Collecting Perspective was: Re: GRI-909

Upon the date 07:27 PM 12/9/99 -0500, John B said something like: Yeah, but who wudda thunk? Six years ago, except for a few individuals and some of the public museums and a few companies, nobody had really gotten very deep into gathering history/collecting of computers. Though I had been exclusively into collecting radios and other early electronics rather deeply since the early 70's, I was recalling to myself just today how I had a *huge* and *heavy* 1973-vintage DG 6000-series fixed disk drive I dismantled for scrap in 1986 because I had *no* room nor perceived need for it (Flog me later, please :-/). No idea that there would be *gasp!* _COLLECTORS_ of such stuff by the mid-late 90's!!! Thankfully, I still have the DG 1200 computer, tapes, docs and stuff since I thought it was a really cool machine to keep at the time. Rescued this DG gear from the pile of stuff heading to the dumpster at work in 1984. Thank Heaven I was able to get connected to the Internet in '92 via Delphi and discover there _were_ computer collectors. Nowadays, thankfully, there is a growing core of individuals (ourselves) who have discovered this computer collecting/preservation interest and are taking up the cause. It appears to me there is getting to be a very good overall collection worldwide of surviving older machines with possibly more to be shaken outta the bushes. Perhaps it is indeed time to formally create a national/worldwide club like the AWA, etc. -except it'll be for computational machines. I'm going to will my most uncommon/significant radios, tubes, docs and, if I find any, significant computers to appropriate museums and significant collectors when my hard disk finally gets sticktion :-) Sell/give the rest to others. All in the interest to keep them preserved for the future instead of my wife/other survivers being saddled with wondering what the heck to do with them. But many early computers are lost forever . . . Regards, Chris -- -- Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian Jamestown, NY USA cfandt(a)netsync.net Member of Antique Wireless Association URL: http://www.antiquewireless.org/