Scrap that you collect or keep for yourself?

I just realized today I'm starting to develop a small problem... I tend to want to keep some of the more interesting "scrap" I accumulate, mostly being EScrap related. Not a problem by itself, but it's starting to take up a decent chunk of valuable space! So it got me to thinking, what type of scrap do you guys like to keep for yourself? Collectibles? Investment grade items? Stuff that's just plain cool?
Goodies I tend to save up or keep :

Small high value EScrap, like processors, RAM, pins, fingers, etc... Doesn't really count, I suppose, since I do intend on selling it all at some point.
Fancy looking heatsinks, pretty much all solid copper heatsinks.
Cool looking circuit boards, due to design, color, usefulness, whatever.
Certain connectors and adapters, some because they're somewhat rare (even though I'll probably never use them) and I like to have 1 of each type regardless.
Anti static bags... I've been accumulating a lot of these lately, they're quite useful of course, but I know I'll never use ALL of them.
Software! I have so much software it's ridiculous.. I'll never ever use 99% of it, and 90% you can't even give away. But I just can't bear to throw it out... If it's burned/copied/whatever I have no problems, but for whatever reason I just can't throw out the legit ones.
Those "wheels" with the copper "spokes" you find in 3.5" floppy drives, I'm thinking Steampunk market?
Keyboards and ball mice! Not by choice, though Haven't decided if I want to bother getting the mylar... I'll probably just donate the whole lot of them.



I'll throw up a few pictures of my cooler stuff if there's much interest in the thread, so how about y'all? What are your hoardy quirks?

Haha! Anything that'll cost me more to replace than it'll pay as scrap. Recently pulled the cover off my battery clamp when the truck didn't start, and it was covered in corrosion. Removing it to clean it uncovered a battery clamp that needed to be replaced. Luckily I had a pile of clamps from some old cables i'd recently stripped, and managed to piece a good one together. Not long after that I was wandering through Orchelin's Farm Store and came upon some copper connectors for battery cables etc. $10 for just the small end that crimps onto the cable, with a bolt hole through it, the same piece you'll get 10 cents for at the yard! There are so many similar items that it's almost impossible to count.
The same is true, as mentioned, with iron and steel. 10cents a pound(if you're lucky) to sell, $1 to $10 a foot to buy (at the same yard!)
I'll even have a riding mower going soon, a Snapper! As long as the tires hold air(i'm sure they will, even if i have to buy inner tubes) and the motor will start(i'm sure it will even if I have to fix it). I brought the battery up here yesterday and it held a charge ; ) Today I'll finish running some power out to the barn to plug up a compressor out there. Might even get two riding mowers together using a frame I got with it, and motor off one I already had here, that needed tires.
The list goes on forever, and although there are times that things are tight and I sell something I might could have done better with, it still comes down to how much will it bring, and how much will it cost to replace. That's a very serious consideration if you do your own repairs, construction, and maintenance, or if you just like to tinker.
Even to give to others things you don't need, or are still use-able is many times better than scrapping a perfectly useful item. I had a classic old Huffy stationary bike, built extremely well, but had been under a shed for years, and needed some serious TLC, especially where rain had run across the lower stand. It weighed 25-30 pounds at the most, at best a three dollar bill. I put it on FreeCycle as needing TLC and before the day was out (and not even disclosing it was a Huffy) a couple had driven 30 miles to get it, a woman who needed one to exercise her frail legs, and a hubby who liked to tinker. They turned out to be some very fine folks, and I greatly enjoyed meeting them.
This is kinda turning into a rambling reply, but it isn't pleasurable to me seeing the amount of times some will be so hasty to scrap perfectly good items, that either they, or someone else would greatly benefit from, for the sake of a few cents, or a couple of bucks.

I've been holding on to a couple 8-track players, havn't tested them yet, just so I can keep 'em in a corner and show them to my kids someday.

People throw too much good stuff away. Not only do I pick up the scrap I pick up the good everyday items and give them to a friend that runs an Outreach program at his church.

I'm hoarding a few working TV's and about 12 fans my dad fixed and I don't throw away anything I may need to fix something one day. I'm sure we all know what that stuff looks like, problem is where did we put it.

My worst problem with scrapping is bringing home NON-scrap that don't make me any money, plants/flowers AND all the bird houses, feeders and yard ornaments! Sometimes all they need is a few nails or a coat of paint. My dad shakes his head at me and my mom checks everything out trying to see what will look good at her house.

You are treading on dangerous ground when you become so easily emotionally attached to things. There is nothing wrong with collecting or having hobbies. If you are into scrapping whether part or full time you have to detach yourself. This goes for any business venture. Basing business on emotion will screw you in the end. Again, nothing wrong with what you're doing; just don't let it supersede what your initial goal is. If you scrap to survive let the items go, it will become a bad habit. If you scrap for collecting or just for fun - have fun and enjoy yourself.

Cast iron frying pans(gresswall, with a ring on the bottom) anything old. I don't have as much stuff as I useto, got rid of alot when I had to move about a year ago. used to have a pair of drive-in movie speakers. I don't have any right now but keep your eyes open for transisstor raidos, from the 60's and 50's, if they work they worth big bucks.

Ill just say this, if i had the space i dont think i would ever scrap anything.
I've only been doing this a year or so and i already know of tons of useful things i have wasted away.

Re use things people!

I recently started saving the 'best' parts, of parts, of computers. I am working on making myself a super computer!