much more about what I have than I. The stuff is in pristine shape it appears.

What would I be looking at as a ballpark for the whole lot? Not pie in the sky wait forever for the one buyer, but also not wholesale give it away price. I am in no hurry.

Would I be better breaking the stuff up individually, or would someone like being able to get the whole package as far as the computer, drawings, floppy disk and such.

I would appreciate any guidance you guys can offer.

Here are a few pictures, and a link to photobucket with more specific ones so as not to bog down the site. Thanks.



http://s866.photobucket.com/albums/ab221/mfv6909/DEC Computer Collection/

 

[Twylo]

Hi MFV6909,

Well, you've certainly come to the right place. You've got a number of folks here who are probably literally salivating looking at those pictures. Hell, I'm one of them I'd be head over heels if I found that stash.

To answer your specific question, yes the teletype was probably used to punch tapes. I assume this was a CNC machine shop? Those machines were often used to make tapes to drive CNC machines. It also serves double-duty to be the console for the computer.

As for value... I honestly don't know. I'll let others chime in with what they think. Certainly in the 4 digit range, though. My "gut feeling" is somewhere between $1000 and $2500 for the lot, depending on who wants what and how much they want it. But I could be off, I don't own any PDP-8 stuff.

Please do try to keep it all together unless you have trouble selling it as a lot, though. There is significant "niceness" in having a full, complete system like that. I don't think it affects the value much vs. parting it out.

Just my $0.02.

-Twylo

 

[MFV6909]

To answer your specific question, yes the teletype was probably used to punch tapes. I assume this was a CNC machine shop? Those machines were often used to make tapes to drive CNC machines. It also serves double-duty to be the console for the computer.

You are correct. It was an old 1981 lathe that used tape. I am pretty sure now that I think about it this would have been what was used.

I would like to keep it together as well considering those prints are all originals and not just copies, and I am sure that has to appeal to someone out there.

I also know though from having watched ebay enough that people will pay a decent buck here or there for particulars, which is why I was trying to weigh the trade off of parting it out (like you would a car) vs. keeping it together (as a number matching car can be valuable as well!).

I know ebay is lothed around here, but I could use the money and it seems like it will be a nice mini windfall. As a car enthusiast I hate what it does to part prices for people who really love the stuff, but at the same time you hate leaving money on the table if you could really use it.

Thanks for your info!

 

[Qbus]

Think the problem is shipping; the whole thing is worth 2 to 3k depending on who buys it. Problem is you need to find someone on the east coast who wants it and will come pick it up with you being in Ohio its not that much for someone to drive from New York, Baltimore or Washington but you got to figure that will cost them about a thousand bucks just for the trip. Can’t believe I am saying it but if you brake up the system it makes it easy to EBay, The last PDP-8 like that sold for just over 3k by itself, the disk drives go for around $300 and the printer for maybe as much as $400 Think there are several on this list that will give you a fair price for everything and be willing to come get it so don’t discount that. You may get more money selling it on EBay but when you get into selling high end antique computers and shipping them be prepared for issues. I will be out in Dayton at the Hamvention in a couple weeks and be going past Cleveland and would gladly put $1,000.00 in your hands at that time but think you can do better. One request though, try to sell it to someone who will use it and not to some hack reseller.

 

[NeXT]

Twylo's ballpark figure is the same with me. PDP systems still fetch great value because they are still used for industrial applications and simply they need the gear to work so they'll pay almost anything to get it. It unfortunately totally screws up the market for DEC gear because everyone then tries to sell parted/trashed systems for a fortune. You however have a pretty complete "hobby system" (system, floppy, all the documentation and teletype terminal) which is pretty much an out of the box snipe, ship and start system with no hassle. Collectors and DEC hobbyists love that.

 

[1ajs]

list it at 3 starting and have a buy it now of 5k

or find a computer museum who can give u a nice tax right off?

i'm drooling over ur system o well i will go back to injoying my 8a

 

[barythrin]

I think sometimes starting with too high of a bid or too high of a BIN can hurt the bidding audience. Given, it will usually end up there anyway from folks who are willing to pay that and are willing to make a road trip, etc. There was a pretty desirable software auction with a $5 starting bid but a reserve and high BIN price. This is a whole different ballpark than a PDP but point is, nobody bid (well I bid but nobody fought me for it so it stuck at $5 and ended). The problem was with the BIN being over double of the likely value, folks assumed the reserve was also going to be ridiculous and didn't even bother.

Given what you have and PDPs in general are highly desirable by collectors and old admins but yes shipping is a killer (freight or the price of the drive to get it) so some systems end up having trouble selling. I think the 8 though is a bit less common than a lot of the low end 11s that I've seen end up going for lower price tags at the end.

Let us know if you do post it for sale