I have 1000s of 60-80s computers and I did plan to open up a museum but it’s probably not going to happen. So I might make art with them. I like them a lot more than modern stuff; the way they look outside and inside, I can repair them and they all work and make lovely sounds. If I would sell them; eBay or specific sites for that specific computer. I traded tons on msx.org and the prices are not the highest but good. Also there is a store in Japan that pays a lot for some types of msx ; I showed my collection of turbo-rs and I could’ve bought a house where I live with the end result. Of course I kept them.
Ask HN: Where to sell vintage computers?
31–40 of 48 posts
Re: Ask HN: Where to sell vintage computers?
#32Sell them to me! Just kidding, I ran out of space many Macs ago.
Re: Ask HN: Where to sell vintage computers?
#33It's too bad there's no "cover it with Cosmoline and stash in the barn" option when it comes to electronics.
Place the item in an ESD bag along with a couple desiccant bags. Replace the air in the bag with dry nitrogen and then heat seal it. Place into another bag as backup and seal that too. Keep away from sunlight or place the item in a foam lined box. This is basically the method NASA uses to store things long term. The only thing you can't really control is tin whiskers growing in the solder. If you absolutely need it t…
That's unfortunately not going to work. Electrolytics degrade fairly quick, NVRAMs, backup batteries and even UVEPROMs die with time. On longer periods anything organic (starting with wire insulation) deteriorates.
Re: Ask HN: Where to sell vintage computers?
#34I have 1000s of 60-80s computers and I did plan to open up a museum but it’s probably not going to happen. So I might make art with them. I like them a lot more than modern stuff; the way they look outside and inside, I can repair them and they all work and make lovely sounds. If I would sell them; eBay or specific sites for that specific computer. I traded tons on msx.org and the prices are not the highest but good.…
What about donating pieces to already existing computer museums if you have too many items? Depending on the country, you probably would get a tax credit receipt. There is a list of museums here at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_museums
Re: Ask HN: Where to sell vintage computers?
#35I have 1000s of 60-80s computers and I did plan to open up a museum but it’s probably not going to happen. So I might make art with them. I like them a lot more than modern stuff; the way they look outside and inside, I can repair them and they all work and make lovely sounds. If I would sell them; eBay or specific sites for that specific computer. I traded tons on msx.org and the prices are not the highest but good.…
Check out the Bloop Museum. They'd be happy to have donations or volunteer help.
https://www.facebook.com/bloopmuseum/
Re: Ask HN: Where to sell vintage computers?
#36I've had good luck selling small stockpiles of "vintage" laptops on eBay (recently, around ten circa 2009 models). Prepping for sale can help. There seems to be a category of buyers who not only want something clean, but that's had the original software restored, or something like that. For "vintage" PCs, this means putting on a vintage version of Windows, maybe not the one that came with it, but XP or something that…
I agree 100% with this advice about not spraying them with fragrances. It's an issue for me because that stuff really lingers and is unpleasant. I am experiencing this issue with Amazon deliveries in Canada. When covid happened, they started using fragranced air fresheners in their warehouse. What this means is that all items now arrive reeking. For items that are shrink wrapped or boxed well it's not that bad because you can just quickly remove the covering to the trash and the interior is ok, but items that intentionally have a hole in the plastic bag to prevent humidity, etc. from building up, the inside fills up with the fragrance and your cables, etc. will reek. Some materials will absorb it more than others.. steel is not porous and you can wipe it with alcohol or soapy water but something like plastic, it will cling tenaciously. You shouldn't have to wash a new item though..
I did try to raise this as a complaint with Amazon. The rep agreed this is an issue, and then nothing ever came of it.
It's too bad too because if you look at the cannisters, they have warning labels with the toxic symbol on them warning that exposure to them can sensitize people and cause reactions so their employees are experiencing the brunt of that.
Re: Ask HN: Where to sell vintage computers?
#37I’ve often wondered: what do vintage computer users actually do with their vintage computers?
The old ones won’t have internet capabilities and were mostly for business settings, so do you just fire up Lotus123 and click around in a spreadsheet?
Or do they just look cool on a shelf?
Re: Ask HN: Where to sell vintage computers?
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
Actually, they are: https://nixsys.com/legacy-computers/windows-98-computers , https://nixsys.com/legacy-computers/windows-xp-computers , etc.
Nobody is fabbing more of the custom silicon you're going to find in non-PC vintage computers. There are FPGA-based replacements for some custom chips of yore, but there won't be any more real SID, POKEY, etc, chips.
I think people would buy a new motherboard with ISA and AGP slots even today. I still have old pieces that can make a complete system, just not the motherboard because they all died.
Re: Ask HN: Where to sell vintage computers?
#39[dead]
Re: Ask HN: Where to sell vintage computers?
#40I’ve often wondered: what do vintage computer users actually do with their vintage computers? The old ones won’t have internet capabilities and were mostly for business settings, so do you just fire up Lotus123 and click around in a spreadsheet? Or do they just look cool on a shelf?
Running on the original hardware is a different experience than using an emulator. Also, you can test if your emulator is correct.
The old ones can have internet! They were mostly for playing games. There was far more software than Lotus123.
They look cool on a desk powered on. For instance, I have llamafile piping output to the Apple II.