Date   : Wed, 13 Sep 2006 16:49:23 +0000
From   : Jules Richardson <julesrichardsonuk@...>
Subject: Re: Car boot finds!

Paul J wrote:
> Have been trying car boots this year, not found any home computers yet;
> except for one tape deck.
> 
> Any advice or tips for car boot finding would be appreciated

I've always found that it depends on location - for instance Kent boot sales 
always seemed very good for any electronics stuff (although you had to be 
there very early!) whereas the ones up around Cambridge were typically 
hopeless and consisted mainly of people selling clothes or dodgy DVDs/videos.

(I did once see an 8 bitter at a Cambridge boot fair - memory says it was a 
Spectrum, although I could be misremembering - but oddly enough the 50 pound 
asking price put me off!)Paul J <peterbilt@...>

It's worth asking on your local freecycle list occasionally, plus if your 
local uni has a bunch of student for sale / giveaway groups I expect stuff 
will turn up there from time to time.

> whats the going rate for buying a beeb at car boot?

Dunno. I'd pay a fiver tops for a stock beeb if it was in really good 
condition (I'm not interested in collecting packaging) given that the working 
condition would be unknown.

dxssl <-- cat's input

Regarding 'finds', too many to mention I suppose. Notable mentions:

My Master 512 cost me 50 pounds back in the early 90s (with monitor and dual 
40/80 drives + stand). I think I sold a PC that I had to pay for it.

My first ACW was cobbled together out of bits from here and there (it was a 
Cambridge uni chuck-out, but the vultures had got the floppy, hard disk and 
keyboard before someone rescued it for me).

My first ARM eval kit was tossed from Kent uni; it was just put in a 'dumping 
area' where nearly all surplus equipment was placed for interested students to 
take. It was complete chance that I got that one; I didn't even know what it 
was or that it was anything special at the time - I just happened to be 
passing when one of the techs dropped it off.

Anyway, it was those three that really got me started in collecting Acorn 
stuff; prior to that I was a Sinclair person. I'm glad I changed though as 
there are so many more interesting things around in the Acorn world!

cheers

Jules

-- 
If you've ever wondered how you get triangles from a cow
You need buttermilk and cheese, and an equilateral chainsaw