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IMP-16C Value

aranselga

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Joined
Feb 2, 2025
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Hi, I have a IMP-16C plaque and its manual and documentation. I know one has been sold for 10000USD and wanted to know if that is its real price and the conditions to reach it. I would thank very much if someone with knowledge about the topic answered me. Thanks.
 
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I guess it depends if you meet the expectations of someone avidly seeking that kind of board.

Yet it is a board, not a working computer, and we don't know if it works.
I guess it would be valued as much as a PDP-11 CPU board like this one:

A working computer of that area could be sold between $5000 and $10,000.
 
Thank you very much. It has been told to me that it is the first microprocessor of 16 bits of the world. Can that make it more valueable?
 
Thank you very much. It has been told to me that it is the first microprocessor of 16 bits of the world. Can that make it more valueable?
Probably (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMP-16), but you'll need to either (1) find someone who wants a trophy to hang on their wall, (2) is willing to build up an accompanying RAM and I/O interface, or (3) donate it to a reputable museum and claim a deduction (maybe?) with your national tax authority.

It's fortunate that technical documentation is still available online so a hobbyist _could_ actually build up a system and do some programming on it.

However for the single board $10,000 USD that would be a trophy-hunter, not a hobbyist.
A working computer of that area could be sold between $5000 and $10,000.
Complete, probably. Blinken-lights-and-switches help a lot too :-}. For example this IMP16P system (based on an IMP-16C with on-board memory; see "4200036A_IMP16P_Descr_1974.pdf"); note the front panel and set of seven boards:
 

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an IMP-16 based COP400 programmer (big chonky rack mount sort of thing) with 8" floppy drive and a bunch of other associated boards and hardware went to the VCF midewst auction, I think last year. I don't know what it went for.
 
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