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Altair 8800 rev 0 with ultra low serial number spot on ebay

leiy

Experienced Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2014
Messages
247
Altair 8800 rev 0 with ultra low serial number spot on ebay.

I expect the price of this one will hit all time high in ebay Altair 8800 auction history.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-MITS-A...-The-1st-Made-Near-MINT-WORKING/121614451230?
Because I have a factory assembled Altair 8800 right now (just win a factory assembled Altair 8800 with four MITS s-100 plates populated on ebay last month), so this time I have less incentive to bid.
 
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The final auction of $9001 tag is still not met the seller's reserve.

But, I'm spot another Altair 8800 rev 0 today! , the seller start auction at price $5,999.99

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-MIT...r-Computer-w-RARE-Manuals-Extras/291431181647

the computer has a nice piggybacked SIO board, equipped with fully assembled ACR interface.

this is a Altair originally sell as a Kit, serial: 221967K. this one will not go to me, just for share.

Cheers.
 
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And it sold so quickly that maybe that was a low price. Some people won't do an auction they will only do BIN. If it would have sat there for more than a few hours at that price, maybe a few days it would have been a good judge of the value.
 
I'm one of those who almost never bid.. i.e. a buy-it-now person. I'm no good with auctions. I have only bought one item that way (tried a couple of others and lost, and it was no fun in it - don't like auctions). So yes, I think there are many who prefer a BIN option which they can decide on there and then, if they're not the auction type of person.
 
And it sold so quickly that maybe that was a low price. Some people won't do an auction they will only do BIN. If it would have sat there for more than a few hours at that price, maybe a few days it would have been a good judge of the value.

The most early one I see on Internet is 5th Altair 8800, I think the 5th Altair and the 23th one are on the same production line at same time, so they are just equally earliest Altair 8800 ever exist.

I'm wondering I will see sub 50th Altair 8800 on ebay again?
 
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The final auction of $9001 tag is still not met the seller's reserve.

But, I'm spot another Altair 8800 rev 0 today! , the seller start auction at price $5,999.99

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-MIT...r-Computer-w-RARE-Manuals-Extras/291431181647

the computer has a nice piggybacked SIO board, equipped with fully assembled ACR interface.

this is a Altair originally sell as a Kit, serial: 221967K. this one will not go to me, just for share.

Cheers.

Any idea why the serial number label on this computer has no "A" or "K" suffix? Do you suppose it was trimmed for some reason?
 
Any idea why the serial number label on this computer has no "A" or "K" suffix? Do you suppose it was trimmed for some reason?

This computer's serial stick is inside the case, since this is a kit, buyer can stick the serial at any where they want.
 
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This computer's serial stick is inside the case, since this is a kit, buy can stick the serial at any where they want.

I must be looking at a different serial number sticker. This sure looks like it is on the back of the case. I am just curious as to why the normal "K" or "A" suffix is not there. Did someone trim it off or might it be an off-center sticker that got cut that way?

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Here is the label on an early Altair in a museum in the UK. It was supposedly one of the Les Solomon computers which he sold to a friend and his daughter sold it on eBay. It is serial number 220003. Notice it also does not have the "K" or "A" suffix. Also appears to have been removed and replaced a few times.

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Here is the label on my Altair. Notice the difference?

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Do any other collectors have Altair computers without the suffix?
 

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It's definitely cut off because the tip of the arrow lines up with the last numeric digit. The little blue tick on the left side lines up the cut but it's not that far off. The right side also doesn't look perfectly straight. If you measure the width of the serial label, I can measure mine and see if they are all the same width.

Naturally the last letter denotes if it is a "K"it or factory "A"ssembled. I'm not sure why anyone would want to cut it off on purpose to deceive.
 
I must be looking at a different serial number stickers. This sure looks like it is on the back of the case. I am just curious as to why the normal "K" or "A" suffix is not there. Did someone trim it off or might it be an off-center sticker that got cut that way?

attachment.php


Here is the label on an early Altair in a museum in the UK. It was supposedly one of the Les Solomon computers which he sold to a friend and his daughter sold it on eBay. Notice it also does not have the "K" or "A" suffix. Also appears to have been removed and replaced a few times.

attachment.php


Here is the label on my Altair. Notice the difference?

attachment.php


Do any other collectors have Altair computers without the suffix?

Oh, yes, this sticker seems to be trimmed, maybe buyer know the Altair origin as a KIT, beside that, the fan power line installation position is not seems like a factory assembled, and the s100 motherboard is not rev 0, maybe altered from an Altair 8800a or 8800b, or from a third party. Consider the serial is 1900+, I can suppose the buyer never soldered the original 4 slot motherboard to front panel on initial assemble process, and instead use a larger one directly for easy use and time sake. So, this computer is a KIT I suppose.
 
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FYI, I just checked. I have an 8800, 8800a and 8800b and all serial number labels are exactly 2" wide. If you measure that sticker, you can tell if it's trimmed after delivery.
 
I also measured my sticker (220005A) and it is also exactly 2". I also measured the hole centers for the screws just above the label and they are 2.5" apart. If you do a little math with the measurements on the first sticker (221914) it appears that a little more than a half inch has been trimmed off. I wonder if this was something done at the factory or if there is a reason the owner would do that?
 
I also measured my sticker (220005A) and it is also exactly 2". I also measured the hole centers for the screws just above the label and they are 2.5" apart. If you do a little math with the measurements on the first sticker (221914) it appears that a little more than a half inch has been trimmed off. I wonder if this was something done at the factory or if there is a reason the owner would do that?

I viewed your 5th Altair on YouTube multiple times!
 
I contacted the seller of Altair #221914 currently on eBay and he responded: "You are indeed correct the label measures 1 5/8" long. 3/8" Short I suppose. This was purchased at a garage sale from a gentleman who claimed to have worked for NASA 30+ years ago and said he helped build the computer."

Must have been a kit from the sounds of it.
 
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Well, I am the 9001$-bidder with the ebay pseudo achimhb and I am crying in the rain. I did not see the Altair was relisted to buy directly. Too bad.
On my search to get an Altair 8800 I found this website. My hope is to find someone willing to sell this vintage computer. Anyone?
 
Well, I am the 9001$-bidder with the ebay pseudo achimhb and I am crying in the rain. I did not see the Altair was relisted to buy directly. Too bad.
On my search to get an Altair 8800 I found this website. My hope is to find someone willing to sell this vintage computer. Anyone?

Almost sure, you will find another Altair 8800 rev 0 with stock C8080 soon.

I'm an Altair 8800 enthusiast too.

I'm still finding Altair 8800 rev 0 front panel.


.
 
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