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Ask HN: Should I sell my vintage computer collection?

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Re: Ask HN: Should I sell my vintage computer collection?

#61

Post by guenthert »

quilombodigital wrote: post #56

As someone already stated in this thread. Its just stuff. I also had a collection with a friend when I was 25. I started programming with 12, so I had tk85, tk90x, appleII, MSX, amiga500, amiga1200, amiga2000, amiga4000, phillips CDI, videolaser, nintendos, playstation1, dreamcast, peripherals and etc... I decided to have a change in my career, so I closed this office I had with my friend, and we had to decide what t…

> Sometimes I get caught by nostalgia, like last week when I was looking at a appleII clear case mod, and I get a small urge to buy another one. Then I just remember how good was that time, and that good memories are never the same when you live them again.

Sometimes I'm overcome by nostalgia as well, especially when people lauding the Amiga for which I have a weak spot, as I couldn't afford it back in its heyday. Then I look at some youtube clip of an Amiga game and think, yep, that's how it was, doesn't look all that impressive today and I'm cured again for a couple of weeks ;-)

Re: Ask HN: Should I sell my vintage computer collection?

#63

Post by MerelyMortal »

helsinkiandrew wrote: post #19

My brother in law died last year and left over a hundred vintage computers and game consoles - mostly in boxes (stacks of Amigas) - it was hard for us to work out what was rare/valuable from what wasn't. He was also saving them for some mythical time in the future where he would sort them out and play with them. At least find the time to open the boxes and document what you've got and whether it works. Ideally you'd…

> it was hard for us to work out what was rare/valuable from what wasn't.

If there are any collectors or hoarders here, Please heed this warning.

Eventually you won't be around to take care of your collection. It will eventually be passed down to someone who doesn't want it, and wants to get rid of it.

My dad is a hoarder. There is tons of junk, but there are a few gems mixed in. The problem is, once I inherit it, I have no idea what's actually valuable because it's mixed in with a lot of junk. I cannot research each individual item.

If something is not clearly labeled as valuable, or on a list of valuable items, then it will be lost forever. In my case, my dad has actual junk and trash, I will be renting a dumpster, and something that someone else might want to collect and be willing to pay a high price for, will inevitably get thrown away and lost for good.

If you are a collector or hoarder, and you care about your items, make sure the most valuable ones are identifiable by whomever inherits it.

(I will try to reach out to other collectors before getting rid off stuff, but there is so much junk, they might miss things as well.)

Re: Ask HN: Should I sell my vintage computer collection?

#64

Post by freedude »

When moving the best/least expensive motto in time and money is... How many do you "need"? Or Will I ever "use" this again.

With a collection or emotional attachment this is a bit more of a grey area. Ultimately, you should look for a way to reduce the stress of a move and spread it out over time. i.e. sell the things you don't "need" or can easily replace once you have moved or move them ahead of the move with some form of moveable storage.

Once you have decided to part with something it might also be worth it to know if it could be donated to someone that will use it. It is worth pondering but not stressing over. The benefits of giving something meaningful should never be overlooked. If you don't know what I mean then try it.

Re: Ask HN: Should I sell my vintage computer collection?

#65

Post by thenerdhead »

Just the clarity of mind it can bring to declutter physically might be beneficial to you.

I recently sold my collection of video games and video game consoles I collected since a kid. Many of those things were worth a pretty penny and also gave someone else the enjoyment that I already had experienced.

While I could save them for my kids or play them on a rainy day, I decided to make peace with getting rid of them and I haven't looked back since. I used to consider myself a low-key hoarder and this was one of the tendencies of keeping stuff I never would use.

Re: Ask HN: Should I sell my vintage computer collection?

#66

Post by saltcured »

andrewstuart wrote: post #10
moron4hire wrote: post #6

I seriously suggest finding a therapist. The fact that there are so many boxes that you haven't opened makes this hoarding. Don't make it unnecessarily hard on yourself. A therapist will help you through this.

Yeah it's hoarding. Though a day may come where I might find life is at the right point to create a little computer museum. Maybe.

I grinding down the "collection" of my elderly, hoarder father. Here in California, all this "vintage" stuff is essentially worthless. Not only because there is no practical use for obsolete tech, but because there are so many other hoards out there. It's a bit like everyone who thought their decades of National Geographic magazines had value, but libraries do not want them because there are so many identical boxes of these left over from estate sales. In many ways, tech is worse. Hoarders think of it as having intrinsic value like precious metals, but I'd say old tech is more like expired canned food. Too many expired goods and not enough interested recipients, since the pre-expiration purpose of the goods is no longer relevant.

Roughly speaking, I am sifting large piles into several categories: somewhat contemporary stuff I can donate to a charity who might resell/reuse at least some of it; e-waste and metal I "donate" to a licensed scrapper for proper disposal; batteries and other items I separate and hand over to the county's household hazardous waste handler; recyclable paper and plastic; recordable media I have to at least attempt to erase before figuring out disposal as per above; and landfill for whatever is left.

Because he had no inventory, and hoarding seems to be an almost fractal disorder, I feel obligated to carefully sift and break down every item until all hiding places are revealed. I cannot predict when I will come across something in the midst which requires special handling. I wish I had found piles already sorted, so I could have just done the back-breaking work of shifting them out of the house in one heroic push. Instead, I have been forced to become intimate with it all. Now, I have an involuntary hobby to do this a little bit each week, filling the curbside bins and taking the occasional car load to other disposal sites.

I have had to remind myself not to "cry over spilled milk" and dwell on the sunk cost of all the unnecessary things he hoarded. It's hard to say how much that money (properly invested) could have gone to supporting his care and quality of life in the end. But it is all a liability to me now, as attempting to recover any value from it would take more of my time and cause more grief than it is possibly worth.

Re: Ask HN: Should I sell my vintage computer collection?

#67

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

I say this as a certified Pack Rat!

Don't keep crap you don't need or don't expect to ever use, especially if you don't have space for it. Find a computer museum/tech center/someone who appreciates old computers and donate them. If you can't find that, well, it's time to call your garbage disposal company to schedule an extra pickup.

Re: Ask HN: Should I sell my vintage computer collection?

#69

Post by martin1b »

Consider sell/donating them to a museum. They will be appreciated by many and there are several around. One in particular that is starting up is Vintage Geek on Youtube.

Also, I'm a collector, so let me know if you want to sell any of them. In particular, don't have an Amiga and always wanted one.

Re: Ask HN: Should I sell my vintage computer collection?

#70

Post by tsomctl »

MerelyMortal wrote: post #63
helsinkiandrew wrote: post #19

My brother in law died last year and left over a hundred vintage computers and game consoles - mostly in boxes (stacks of Amigas) - it was hard for us to work out what was rare/valuable from what wasn't. He was also saving them for some mythical time in the future where he would sort them out and play with them. At least find the time to open the boxes and document what you've got and whether it works. Ideally you'd…

> it was hard for us to work out what was rare/valuable from what wasn't. If there are any collectors or hoarders here, Please heed this warning. Eventually you won't be around to take care of your collection. It will eventually be passed down to someone who doesn't want it, and wants to get rid of it. My dad is a hoarder. There is tons of junk, but there are a few gems mixed in. The problem is, once I inherit it, I…

> I'm scared that when I die my wife will sell all my cars for what I told her I paid for them.

(Not my joke)

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