OLD computer peripherals, main frame etc Should I...

I just bought a building which had several generations of old computers stored in different parts of it. I collected them all and put in one room which is pretty full, about the size of a bedroom. Also has a main frame. Should I get a highschool kid to strip it all out for me and send to Ewasted or just let some local shop take it for basically nothing? There are no pentiums, sticks of rams or hard drives (tape drives?) but there are plenty of ribbon cables, motherboards and power supplies / line conditioners.

I'm intrigued by scrapping and enjoy this type of work but have a pretty high opportunity cost for my time and am super busy. I need to get the building cleaned out and rented but hate to let this treasure go as trash. What do you think? Given the age, do I need to worry about mercury, lead and radioactive sludge?

Good stuff there. You know better than anyone what your time's worth. I think it would be good to send the power supplies, wire and steel to a local scrap yard, but those nice boards should get shipped to your buyer. A highschool kid would probably love to strip it all down for the local stuff and let you send off the boards to get paid.

Personally, I'd check more than scrap values for all of it, but I realize sometimes you just can't do that when you need a project done.

Originally Posted by jonnydclark

I just bought a building which had several generations of old computers stored in different parts of it. I collected them all and put in one room which is pretty full, about the size of a bedroom. Also has a main frame. Should I get a highschool kid to strip it all out for me and send to Ewasted or just let some local shop take it for basically nothing? There are no pentiums, sticks of rams or hard drives (tape drives?) but there are plenty of ribbon cables, motherboards and power supplies / line conditioners.

I'm intrigued by scrapping and enjoy this type of work but have a pretty high opportunity cost for my time and am super busy. I need to get the building cleaned out and rented but hate to let this treasure go as trash. What do you think? Given the age, do I need to worry about mercury, lead and radioactive sludge?

If I was a local shop, i'd say let me take it for nothing. Wouldn't hear me complain.

Thank you for the pictures. I know I would love to go threw all of those treasures.

I just took one of those apart it has about 50lbs of aluminum in that main frame.

Great find, there, Jonny. I found your post linked to on the classiccmp list. It's generated some interest there, including at least one former Triad employee. You might want to check that out. It appears to be based on maybe an Interdata 7/32 or 8/32. Custom plasma terminals and CRT's designed in-house by Triad. TI printers, rebadged. Some uncertainty on the disk drives, maybe Hawks, maybe Priam. not sure. It's worth saving, anyway, from a collector or restorer/historian's point of view. There are non-profit computer museums and such that take these things, if you just need to get it out of your way. And private collectors who will pay you at least better than a scrap buyer. I am willing to pick up and store temporarily if you consider such an option.

Are those rotors, cv joints, and such NOS? Wow, if so, dunno if I would scrap them. That's some serious $$$.

How big is the warehouse and what are you leasing it for?

jbdigriz

There is definitely interest out there for this system. I would absolutely keep it all together and intact, with the disk drives, terminals, channel units (modems) etc. if you can. You won't have a problem finding someone who'll pay more than a scrapper. Make a post on one of the vintage computer forums and list your email.

Please contact me with your email address so we can pursue this further. I am with a computer museum.

Originally Posted by ScrappinRed

.... so much money in this room....

Yes, I agree and just think about the stuff you can't see. I noticed he hasn't logged on since he first posted on the 18th. It's all probably in the dumpster.

Originally Posted by jbdigriz

Are those rotors, cv joints, and such NOS? Wow, if so, dunno if I would scrap them. That's some serious $$$.

How big is the warehouse and what are you leasing it for?

jbdigriz

Yes that is NOS. I have about 10k sq ft full and most of it is good parts but fit cars from the 70-90s. I'm throwing away good rotors, CV axles and cranks because the boxes were seriously damaged by water or termites over the years. Still have plenty in good shape that I'm trying to liquidate wholesale for pennies on the dollar. Some of it is good parts and useful here but most of it needs to go south of the boarder. Anybody need parts for an '85 Oldsmobile? Nowadays if the rack and pinion goes out those things just go to the scrapper.

Originally Posted by jimicrk

Yes, I agree and just think about the stuff you can't see. I noticed he hasn't logged on since he first posted on the 18th. It's all probably in the dumpster.

I've been so busy I haven't touched it... Just threw it all in one room so I can deal with it later. The "junk" in the rest of the warehouse is consuming my "free" time for a while still.