Hacker News Reader

Comment by yftsui | Hacker News Reader

Sony didn’t give it to the restaurant; instead the restaurant purchased it during Japan’s economic boom.

Something feels off about that, somehow it was the only photo of the TV. Its like if he was the only one interested in a big TV?

Beyond some size, antique items become less valuable, because of the sheer headaches of moving and storing them. This thing qualifies. Antique Teletype machines are not very expensive. People have bought Linotype machines for $200. Trying to find a home for a locomotive is very tough. (When the Pacific Locomotive Society lost their lease at Hunter's Point Naval Station, they had a big problem. Most of their fleet is now stored at Brightside on the Niles Canyon Railway.)

Like pianos. Unless they are very good, their value tends to go in the negative numbers with time, as you have to move them somehow.

In my parents place, an apartment in a second floor, there's an upright Yamaha that my dad bought in the late 70s or early 80s. I think they brought them in through the stairs, but like 10 years ago an elevator was added to the building lobby, and I don't think there is enough space to move it around. I think the piano will remain with the apartment forever :D

Pianos also have a shelf life. It’s usually a couple of decades depending on use and maintenance levels, but eventually maintaining it turns into just building a whole new piano in the same box

I get the value over time, but the original store owner bought it when it was brand new, so I wonder if Sony didn't have a lot of sales even in Japan, and this one guy was the only one who had the money and that one Sony guy got insanely lucky it was exactly what they wanted. I'm trying to read between the lines of how the previous owner is describing it and the fact that this TV was so rare some people thought it was fake.

It was sold to really few people. I must be really dense or have a bad day, but can you spell out exactly what you mean here?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com