Are You a Hobbyist, Collector, or Historian?

In determining your collecting goals, it is important to come to grips with the type of collector you are. The primary difference between Hobbyists, Collectors, and Historians is how they display their chips. Generally, all chip collectors display some attributes of each of the "collector" archetype that follow. 

The Hobbyist

Hobbyists are chip collectors that prefer to display their chips in working computers, boards, or prototypes. The interest is in the functional characteristics of the processors. Hobbyists often are interested not just in the processors, but also the other chips the manufacturer made to support the processor. Hobbyists are more interested in the operational status of a chip versus the cosmetic appearance.

The Collector

Collectors generally may or may not display their chips. Generally, Collectors are focused on specific types of chips and attempting to collect all of those chips and any chip variations. Collectors are inclined to care more about characteristic that may make a chip unique, than its operational status or physical appearance. Collectors will often acquire chips they may not be familiar with, but they do recognize that it is a member of the family they are collecting.

The Historian

Historians generally display their chips within a historic or technical context. The Historian is more interested in acquiring the history associated with the technological advance the chip represents. Historians, generally, will not acquire a chip unless they know something about the history surrounding the chip. In addition to the actual chip, Historians are interested in marketing brochures, magazine advertisements, and technical literature to help place the chip's role in history. Historians are generally interested in the condition and state of the chip, but also value the operational status.

Most collectors are either Hobbyist/Collectors or Historian/Collectors. There are a very few true Hobbyist/Historians, but they are a somewhat conflicted bunch. There is a basic conflict between the Hobbyist and the Historian. The Historian is keen on preserving history and that generally translates into keeping chips in the most pristine condition possible. The Hobbyist, on the hand, is willing to sacrifice the state and condition of a chip, to demonstrate its use and functionality. Many Hobbyists view themselves as teachers, sharing the vintage technology. In this context, they are probably more effective than the Historian in this pursuit. The Historian would view this as a short lived experiment which ultimately degrades the chip.

One other collecting "destination" of chips is the Computer Collector. Vintage chips are often needed to restore vintage computers. Computer Collectors are not generally chip collectors and acquire chips only for the good of the computer. There is an uneasy relationship between Chip Collectors and Computer Collectors. Computer Collectors are concerned that Chip Collectors destroy vintage computers and boards to acquire chips. And to be honest, this does happen. However, most diligent chip collectors will not allow this to happen to collectible computers and boards. Computer Collectors often turn to Chip Collectors for the chips they need. It is interesting that most Historians will part with chips to return a vintage computer to operational status.