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Fire Sale - landlord decreed

Casey

Veteran Member
Joined
May 31, 2016
Messages
621
Location
Fairfield, Ohio
I've been putting this off, but it's time to put this up.
Some of you may recall when I introduced myself 5 years ago that I mentioned I had suffered a stroke just before, and had been diagnosed with diabetes as well.
Alas, I've been out of work since March 2010 due to Governor DeWine's shutdown of many businesses. I'm about to turn 62, so wasn't recalled when the restaurants were partially reopened. So many rules and regulations have been put into place that I was the last one they would recall. I've slowed down. In fact, the past year I've lost a lot of mobility. Also I no longer have a car.
This is not to evoke sympathy, but to explain my dilemma. My landlord recently told me I needed to get rid of my collection. The words "firetrap" & "eviction" were used. He hasn't mentioned a specific date, and at first I considered keeping (say) my Compaqs.
The real challenge is that my now limited mobility & lack of transportation make it difficult to get shipping boxes & materials, much less get them to USPS, UPS, FedEx, whatever.
I would like to avoid eBay if possible. There are many decent working items available, but getting them packed & shipped presents an obstacle for me. I would much prefer my collection end up in the hands of people who appreciate it.
So. Anyone who is in day overnight trip driving distance of Fairfield, Ohio (just south of Hamilton, Ohio) or has a friend in the area, feel free to drop by with offers. I don't want to give this stuff away, but I'm not asking eBay market prices either. Feel free to make offers.
It was hard enough just sitting down & typing this. I had planned to post some old photos, but apparently those folders are gone. I'll take new ones soon.
What I have:
Zenith Minisport. The LCD doesn't work. The external display port used to work, but no more. It apparently boots, but can't say. Does not have the microdisk drive, but does come with a power adapter.
Zenith z-248 in working condition. 64ok memory, MFM hard/floppy controller (old hard drive failed), Zenith EGA card with 256K video ram. Currently set to drive a CGA monitor.
Zenith 386. Don't recall the model # offhand, but it uses the same passive backplane as the z248. Has a 386-16 cpu with 512k ram. Looks like the z-248 except it has 4 front bays available instead of two. IIRC, currently has a seagate st-157a.
Zenith z-161. Friends threw out the keyboard & cord when I was in the hospital. Take an XT style keyboard quite nicely. B: drive doesn't work, everything else does. Has 320k ram.
Zenith z-148. Has 640k ram, 1 360k floppy & 1 st-225. Has turbo button on front panel; 4.77 & 8 Mz. Works.
Zenith z-150. 640k ram, 1 360k floppy & 1 st-251-1. No turbo function. Works.
Also have Zenith CGA monitor. 100% CGA compatible. Works.
Three Zenith keyboards; XT model, 84-key AT model, and 102-key AT model, all with mechanical switches. Also have a later model model M style rubber dome AT model. All 5 pin DIN connectors, all work.
IBM 5150 with 5151 monitor & model F keyboard. 256K ram and latest rom. Two 360k floppy drives. Everything works.
IBM 5160 with 5153 monitor & XT model M keyboard. 640K ram & 8087. right now configured with half-height floppy & st-238, but also have the original full-height 360k floppy & 10Mb hard drive with Xebec controller. Latest rom. Works.
Spare 5151 monitor. Works.
IBM 5170. Has 512k ram & 1.2Mb floppy. Don't recall the hard drives offhand; 20Mb? Includes IBM EGA card with 64k video ram. Currently set to drive CGA monitor. Works. I have it plugged into a generic rubber dome model M style keyboard. No monitor. Works.
IBM convertible. 256K ram, 2 720k floppies, non-backlit, and power supply. Works.
Compaq Portable. 640k ram, two 360k floppies. works.
Compaq Plus in a Portable shell. 1 360k floppy & 10Mb hard drive. Works.
Compaq Portable II. 640k ram, 1 1.2Mb floppy, 1 20mb hard drive. Works.
Compaq Portable III. 2Mb ram (I think; I get the III and the 386 mixed up all the time), 1.2Mb floppy & 20Mb hard drive. Works. IIRC has the optional internal modem. 12Mz 286 cpu.
Compaq Portable 386. 640 ram, 1 1.2Mb floppy, 20Mb hard drive. 16Mz 386 cpu.
Compaq Deskpro 286-12, 512k ram, 30Mb hard drive, Compaq enhanced keyboard & Compaq amber monitor. Works. have half a 2nd 286; no case lid or drives. What is there works. Friends threw out case lid, monitor, and keyboard while in hospital.
Compaq Deskpro. Currently not working. Bought with flaky power supply, replaced it with the p/s from the above spare Deskpro-286, blew a capacitor. Clipped it off but it still wouldn't boot. Bought a NOS motherboard from Tex-Elec but never installed it. Also bought a refurb p/s; again never installed it. Not much energy these days.

Also have other various goodies like Motorola CGA monitor, a couple of rubber dome XT style keyboards, Intel Above Board with 2Mb daughter card; some chips bad. Logitec bus mouse card, Hayes internal 1200b modem, some spare parts for a Compaq Portable I haven't tested in years, and other stuff.

Oh, yes. I have an Epson QX-10 where the monitor stopped working. Bought a refurb a couple months ago but haven't tested it. The system worked fine until the monitor died. Also have an Epson QX-16, no keyboard cord, and non-working monitor. When the monitor did work the system worked fine using the cord from the QX-10.

Also have some CP/M software for the Epsons as well as old MS-DOS. 1.x & 2.x IIRC; original manuals & floppies.

If you can drive down here, or have a friend who can, message me. These days I can hardly make two trips to the apartment building dumpster, so hauling this stuff is problematical for me.
 

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Aw, this all sounds like a major bummer. Really sorry that you're going through all that. If I had the means to get there, I'd offer to help.. but I'm stuck in Toronto with no car. Wishing you the best of luck in dealing with everything. I know you want to avoid eBay, but maybe If somebody COULD get there to help you out, that could be a way to get a higher price on at least a few of the items. Normally, I don't advocate for getting the prices up on old hardware, but in your case I think it'd make sense to fetch top dollar where possible.
 
I agree this is a real bummer for you. Wish I could help, but I am here in Texas and it's just much too far a drive. If someone comes along to help I'd be interested in one of the two Epson or the IBM 5150 or 5160. I've been watching for an older system that would allow me to make bootable media for some of my DEC machines. I stupidly recycled the one Linux system I had when I moved here. It did not have a floppy drive but was an old enough motherboard that still had a floppy controller on it. Best of luck to you in this. Some landlords are just plain stupid.
 
I agree this is a real bummer for you. Wish I could help, but I am here in Texas and it's just much too far a drive.
{snip}
Best of luck to you in this. Some landlords are just plain stupid.

Looks like I'm bracketed; Toronto & Texas! :p To be honest, I've let the apartment get run down a bit. I need to get more exercise.
 
You're about 9 hour drive from me but I don't know what the chances of me making it any time soon are due to time constraints. I wish you the best, and hopefully someone on here is nearby!
 
You're about 9 hour drive from me but I don't know what the chances of me making it any time soon are due to time constraints. I wish you the best, and hopefully someone on here is nearby!

Bring a friend with a truck. You can split driving & have lots of room for goodies. :confused:
 
If someone does go to get it all, please let me know as I would like an item or two from that pile.
 
You're about 9 hour drive from me but I don't know what the chances of me making it any time soon are due to time constraints. I wish you the best, and hopefully someone on here is nearby!

Feel free to drop by. Got a note from a vintage computer group but they haven't followed up.
 
If I were able to come perhaps I could make use of the VCFed East installment in NJ to help store and distribute the items. Anyone around?
 
I itemized my list to give everyone an idea of how I came up with my numbers. These are first approximations not considering shipping, for those picking up. I'm more than willing to work with someone willing to take a large part of the collection.

Zenith Minisport. The LCD doesn't work. The external display port used to work, but no more. It apparently boots, but can't say. Does not have the microdisk drive, but does come with a power adapter.
0$
Zenith z-248 in working condition. 64ok memory, MFM hard/floppy controller (old hard drive failed),
Zenith EGA card with 256K video ram. Currently set to drive a CGA monitor.
$100
Zenith 386. Don't recall the model # offhand, but it uses the same passive backplane as the z248. Has a 386-16 cpu with 512k ram. Looks like the z-248 except it has 4 front bays available instead of two. IIRC, currently has a seagate st-157a.
$100
Zenith z-161. Friends threw out the keyboard & cord when I was in the hospital. Take an XT style keyboard quite nicely. B: drive doesn't work, everything else does. Has 320k ram.
$100
Zenith z-148. Has 640k ram, 1 360k floppy & 1 st-225. Has turbo button on front panel; 4.77 & 8 Mz. Works.
$100
Zenith z-150. 640k ram, 1 360k floppy & 1 st-251-1. No turbo function. Works.
$100
Also have Zenith CGA monitor. 100% CGA compatible. Works.
$50
Three Zenith keyboards; XT model, 84-key AT model, and 102-key AT model, all with mechanical switches. Also have a later model model M style rubber dome AT model. All 5 pin DIN connectors, all work.
1st three $50 ea.
Rubber dome,
???
IBM 5150 with 5151 monitor & model F keyboard. 256K ram and latest rom. Two 360k floppy drives. Everything works.
$200
IBM 5160 with 5153 monitor & XT model M keyboard. 640K ram & 8087. right now configured with half-height floppy & st-238, but also have the original full-height 360k floppy & 10Mb hard drive with Xebec controller. Latest rom. Works.
$200
Spare 5151 monitor. Works.
$100
IBM 5170. Has 512k ram & 1.2Mb floppy. Don't recall the hard drives offhand; 20Mb? Includes IBM EGA card with 64k video ram. Currently set to drive CGA monitor. Works. I have it plugged into a generic rubber dome model M style keyboard. No monitor. Works.
$100
IBM convertible. 256K ram, 2 720k floppies, non-backlit, and power supply. Works.
$100
Compaq Portable. 640k ram, two 360k floppies. works.
$100
Compaq Plus in a Portable shell. 1 360k floppy & 10Mb hard drive. Works.
$100
Compaq Portable II. 640k ram, 1 1.2Mb floppy, 1 20mb hard drive. Works.
$100
Compaq Portable III. 2Mb ram (I think; I get the III and the 386 mixed up all the time), 1.2Mb floppy & 20Mb hard drive. Works. IIRC has the optional internal modem. 12Mz 286 cpu.
$100
Compaq Portable 386. 640 ram, 1 1.2Mb floppy, 20Mb hard drive. 16Mz 386 cpu.
$100
Compaq Deskpro 286-12, 512k ram, 30Mb hard drive, Compaq enhanced keyboard & Compaq amber monitor. Works.
$100
have half a 2nd Deskpro 286; no case lid or drives. What is there works. Friends threw out case lid, monitor, and keyboard while in hospital.
???
Compaq Deskpro. Currently not working. Bought with flaky power supply, replaced it with the p/s from the above spare Deskpro-286, blew a capacitor. Clipped it off but it still wouldn't boot. Bought a NOS motherboard from Tex-Elec but never installed it. Also bought a refurb p/s; again never installed it.
$100?

Also have other various goodies like Motorola CGA monitor
$100
a couple of rubber dome XT style keyboards
???
Intel Above Board with 2Mb daughter card; some chips bad. 4Mb total.
$100
Logitec bus mouse card, Hayes internal 1200b modem, some spare parts for a Compaq Portable I haven't tested in years, and other stuff.
???


Oh, yes. I have an Epson QX-10 where the monitor stopped working. Bought a refurb a couple months ago but haven't tested it. The system worked fine until the monitor died.
$100
Also have an Epson QX-16, no keyboard cord, and non-working monitor. When the monitor did work the system worked fine using the cord from the QX-10.
$100

Also have some CP/M software for the Epsons as well as old MS-DOS. 1.x & 2.x IBM PC-DOS, Zenith MS-DOS 3.2 & Windows 1.x, original manuals & floppies. Includes original Zork I and Zork II.
???

If I did my math right, that's $2500. On the other hand, I would prefer to make sure this stuff goes to folks who appreciate it and won't scrap it. I am open to suggestions. The $0 and ??? stuff, well, make an offer. :)

If someone sees something they just have to have, my location is Fairfield, Ohio 45014. As you no doubt well know, these old systems are fairly heavy, so shipping probably won't come cheap.

P.S. The 286 & 386 portables need new batteries. I can include a boot disk with the Compaq config program. Last I checked all the hard drives still worked.
 
If I can find a weekend where I'm available, and there is enough interest, I can probably come collect some of the systems to then ship out or meet people on the east coast.
 
I'm really sorry about your situation, OP.

Make sure you get a good price for your items! Don't let people screw you over due to the pressing nature of your situation. Some of the stuff you're putting up for sale has quite some value these days. Be aware of what it's worth, and don't let people take advantage of you.

Take care.
 
If I can find a weekend where I'm available, and there is enough interest, I can probably come collect some of the systems to then ship out or meet people on the east coast.

If you do wind up doing that, I'd be interested in buying that 5170.
 
I'd really like that Convertible and Portable 386, but am in NYC with no chance to pick up. If you or anyone else can ship or arrange a NYC area pickup, keep me in mind
 
Hello, I am a computer engineering student at the University of Cincinnati, I have a small vintage computer collection of my own, and I am interested in purchasing one of your Compaq portable. I will send you a private message but you can also respond here for a time for me to meet and make the purchase.
 
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