People pay alot for the old white eproms too just as collector pieces. I dont get it at all, whats the big deal?
Occasionally, people do. But again, it's not the general "white EPROM" that's worth something - it's the occasional, rare version of an early chip that could be worth something. Likewise, another area where eBay has artificially inflated the perception of an items value because people list them for lots of money. They almost never sell, but that's beside the point.
An early EPROM like a 1702, in the early white ceramic package, is probably worth about ten bucks. Maybe. If you get the right sucker.
A 'normal' EPROM, like a 2716 or a 2708, in white ceramic, is probably worth two or three times what the usual plain brownish-purple ceramic chip is worth - which is about a buck.
And, some of the unusual russian versions of these chips might go for more than that.
That said, I do like the white EPROMs - they're pretty. But not worth spending extra money on. In fact, looking on eBay right now, I could buy some - but the shipping costs exceed the cost of the chips....
-Ian