Best Way to Clear out Tons of Tech Horders Things?

mooie on 09/03/2023 - 11:10
Last edited 09/03/2023 - 11:11

TLDR; Tech Horder passed away, and I've been tasked to clear out all his things, ranging from valuable to not. What is the best way to determine what is valueable or not?

Hi All,

My Grandfather-In-Law (mid 70's) recently passed and I have been asked to help clear out all his old things.
The man was an avid lover of tech since forever, having known to have the original Macintosh's and until very recently, still having the leading parts and compontents.

He also was really into IT Networking, from what I can tell, I believe some of the PCs are linux based, and there a litterally thousands of old manuals and stuff everywhere.

The issue is, however, he had become quite a horder. Walking into his mancave, there is litterrally stuff everywhere ranging from valuable to bizzarre, ie:

  • 3+ large UPS'
  • Spare 1050 Graphics Cards, still in box
  • Thousands of USBs, litterrally everwhere
  • Hundreds of HDDs, some labelled wiped, some unknown
  • Hundreds of 2-10TB HardDrives
  • Dozens of Laptops
  • At least 2 mac mini's
  • Hundreds of mice/keyboards (good mechanical ones)
  • 20ish brand new routers, in their orignal packaging (which is funny because none of his devices where ever wirelessly connected)
  • And god knows what else.

I know enough about PC's, and Software and Tech to know relatively what is valuable, but is all the average things just worth throwing into landfill, or a electronics recycler?
Does anyone know about any forums or anything that specialise in Buy/Sell for specialtiy tech things?

Thanks for any help you may give!

Computing

Comments

  • Muzeeb on 09/03/2023 - 11:14
    +14

    List it as a bulk lot on the marketplaces.

    Someone will buy it all to split it and profit. Let that person do all the work.

  • scrimshaw on 09/03/2023 - 11:17
    +5

    OCAU forums has a trading section but you'll need to be a member for at least 3 months and have at least a few posts / comments. The guidelines say that you can sell used stuff but not brand new (to forbid reselling for profit). I've used this a few times to sell off odd pieces of equipment (e.g cases, coolers and low capacity hard drives) and my experience has been fairly good — no time wasters or people failing to turn up at the appointed time. Unlike gumtree….

    There's also the hardware swap subreddit, but I've no experience with this.

    • mooie on 09/03/2023 - 11:35

      Thanks for the suggestions! I'll check them out!

    • freefall101 on 09/03/2023 - 12:27

      Second the OCAU forums, I've been on there long enough my account is of legal age and sold/bought thousands of dollars worth of stuff. I'd buy everything OP has for sale if it wouldn't wind up in divorce for me…

      There's also a retro sale forum for the older stuff and a lot of good posts on figuring out what is worth anything (like some specific older motherboards and gpus are worth a fortune, while others are worthless).

      • mooie on 09/03/2023 - 12:48

        Great thanks for that. I wonder if there's anyway to get my 3month probationary period expedited.

        • randomusername2017 on 09/03/2023 - 14:01
          +1

          Wouldn't recommend a new user trying to offload that amount of stock on ocau… you'll get roasted…..market there is geared toward high end recent tech anyway.

          No exceptions to the 3 month wait for trading forums.

          • Snoozer on 10/03/2023 - 09:44

            @randomusername2017: New users with lots of well priced retro gear will be welcomed with open arms on OCAU. Do not expect to get Ebay prices though.

            • randomusername2017 on 10/03/2023 - 09:47

              @Snoozer: Tell that to the guy that's still whining about commercial qty HDDs from 10 years ago…
              I'd be amazed if a new member that signs up specifically for the trading forums is welcomed with open arms 😱

            • A-mak on 10/03/2023 - 22:51

              @Snoozer: Most of the items I see people buying on ocau don't seem like great prices these days..

              Have had some luck myself in the WTB section tho.

  • Cheaplikethebird on 09/03/2023 - 11:22
    +9

    For your own sake do not try and browse what's on the hard drives just put a drill through them and leave your mind at peace.

    • mooie on 09/03/2023 - 11:24
      +12

      But hear me out, what if I drilled through a cyptowallet?

      • Cheaplikethebird on 09/03/2023 - 11:25

        Hahah I was just thinking this. Law of the universe says that if you drill them you're drilling through a crypto wallet, if you inspect them it's CP.

        • mooie on 09/03/2023 - 11:32
          +3

          Absolutely. I'm fairly certain it would all be innocent, but it's something I would be hestitant to let anyone else do but me.

          My theory is that all the drives are litterally empty and wiped.

    • scrimshaw on 09/03/2023 - 11:24
      +2

      Hah. Just don't be this guy

      • mooie on 09/03/2023 - 11:40

        That literally makes me sick at the thought haha

    • lostgoat on 09/03/2023 - 11:25
      +1

      LOL . It might be a fun ride and some valuable info might be found :)

    • CheapandUsed on 09/03/2023 - 12:26

      Or get a few microwaves off Gumtree and wipe them Mr Robot style… actually for the USB sticks that might be most efficient

    • bargaino on 09/03/2023 - 19:24
      +1

      The owner is dead, so whats the problem? Anything nasty there is no need to look past the thumnails, just destroy it.
      More likely they contain cool historical data. Maybe lost episodes of Dr. Who, or archives of early Usenet (when it was still a cool forum for any talk.)

      But reading the more interesting hard drives will be easier said than done. Got an ESDI controller?

    • Sinnerator on 10/03/2023 - 07:36

      8mm

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 09/03/2023 - 11:35
    +1

    Might be worth spending a bit of time quickly googling a few more interesting pieces, could be sitting on a small gold mine (more likely not though…)

    • mooie on 09/03/2023 - 11:39
      +2

      Yeah I agree, there's a few interesting peieces there that I have reckon are specialty items.

      I think Google Lens will come into use when I fully go through everything.

  • Clear on 09/03/2023 - 12:02

    Hundreds of HDDs, some labelled wiped, some unknown

    If you take off the plate and remove the platters (where the data is stored) you can sell them to scrap dealers. Years ago I used Recycal and made some good profit offloading them and UPS batteries.

  • poweredbysugar on 09/03/2023 - 12:08

    I would suggest reaching out to your local maker space community group, they often will take donations of unused hardware. They can be given to those that need a computer.

  • jnewau on 09/03/2023 - 12:08

    There's an Australian Vintage Computer Collectors Facebook group, and a related sale group. If you post in there you will probably get a lot of interest. Its not unknown for some of them to bulk buy entire cleanouts so it may be a good way to offload it all at once.

  • Cluster on 09/03/2023 - 12:14
    +1

    Send everything to a local auction house. Every large city has a place that will take loads of gear from estate and turn it into cash for you, quickly and easily. In my city (Adelaide) it's www.theauctionrooms.com.au

    You will get a lot more money for it than stripping drives to retrieve metals and magnets for recycling.

    As for what's on the drives, well, to be frank the person responsible for the content is no longer around. Wipe the drives if you want to be sure there's nothing financial or dodgy on there.

    You don't want to be shipping individual hard drives to people for the next 6 months.

  • Fergy1987 on 09/03/2023 - 12:24
    +2

    I mean the 1050's would be great for everyone who has bought an optiplex here if they fit.

    • dcep on 10/03/2023 - 00:10

      those 1050's gonna worth over $300 each on next round of btc pump

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 09/03/2023 - 13:06
    +1

    Hundreds of HDD

    Be sure to check for bitcoin wallets!

    • Cluster on 09/03/2023 - 13:12
      +1

      I know someone who mined bitcoin in the very early days. His laptop died and bitcoins were worthless back then, so he threw the laptop away with the 100 bitcoins on it. Worth over AU$3M now. Yeah, he regrets it.

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 09/03/2023 - 13:15

        damn, i am down a LOTTTTTTT but nothing like 3 mill

      • dcep on 10/03/2023 - 00:13
        +1

        Worth over AU$3M now.

        That's $10m at 2021 peak.

  • bazingaa on 09/03/2023 - 13:12

    make sure to check the prices of the old computing parts, they could be very valuable not like newer things.
    ex: even a Pentium 1 PC could be worth much. Voodoo cards, ISA VGA cards, etc

  • AustriaBargain on 09/03/2023 - 15:49
    +1

    Mid 70s, there's no telling what he might have. Something that looks like junk to even the average tech fan might actually be worth a lot of money. It's too bad he didn't catalogue it all before he died. I wish I could pick through it.

  • localhost on 09/03/2023 - 17:08

    Once you get trough all stuff can you post a list with items for sale?

  • racer1234 on 09/03/2023 - 21:54
    +1

    Anything over about 20 years old is considered vintage for computers on the Australian Vintage Computer collectors facebook page. Someone will want it. Things like old small capacity ide HDD are sought simply because so many died. Not worth much $10 - $20 ea but there are people who will buy a bulk lot if you want to sell them.

    • Snoozer on 10/03/2023 - 09:42

      Yes, please do not destroy the small capacity IDE/PATA drives as they are getting hard to find. Most of these drives will pre-date the existence of the internet and email, so highly doubtful there will be any sensitive content you need to be concerned about.

  • MaxiPower on 10/03/2023 - 08:32

    Be kind and delete his browser history.

  • HelpMeiCantSee on 10/03/2023 - 09:20

    Send me a pic of it and I’ll buy it :)

  • OzBargainGirl on 10/03/2023 - 11:22

    I would see what is salvage-able, and what is not; and if unsure - ask for help.

    There are places/societies, that refurbish old computers, so that children and families who can not afford it - end up with a computer.

    They will cherish your father-in-laws obsolete stuff the most - as things will again be used and loved.

  • OzBargainGirl on 10/03/2023 - 11:23

    This is an example:
    www.mandurahmuscateers.org

  • OzBargainGirl on 10/03/2023 - 11:24

    And another example - mobiles and computers:
    https://thereconnectproject.com.au/

  • OzBargainGirl on 10/03/2023 - 11:25

    And another:
    https://www.computerbank.org.au/about-us/

  • OzBargainGirl on 10/03/2023 - 11:25

    Allow for your father-in-laws' legacy to live on. He had a purpose of saving things - and people will cherish him forever.

  • Loopholio on 10/03/2023 - 12:17

    Maybe do a walk through with a video camera so people who know the value of old gear can point things out.

  • Organised Chaos on 10/03/2023 - 12:34

    Depends on where you are located I would be interested in buying some of what you have described, eg hard drives (spares for a NAS and media pc), a router, as well as be willing to help you go through what you've got and help trying to get the listed/sold. I find the older PC stuff interesting and could be really worth looking at.

  • BatsRule on 10/03/2023 - 13:21

    if there is a way to pm me, where abouts are you?
    are you located in Brisbane area?

  • mooie on 10/03/2023 - 14:53
    +1

    Thanks all for the suggestions.

    I'm in Sydney, and they live on a farm near Jindabyne. It'll be a little while until I can get back out their and dedicate a weekend to going through it all, but when I do, I might do a catologue of sorts.

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