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Which thrift store is best for the collector? Where to go?

J

jeremysart

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2009
Messages
21
Location
Michigan, home of unemplyment.
I used to find ALL sorts of goodies at the local Salvation Army, but they stopped selling computers altogether a few years ago! I once picked up an IBM external 5 1/2 and an old broken Altair.

Every once in a while something turns up the Value Worlds (formerly Value Village). I haven't checked good will yet because I dont like going out to Detroit too often.

Where are the good places to go for this stuff in Michigan?
I have a modest collection, but I would definitely like to get some more pre 1985 computers and software.
 
You have been lucky to find items. Most of the stuff has moved thru the pipe. But you never know what you will find. It seems all of the different thrift stores had somethings at one time or another. I have the most luck years ago when Warren Woods High School had summer long garage sales from all the districts out side of Detroit. Have some pictures of what is like. The last week was dollar days where everything was a dollar before the big auction. Now days they just have an auction or give to the recyclers.

Here is one of the good guys one 10 mile and Ryan Rd. I keep asking about about any Apple II hardware or software. So far no luck.

http://www.siliconalleyrecyclers.us/index.html

It seems you may have never been to the HamFest. But they have gotten really small from years ago. So have the computer shows that came every 2 weeks. The HamFest have almost gotten to the point where they should drop there prices for the amount of stuff they have. If you never been to one is that they do not advertise. Usually on a Sunday and over before noon no matter how fare they came to sell anything. Here is the Hamfest URL set it for our state MI and tell it to search. It will only bring up coming shows. Not one that have past. They used to have more computer stuff as a percentage, but that has dropped tool

http://www.arrl.org/hamfests.html

You might want to try Craigs list

Freecycle is another thing but not a lot is offered. But others have asked for items not sure if they ever received anything.

or the public auctions for your state. Which is large, will not ship. This changes every week or so. You have check your state. Part of the problem is they do not ship, you have to pick the items up.

http://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/browse/home?tm=m

The university in Ann Abhor has a desposition center that handles all the schools around their. They have some strange hours. The prices are strange too. They seem to give a better price to a women than a man for the same items.



Good luck
Take Care
 
Try the local recycler, I found a new one close by and have been finding all kinds of stuff. Today I picked up an IBM PC/XT keyboard for $5 (Model F).
 
GEO,
Thanks for the sources. It seems Silicon Alley now has a Thrift store in Warren, i'll have to check it out.
What exactly is the HAM Fest? It seems to be more about amatuer radio than computers? I couldnt seems to find out too much about it from the web sites.
Thanks,
-Jeramie
 
The HamFest use to have about 20-30% old computer items. Now they are down to about 10% or less. It is all about parts. Before the internet their was Slow Scan TV and Packet radio. Those use the ham radios to get things around with the use of computers. The HamFest at Lanse Cruise High School. Then the one in Hazel Park is not bad either. But they are getting so small. They might not be that good. The big one is in Dayton Ohio. 5-6 hours of walking non stop to see it once. People selling stuff out their trunks. Check for pictures.

But like I said most of the old stuff has moved thru the system. They just do not make it anymore.

You can view a few photos of an hamfest and some of the school garage sales that they use to have.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13533068@N00/

Take Care
 
I can tell you one place that's BAD for vintage equipment...

ANYWHERE IN AMARILLO TEXAS!

To put it bluntly, there ain't Jack $*** in this 1.5 horse town!

But I'm not bitter...the hell I'm not!
 
HamFests really do suck now. When I was a kid, the HamFest here lasted Saturday and Sunday from 8am until at least 3pm and the auditorium was packed. Now, no matter what HamFest in the area we go to, it's only on Saturday and although it's slated to end at 3pm, everyone (all twenty people) is packed up and gone before noon!

If you ask me, the internet (and I wish spell checker would stop trying to capitalize internet!) is going to be the fall of civilization!
 
If there is a Goodwill Outlet in your vicinity, it is worth a look. Goodwill Outlets differ from normal Goodwill retail stores. They're basically the end of the line for items that didn't sell in the regular stores. Also they take donations just like any other Goodwill, so you get a fair mix of goods.

Patience is the key, you could go several times and not make a score, but the payout is there. If not in systems, then software. They are also prime hunting grounds for vintage game consoles.
 
Well the Silicone Alley thrift store is not what you think. It has all the much newer stuff that most people kind of want. The really old stuff is in the warehouse. Buried. I do mean buried. It may have hundreds of computers on top of it.
To give you an Idea they do not save or put out for sale anything older than a G4. I seen pallets of Imac g3 all shrink wrapped.

Not sure what you are after. But the Flea Markets are another place to find things the one on Deqiunder and Eight mile has some in the back in a pile. Maybe they are gone now. Have not been there in a while. The bigger thrift store that was a supper market may have something. Seems it is more of a storage area.

All of the thrift stores seem to have new stuff if anything. I did manage to get some Apple II 5.25 software on the one on Dodge Park and 15 mile. But that was once in over 5 years or longer.

Another way would be to go to the the auctions of storage units. These are the old stuff that people do not use, and really do not want around. Some will let you look at the boxes and have them displayed. Other you may have to buy everything.

You have to be careful of what you wish for and the room for it.

Take Care
 
curtis said:
I can tell you one place that's BAD for vintage equipment...

ANYWHERE IN AMARILLO TEXAS!

To put it bluntly, there ain't Jack $*** in this 1.5 horse town!

But I'm not bitter...the hell I'm not!
Click to expand...

Same thing goes for El Paso. The closest thing in TX is Austin or San Antonio, Goodwill tech center in Austin and a Game Over (okay, more gaming stuff) in SA. I run the only shop in El Paso that will touch anything vintage or ship anything at all.
 
nblsavage said:
If there is a Goodwill Outlet in your vicinity, it is worth a look. Goodwill Outlets differ from normal Goodwill retail stores.
Click to expand...

Would you believe all the Goodwill stores in Amarillo closed and they declared bankrupcy?

Totally blew my mind!
 
Dude, that does seem crazy. I have to admit .. I'm a little curious how a place that asks for everything for free and then sells it can go out of business. I'm sure there's lots of storage overhead and a few folks to lug things around but still.

I've always been on the fence with those places.. on one hand yes I'd rather give something to someone who can use it instead of throw it away but then some of their prices are ridiculous and they're just making a buck off my stuff and sometimes not helping folks.

I guess there's always that cool "free" section of craigslist or freecycle that folks should get more involved with. I also thought Goodwill was a chain, I guess they're all subsidiaries and privately owned? Down here it's the salvation army that seems like it's been in trouble. Still some high prices but they do have nice furniture here and there (definitely a good spot when I first bought a house).
 
Yeah, pretty weird. Get stock for free and then sell it!

Seems donations were way down and the shelves were basically loaded with just junk that nobody would buy.

They even combined all the stock from all three stores and had a "huge" fire sale and couldn't generate enough cash to keep even one store going.
 
Thrift stores around here seem pretty busy (mostly buying clothes).

Workers need to be paid and leases need paid also. I don't think the shoppers kept the stores open (sales probably paid for the workers inside), most likely people donated money and that paid for the store leases and people just don't have the extra cash to donate these days.
 
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