I've got way too much clutter and was thinking about tossing old DOS, programming books (BASIC, Turbo C) and VIC-20/Commodore stuff in the trash. Before I do, has this stuff developed any collector value? Ditto a bunch of magazines- old electronics mags and maybe some Wireless Worlds?
Check on ebay for sold items to get a rough idea of market value. Otherwise your local library may be interested if only for their used book sales. Also https://worldradiohistory.com/ accepts some technical material to scan and archive on their site.
Try to avoid throwing this type of stuff into the trash, there are people who are always on the lookout for vintage computing stuff. There are plenty of online forums who maybe able to provide a contact to a local group or something, or maybe post in the diyaudio marketplace forum to see if anyone is interested or knows someone or a group who is.
Commodore has a renaissance, vintage C-16 and C-64 are collectors items. Perhaps the related literature also.
Don't sell or trash them. You never know. How much space do they really take up? I do a lot of embedded computer work and several OEM boards I use run under DOS and are mostly PC x86 compatible. I still use Boreland C3.1.
Well, I'll wait a bit, but you guys don't know the meaning of clutter! I probably have a VIC-20 out in the garage, in its box with the tape drive, but I think I stole the video chip for something else that needed the same chip. Probably unobtanium now. Sold the C64 a long time ago. The problem is no one thing I own is worth much, but the whole pile together is more $$ than I want to toss. Thanks!
I'm pretty sure they would sell if you didn't like the idea of throwing stuff out. I often see ads for vintage computer stuff on online classifieds. I kept some stuff from the 8bit days. I can't imagine throwing out my copy of "Unix in a Nutshell" for nostalgia if nothing else from when I was a controls engineer. I was into the vintage scene a while back for Atari, but find it's too time consuming, I spend more than enough time upgrading hardware and software on the various home computers than to my liking as it is.
Every year I gather up a bunch of "stuff" that I will never use and take it to the biggest electronics flea market in the US, the Dayton Hamfest. It only happens once a year, and it is one week away.
I have about 50 pounds of old electronics books in this year's collection and my van isn't full yet. Old computer stuff sells too, but not for a lot of money. I have a working PC motherboard with CPU and memory from the XP days. It will probably bring $20. Books go for $1 or $2 until Sunday, then they are free since I would rather see someone read them than have me throwing them in the fire.
There is a thread about the hamfest on these forums. I have been going to it every year for 15 years:
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/anyone-going-to-the-dayton-hamfest.165790/
It's probably too late to try and make it this year, but:
https://hamvention.org/flea-market/
I have about 50 pounds of old electronics books in this year's collection and my van isn't full yet. Old computer stuff sells too, but not for a lot of money. I have a working PC motherboard with CPU and memory from the XP days. It will probably bring $20. Books go for $1 or $2 until Sunday, then they are free since I would rather see someone read them than have me throwing them in the fire.
There is a thread about the hamfest on these forums. I have been going to it every year for 15 years:
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/anyone-going-to-the-dayton-hamfest.165790/
It's probably too late to try and make it this year, but:
https://hamvention.org/flea-market/
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Very nice, I would love to work with that. New stuff is not as nice for me, a bit too high level. I used to code in assembly! Do you have your own business?
I've tried the eBay route in the past. Books don't sell. Maybe they do in the <$5 price range, but that's honestly not worth the hassle. You can always look them up to see if you have a hidden gem, but I'd expect most to go to the dump.
Those who say you should keep them should offer to pick them up for free so they can store them. 🙂
Tom
Those who say you should keep them should offer to pick them up for free so they can store them. 🙂
Tom
How did I miss this thread?
You may have several gems that sell for $20 or more - most any 8-bit (6502, 8080, z80, 6800, 6809) assembly programming book, for example - look up what sellers are asking for here - ebay is ok but you might not find an unusual item currently or recently listed - this metasearch site covers Amazon, ebay and a LOT of other Internet sites that sell new and used books:
http://bookfinder.com
You may have several gems that sell for $20 or more - most any 8-bit (6502, 8080, z80, 6800, 6809) assembly programming book, for example - look up what sellers are asking for here - ebay is ok but you might not find an unusual item currently or recently listed - this metasearch site covers Amazon, ebay and a LOT of other Internet sites that sell new and used books:
http://bookfinder.com
That depends on how thick they are.
I have an ottoman in my living room. On it, a tray with 1.5 inch high sides.
Last new years eve, I had 9 people over for dinner and festivities. Appetizers were served on two long ceramic dishes, but they were not stable enough perched on the tray or ottoman. So, I pulled out a copy of 2017 NEC. It was thick enough to put in the tray to easily support the dishes.
It was actually the first (and last) time that I used the NEC codebook at home.. The funny thing is, one of the physicists actually noticed it.
Well, I also find it useful when I can't sleep. Meaning, I can't read it at work..
The old books are of historical value. And, the people of greatest value are those who understand the transitions in technology.
John
I have an ottoman in my living room. On it, a tray with 1.5 inch high sides.
Last new years eve, I had 9 people over for dinner and festivities. Appetizers were served on two long ceramic dishes, but they were not stable enough perched on the tray or ottoman. So, I pulled out a copy of 2017 NEC. It was thick enough to put in the tray to easily support the dishes.
It was actually the first (and last) time that I used the NEC codebook at home.. The funny thing is, one of the physicists actually noticed it.
Well, I also find it useful when I can't sleep. Meaning, I can't read it at work..
The old books are of historical value. And, the people of greatest value are those who understand the transitions in technology.
John
These old OS / languages are still taught in Indian schools and colleges, the authorities update syllabus like once in a 20y or so. If I were you , I would send it to recycling, almost everything is available online nowadays
Some of the assembly books I mentioned are scanned on archive.org, yet the originals sell for $20 or more. It's strange. I always check bookfinder.
The Methodist Church in Green Village NJ takes books into a weather proof dumpster...these wind up in vintage book shops, so I am sure that some church up there upstate NY does the same. Goodwill down in Florida does a booming biz in book resale -- that's where I get my old Michelin guidebooks!