Large objects can be so hard to deal with that they are often discarded, regardless of theoretical price or value. Motorcycles, Hammond organs, etc.
So often it might be worth quite a bit it someone in another location, but especially after someone dies, there often isn’t the energy to deal with it. So on the street it goes.
You can find some people asking $6000 for a Hammond B3, but then someone can’t give away a D-152 outside of an urban area because folks don’t know what it is on a search. It better than a B3, essentially the deluxe model. But they weight nearly 500lbs and people don’t know how to turn them on to test even (it is a 2 step process)
Indeed. I used to own a vintage IBM AS400 server system and a separate disc enclosure. Each component was roughly the size of two mini fridges one atop the other. It weighted over 130 kg each. Add a "smart" crt terminal and a carrier bag full of cables.
Unfortunately I had to relocate for work and I couldn't take it with me. I tried to sell it, then I advertised to give it away. Eventually I had to take it to local "it recycling" facility rum by the council where they had me pay a fee for "disposal of a business grade it system" (fair enough). I wish I could've kept it.
I got a fully complete Nixdorf 820 with the dust covers for free. As far as I can tell I might be the only person outside of the Nixdorf Museum with one.
I don't I could sell it if I wanted to. The drives alone seem to powered by washing machine motors.
We went toRhode Island computer museum pre-pandemic, was fun (smallish) retro museum. We were offered a tour of the warehouse. A short drive later, a warehouse full of old machines. Impressive lot. It was a lot of fun. They rent them out for movies apparently. They have one old car. One of the founders told us he switched to computers because they were smaller..(ha)
It’s impossiblely hard to keep all the machines working, but they're still fun to look up.
Same thing with aquariums. If you want a 150 gallon you have to pay. If you want a 2000 gallon and are willing to go pick it up and move it, it's usually free.
I run into this with tools at auctions. Want a small milling machine you can move into your garage on your own? $2k. Want a giant one from the 60s that takes a crane to move in? $400
Exact thing happened to me when I first started collecting arcade games. I was ready to sell a Xenophobe cabinet, which is a massive, awkward monstrosity. Took a huge "loss" on it but at the time needed it out of my house and only cared that a potential seller could help get it up the stairs. :)
Ha, I knew someone who formerly worked for IGT. Said when he relocated he had a complete gambling machine (massively obsolete) in his living room. Including the 300 lbs something steel plate that is used to weigh it down. Put it on craigslist for free and said it was gone that evening, scrappers showed up and moved it out for him.
Freight costs and logistics are the killer. The freight cost often approaches or exceeds the theoretical resale value of the item, and the logistical details are difficult to figure out if you haven't done this before, which the overwhelming majority of people haven't.
Absolutely. When I was in college (early 2000s) I found someone selling a Hammond A-100 in great condition for $400. It was her grandmother's who had recently passed, so they were trying to clear out the house. She had a really nice Wurlitzer baby grand piano for a similar price, but my college apartment definitely couldn't fit that thing.
So often it might be worth quite a bit it someone in another location, but especially after someone dies, there often isn’t the energy to deal with it. So on the street it goes.
You can find some people asking $6000 for a Hammond B3, but then someone can’t give away a D-152 outside of an urban area because folks don’t know what it is on a search. It better than a B3, essentially the deluxe model. But they weight nearly 500lbs and people don’t know how to turn them on to test even (it is a 2 step process)