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Outside of computers, what old useless electronics do you collect because you can?

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Unknown_K

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My house is full of computer stuff, but once in a while I will snag some audio gear. I have always loved Technics audio equipment so when one of my CD changers die I snag another. CDs are not useless, I have 100's of original music CDs, but tape decks kind of are. And the most useless of tape decks is a DAT audio drive, so I purchased an SV-3800 Panasonic (Technics parent company, sadly technics is dead) DAT recorder.

DAT recorders used to be VERY expensive high end gear so I used to want one. This one came with rackmount kit and manual but no remote (just ordered the one I need from ebay). Now I have something to use my old DDS1 tapes with (data grade DAT tapes are better then audio grade since they are certified error free).

So what useless non computer electronics stuff do you guys collect?
 
I've got a paper bag full of analog cell phones and their cases. Just too nifty looking to pitch. Someone else can deal with them when I'm no longer around.
 
Agent Orange said:
I've got a paper bag full of analog cell phones and their cases. Just too nifty looking to pitch. Someone else can deal with them when I'm no longer around.
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I still have my Nokia 100 purchased new 2 decades ago or close to it. I should toss it sooner or later.
 
Does original software count? I have my archive of disk images too but whenever I see original documentation/computer books or software I have a hard time not snagging it.
 
i pickup things like the RS pocket dialer
i picked up a couple NOS cordless phones with 4ft long telescopic antennas.
beautiful pristine and unique rotary phones... what am i gonna do when pulse dialing is no longer supported? ..i don't think i'll add a TT mod to each of them.
i'm trying to dump cellular, so i got a landline again.. first time in 13yrs.. i may not succeed.
 
I have a small collection of antique radios and two very early-60s B&W TVs. Also have a small collection of 8 & 16mm projectors and film for both.
 
Useless? The only thing electronic that I own that is actually useless, that I can think of, is the cellular telephone I bought in 1995. I actually don't know why I still have it; mostly I just keep forgetting to toss it.

Well, I suppose all my "landline" phones are useless to me now too. But, like luvit, I've been wanting for some time to revert to a landline. Unfortunately, I can get cellular service for free, but to get home telephone service is around $65 and comes with mandatory internet (an extra $35) and cable TV (>$59), or, I'd have to switch to AT&T cellular service, which is just downright obscenely priced.
 
Useless as in other developments have passed it by. DAT was a huge leap over a cassette tape, but CDR pretty much killed it for home use and then MP3/lossless made it obsolete.

Computers are built to be obsolete in a few years, other electronics can soldier on for decades (standard home corded phone for instance).
 
Ah there you go. I forgot about that phase. I do have old video format players just to see what they looked like although it's hard to truly compare on newer technology. I consider palmtops computers but I guess I do have a large collection of handheld computing items if they're in a different category.

Not something I have that much of but also old "security"/sniffing equipment I've found over the years to be entertaining. Some quite useful like a serial sniffer when connecting unknown devices to each other and knowing that it IS sending a response, just not something my current terminal settings are accepting.
 
I pick up players for outdated media formats that tickle my fancy. I've got a turntable, a cassette deck, a Laserdisc player, a VHS player, and three reel-to-reel recorders that I really need to get working, along with media for each (a couple hundred records, a couple dozen Laserdiscs, stacks of VHS and audio cassettes, and even a couple tape reels I snagged from Goodwill.)

And, of course, vintage synthesizers, although I dare anybody to call them "useless" when I bust out a JX-10 pad on their ass.
 
Consoles. A PS1, three PS2s, an Xbox (the first). I want devkits so bad, even if they are just wasted money!
And i love audio systems: i have couple stereo amps, some car radios convered for home use, a stereo made out of a television case (!) and some old radios, included two or three tube radios in nonworking condition.
 
Oh yeah, also consoles. I've got an AV Famicom (unfortunately my NES-to-Famicom adapter is busted at the moment, so it only plays the couple actual Famicom carts I own,) an SNES, a Genesis, a Saturn, an N64, a PSX, and a Dreamcast. (I've also got an Atari 2600 stashed away somewhere, but it's not working. Need to get another.)
 
I like old consoles too, I just don't think they are obsolete just retro.

Do you guys ever bother picking up older digital cameras now that 20MP or whatever is common?
 
Unknown_K said:
I like old consoles too, I just don't think they are obsolete just retro.

Do you guys ever bother picking up older digital cameras now that 20MP or whatever is common?
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Agreed - they're quite fun to this day.

I was thinking of collecting older DSLRs, but they're weirdly hard to come by apart from cheap ones like the Canon 400D.
 
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