Collecting (quit whining and do something about it!)

I would like to point out that this attitude towards scrap dealers is really unproductive to our efforts. I have noticed it several places on this list. Simply stated, scrap dealers are not the enemy! Some of my best goodies have come straight out the junkyard. The secret is to get to know the people doing the scrapping - some of them will turn out to be fine, just uninformed. True, some are jerks that would stab their brother in the back just to get a good deal, but most are simply out to make a good living, being their own boss. To them, the old minis are resources of gold, some chips, some aluminum and tantalum, and misc. dirty metal. Most do not know that there are people that cherish and collect the old gear. They are simply interested in what they will get out of it, relative to what they put into it. If you offer to buy a piece for what they will get for it from the metal merchants and refineries, chances are that they will jump at the opprotunity to do less work. Go to the junkyards and state your intentions. Tell them what you are looking for and leave a card or two. Talk to the owners - most have very interesting tales to tell. This has worked for me quite a few times, although only for a classic computer once (remember, I am quite new to this game). I purchased my Sun 4/280 server (with an old 3/280 processor card as well) cheap, after telling the guy that I am always looking for interesting old machines. At another junkyard, I have pulled many interesting bits (vintage radio and radar things - see, someone does collect search radars!) at scrap prices. The owner kept them from the scrap heaps because he now knows what they are. If he was never told about the interest people have in the stuff, it would be on a slow boat to China by now, and not in personal collections and museums. William Donzelli william(a)ans.net