Ebay FA: Sydney - Worlds Largest Collection Of Vintage Components

[EEVblog]

Oh bugger it, I was going to keep this secret, but I just can't bring myself bid on this AMAZING collection of components, because I know how much work it will be to move it, unload it, sort it, junk or sell the majority of it, and keep whats useful. It's not worth the pain!
So maybe someone else in Sydney wants it:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/VINTAGE-ELECTRONIC-COMPONENTS-1000s-CAPACITORS-INDUCTORS-DIODES-RESISTORS-ETC-/231530041621

The guys who collected this is David Sparks, and he must have spent his entire life collecting, desoldering, sorting, bagging, labeling, and categorising all these parts.
Maybe not the worlds largest collection, but if not, certainly the worlds most meticulously organised and labeled!
And yes they are all cataloged on a master spreadsheet!

I have personally seen this collection and have an inpromptu video of it I will upload in due course, and a bunch of photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/eevblog/sets/72157651620532490/

Before you get all excited as I was upon first viewing this collection, bare in mind that it is ALL entirely old through hole stuff, and almost all of it is 2nd hand desoldered parts! Resistors, diodes, caps, ICs, you name it!
Each takeaway container is chock full of not just parts, but they are all individual categorised inside the boxes ziplocked bagged and labeled. It's insane.

Please tell me I'm smart and saving myself a world of grief for not bidding on this...

David Sparks Vintage Component Collection by eevblog, on Flickr

[KJDS]

Sorting through that's an ideal task to delegate to your new employee

[LapTop006]

Sorting through that's an ideal task to delegate to your new employee

No, no. You delegate it to the intern *after* pulling them all out of the boxes and into a giant pile.

[Stupid Beard]

Sorting through that's an ideal task to delegate to your new employee

No, no. You delegate it to the intern *after* pulling them all out of the boxes and into a giant pile.

I think he'd need an extra intern to pull them out the boxes and make the giant pile, judging by the photos.

[Barny]

The Bunker looks to emty.
The optimal place for this manny components.

If you buy this, you'll able to open a Retro-Parts shop and / or have enough eternally

[Chipguy]

I think that looks much bigger in the shelfs than it acutally is. Imagine all those boxes packed tighly together.
They fit in a bigger car like a VW Passat Variant (american call them sedan IIRC).
For that price: Can't be wrong since you got the new basement space

[EEVblog]

Woah, someone just retracted their bid of $600!

[Towger]

It currently only at $19.99.  Come-on Dave.... I know you can't resist... The urge is strong...

[rob77]

next level of hoarding  ? that's insane !

[Howardlong]

That's a lot of takeaways.

[SeanB]

Come on Dave, you can buy the lot for $100, then simply sign each box and sell for $ 30 incl shipping, international at  cost, and make a killing.

Just how big a building do you need to store it all after the win?

[Muttley Snickers]

A substantial purchase such as this could potentially mean never again having to walk into a Jaycar store for an odd bit.
This aspect alone has a value for some.........

This stuff just drive's me bonkers, boy if I had the room.

Muttley

[nctnico]

If you have time you could break it up and sell piece by piece but even then it is unlikely worth the time & effort. The storage alone will cost more than the components are actually worth. The electrolytics can go straight into the trash. The same goes for all the desoldered parts.

edit: I love the desoldered chips in aluminium foil over styrofoam. I think I have quite a collection myself somewhere...

[zapta]

The guys who collected this is David Sparks, and he must have spent his entire life collecting, desoldering, sorting, bagging, labeling, and categorising all these parts.

Why does he sell it? There is probably a good story behind it. Amp Hour?

[SeanB]

This stuff just drive's me bonker's, boy if I had the room.

Muttley

I do have the room............

[Chipguy]

Woah, someone just retracted their bid of $600!

I am sure it will make a good video on it's own and if there are some obscure components in "ETC" then maybe even more than one.
And just let David put everything you don't need on ebay or so, as far as the estimated selling price makes up for the effort putting it on in the first place.

If this offer was around here I'd go for it.

[Flump]

sell them as lucky dip component packs each signed by you
for $10au + shipping a pop, you would make a killing

[Caca]

come on Dave, you know you want to get it. And perhaps you might find something that would be worth the lot in single item, you never know until you buy it!

[Flump]

in the advert it said the shelving can be included too, would hat be at the same price ?
that would be useful

[Neganur]

p.i.t.a. in my opinion, if you're not into boat anchor restoration why on earth would you want to piss your time away with this old museum. 80% useless passive components.
Maybe 2% rare stuff that could sell. The rest will just stay on your shelf until it's Sagan's turn to put up the auction when you're no more.

[Lightages]

Actually I see three opportunities here for Dave.

First: This could be a good way to help all the people on the forums who are buying old used equipment and restoring them. Some parts are just too old to find easily but Dave would probably have it and could slowly sell off the parts.

Second: Dave is always tearing apart old things and receiving old broken things for tear down. This collection could also be worth quite a few videos as well as using the parts to restore and repair the items he receives or gets from dumpster dives.

Third: Lots of young starters in the world who could benefit from some easy to use through the whole components to learn with. Dave could send them off as good will and to help to educate the world.

All of the above depends on the price of course. If it goes for $1k, maybe. $4k no way. Anything under $500 would be a steal. It IS all cataloged and sorted. It would be so easy to find and use whatever part that is there. If it was in my country, I would be trying to get it.

[David_AVD]

There's a lot in there that you'd never use/sell, but just the component drawers, trays and tubs would be worth a reasonable amount.

[EEVblog]

A substantial purchase such as this could potentialy mean
never again having to walk into a Jaycar store for an odd bit.

Remember, it's almost all 2nd hand desoldered parts, vintage stuff, you can't even stick the parts in a breadboard because of the solder on them.

[EEVblog]

p.i.t.a. in my opinion, if you're not into boat anchor restoration why on earth would you want to piss your time away with this old museum. 80% useless passive components.
Maybe 2% rare stuff that could sell. The rest will just stay on your shelf until it's Sagan's turn to put up the auction when you're no more.

Those are my thoughts.
The only other thing is the "coolness" factor of having it to look it. And of course it makes for a video, but I already have a video about it.

[EEVblog]

If you have time you could break it up and sell piece by piece but even then it is unlikely worth the time & effort. The storage alone will cost more than the components are actually worth. The electrolytics can go straight into the trash. The same goes for all the desoldered parts.

And that's the trick, almost all of it is desoldered parts! All the chips I could find, transistors, caps, diodes, etc.
Things like say fuses and maybe trimmers etc might be useful.