this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2024
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Not quite a cable, but my dad threw away like five PRISTINE IBM Model M keyboards when my grandpa died. My dad worked in tech but didn’t know about mech keyboards. He just tossed them because they were old.
As a classic example, I needed a power cable just a month after I threw them all out, because "everything comes with it anyway!"
Labelled ziplock bags = the best for cables
I'm in this comment, and I don't know how to feel about it......
wrap them and tuck them in an empty roll of toilet paper, it is also a good trick
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Have any of my fellow cable hoarding enthusiasts entered their enlightened sandwich-bag arc yet?
- write on the bags the type of cable and length
- cables never get tangled together
- cables never get damaged by sharp bends
Sure is nice being superior to everyone.
And yet when people need some obscure connector, they ask me and I have it. Amazon also has it (and it doesn't cost much) but that's beside the point.
This is what finally got me to cut down. I realized any given cable I was saving can be had for pennies if I ever needed to buy one again. Which I won't.
But I still have a lot.
The one at Amazon is junk though. The one you have was made by folks in San Antonio, who know what salsa's all about.
The one time you decide to do the right thing, that cable you threw out? You'll need that in almost exactly a week. Somehow it's been in the box for 4 years, but now it's needed.
SCART (Peritel) cable - copper, plastics (organic polymers), traces of gold - Europe - late XX century - on loan from the Picard foundation
I have a very organized system:
1 bin for USB type chargers
1 bin for computer cables
1 bin of cables that I will never get rid of ever, I might need them
Yeah, that’s pretty well organized, I guess.
My wife went and separated each of our cable types and put them in 1 gallon Ziploc bags with labels on them.
As an old coot I had boxes of various cable, I gave most of them to local thrift stores. But I kept one of each, in case of, (black, white, short, long) AC power cable, a VGA, RCA, DVI, TOS, serial, S-VHS, etc
IN CASE OF!!! until next round :)
It feels weird that DVI is old now but it really is... I've got like, 2 old monitors that will still take it, everything is DP or HDMI now
Every so often I see new monitors with DVI support and I always wonder why
To work with the old-ass KVM nobody wants to pay $$$ to replace? That's all I can think of. DVI adapter chains get real janky real fast.
You won't need them until you part ways with the last one. Then you will need it within a week.
Power cables are probably still useful. At least here in Western Europe the power cables I used in the 80s are still perfectly fine today. Better even, since copper was cheaper they often have more than modern cables (which shouldn't matter if they are within spec, but still).
Those old centronics cables on the other hand, maybe it's time for them to go.
It depends. I remember (late 90s story). The company I was working with had just moved and we were short on power cables (they were probably still in a box somewhere). So I went out to grab a couple.
Luckily, at the time there were still hardware stores to be found. So I were in the first one:
"Hello, I need two power cables."
"Sure, what models are they for?"
"Sorry? Just power cables, grounded power cables, like those (points helpfully at generic 1.5m cables just hanging there)."
"But what model?"
"No model, just regular PC workstations."
"Oooh, but those are Mac cables!"
"... Ah, never mind, I'll risk it, just give me two."
Sometimes you think they're just cables, but they're actually Mac cables. And then who knows what can happen?
Just hit em with the old "CEE 7/7 on one end and ~~C14~~ C13 on the other end please". If their eyes glaze over, do the Ron Swanson and get the right one yourself.
If their eyes glaze over, do the Ron Swanson and get the right one yourself.
I was at a computer hardware store once (back when those existed) and asked for something specific. The kid working there insisted they don't exist. I told him that I'm confident they do exist because I own one. He went on rambling about how smart and knowledgeable he was, and how he's certain they don't exist. While he was talking I noticed there was one sitting on the shelf right behind him. I grabbed it and said "well, for not existing you guys certainly have a good supply of them!". Then I told his boss that his employees should not tell customers that things don't exist, just because they've never heard of them. What kind of idiot does that?
CEE 7/7 to C13
C13 is the plug/connector. C14 is the receptacle/appliance inlet.
Ah yes, totally correct.
Those old centronics cables on the other hand, maybe it’s time for them to go.
Yep, I bought a Centronics cable maybe 30 years ago for $100, for a parallel printer. I kept the printer maybe 10 years, then moved to a laser/ethernet at the time. But I kept this damn cable 20 years more in case of!!!! It's now in a thrift store bin for $1 I guess.
Better even, since copper was cheaper they often have more than modern cables (which shouldn't matter if they are within spec, but still).
It matters to tweakers!
I recently moved and I threw away/e-cycled so. much. extra. PC shit. I probably still have enough spare parts to build 4 or 5 PCs though. Sigh.
edit: Pic. I don't have a problem. This is less than half what I used to keep! And I might need some of this stuff to repair 386's after the apocalypse.
You were going to build those PCs out of some cables and old controllers?
That is but one part of my hoard. I have boxes of old video cards, hard drives, motherboards, etc. I don't just throw those in a bin though. :)
You were going to build those PCs out of some cables and old controllers?
VATS engage "i must raid the ruins for a replacement scuzzi cable"
They are really valuable! It's at least $20 per cable if you need to purchase one. Good thing we have 1000 in the garage.
If you ever get rid of the box you can be sure that the very next day you will need one of them.
Burned myself a dozen times in life by culling the cable herd.
"FUCK ME. Why can I only find 2 RCA jumpers? There were 20 in here last year!"
I mean cables are indeed very valuable in just scrap.
My dad worked in IT and we had a 50 gallon drum full of all kinds of cables. Not only did we always have the type of cable we needed but if I ever needed $100 in an emergency I'd just fill a box and head to the local scrapyard.
You'll get even more money if you remove the insulation first.
How big was this box you were filling?
This is a close as I can find
Ahh yes, regulation size; I see you are a collector of fine cables sir.
I literally have several of those
Next question: where is this scrapyard
You should be able to search your local scrapyard and find the price by weight online.
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Just wait until the next great depression hits and no one can buy anything then we'll see who's laughing. Not all hoarding is bad, just be smart about it.
I just sent this to all my fam and most of my friends
I have all the cables
Dad always knows
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