It’s times like this……

[bitburn]

This reminds me of this video that was just posted. Family hired a company to trash the contents of a house to get it ready for sale.

Anyways one of the clean up company employees contacted his friend about a bunch of sealed pc games.
In the process of picking they found stacks of gold and silver coins. Theres a good chance it would of been thrown away. House looked trashed as if someone broke in earlier looking for stuff. Probably knew of the gold.

Most people don't want to spend anytime seeing if something is worth anything. They just want the instant gratification of cash without the work.

 

[KaBoom1701]

My mom passed recently and she was a serious hoarder. It's a massive chore trying to clean the place up.

 

[bitburn]

Agreed. It was kinda sad going through everything. He had his electronics repair room and had his wood working room. You could tell this guy stayed busy all through his working days and retirement. But sadly none of his kids had any interest in any of it.

I also collect and use old hand working tools. Many tools are from the 1800s. They probably passed through several users hand. Each user probably thinking when I die; I hope some one finds this tool useful. Hopefully they pass on to the kids if they get enjoyment; otherwise I hope it goes to someone who will also pass it on when their time comes. Same for my games etc.

 

[DuffCon]

Nice pick up. Well done.

But reading this reminds me that we all need to enjoy our hobby then sell off our stuff when appropriate. Our families and relatives could care less about this stuff. They will literally "throw stuff away" when we pass.

 

[bitburn]

My mom passed recently and she was a serious hoarder. It's a massive chore trying to clean the place up.

Sorry to hear about your mom. Condolences

 

[TheYeti]

My mom passed recently and she was a serious hoarder. It's a massive chore trying to clean the place up.

I'm sorry to hear this. My sincerest condolences. It's very hard seeing our parents get old and even harder to say goodbye when they pass away. My mother is a hoarder as well. And the only thing keeping my Mom's hoarding from getting out of hand was my Dad. And now that he has passed away, my Mom's hoarding has gone completely un-checked. It's so bad now that she can barley even walk around her house.

It hurts me a lot to see her like this but it's gotten so bad that I can't even take my kids over to their grandmother's house. It's just too embarrassing.

It's probably been over 10 years since I have even gone back to my own house that I grew up in...and it's only 45 minutes from me. It's just too painful for me to see what has become of the house I grew up in.

It honestly brings me physical pain to even catch glimpses of here situation when I face-time her. I'm just dreading the day when me and my sisters are going to have to deal with everything in her house.

I have now come to realize that one of the best gifts you can give your kids when you get older is to have your affairs in order and don't leave them a mess when you are gone.

 

[Bobwiley]

I would also add enjoy your time with the person while you can, despite the hoarding. My father in law is a hoarder. I just accept the things he drops off and get rid of them later (I also have to time our garbage pickups around when he's likely to be in town).

You can harp on him all you want, but he's not going to toss that perfectly good Coleman lantern from 1973 because it still works, even though he'll never use it. Not the treadmill will the broken safety off button, or the cars without titles that he's had for decades that are "easy fixes" despite all the home improvements the chipmunks have done in the engine compartment and interior!

So we just enjoy our time with him, sigh to ourselves, and know at least we don't have to fight him on something he loves or is too proud to admit has taken over the best years of his life.

Any beer Stein collector's, let me know, he knows what he's got and he's not letting 'em go until he passes!

As for me, I'm only hoarding spare parts for my games. So when I pass and my family tries to sell them, you might think, my god, this is the most crap wiring job I've ever seen in this cabinet! Know you're still getting a buncha extra stuff for the game to last a lifetime! Also, I'm trying to store all the spare parts in said cabinets so they don't take up extra storage space and the added benefit that if the cabinet gets ruined, so will everything I have to rebuild the darn thing!

 

[Magister]

I also collect and use old hand working tools. Many tools are from the 1800s. They probably passed through several users hand. Each user probably thinking when I die; I hope some one finds this tool useful. Hopefully they pass on to the kids if they get enjoyment; otherwise I hope it goes to someone who will also pass it on when their time comes. Same for my games etc.

They were happy knowing I was taking the stuff to use for myself and not to turn around and sell it. Which they told me they suspected the guy that bought the test equipment is going to do. They let me come back today since the other day they had to leave. I spent 2 hours in there. Found some tools and more parts. And I found me this tucked in the corner buried under a bunch of stuff. Too bad I have one already. Lol.

 

[rod90]

I have the 466. It is a decent little unit if you have the patience.

I do not know why they were worried about any resell of those items. I would have done the same thing if I was there. It is the resellers that keep estate sales making money.

 

[DuffCon]

I'm sure someone else will use the tester!

 

[ArcadeTechGW]

This will be the hard part.

Pull a organizer. Put a distinct identifier on it (Yellow 1 for example).

Get out your favorite tool - I use Excel.

Open a spreadsheet, (hopefully the organizers are component specific, not mixed.

Open a tab, label it Semiconductors

Then create the index.

Quantity

Part Number

Common Name

Location

Stock Number

Game

Quantity - how many
Part number
Common name (Quad Isolator)
Location: Yellow 1 Bin #
Stock number (if it has a Radio Shack stock code)
Game: If you know what game it goes to

Once you are done, you will have a detailed index of what you have, how many, and where to find them.

 

[Magister]

I have the 466. It is a decent little unit if you have the patience.

I do not know why they were worried about any resell of those items. I would have done the same thing if I was there. It is the resellers that keep estate sales making money.

I think it's because the daughter was really close to her dad and even though she doesn't have a use for the stuff she wanted to see it go to a good home and be used.

I should have just bought the stuff when I had the chance but I didn't think anyone around this area would have scooped it up.

 

[mopar5150]

100% THIS ^

Hoarding a bunch of excess stuff as you get older doesn't do anyone any good. And it's arguably bad for the hobby and preservation of the games.

It sorta reminds me of those people that have like 50 dogs or cats in their tiny house. They think that they are saving animals and giving them a good home. When it fact nobody can adequately care for that many animals at one time so they actually end up creating the opposite situation. Eventually (and inevitably) the animals get confiscated due to deplorable health conditions and half of them are given away and the other half euthanized.

I know it sounds ridiculous that I would make an analogy of pet hoarding to game hoarding but they are actually kinda similar situations when you think about it. At least the end result will usually be the same:

You either decide where your stuff ends up before you are gone or someone will do that for you. And that decision might be in a dumpster.

I have to disagree.
I spent the last 30 years changing diapers, learning multiple careers, fixing the cars, fixing the house, trips to the ER, and driving family all over the surface of this planet. So, when I die it will be "Deal With The Hoard Suckers"!!!

That and the wife has @KaBoom1701 contact info so she can make it his problem too!

 

[rod90]

My hoard brings me joy. I am leaving my family out of my affairs. Currently, the YMCA of Fremont has to deal with it.

 

[ArcadeTechGW]

I think it's because the daughter was really close to her dad and even though she doesn't have a use for the stuff she wanted to see it go to a good home and be used.

I should have just bought the stuff when I had the chance but I didn't think anyone around this area would have scooped it up.

Yeah, that's a common misconception.

I still passed on several lateral files full of TV Tubes from a guy. He wanted a lot for them, and when I looked at the pictures, it was a lot of odd-balls and not enough of what I need to fix old AM and FM radios. So I passed.

A LONG time ago (I was graduating from high school) and the school was pivoting (figures, after my years) to semiconductors I got their entire collection of tubes (around 400 of them) for NOTHING.

Sold them for $20 a few years later. I never used a single one.

All my parts in my inventory - I think I've been able to use a few. 4116 memory chips for example - those went into my Stargate.

Otherwise, what I have seldom lines up with what I need, but I have it all INDEXED so if I have a need, I can find it quickly and put it to good use.

If you don't inventory / index your parts for easy selection, you've just added piles of crap for someone else to go through when you unexpectedly go.

Because few of us get to say when we go.

 

[Magister]

Got a bunch of these. I know there are smaller ones like this in Atari games. Not sure what these big one are used for.

 

[cdjump]

Got a bunch of these. I know there are smaller ones like this in Atari games. Not sure what these big one are used for.

View attachment 843763

Midway MCR games use a 55k and 100k cap in the suitcase power supply. 60k would work fine instead of 55k.

 

[ArcadeTechGW]

Got a bunch of these. I know there are smaller ones like this in Atari games. Not sure what these big one are used for.

View attachment 843763

Now THAT's a BIG BLUE.

 

[purpleibby]

You're BLESSED if you have some kind of legacy and items to save....it's when you have little memories/memorabilia to recover that you really have something heavy to deal with...everyone who is blessed enough to have loved ones in their lives and loses them has to go through this, I've dealt with it may times at way too young of an age than people should have to deal with, younger than most. It's part of life, a sad one but part of the deal, and I've been stuck alone with that duty when others didn't want to deal with it. I treasure every damn thing I'm able to recover....and I'm grateful to have had loved ones in my life, that just goes with it...it's not an inconvenience, it's your damn job if you truly loved them....not a burden.

These arcade machines....they aren't vintage typewriters, sewing machines, old refrigerators or can openers....they have more cultural significance, lasting relevance and beauty than most things, these beautiful fun machines and memory makers and time capsules...here we are all these decades later and they're still treasure...you can view them how you wish, belittling their awesomeness and significance ....but I will be leaving them to my kid who loves and treasures them and will remember the good times we had enjoying them, and I teach her WHY and help her to see the beauty in them, and she does....and I don't give any credence to bs conditioning to view that as selfishness from those who've given up on life and are ready to hop in the grave and encourage others to do the same, I'm running this bastard until the tires fall off....people who give up on things, always inevitably seem to try to convince others to do so as well. It's poison...subtle...but it's venom. It's not a burden, it's your damn job, DO IT!

 

[RetroCJT]

Nice pick up. Well done.

But reading this reminds me that we all need to enjoy our hobby then sell off our stuff when appropriate. Our families and relatives could care less about this stuff. They will literally "throw stuff away" when we pass.

Thankfully, it seems the modern generation of youth are really starting to show interest in this hobby. I am fortunate to know many people born after 2000 (including myself) that are getting their feet wet and just getting into the hobby. This was my dad's hobby originally, and it became my brother, our stepmother, and my own. I am thankful that we did take interest in it, and am thankful he always humored in our interest, us even though I am sure it would have been much easier to shoo us to focus on his work.