Retro Re-Homing

[Edmond D]

Hi All,

Probably like most of you, I've got a collection of old machines, software, and parts that are just sitting around unused. It's time to figure out how to move them on to someone who will at least treasure them, perhaps use them, and maybe even love them.

While I'm not getting rid of my VIC-20's and related equipment, I do have a small collection of PC stuff dating back to the early DOS days (an original copy of IBM MS DOS 1.1 with original disks!) They sit in an overfilled crawlspace and need to go to a worthy home.

When I first bought a house with my wife, it necessitated getting rid of 200+ computers of various sorts. They went to a re-use/recycling firm, as moving on that about was going to be beyond what I could do myself. The second house move saw further reductions as the new house was much smaller and 1300 KM away, requiring a moving and storage company to get to where I now am. Transporting things I'd never would get at was going to be an unwise expense, hence the further reductions.

A coupe of years ago I moved on a CBM 4040 dual drive and a complete set of SuperPET language manuals plus non original disks. The recipient had an online presence of this collection, and had the necessary SuperPET plus a desire to learn all those funky non-BASIC languages. A willing victim

So what I'm left with is old MS DOS stuff (mainly software from the 90's) and a collection of new never used chips. I figure the chips are of value, as I'll never get to an Z80 system going, nor cache memory for a 486 either. Both items are out of production now a days.

While there are some very vibrant YouTubers out there, sending them something that they would have to re-home themselves isn't the answer. Putting old chips on eBay or FB doesn't seem right to me, I'm not looking to make a buck, plus I have no way of testing that the items I have even work.

So what I'm looking for is some advice on how to further downsize, rather than message of "please send me what you have, I'll take it for free." Thoughts?


PS - my NIB X16 is something that will NOT be going!

[Xiphod]

Consider checking out a near Vintage Computer Festival to your area, if possible. They often have a "free table" and also a "consignment shop" (and VCF MW in Chicago also has a buy/sell tables outside, or at least has done so in years past). At VCF East they have a swap-meet nearby generally within a month after their event (and "swapping cash" is fine too). At least at VCFs you know the equipment is generally going to a good home.

Their schedule and locations are listed at the top of this site:
<https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php>

Or consider the Marketplace section of their forum, where you can annotate the message with your general region (or state) so people know approximately how much distance they might be looking at for larger items.

That said, I don't think it's any shame in using eBay. It offers a wide audience of people who may be looking for such things. But preparing images takes a lot of time, and it's always (generally) more fun to meet buyers and be able to explain more about the item and its history (or context of how it was used).

[Edmond D]

Thanks for the lead. While VCF events seem to be just US based I did search for Canada (where I live) and found posts from others in this country.

Sending/selling things into the states might be problematic, exasperated by current US-Canada relationships.

Ebay or VCF forums do sound like possibilities for me. I agree that meeting and talking with fellow collectors is a lot more fun than just shipping old widgets in a box to a foreign destination.

[HomeLate]

You could try Amibay. I regularly buy on Amibay and they have strict rules for selling and buying on their platform to avoid scam.
If you decide to sell, read their rules and you're good to go.

Good luck selling the items. I'm in a similar situation. I collected a lot of computers and parts but my home is too small. I don't want to sell our home but I don't want to sell my collection either.