Out of the blue acquisitions.

[rontech]

Has anyone obtained good "stuff" via a random incident? A couple of years back on a whim, I had a look round a local retrotech shop which has old 78's Found a nice Carroll Gibbons / Savoy Orpheans record for £2. I was going home on the local train with my prize when an eledrly lady sat down on the opposite seat. She enquired about the record so I explained I collected such things. It turned out she was into big band and dance recordings and had a number of 78's she wanted to dispose of. Anyway she lived locally and a fortnight later I acquired about 150 78's all in excellent condition. Mostly big bands and jazz from the 1929 - 1955 era. All FOC!

One of those Russian multimeters in its aluminium case and a 0-30V 1A analogue PSU, given to me yesterday after an office clearout. The chap doing it thought I may like them.

[Tim]

I sometimes mention my vintage radio hobby to customers. A few have kindly donated a few things. The odd tranny radio here and there and a small box of valves from one old gent.

[Nickthedentist]

About 2 years ago, I was in a local pizza place with my wife and (then toddler) daughter. The food was slow to arrive and the little one was restless so I thought I'd do everyone a favour and take her out for 5 minutes for a run around in the fresh air.

We came back, still no food yet, so off we went again. This time, we dashed across the road to a charity shop that I hadn't been in for ages because it never seemed to have anything worth having, and when it did, their prices were ridiculous.

Five minutes later, were back, the food was on the table, and everyone was happy. And under my arms, I had an 1840s mercury wheel barometer in pristine condition and a nice 1940s GPO 332 telephone too. The best bit was that my goodies had cost me less than our pizzas!

N.

[60 oldjohn]

Three years ago I did a vintage electronics display in our local museum. An elderly couple came in and on seeing my Gecophone the Gent said they had a Crystal set at home I could have. A week later they came in again with a carrier bag, on opening reviled a battered BTH Bijou missing its lid. Luckily I had a spare case I bought at a car boot years earlier.

John.

[Tim]

I do remember when I was a lad my then chemistry teacher, who lived opposite my dad's house, used to bring me things to tinker with.
He thought it would encourage my scientific curiosity. One day there was a nearly pristine Bush VHF61 waiting for me.
Dear Mr. Carlton had found it at a jumble sale for 10p and dropped it round.
This is the radio that started it all! My first valve radio repair at the age of 14, I got it going and I was hooked. I still have that set.

A few years later my (patient and long suffering )Dad said a friend of his had some "radio stuff" he was getting rid of, and would I like it.
Of course I said YES!, and a week or so later was stunned to find my bedroom at Dad's house stacked with boxes of valves, a Mullard valve tester(with several boxes of cards) and myriad sundry other parts. There must have been a Transit van load!
Actually I think my Dad was probably stunned too, but he never said anything.
The valves were about 50% new and 50% pulls, but most tested good and I still have a lot left from that happy day!
I must have gone to bed that night with a smile on my face, after probably staying up very late testing valves.
I never met the friend but am eternally grateful to this day.

[Lloyd 1985]

Once when I was at the NVCF I had picked up an old Sony TV camera and was wandering round with it still in one hand when a chap came up to me carrying a plastic case, he asked if I was into old camera’s? I replied yes, I do tend to mess about with them amongst other things, he then said ‘would you like another?’ And offered me the plastic case, which contained a Panasonic full sized VHS camcorder! I accepted greatfully! It had belonged to Leicester university looking at some of the stamps on it, and the paperwork in a brown envelope in the case, it worked perfectly and was in very good clean condition, I occasionally dig it out and film a few things on it, makes for an interesting look back on things every once in a while, but sadly it’s stopped working recently, it refuses to record colour now, although the camera part can still display in colour on a monitor, and playing back earlier recordings on its own internal VCR come out in colour, it’s just new recordings made on it are now black and white!

Regards
Lloyd

[McMurdo]

I once went to a factory to fix a flexographic printing press and came away with a Mullard valve tester.

[ben]

Originally Posted by Lloyd 1985

’ And offered me the plastic case, which contained a Panasonic full sized VHS camcorder! I accepted greatfully! It had belonged to Leicester university looking at some of the stamps on it,

Regards
Lloyd

If it was an M10, M50 or MS4, I would have used that very camera in my student days!

[Lloyd 1985]

It is an M10! I must say, it's probably got one of the best pictures I've ever seen on VHS.

Regards,
Lloyd

[AC/HL]

I once found an old glass Leclanché cell in an attic whilst doing some wiring. Bone dry of course.

[andrewferguson]

I once went to a relative's Christening, and upon talking about hobbies / interests, I mentioned that I collected vintage computers. A chap overheard that conversation and popped down to his house (he lived locally, whereas I'd travelled around 70 miles to attend) and came back with an Acorn Electron! That was certainly unexpected!

[Oldcodger]

All this talk reminds me of two items I picked up at a computer place a lot of years ago.
Item 1 was an old Apple Laserwriter , which gave me a lot of years of B &W printing on the old toner eventually passing on to the printer house in the sky a few years ago.
Item 2 was an old Pentium 2 66Mhz PC, which I set up for my then about seven year old Grand daughter .It's something I must get back from my son and set it up to work with W95 and my old software.

[ben]

Originally Posted by Lloyd 1985

It is an M10! I must say, it's probably got one of the best pictures I've ever seen on VHS.

Regards,
Lloyd

That M10 was from the uni AVS department. Our student union TV soc had its own M50 but occasionally when two or three camera setups were needed, such as filming concerts, drama or other events, we used to borrow that M10. The AVS always had a couple of the NiCad batteries on charge, they were always the weak point.

I still have tapes made on it somewhere! Glad to see it has found its way to an appreciative home in its (semi-) retirement!

[Junk Box Nick]

Been given plenty of computer stuff over the years. Was once given a Mac 6400 tower because the family had bought it but didn't like it as the software available (in those days) was limited compared to PC.

The gift that had the longest innings was an Apple Laserwriter IIf with a full upgrade of RAM. I was given it because after a network upgrade at a firm it was no use as it only had a serial connection. Installing Laserwriter Bridge software I used it for years. It was so reliable and robust that when I went over to OSX I still used it - driven via an old Mac 7100.

An old boy I used to bump into occasionally found out I was interested in radio and asked me I would be interested in something called an Avo 8 that had belonged to his father. He also gave me a complete set of Newnes Radio part-works that IIRC date from the 1930s.

[high_vacuum_house]

Not long after moving into this house I decided to sort out a depression in the grass in the back garden. I uncovered an old kids sandpit that was filled with rubbish and needed filling in.

I took the rubbish to the local tip which had a re use recycle shop which also sold bags of compost. I decided to pick up some bags to fill the hole left in the garden. Whilst I was waiting inside, there was a table with PAT tested appliances on. Sitting amongst the old kettles, toasters and table lamps was an Audiolab 8000A amplifier in perfect condition which cost less than one of the bags of compost!!

After getting it and the compost home, the hole got left for sometime! It only needed resoldering of the volume pot to restore it to full working order and I still use it with my hi-fi to this day.

Christopher Capener

[avocollector]

My Karate sensei in the 90's bought me a whole load of older computer gear his brother a technician was tossing at the time and it allowed me to get on the internet.