Mike Watters
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Re:only a few hundred SC2s made?
« on: December 19, 2006, 02:20AM » |
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I can go along with what you say Tom. My SC2 came from a Dutch eBay seller, who I know has had other SC2s since. Indeed he has one listed at present.
There are certain items which turn up on eBay surprisingly often which are actually comparitively rare overall. Perhaps 5-10% of the total are traded over a few years. It seems from Steffen's information that the SC2 may be one of these.
I wonder why so many ended up in the Netherlands?
Yes Steffen I promise to contact Herr Bucke about the SC1.
All the best
Mike
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Overtom
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Re:only a few hundred SC2s made?
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2006, 12:51AM » |
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I started this thread because of what I saw at a Dutch auction (http://www.marktplaats.nl), where the latest offer (visible if you type in the Dutch word schaakcomputer in the opening page), is at least the fifth SC2 I've seen there.
Since so many specimens of the SC2 have appeared at this Marktplaats site, I suppose the Netherlands must have had quite an active importer of SC2 computers. If Steffen's GDR relation confirms that indeed fewer than a thousand SC2s were made, I see no reason not to believe him and can only conclude a disproportionally large percentage of them have reached the Netherlands.
With best regards,
tom
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steffen
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Re:only a few hundred SC2s made?
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2006, 03:00PM » |
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Hello guys!
Concerning the article in the www.wikipedia.org --> "Schachcomputer in der DDR" I can tell you that I had had contact with the person who had written it.
1. He used to be the chief engineer for chess computers in the GDR
2. He comfirmed me in an email that just 12 SC 1´s had been built. So, Mike, please contact Mr Bucke, as I had recommended you, and get it repaired. It´s worth it.
3. Concerning the SC 2´s: Like I had understood his way of writing I assume that several hundred (I guess between 800 and 1,000) of them had been made. The Chessmasters/CM Diamonds had been more often - and a lonfer period.
I am sure that a GDR-chessplayer who once caught the opportunity (in which ways ever) to get an SC2 kept it like a treasure. This should be the reason why so many of them (I do have 3 of them - all different colours) are really in a very good shape.
Regards,
Steffen
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Mike Watters
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Re:only a few hundred SC2s made?
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2006, 11:39AM » |
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So Tom you are the person with the SC2s they actually sold.  \
Apologies, I was a bit mischievious because I knew that you had had a spot of bother with SC2s. I seem to remember a post or blog about a black one and a brown one?
Ah hah! I have an SC1.
Quite impressive it is too, in its special brief case. Unfortunately it does not work at the moment, but one day I hope to get it mended. Perhaps by Arno, or I was told that Herr Bucke can mend them? If there are only twelve though, it will be difficult to let it out of my sight. I did take the back off to look, but did not know where to start. The only thing I dared do was change the fuse. 
The insides are unlike any other chess computer I have opened up.
DDR regards
Mike
PS - There must be more than twelve surely.
PPS - I read somewhere that the SC2 has the same Ron Nelson program as the Fidelity Chess Challenger 10C?
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Overtom
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Re:only a few hundred SC2s made?
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2006, 09:35AM » |
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Quote from: Mike Watters on December 18, 2006, 08:53AM
Hi Tom/Robert
Is it possible that the manufacturers made a couple of thousand, say, but only sold a few hundred?
One of the things about the SC2 I have noticed on eBay is the large percentage of them that are in the box and apparently in mint condition. Perhaps that is explained by extremely careful DDR owners  but I thought more likely that they were never sold to chess players?
Have I read the article correctly that only about a dozen SC1s were built? 
All the best
Mike
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Hi Mike,
I'm afraid I don't share your experience that SC2s are generally in mint condition. So far, I've had three of them here and two of them were definitely not in a good condition. All three came in boxes that were rather tattered.
But you seem to be right about the fact that only a dozen or so SC1s were ever built. It doen't even say sold. So that must be the reason why none of us has ever set eyes on an SC1. Or has anybody ever seen any?
Best regards,
tom
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Mike Watters
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Re:only a few hundred SC2s made?
« Reply #5 on: December 18, 2006, 08:53AM » |
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Hi Tom/Robert
Is it possible that the manufacturers made a couple of thousand, say, but only sold a few hundred?
One of the things about the SC2 I have noticed on eBay is the large percentage of them that are in the box and apparently in mint condition. Perhaps that is explained by extremely careful DDR owners but I thought more likely that they were never sold to chess players?
Have I read the article correctly that only about a dozen SC1s were built?
All the best
Mike
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Robert Weck
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Re:only a few hundred SC2s made?
« Reply #6 on: December 18, 2006, 08:13AM » |
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Quote from: Overtom on December 18, 2006, 06:49AM
Yes, that seems to be correct! You understood it right!
But: So often, as this computer appears on Ebay, i would also say, there must have been sold more than only a few hundred.
OTOH, for most people in the GDR it was too expensive (as stated in the text); and now every owner digs it out of the cellar and wants to make a good buck with it. So there might seem to be more as there really are...
best regards,
Robert
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Overtom
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only a few hundred SC2s made?
« Reply #7 on: December 18, 2006, 06:49AM » |
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I'm wondering about a text dealing with computers made at the former German Democratic Republic. I found this text at several URLs, for instance here:
http://www.therapeutikon.de/Schachcomputer_in_der_DDR#SC1
http://www.computerbase.de/lexikon/Schachcomputer_in_der_DDR
The text says:
Vom SC2 wurden in den Jahren 1981 bis 1983 einige hundert Exemplare, vorwiegend im Inland, verkauft ....
I wonder if the writer means that only a few hundred SC2 chess computers were (made and) sold. I have two of them in the Overtom collection and I see them quite frequently at auctions. So judging from my own experiences I would think there must be thousands of them.
I don't consider it a huge problem if writers copy text which is correct. But just copying and copying text which is clearly incorrect is something that should be avoided.
So I could imagine there are three possibilities:
- I misinterpret the German text. The writer means only a few hundred were made between 1981 and 1983, but after that they were made by the thousands. In that case I think the text should make that clear;
- There are indeed only a few hundred, but I have been lucky enough to see twenty or so come by;
- Many thousands of them have been made and the text should be corrected.
Is there anybody who has anything to say on this subject?
With best regards,
tom
P.S. Still looking for a spare set of plastic Mephisto Modular chessmen. Don't hesitate to get in touch with me about that 
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