Computer Junk Collectors Thread

[Andy]

Is anyone collecting hardware and/or software as a future investment opportunity?

I know it sounds sad now but think how popular antiques are now.

I'm collecting old computer gear and chips. They are almost free now, but wait 20 years when all computers are biological brain implants and todays junk may well be worth almost as much as our domain names!

How about windows v.1 or old computer chips.

Today I binned some motherboards but thought, hey! wait a minute and popped out the bios chips. The '95 Award bios chip has a hologram on it, surely collectable in the future??

I use an old dismembered hard disk as a door stop, it's cool with the big precision-engineered platter and head mechanism.

In the loft I have an ancient IBM PC, Mac, Spectrum, ZX81 and Amiga.

Also,I have some old transistors and ancient electronics parts.

Comments....

[SensoVision]

hmm if words you saying is truth than people from the countries of fomrer USSR will be very reach soon Since we have much of this here... and it's not almost free... since many folks still can't afford normal PC and work on somehting like this...
but I see your point of view and it sounds to me logical... maybe I should also start to collect some things, they will not take much space but could give somre revenue in future

[Queen Bee]

Hmm... That's an interesting idea. I don't really collect anything, to be honest... I have a few stamps, a pathetic selection of beanie babies, and that's about it.

[Andy]

Yes, you should save any old space program parts, maybe old parachutes from the cosmonaut landings, lab equipment, mobile phones (the bigger the better!) and especially the rare computers that we never saw in the West.

Now we don't use computer chips with legs so save them, especially the microprocessors (brains) with legs, the bios chips and tapes/disks etc.

Save any punched paper tape software (LOL), wax-coated resistors, metal-can transistors, valves etc. They will be worth a fortune in a few years time.

Put them on ebay in 10 years time and retire!

[SensoVision]

just waiting to make few millions on trash I have on my backyard

[susieq]

Please don't laugh guys, but in emergency situation, (it could only happen to me ) I used a cd to reinforce the top of the lampshade to put the bulb through into the light socket in my ceiling light.......heaven forbid ::)and....... I have a cd on my standing lamp lamp shade to stop the bulb from wobbling

Sue

[Queen Bee]

LOL, Sue! So imaginatively useful

[Andy]

I know it sounds crazy but people in the UK actually buy stuff that should be put in the trash and then they sell it at auction for 5-50 times what they paid. We have 4 TV programs on this theme now and I'm making a website on the subject.

p.s. Phoenix please send me any old space junk that landed in your back yard.

[SensoVision]

I know it sounds crazy but people in the UK actually buy stuff that should be put in the trash and then they sell it at auction for 5-50 times what they paid. We have 4 TV programs on this theme now and I'm making a website on the subject.

p.s. Phoenix please send me any old space junk that landed in your back yard.

need to colect some cash for parcel first As for now I have only not dead ZX specturm there and some tranistors and electronic tubes Need to collect some if I want to become reach one day.
BTW Andy if possible keep us informed how your project about PC junk is going.

[Andy]

Keep those tubes, maybe already worth good money especially if rare audio tubes. Wrap them up in cotton wool, grease the pins and store in bank vault.

I will keep informed about the PC junk. p.s. I have the original "glow in the dark" sinclair printer with spare paper! Priceless.

[susieq]

I have an old 486 stashed which someone gave to me and I tried to get working.....
But maybe it is not yet 'old' enough also a heap of cd's from the front of pc magazines, which I bought trying to understand how to switch 'that
thing over in the corner ' on last year I guess becsue now I have an up-to-date everything, everything else now seems 'old'  Hope I don't age as fast as that..........
Sue

[justjeni]

All I have old is my four year old computer...sigh.       I WANT NEW!!    

Susieq - I couldn't help but laugh, but 'cos that's funny! In a cute way!

[CoastPC]

Blast from the past
www.obsoletecomputermuseum.org/
Chris

[Queen Bee]

Haha, great URL! Thanks for sharing

[Hope]

I am glad to hear I am not the only one with old computer junk laying around the house. I keep telling myself that one of these days I will toss them. I just can't do it. They are still useful to someone. Right?