Where and Where to get an IBM 1130 - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

13 Oct 1999

At , Randy M.Kaplan wrote:
...
 1. I have noticed in reading the list that individuals
will come upon 
various machines in various places that are being retired. I also recently 
purchased a Sun IPC from ebay. When I went to pick it up, the fellow had a 
yard full of stuff he had apparently scarfed up from various companies. How 
does one find out about these sources? Who do you contact? 
Well a couple of things, if you start collecting old computers many sources
will find _you_. Unfortunately many of those sources will want you to take
75 80386SX computers off their hands not IBM 1130s. 

Look up scrap metal recycling in your yellow pages. These guys are sort of
the "sharks" of computer collecting, they devour things indiscriminately
but you can be a "trigger fish" and teach them the value of some machines.
A good relationship with a top tier scrapper is a really good thing to have.

The scrappers watch the new paper for liquidation bids. Places that are
scrapping out entire buildings and such. Older and larger computers are
sometimes found in these liquidations because the buildings are abandoned
and the "big iron" in the machine room is just left there. (I "found"
1/2
of a 370 that way once in a building that was for lease.)

...
 2. I was wondering if anyone had any notion of where I
might look for an IBM 
1130 or is this a totally ridiculous pursuit. When I started out, this was 
the first machine I wrote Fortran programs for. 
The 1130 is not an easy machine to find. You will have several sources
(ranked from most likely to least likely):
	1) Another collector who can't afford the space any more
	   and wants to keep the machine in the hands of a caretaker.
	2) Some place that had to keep software for it running and
	   kept one around as a "gold standard."
	3) A scrapper who hasn't had the heart to crush it yet.
	4) IBM (who might have one in a warehouse somewhere for
	   some reason)

Its certainly a worthwhile pursuit. 

--Chuck