LSSM is chasing this, was Re: General Data? Computer Equipment Auction - GSA

[Joshua Rice]

------ Original Message ------
From: "Dave McGuire via cctalk" <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
To: "P Gebhardt" <p.gebhardt at ymail.com>; "cctalk" 
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, 17 Mar, 2022 At 21:37
Subject: Re: LSSM is chasing this, was Re: General Data? Computer 
Equipment Auction - GSA  As I've said privately today to three people 
who have emailed me off-list about this, since starting the LSSM project 
about ten years ago, I've seen many, probably 25, situations in which 
widows have junked their dead spouse's prized computer hardware.  We've 
all heard of those situations, but as we've been actively looking for 
hardware, we see it a lot more, and even I was shocked about just how 
common this actually is.  This is a fate that seems to befall most 
private collections.
   That, combined with rodent infestations, rust, etc resulting from the 
typical garage/barn/shed/basement storage that we've seen over and over, 
has impacted my opinion of private collections.
             -Dave
-- 
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA


These are all valid concerns, especially since some collectors generally 
have eyes bigger then their belly, wanting more machines than they have 
the appropriate storage for. I fear i have been just as guilty (though i 
generally keep anything of value outside of the rat infested shed)



However, there are a great many people who do try and keep their 
collections indoors and on display. Obviously, this is much easier with 
machines like the 80's micros than it is with 60's and 70's big iron and 
minicomputers, which is likely the reason (plus larger production 
volumes) that so many machines of the 80's and beyond survive and are 
relatively plentiful.


It's also rather unfair to defame private collectors. A lot of them 
(especially the ones that come out of barns, leaky sheds, garages and 
basements) were the ones who saved the equipment from the scrappers in 
the first place. Much of this large system equipment survives (maybe in 
poor condition) purely because of the private collector. I believe that 
whilst climate controlled museums are ultimately the best place for 
functional equipment (where knowledge and skills can easily be pooled), 
the private collector has an important role in the preservation of 
equipment as well.

Cheers,

Josh Rice