2019 Mega Post - Keyboard Loot, Lore, and Escapades
Posted: 01 Dec 2019, 21:26
Now that nominations for this years best finds / collections / restorations are in the hopper for the DTA awards, I figured now was the best time to do a quick recap of this years finds and adventures.
[Warning]
Abandon all hope if you choose to continue on with this madness and the rabbit holes contained within. If you are already here though then it is probably already too late.
Find #1 - IBM 4978 Beamspring
The first keyboard of January 2019. Like REVENGE's 4978 this is a centerpiece in my collection and certainly the most I've ever paid for a single keyboard. Not only was this an impressive find on it's own, this directly led me to the Houston haul.
Bonus:
Adventure #1 - The Houston Haul
Houston, We Have a Problem...
Not at all related to the well known Computer Reset haul in Dallas, this unique stash of vintage computing consisted to my knowledge of 3-4 large storage units and a separate warehouse filled haphazardly like the others. From what I seen in the two storage units I helped sort, many gems seemed to have been at the bottom and of course crushed by the mass of junk piled to the ceiling. I later learned that this all once owned by a man by the name of John Keys. Before his passing, John was trying to establish a computer museum in Houston but it seems there was not enough funding and many items were also damaged by flooding. It seems most or many of the items in this massive collection were transported all the way from Minnesota based on asset tags and other ephemera while others were likely donated towards this cause.
More Info:
http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.p ... tion/page5
Other items from this estate can be seen here:
Xmit's haul
PDP_11's sale thread
The Haul:
Adventure #2 - Computer Reset
Adventure #3 - Mound Labs Hoard
Adventure #4 - A Tour of Japan
Other Finds:
[Warning]
Abandon all hope if you choose to continue on with this madness and the rabbit holes contained within. If you are already here though then it is probably already too late.
Spoiler:
The first keyboard of January 2019. Like REVENGE's 4978 this is a centerpiece in my collection and certainly the most I've ever paid for a single keyboard. Not only was this an impressive find on it's own, this directly led me to the Houston haul.
Bonus:
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
Not at all related to the well known Computer Reset haul in Dallas, this unique stash of vintage computing consisted to my knowledge of 3-4 large storage units and a separate warehouse filled haphazardly like the others. From what I seen in the two storage units I helped sort, many gems seemed to have been at the bottom and of course crushed by the mass of junk piled to the ceiling. I later learned that this all once owned by a man by the name of John Keys. Before his passing, John was trying to establish a computer museum in Houston but it seems there was not enough funding and many items were also damaged by flooding. It seems most or many of the items in this massive collection were transported all the way from Minnesota based on asset tags and other ephemera while others were likely donated towards this cause.
More Info:
http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.p ... tion/page5
Other items from this estate can be seen here:
Xmit's haul
PDP_11's sale thread
The Haul:
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
All this in one man's basement in rural Ohio and was sold as one unit at auction. There was more not pictured including 100's of books and manuals.
Spoiler:
Spoiler: