On Sat, May 28, 2022 at 7:42 PM Tim via users <users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Tim:
> > In days gone past I used to accept ancient things to keep them
> > going, rather than scrap them, and at the moment we're resurrecting
> > some ancient non-computer equipment. At times I'd considered
> > passing on things I don't need through ebay, and the like, but
> > worked out that much of the time you won't be providing much needed
> > bits to someone desperate for them, you're providing cheap
> > materials to sharks who'll just try to sell them at obscene
> > prices. Often breaking up working, or workable, units into bits
> > for maximum profit.
George N. White III:
> This is the same business model as auto junkyards.
I don't think so. I consider it more like ticket scalpers. They're
not providing a service that's needed, and lying about what they're
really up to. With things like ebay, anybody who wants a thing can
find it and buy it, directly. Nobody needs a third party buying it,
jacking up the pricing, and selling it back through ebay. You might
even consider that kind of thing a form of money laundering.
There are many scammers taking advantage of online markets, but
for a organization that needs to repair an instrument or industrial
controller that runs on some DOS laptop with a proprietary
interface, those "jacked up" prices are much cheaper than the cost
of downtime or replacing the device that requires the old controller.
People who need to repair a controller don't have the luxury
of waiting until something shows up on ebay, but will deal directly
with the same vendor year after year. That vendor will try to have
inventory by purchasing "in demand" models wherever they can be
found. and may also deal with spare parts for the instruments.
At my former work, old instruments generally get retired when
the person responsible for the instrument retired. New hires get an
equipment budget and can't be expected to master all the ins and outs
of keeping outdated gear going, but are familiar with current instruments
and software.
We tried to pass on a vintage Marconi Telecine suite a year or so ago,
there were a few people who wanted to "give it a good home" who were
just scrap metal merchants lying through their teeth. It eventually
made its way to a museum run by retired TV technicians. They'll do it
up and maintain its legacy, maybe even resurrect it into operation.
Many computer museums will collect several instances of a given model
until they are able to cobble together one that works. They may save
parts they know they may need in the future, but the leftovers go to
scrapyards that specialize in technology artifacts and will provide
non-working gear to decorate movie sets, etc.. as well as selling any
parts that are in demand.
George N. White III
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