Re: [SWCollect] Sniping
Chris Newman wrote: My peak lunacy was bidding $2500 for a flown-to-the-moon flag, framed by the crew of Apollo XIV. Fortunately I was outbid... What did it finally go for? My birthdate is August 1st, 1971. For bonus points, can you tell me what Apollo-related date of significance that is? -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Sniping
Chris Newman boldly stated: My peak lunacy Ouch, bad pun! was bidding $2500 for a flown-to-the-moon flag, framed by the crew of Apollo XIV. -- Lee K. Seitz * [EMAIL PROTECTED] * http://home.hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/ Wanted: Vintage Pac-M*n necktie (The asterisk is to keep from mucking up people's Usenet search results. Replace it with an a, if you didn't know.) -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Sniping
C.E. Forman wrote: How did you get your bid in exactly 3 seconds before auction end? Because I'm very, very good. B-) Actually I just do the standard procedure: Two windows open, one with a place bid button at the ready, the second my refresh window (with graphics turned off so it loads faster). Hit Ctrl-R repeatedly in the last minute, switch windows and click when it gets down to about 10 seconds. Sometimes there's a bit of a lag, so you cut it a few seconds closer than planned. I've actually had my bid time be the EXACT second the auction closed, and I still won. (Runner-up was PISSED! B-) There are snipe services, such as VRane.com and eSnipe.com, that will connect to eBay a specified number of seconds before the auction's close and bid on your behalf. You have to give them your user ID and password, though, plus you're relying on their servers being up in addition to eBay's. Personally I only use these if I'm not going to be home when the auction closes. I enjoy the heart-ramming adrenaline high you can only get from sniping in person. Good grief! I asked the question tongue-in-cheek because I was half expecting you to report which service (esnipe, etc.) you used. As frequently happens, I was very surprised by your answer. :-) -- http://www.MobyGames.com/ The world's most comprehensive gaming database project. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Shrinkwrap again
Chris Newman wrote: Congrats! I recently played Time Pilots with my 2-yr-old (he plays better than my wife!) and my 4.5-yr-old enjoys playing Pac-Man, Pac-Mania, Marble Madness, and Crystal Castles, so old games definitely come in handy. :) Corrupt them when they're young, that's what I say! When did you start weaning your first on a computer? I don't think neural implants are yet a viable technology so the pedestrian route it is. Ever since Sam (my firstborn) was 16 months I had been amusing him on the computer by starting up DeluxePaint and making a big brush (usually a circle) and just moving it around the screen in a funny way -- it made him laugh. When he turned two, I remembered I had an old pirated copy of Putt-Putt Joins the Parade (first game from Humongous Entertainment, founded by Ron Gilbert, uses SCUMM in fact) that I had kept because I was struck at the time (1992) by how good the music was. 7 years later I dusted the disks off and started it up one day to amuse Sam (then 2 yrs old) and played with the cursor again. But then I clicked on some object and made it do its thing, and he immediately stopped laughing and wanted to see more -- he was fascinated. So that's how it began. The first month (maybe doing this for 15 minutes a day) I moved the pointer. The second month, he tried to make it move but he had trouble with the mouse, which was exactly the excuse I needed to buy a Kingston $99 trakball (I prefer trakballs infinitely over mice), which he loved. It was immediately obvious to me how much more appropriate it was for a kid -- it has a big ball and can be lifted out for easy cleaning (of the ball). The third month, he was moving to something, then clicking on it. The fourth, he figured out dragging (with my help). So, at 2.5 yrs old, my son was playing Putt-Putt Joins The Parade by himself. I was elated -- I was hoping I could always teach him to read at age 2.5 like my Dad had done for me, but this was just as good -- both are viable skills needed for the future ;-) For those thinking of introducing their kids to educational games, I am more than happy to give advice -- hell, I should probably write an essay on it. For those interested: Sam has his own gaming rig now, an old Pentium Pro 200 that I'm not using. The Kingston Trakball is mine, but I got him a $29 Logitech optical trakball that is a much better choice for him. The ball is smaller, but the advantages outweigh that fact: - It's cheaper - The unit is optical, so the only moving part you have to clean is the ball itself, which lifts right out - Being optical, there's no slipping due to, oh, say, peanut butter and jelly gunk on it ;-) - Being USB (high sample rate) and optical, you can get an exact 1:1 movement ratio if you disable pointer acceleration, which is the most natural method of using a trakball and he just flys with it (I have since moved to an optical+USB+no pointer acceleration setup myself and love it) He also starts his own games. This magic was created by installing Win 98, turning ON the single-click-to-launch-an-icon option, and buying CD Copier (Daemon tools does the same thing and is free, but limited) and using it to dump all of his educational games to CD images on the 4GB disk I stuck in there. I then mounted all of the CD images (which act as real CDs) to about 15 drive letters and stuck the installed games' icons on the desktop. He sits down, clicks on an icon once, and the game starts. I have about 200 or so other games I haven't yet listed for that reason. I suppose I could list them w/o a proper ad but I'm too compulsive to do that. Ah, more fuel for my fire of all software collectors have a neurological disorder. :-D I agree with you about the disorder too. At least it's a happy one, not so much a crack addiction but closer to a Ned Flanders belief in an optimistic world. Now that's a quote. -- http://www.MobyGames.com/ The world's most comprehensive gaming database project. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Shrinkwrap again
C.E. Forman wrote: L00K -- Crispy mint impossible to find Ultima with a totally REAL moonthing! This game retailed for $69.95 and uses state of the art VGA graphics and Adlib sound. Get this TODAY. I've seen this go for like $200. This brings up something I've never understood: Why in God's name do some sellers persist in using L@@K!!! in their auction titles? Nobody ever searches on it. It's not even a word. Considering you only get 45 characters in the title, it's a waste of 4 + however many exclamations you add after. I c@uldn't agree with y@u m@re, Chris. G@d, I hate that. -- http://www.MobyGames.com/ The world's most comprehensive gaming database project. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Sniping
C.E. Forman wrote: There are snipe services, such as VRane.com and eSnipe.com, that will I bought 500 points on eSnipe last night and started a watch on two items. connect to eBay a specified number of seconds before the auction's close and bid on your behalf. You have to give them your user ID and password, though, plus you're relying on their servers being up in addition to eBay's. Personally I only use these if I'm not going to be home when the auction closes. I enjoy the heart-ramming adrenaline high you can only get from sniping in person. I don't (my high is *winning* the auction ;-) so I think I'll just merge my existing practices with sniping and be done with all the stress. :) BTW: I tried AuctionTamer last night and was pretty impressed. It still doesn't do some things that would help me specifically (like automatically running an arbitrary number of searches every time I start it up) but does do some nice things like automatically interact with esnipe -- and when I use up my points with esnipe, it has its own built-in sniping that is free (I have DSL so my machine is always on and connected, so this is great for me -- wish I hadn't spent the money on esnipe points). It also automates some common tasks, like leave feedback reminders and some other stuff that I'll explore in more detail tonight. Let's hope your little education on sniping proves true (or, as Hugh Falk puts it, 100% guaranteed) because I'm sniping 2 things that I had previously gotten into long drawn out bidding wars with some people -- and guess what, they've already placed their bids on the same items. I'll keep you guys posted on whether or not my first official sniping practices work out for me. -- http://www.MobyGames.com/ The world's most comprehensive gaming database project. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Sniping
Jim Leonard wrote: Chris Newman wrote: My peak lunacy was bidding $2500 for a flown-to-the-moon flag, framed by the crew of Apollo XIV. Fortunately I was outbid... What did it finally go for? I think it sold for close to $3000. What makes it tragic, and also a good indication of how newbies are vulnerable on ebay, is the condition. The scum seller included a picture of the item, from about 2 feet away at an oblique angle. You could not make out any detail. I e-mailed him asking for a close-up picture. He sent one blurry shot from a foot away, and at a 45 degree angle. You could not make out any detail. So I called him: Hi, I'm calling about your Apollo XIV flag you have for sale on ebay. (Silence) Oh. How did you get my number? It's a service ebay has, in case you need to ask questions. (More silence). Mmm. I was wondering if I could see the item before I bought it. I know you're based in Florida, and I'm in New York, but for such a high-value item it might be worth a trip. (TOTAL silence -- does not encourage my halting request to see the thing). The conversation went on a little longer. Afterwards, ignoring the warning bells giving me a migraine from all the clanging, I made my bid. Afterwards I wrote the winner to asked how he liked it. The item was is such BAD shape he actually created an auction of the same item -- not to sell it -- but to show the world what he paid three grand for. The frame was rotted, the statement of authenticity signed by the crew was covered with moth holes, as was the flag, and the flag was stained! It looked like it was baked in the Florida sunlight for 30 years. Gr! My birthdate is August 1st, 1971. For bonus points, can you tell me what Apollo-related date of significance that is? Hmmm, well 13 was in April 1970, and 17 was in December 1972. That leaves 14,15,16. 14 was delayed about 10 months because of the accident, so I'll guess that it was when Apollo XV touched down on Hadley Rille? I'm bad with dates. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/ -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Sniping
Chris Newman wrote: what he paid three grand for. The frame was rotted, the statement of authenticity signed by the crew was covered with moth holes, as was the flag, and the flag was stained! It looked like it was baked in the Florida sunlight for 30 years. Aren't you glad you lost the bid then? BTW: An update for the rest of you: I did eventually get my sound card from the guy who had extremely poor communication skills. He mailed it IN IT'S ORIGINAL BOX with just some mailing labels slapped on the outside of the shrinkwrap. Argh! However, lucky for him, it arrived in astonishingly good condition, so I left him a neutral instead of a negative. My birthdate is August 1st, 1971. For bonus points, can you tell me what Apollo-related date of significance that is? Hmmm, well 13 was in April 1970, and 17 was in December 1972. That leaves 14,15,16. 14 was delayed about 10 months because of the accident, so I'll guess that it was when Apollo XV touched down on Hadley Rille? I'm bad with dates. It was the first use of the moon buggy on the surface of the moon! -- http://www.MobyGames.com/ The world's most comprehensive gaming database project. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Inception
Quickies: Does Battle Hawks' Inception fetch more for C64 or IBM? Was it released for any other platform(s)? Is the pin more than half of the total value (sorry, tried hard not to use a subjective term) of the package? Like just about everything else, I've noticed higher prices for the IBM version. It was also available for Apple II, Amiga, and I think there was a Mac version. Inception is hard to predict, though. I've got maybe 4 of them complete and haven't had an offer in months. But every now and then I'll get multiple requests in the same week, and once in awhile one fetches an insane price on eBay. (Over $20, which I consider insane for Inception based on how mass-produced it was.) Is the pin more than half of the total value (sorry, tried hard not to use a subjective term) of the package? From my experience, definitely yes. Packages with the pin have consistently fetched upwards of $40, but it's hard to move even a complete Inception for more than $15 or so. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Inception
C.E. Forman wrote: Inception is hard to predict, though. I've got maybe 4 of them complete and haven't had an offer in months. But every now and then I'll get multiple requests in the same week, and once in awhile one fetches an insane price on eBay. (Over $20, which I consider insane for Inception based on how mass-produced it was.) Being an IBM-exclusive collector, I would definitely pay up to $25 for an Inception with a pin. Not much more, though. Is the pin more than half of the total value (sorry, tried hard not to use a subjective term) of the package? From my experience, definitely yes. Packages with the pin have consistently fetched upwards of $40, but it's hard to move even a complete Inception for more than $15 or so. Stick one on auction (with a reasonable reserve to protect your investment, of course) and I'd be more than happy to snip^H^H^H^Hbid on it. -- http://www.MobyGames.com/ The world's most comprehensive gaming database project. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Inception
Being an IBM-exclusive collector, I would definitely pay up to $25 for an Inception with a pin. Not much more, though. Heh, good luck there. Not saying you won't ever get one, but they were limited to the first 5000 copies of Inception, and just about every Infocom collector wants one. Stick one on auction (with a reasonable reserve to protect your investment, of course) and I'd be more than happy to snip^H^H^H^Hbid on it. I probably will, in the coming weeks. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] $1 Games, Starting This Weekend
On Thu, 30 Aug 2001, C.E. Forman wrote: [snip] (Jim, I particularly wanted to let you know, since you have a definite interest in what the rest of us tend to dismiss as crap.) *sniffle* Hey, I like this crap too! Though I suppose not nearly as much as Jim, considering I focus most of my efforts on adventures, RPG's, strategy games, puzzle games, and a handful of other games (especially the Wing Commander series). I'd happily pay $2-3 for a completely random IBM game I don't own, though. -- Stephen -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] $1 Games, Starting This Weekend
C.E. Forman wrote: I know advertising isn't the primary function of this list, but I tust wanted to announce the start of Ye Olde Infocomme Shoppe's $1 Games sale: Starting this weekend, I'll be liquidating a large number of old games on eBay, in an effort to free up some space. All platforms, all genres. Everything I list will have low BuyItNow prices ($10.00 max) and a starting bid of $1.00. Winning 4 or more games gets you free media-rate shipping in the U.S., half-price shipping anywhere else. (Jim, I particularly wanted to let you know, since you have a definite interest in what the rest of us tend to dismiss as crap.) I appreciate the thought -- I think ;-) What username should I search for? Morrodox? That's all; Please don't bash me like the r.*.i-f snots do to sellers. B-) I think you've earned yourself enough of a reputation that this post is completely warranted. No worries, mate. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] $1 Games, Starting This Weekend
Stephen S. Lee wrote: On Thu, 30 Aug 2001, C.E. Forman wrote: [snip] (Jim, I particularly wanted to let you know, since you have a definite interest in what the rest of us tend to dismiss as crap.) *sniffle* Hey, I like this crap too! Though I suppose not nearly as much as Jim, considering I focus most of my efforts on adventures, RPG's, strategy games, puzzle games, and a handful of other games (especially the Wing Commander series). I'd happily pay $2-3 for a completely random IBM game I don't own, though. Bizarro Software Collectors of the world unite! Yes, I will be bidding. No, I won't be sniping ;-) -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
Re: [SWCollect] Inception
C.E. Forman wrote: Being an IBM-exclusive collector, I would definitely pay up to $25 for an Inception with a pin. Not much more, though. Heh, good luck there. Not saying you won't ever get one, but they were limited to the first 5000 copies of Inception, and just about every Infocom collector wants one. Oh, I'm not interested -- that's just want I'd pay. I'd pay $15-$20 for one without a pin. Stick one on auction (with a reasonable reserve to protect your investment, of course) and I'd be more than happy to snip^H^H^H^Hbid on it. I probably will, in the coming weeks. Let me know when you do. -- This message was sent to you because you are currently subscribed to the swcollect mailing list. To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of 'unsubscribe swcollect' Archives are available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/swcollect@oldskool.org/
