Since I'm changing lives again, I'm cleaning out the garage - 48 years of
accumulation. I've built a massive pile of electronic waste, including at
least 13 laser and dot matrix printers. There are still 22 PCs and one S100
machine to move out, and a large pile of obsolete network equipment - and
there seems no more room in the garage than when I started. All this, and
much more, will have to be trucked away to an electronic waste recycling
yard.
Now DD is coming down from Oregon, for at least 3 months while she sorts
out her life. She's the one who told me, "Why do you get involved with
rescues, why don't you try normal women?" Well, I am invisible to "normal"
women - if they are single. So now she wants to be a rescue.
Of course I have a job for her. Denise moved out 3 times, and each time left
all her worldly possessions in a corner of the garage (except her violin,
which is in my closet) - plus everything I recovered from the board and care
when she was sent away to die (quite a pile). I told DD she has to sort
through it all, keep anything of value, take anything still useful up the
hill to the donation center, and toss the rest. Then she can put in her own
stuff. She doesn't know it yet, but she'll make many more trips up the hill
with my stuff.
She won't be here until November, so by then there may be room in the trash
bin to throw stuff out. Meanwhile, my trash bin is filled to the gills every
week. Pick-up is Thursday, and the bin will be filled within 2 hours. Every
day I stuff the fireplace with cardboard and light it off - sometimes 3 times
a day. I haven't room for it in my trash bin.
Today, I pulled down all the Denise stuff to see what was under it. At the
very bottom were bags of sand and cement. There was also a large cardboard
box. This proved to have a bunch of ancient beer bottles in it, particularly
31 brilliant cobalt blue bottles from Apollo Lager, with fired-on labels.
These sell for an average of $19.95 on eBay - that's over $600. Three have
unbent caps so should go for more.
I have found a lot else I had no idea I owned, such as a laboratory grade
microscope and a large HP pen plotter. I'll keep the scope, but the pen
plotter goes into electronic waste.
I also found my 4X5 Speed Graphic press camera - worth from $300 to $550.
There are a whole lot of ancient computer magazines, which might be of
value for someone, at least for shipping cost, but where could I contact such
people? There are also 3 pre-electric portable sewing machines in their wood
cases. I can contact collectors for those - they won't be hard to find.
Near the sewing machines are a bunch of full bottles, including several of
100 proof tequila - not the best tequila I have, but drinkable. Haven't
inventoried that stuff yet. There's also a model of a renaissance period
world globe in it's fancy wooden stand. I can't sell that because it's
actually a full, sealed, and stamped bottle of Jim Beam Bourbon - and I
don't have a liquor license. I'll have to drink it all before I can sell it,
unless I can bootleg it somehow.
All in all, I expect to junk stuff that had an original purchase cost of at
least $60,00.
Finally, when there's room, I'll moved in a collection of about 2000 music
CDs, and a big pile of LPs and 78s. I've heard all the CDs - real heavy on
Medieval Sephardic and Spanish, also English, French and German - and about
500 are my own purchases - late 19th century to last month. I haven't had
time to review the vinyl and wax.
I did pull out one 78 and played it (I had to buy a new high end turntable
and a special cartridge to play 78s ). The one I pulled out is a gem, an
original recording of "The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane" - a true classic if
there ever was one. That new turntable (well, a few years old now), can not
only play LPs, 78s, and 45s, it can play them backwards so you can hear the
alien messages.
So, after the garage, there's the attic, and it's stuffed.
Anyway, our friend from Down Under needn't worry, I have lots more to post
as I find time to do so - but IWeThey really should open up to a few new
people, if suitable nut cases can be found.
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