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Pacific Northwest Seattle’s Living Computers Museum - auction Sept 2024

Covers: Oregon and Washington
The Microsoft green-eyed mouse sold for over $8000
The Lisa is now over $880 000

Yes I'm adding spaces to the denominations because there's a lotta zeros in these prices.
I'm getting incredibly worried now that we are all about to get priced out of the hobby by people seeking hard-assets for investments that may never see the light of day again. There is absolutely no way people are buying this for a whole lot else.
 
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I can't understand it --- these machines require upkeep, rubber parts yearn to become tar, foam turns to dust, contacts tarnish, plastic will spall and crumble, and electromigration will claim the ICs in time. A Lisa isn't a Rembrandt; how is this a durable form of wealth? I never thought I'd say this but I wish folks would go back to the ape jpegs.
 
The PDP-10s must have had some late bidding too, $126k and $189k. Plus premiums. I agree the Lisa sale price was unbelievable, far more than the Apple I. Is this a new record for a vintage computer? Or will the high bidder pull out (and get sued)? Maybe there is some billionaire hoping to offset tax and claim these as charitable donations. The BBC news haven't mentioned this auction yet, have any of the major US outlets picked it up?

Regards,
John
 
Geekwire is now also reporting that the remaining inventory from the LCM (you know, all the stuff we know they had but we didn't see in the auctions and we had no idea where they went) has been sold for an undisclosed amount to the Computer Museum of America.
They also state the closing sales from the auctions totals $16.8 Million.

www.geekwire.com

Paul Allen estate sells remaining Living Computers artifacts and systems to museum near Atlanta

Living Computers: Museum + Labs on First Avenue South in Seattle opened in 2012. The nonprofit closed in 2020 just before the pandemic and never reopened.
www.geekwire.com www.geekwire.com
 
stepleton said:
I can't understand it --- these machines require upkeep, rubber parts yearn to become tar, foam turns to dust, contacts tarnish, plastic will spall and crumble, and electromigration will claim the ICs in time. A Lisa isn't a Rembrandt; how is this a durable form of wealth?
Click to expand...
In this case, value is mostly due to the place/person these machines are coming from. Same reason why a jacket or guitar from a pop star goes for crazy money.
 
I'm expecting we'll hear of a new computer history museum in Dubai or elsewhere in the middle east. It takes some pretty deep pockets to buy such things, and it seems Dubai is putting hundreds of millions into making itself a "cultural and vacation destination" that people all over the world will want to visit. Moving away from the oil-focused economy, is an important goal.

Just a guess. But I can't come up with any other reason such high prices were realized.

I'm glad the Computer Museum of America in Georgia got some items, but it sounds mostly like "scraps." I doubt Computer History Museum in California acquired anything. They really seem to be more "donation" focused, and I don't think want to spend money buying anything.

Does anyone know anything about who bought this all up?
 
Well, the Decsystem2020 went for a reasonable amount. For a 20, TU78 (NICE!) and an RM05 (does anyone have packs for those things?) that's a pretty fair deal.

For the rest.... *sigh* Given that most of this stuff was donated to the "museum" I find it amazing how we basically gave 3 million dollars to Paul Allen's estate. I mean it's nice to support rich people, they certainly need it, but still a lesson learned for next time.
 
NeXT said:
The Microsoft green-eyed mouse sold for over $8000
The Lisa is now over $880 000

Yes I'm adding spaces to the denominations because there's a lotta zeros in these prices.
I'm getting incredibly worried now that we are all about to get priced out of the hobby by people seeking hard-assets for investments that may never see the light of day again. There is absolutely no way people are buying this for a whole lot else.
Click to expand...
No, it means we're all going to be RICH!!!! I should insure my shed for 5 million dollars. :-)
 
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