• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here
  • From now on we will require that a prefix is set for any items in the sales area. We have created regions and locations for this. We also require that you select a delivery option before posting your listing. This will hopefully help us streamline the things that get listed for sales here and help local people better advertise their items, especially for local only sales. New sales rules are also coming, so stay tuned.

Imsai 8080

T

tma

Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2007
Messages
25
Greetings Folks:

I have just joined this forum.

I would like to find out the approximate value of my IMSAI 8080 which I bought in the late 70's. It is still working and boots up CP/M version 2.2 from one of the dual 8" floppy drives. I never did get around to putting the drives into a case. It has a dual floppy controller and a pair of Memorex drives plus another couple of spare drives. There is a mixture of S100 cards including an extender board and EPROM programmer. The chassis, case and front panel is pretty much mint. l have a couple of file boxes of manuals and documentation for it plus a few dozen diskettes of software.

I wonder what the approximate collectors value might be? I could not find any history on eBay. I am wondering if there is somewhere on the net where I could look to determine its value? Are there any special auction sites for vintage computers? If it does not have much value I will probably just hang on to it for nostalgia. I like to boot it up once and a while just to see all those LEDs light up on the front panel, hear the floppy drive A clunk/clunk and to remember the early days of entering the paper tape BootLoader from those front panel keys, :)/)).

Many thanks in advance for any help!

Tom
 
Heya Tom,

IMSAI systems are desirable collectables and tend to sell for $1,000+ for just the CPU. If you've got drives, software, docs and maybe a terminal you're likely to get a bunch more.

The fact that it's known to be working adds even more to the value.

If I were a betting man I'd say your system would probably fetch $1,500-$2,500 in eBay dollars on a good day. On a great day maybe even more.

Other sale options include the Vintage Computer Marketplace (marketplace.vintage.org,) posting to a local Craig's List board or posting here.

Good luck making your decision and good luck with the sale if you decide to go that way.
 
Mostly correct as per what Erik posted. I'd expect more in the $1200-$1500 range, not much higher, although the trick that you have is the documentation/manuals which can raise a price nicely. It certainly does sound like a nice setup. For auction sites it would be ebay or marketplace.vintage.com or if you decide on a solid price you could even post it in the marketplace here.

- John
 
VuCom 1

VuCom 1

Greetings,

Thanks for the replies!

You got me wondering if I still have the old RS232C, 25 pin port, VuCom 1 terminal I originally used with my Imsai. I rummaged around the garage a bit and found it still in the box from our last move 20 years ago.

The VuCom 1 is a big brute that occupies about a two foot cube. Originally the VuCom 1 was limited to 300 baud but there was a mod for revving it up to 9600 baud which I did. A downside of the mod was that it also revved up the repeat key by 32 times, ;).

I have not even unpacked let alone powered up that VuCom for 20 years and it was shipped over 1500 miles in the mean time. It would be interesting to see if it still works - maybe???

Shipping for all this gear could prove challenging! I wonder if others have found they had to make wooden crates?

Thanks Again!

Tom
 
Wow. Yeah, now that's a pretty sweet setup if you have all that. Oh.. btw.. if you do go with an auction and everything works, take a few pictures with everything up and running. That alone will add a few hundred to the final price.

Unfortunately I can't recall the link (hopefully T or someone else will come save the day with a link) however there are evidentally (I haven't been following this practice but probably will from now on) some risks on powering on old hardware safely. Some of this includes replacing at risk capacitors and of course getting rid of any paper fuses or paper capacitors.

Ok, I searched through my own posts but still can't find it. But it's something to consider if you don't want to risk burning up any parts during the test. I think Aaron and T and a few others are familiar with these processes much better than I.
 
To answer your other question, some folks take their stuff and just pay UPS to pack it and throw that into the shipping and handling. There are also a few companies that will come out to your location and pack it for you.

Some folks also just say "pickup only".
 
tma said:
Shipping for all this gear could prove challenging! I wonder if others have found they had to make wooden crates?
Click to expand...

I agree, but the crate might be overkill. I usually package heavy items separately. In your case the CPU, drives and terminal would be in separate boxes with docs and disks scattered in amongst them as space permits or in a fourth box for extra safety.

If I pack myself I try to double-box delicate items but ideally, if it's worth protecting, foam-in-place is the way to go.

Even a good "professional" packing job will still probably be a bit cheaper than getting a crate built.
 
Also insure the package appropriately. (Although I haven't had to do this or file a claim on vintage technology) however if they break something that's worth $2000 then it's certainly worth the buyer putting forth a little money for insured shipping. If nobody has referenced the a link to the capacitor info I'll do it when I get home (I have the link up still since I wanted to fully read it again) but can't find it here at work.
 
As a man who has paid for 3 lifetimes of packing materials ...

Yep, in place foam is the absolute best...

And, yes, double boxing is next..

The one I really love (NOT) is when they include small heavy objects (like wall warts) with the keyboard! I have had 3, countem 3, keyboards arrive in small fragments at the bottom of the box. Nothing is more fun than a computer with a broken keyboard.

(Reminds me of the scene in one of the Star Trek movies where Scotty picks up the mouse and tries talking into it).
 
Greetings Again Folks:

My goodness thanks for all the great advice!

I must admit I don't know ~off the top~ exactly what "in place foam" refers to but I imagine that maybe where foam is blown into a plastic bag and then expands around the actual device being packed filling the voids to near perfectly fit the inside of the box. That would be a very effective and tidy method of packing securely.

I live on Vancouver Island thus "pick up only" would be an imposition for most potential buyers. UPS, Fedex and other big courier companies service this area well thus any one of them should work out OK. I didn't realize UPS also offer a packing service - I must look into that.

Insurance for shipping from a residence especially for used equipment may be difficult to obtain. Some simply will not insure items not shipped by a business.

As the VuCom would occupy too much space in my den area I never set it back up after our last move. It would be redundant as I can simply use a serial port and terminal program on this computer. If I decide to sell my dear IMSAI I plan to set it all up on a bench with the VuCom and photograph it all. Hopefully I would be able to illustrate a directory dump on the VuCom screen via my digital camera which I could tripod mount if necessary.

Thanks again folks - I will be watching this very helpful thread!

Tom
 
The foam deal - they actually take a sheet of thin plastic, like you have with your garbage bags, push it up against the item being packed and "squirt" liquid foam into the area. It bubbles up and hardens, quickly I would imagine. So, it turns out to be a solid mass of hardened foam. Absolutely the best for protection from the UPS brutes.
 
As for disposition of your Imsai, I would consider keeping it as the centerpiece of your soon-to-be-expanding collection. Since you get some pleasure from owning/using it, you may already have the bug, and will probably end up regretting if you sell it. You're already off to a great start, and we invite you to join us in this very enjoyable and fulfilling hobby.
/$.02

--T
 
I second that motion! You are already pretty much at the top for collecting, and IMO and knowledge, the only thing much better than it is the Cray-1, and unless you have one of those around....

But seriously, seems you are starting at the top, the hobby is only going to get less costly as you collect IBM/compatables and/or CP/M or MP/M. FOr the rest of us it just costs more and more!

But you could always sell it to me for shipping.....

--Ryan
 
I agree, don't mess around with packing - do it right. If in your auction you describe not only the computer but also the packing/shipping plan you'll get a lot more $$. If you can make a video of the system in action, loading a program, etc. you'll get top dollar.

You will need to disassemble the computer, or at least take the cards out of the chassis.

If at all possible, find a buyer who will pick it up, shipping will damage the system! I personally would not mail my IMSAI, no way but that's me. Too much work has been put into it by me and friends who have helped me to take the risk.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top