On 16/07/2024 18:49, Joshua Rice via cctalk wrote:
I think the key to preservation is assuring next of kin that the items
in our possession have value, and are worth seeking out future
custodians. There's a lot of stuff in private collections that can
bring in great sums of money if only those in charge of selling the
estate appreciate what they have to deal with. Making sure spouses and
children know that at least some items in the collection are not just
"old junk" will help immeasurably in their preservation, as well as
pointing them in the direction of those knowledgeable enough to value
it. Groups like this, as well as local/national computer museums will,
i'm sure, help a lot with valuing pieces of equipment if and when the
time comes to auction them off.
I think you are living in some alternate universe. I remember when
clearing out a significant (for the uk) collection which consisted of
IBM 7090 tapes, cards and CE manuals, and a straight 8 PDP8, talking to
the children of the widow, about their mums collection of china, some of
it valuable which covered every inch of wall space within the house and
which severely hampered our moving of the computers, radios and scopes
and other electronic items through the house. What were their plans for
that I asked? Toffee Hammers they replied, the intended to smash the lot
in a sort of revenge for having to live with it. Money did not matter!
They just wanted rid....
... I am 100% certain my wife and kids feel the same, except perhaps for
my ATARI ST on which we played "Buggy Boy", "XENON II" and Tynesoft
"Winter Olympics" as a family.
... as for "national museums" all the ones I know of are totally
over-whelmed with donations. Space is expensive. They cherry pick the
best because thats all they can afford to store. Certainly in the UK
they exist because the offer STEM courses for which they get rewards,
Since the UK left the EU their funding sources are further reduced as EU
funding has gone, and not been replaced, as promised by the pro-brexit
lobby. they won´t accept most of what we have, and any they do take must
be donated without condition.
... so as I am now 70 years old my collection of junk is being dispersed
as fast as I can to younger enthusiasts, who I hope are not out to make
a fast buck on a quick cheap buy and re-sell on e-bay. If you want to
have any confidence it goes to a good home you need to do it yourself....
.. Which brings us back to Paul Allen who sadly did not have the time to
do this for LCM+L. I hope he passed peacefully.....
Dave
G4UGM
Of course, a great tool is a personal inventory. A book, or some such
document with rough values and other information could be very useful
for those unfortunate enough to have to rehome our collections once
we're passed. Contact details of those who can help in assessing and
distributing such stuff will also be quite useful.
I, personally, am quite young compared to many here (no offense
intended!), being 32 years old. However i have reassured my spouse
that much of my "junk" (largely consisting of QBUS PDP-11's at this
time) is actually quite valuable and well worth getting a good price
for. Other, rarer items, i have assured her need to be rehomed to a
museum. Of course, i intend to hang onto these pieces for at least
another 32 years, as a good portion is somewhat "retirement projects",
as well as "retirement funds", and i definitely intend to divest some
of my ever-growing collection when the time comes.
But then again, we all have those pieces that are actually quite
valueless. It is definitely worth divesting those pieces if and when
we get round to it. If and when the time is available to divest these
pieces (i'm eyeing up the stack of 30+ Core i7 3770 boards in the
corner as i type this, definitely not retro at this time, but
definitely need to be divested) it is worth getting the money back
when we can.
It's a difficult one for those that love and cherish these machines,
but it always hurts to see them end up in the trash. Ultimately, as
custodians of this equipment, it is also our duty to assure their
preservation, and sometimes it is us who know best where to rehome
them. Don't hesitate to downsize and find younger folk that have the
passion. There isn't a lot of them, but they are out there.
Cheers
Josh rice
On 16/07/2024 01:59, Alan Perry via cctalk wrote:
Drop the civility discussion or the LCM+L discussion?
The LCM+L discussion raises important questions about finding good
homes for one’s vintage computer collection after one passes on.
I got more passionate about making sure this kind of stuff got saved
when in the late 90s I found that little of what I worked on at
Burroughs in the late 80s was available most anywhere. I didn’t
donate the item that I donated to LCM+L just to see it get scrapped.
I know of at least one other person who donated rare items there on
the condition they would be preserved.
alan
On Jul 15, 2024, at 17:38, Rick Bensene via cctalk
<cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
Dennis Boone wrote:
Folks,
Once again, it seems I need to ask everyone to drop this
discussion. I _still_ don't >
want to have the moderation flags and banhammers.
Seconded.
Though, I'll get in my last words about it before the thread
hopefully dies off.
The situation with LCM+L is what it is. Unless someone has the
wherewithal to challenge the whole mess within the legal system (and
probably lose anyway), there's nothing that anyone can do about
it. I, as is clear many others who inhabit this list, have a
great deal of frustration built up about the demise of LCM+L. With
me, it's most specifically felt in the way that the whole thing was
executed. At some point, though, I just have to let it go, which is
right now. I agree with Dennis that the time has come for this
discussion to expire.
LCM+L R.I.P. You will be missed. Thanks to all (which includes
some members of this list) who contributed to the amazing place that
LCM+L was. Mr. Allen's heart was in the right place, or he wouldn't
have devoted his resources to creating it in the first place.
Unfortunately, his life didn't last long enough for him to assure
that after he was gone it would have some means by which it could
continue on in his memory.
Rick Bensene
The Old Calculator Museum
https://oldcalculatormuseum.com
Beavercreek, Oregon USA
