RFC: Old disk collection-Keep or Throw

Let me begin with admitting a horrible truth. I'm a pack rat. Yep, I inherited that trait. My downside though is that it actually extends past the physical and into the virtual. I have a copy of every file that I've almost ever had possession of since I started computing. (Yes, I have old archives for programs from the 90s still.)

In attempting to overcome some of this, I'm looking at starting by cleaning out my workarea of ancient (in technical terms) disks and hardware. Here's what I have though and my real question.

I still have original 3.5 and 5.25 disks (Yes, I do have the drives still to read them both) that I hold on to because they are rare anymore. Things I have: Copies of DOS 5.0, 6.0, 6.2, 6.22, Windows 3.1 on 5.25", Windows 95 on 3.5 Floppies.. Old copies of Word, Office, And other stuff. Should I just finally unclench my fingers and throw it all in the trash (Since I know noone would ever buy any of it), or should I save images of everything then trash em all. Or should I keep them for _________ reasons? At one point the plan was to make dd images of everything, pitch the originals and I'd have nice images saved and archived if I ever want or need them.

Some of them I know are infected with MBR viruses, making my initial attempt a couple years ago to archive a bunch of them fruitless. Is there any way to salvage these disks or do they really need to just get junked as a lost cause at this point? I've also come to the conclusion that there really isn't any reason to keep old MSN/Yahoo installers as they are useless since protocols have been updated. (Yes, I really still have all of them that I've used over time.)

Additionally, I'd love suggestions and thoughts on this too:

Also in my collection: Still have ISA, VESA, PCI Video Cards, ISA Modems, old sound cards, ton of Keyboards (Including the good IBM a couple Model M and similar buckle-spring ones). I'm torn between that voice whispering in my ear: When you get rid of it, you'll need it VS You haven't needed it in 10 years, you won't need it next year. I know I'm not the only one who gets caught in this dilemma. Have we really reached a point in tech where its now cheaper and easier to usually just junk a bad piece of hardware when it acts up and replace it with a new system? I started when we were in the days of everything was a discreet board (Think Nothing on board 'cept serial, parallel, and keyboard/mouse connectors) so having spares was useful. Now days with everything almost on-board, if your Video card dies, you usually go out and spend a few extra dollars and consider it an excellent opportunity to "Upgrade." If you have discreet cards that fail, you can fall back to the on board until you can get a replacement if its important.

I know an older system or two can be useful for throwing together a Smoothwall box (Which i have) or a little personal web server (Which I'm considering doing when I change ISPs). Linux used to be notorious for being able to run on low-end/older hardware, but it seems that even modern distros are slowly upping their requirements on everything except for server-style installs (No GUI, etc). Is it time to just scrap everything less than a P4 and a gig of RAM which I don't already have a use for and presume I'm never going to need anything that dated again?

All thoughts and opinions welcome...

 

I just asked you in another thread where you've been! Glad to see you posting again.

The only value I see in what you mentioned is if your old Microsoft OS floppies are branded with their sticker and/or you have the packaging, and then it would be for collectable resale value at some point. Like you, I came to "that point" last year and had to decide what to keep, chunk, giveaway, etc. Suffice to say, I kept very little. I just couldn't justify it on grounds of anything beyond nostalgia. But seriously, if you have Pre-Windows95 OS discs that are branded with Microsoft logos or have the original packaging, I would definitely hang on to those. It's amazing how few did apparently.

 

I think you yourself know the answer already, throw it out all

 

Hey Lockbox.. Yea, I float in and out.. lately I've been bored as hell so I'm doing more forums again. Welllllll... The 3.1/95 are original disks. No packaging though. Pretty much holds true for most of my stuff. Boxes were just a PITA back in those days.

I've already given away / trashed 4 CRTs, some working 286's, 386's, 486's.. I can't hardly give this stuff away..

Sadly, for me the nostalgia runs deep. I started using these things when I was 11, and I grew up amassing this collection.. its sooo hard to let go.

 

Well, trashed was wrong word.. They ended up at Good Will.. the systems that I'm going to be trashing are going to Best Buy.. They'll take anything without LCDs apparently, max of 2 systems a day. And I'm not letting my buckle springs go, even though I don't use them right now. I love my buckle springs, I can't help it, the lil kid in me loves the "Clickity-Clack" when you use them. I did discover that a company still sells them, slightly modified and now with 102/103/105 (Windows Keys) versions... Even some "Linux" boards with Esc/` and Ctrl/Alt/Caps Locks reassigned to be more linux friendly. Look up Unicom I think it was. Not bad, $70 for a brand new buckle-spring keyboard. They bought the layout/design of the Model M, and I'm almost believing that they were the company making them for awhile as a IBM Model M.

-- Update
Thats it Ronjor, Unicomp, not Unicom... And that's their online store to order from.

 

Hi Ron....Thanks for that! One of the suburban library districts near my city has computers that still use these "clicky" IBM keyboards. I asked about it a long time ago and they said when they replaced them a lot of people said they liked and missed the old keyboards, so they put 'em back! I'm planning on ordering one from the Yahoo store you linked to. Thanks! Such a satisfying touch and sound, huh?

 

It is. I'll admit, I have a bunch of rubber-bubble boards now, and some that are . I don't know how this one bounces back... Sure, the silence is nice, but the tactile response is so blah.

I just wish they made buckle spring in some smaller (and cheaper) variants.. And that local stores carried them to actually try and play with them.