On Thu, May 11, 2023 at 11:26 AM segaloco via TUHS <tuhs(a)tuhs.org> wrote:
Howdy folks, I was perusing old copies of ;login: and
came across a note
about the BSTJ UNIX issue in the August 1978 newsletter:
https://archive.org/details/login_august-1978
What I find particularly amusing is that all UNIX licensees at the time of
that publication allegedly were provided a copy free of charge. The text
goes on to indicate additional copies can be purchased for a measly $1.50.
Fast forward to today and I typically don't see this copy pop up on
auction for less than $100. Still, amazing how something was being just
tossed out to anyone who wanted one and now here 45 years later, it's a mad
scramble to find the same. Then there's this listing:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/134212722284?hash=item1f3fb39e6c:g:9VEAAOSw8HtjCp2…
$3000 dollars...quite shocking, although perhaps they're banking on the
uniqueness of that little sleeve, I've never seen one of those with a BSTJ
issue before. Was that some sort of packaging the issues were delivered
in? It has the Bell Logo in the little window on either side, so I want to
believe it's original and not something someone threw together after the
fact.
In any case, I suspect part of the low pricing is due to Bell anti-trust
stuff, as they really moved on nickle and diming on documentation once they
were legally able to. In any case, I'm always shocked to see how much I
paid for something in my archival efforts and then I find a price sheet
only to find out someone bought a book back in the day for the cost of a
burger and fries. While I'm pursuing documents for research purposes...I
may be inadvertently building myself quite the value store without even
meaning to...
I bought mine in the couple of years for like $20. I think $3k is
delusional. They range from $25-$250 in the last year for 'offered' price,
mostly in the < $100 range for the ones that sell...
Warner