How many unused gadgets are on YOUR shelves??

[Retired To Win]

Just before I sat down to write this, I was reaching for something on one of my bedroom closet shelves and my eyes fell on an original in-the-box Asus T100T Transformer Book pc.  And I remembered that one of the items on my current to-do list is to decide what to do with this computer.  Then my mind immediately jumped to all the other electronic and otherwise gizmos that are sitting on various shelves in our house, unused and "mulching."  Computers, cameras, monitors, television sets, cooking gadgets, tools, musical instruments, what have you.  Lots and lots of items that I/we have stopped using, or used once and had no further use for them, or bought and never used (WTF?!).

The Asus I bought for $350 when my laptop started to completely die on me.  Then the Asus developed an in-warranty problem and I sent it off to be fixed.  By the time it came back to me "good as new" in its original box, I had taken another pc off the shelf and become accustomed to using it.  So the Asus went on the shelf.

That is a story which, with a little change here and there, I could tell about many, many of the gizmos I have bought in the past.

What are some of your stories?


P.S. (Yes, I know all about Craigs List.  That doesn't stop me from adding more stored gizmos to my shelves.  Maybe I should find a "Craigs List vendor service".)

[ChaseJuggler]

The first thing I do when I buy a laptop is snag a solid state drive on ebay and install it. But for the past 2 years, it never occurred to me that the hard drives I removed from the originals were still worth something!

I finally sold them on ebay for about $25 each this year. They were probably worth more the day I stopped using them though!

The big lesson here is to immediately sell the old thing any time you upgrade!

[lise]

After reading "the life changing magic of tidying up" I recycled a dead laptop via bestbuy and traded in an ipod at Amazon. 
I was pretty minimalist anyway but this completed not having gadgets lying around.

So "leisure" gadgets I use in my house are: laptop, iPad, iPhone, TV and Bluetooth speaker.
Unused is a digital camera. Not sure why I hold on to it since I just use my iphone now, but it is useful sometimes for better photos.

I have too many kitchen gadgets though ;-) 

[purplepear]

Sold a digital camera, extra cable modem, 2 keurigs, a TV, extra chromecast, and an xbox 360 this year. All of which was sitting in a closet, unused.

Also, I finally went through the effort of going through both mine and my boyfriends miscellaneous boxes of random electronic crap.

I think we had at least 20 ethernet cables, 30 extra USB variety cables, and a bunch of chargers for god knows what. Feels so good to clean out the clutter.

[Imustacheyouaquestion]

1 in, 1 out. If I want to upgrade, I have to sell/donate/recycle the old gadget (or pick another one to get rid of) before I can buy the new parts/pieces/gadget. I used to keep lots of parts around for random projects, but I've realized that most stuff truly does become obsolete before it gets repurposed. It feels less wasteful to get rid of it immediately while it still has value to someone than to let it sit on my shelf forever.

[AvisJinx]

The only bit of gadgetry I own that I don't use is my Pentax K1000 SLR camera. I've had it since the 80's and I have no intention of ever giving it up - it was a graduation gift from my parents.

One of my hobbies is photography; I have a nice DSLR, but lately I've had an itch to return to the simplicity of that beautiful old Pentax.

 

[NaturallyHappier]

I have a small ham radio hobby that leads to excessive gadgets and gadget parts.  I  have a whole room called the "radio room" to hold all the stuff.  I probably have enough electronics parts to build 10 radios.   I bought them all with plans to build and design more electronics and I will likely never find the time to build any of them.

Whew.....that little confession felt good.

73 de NaturallyHappier

[Retired To Win]

I have a small ham radio hobby that leads to excessive gadgets and gadget parts.  I  have a whole room called the "radio room" to hold all the stuff.  I probably have enough electronics parts to build 10 radios.   I bought them all with plans to build and design more electronics and I will likely never find the time to build any of them.

Whew.....that little confession felt good.

73 de NaturallyHappier

God, I'm glad I'm not the only one that packrats this stuff...

[Nudelkopf]

Nope, because I used gadgets until they die.

Oh... I won an iPod in 2009, that I don't use because I don't ever listen to music (I mean, ever). (I hate music.)

[MayDay]

My H pack rats this stuff and it makes me batty. 

[alsoknownasDean]

Me! Sigh.

So far I can spot:

- Another ADSL modem. My Internet cacked itself a few weeks ago, and because I knew my ISP would ask me if I'd tried another modem when I reported it, I bought another one to test. It turns out it was the line, and it was fixed the other day. Now I have another modem hanging around (which I might use as it's better than the one I am currently using).

- An Airport Extreme. I bought it a few years ago for a previous sharehouse, it lay dormant for a while after I moved, and then I used it again after I moved in here. I fear its network port may not be working anymore (will need to do some further testing) after the modem swapsies of the other week.

- A Griffin Twenty amplifier. I used it for a couple of years, it died a month or two ago, and I've gone and got my old stereo out of storage from my parents' place. Will need to work out how to fix it, or to get rid of it.

- A Cambridge Audio CD player. When I bought my old stereo (2008-09), I bought the set, amplifier, tuner, and CD player. Only the amplifier has really seen a lot of use, and recently to a lesser extent the tuner (started getting back into listening to the radio). I don't even have any audio CDs here, but used hifi equipment has a pretty poor resale value. If I fix the above Griffin amp, I may just get rid of the lot as a going concern.

- An electric guitar and amplifier. I bought this a couple of years ago (I'd wanted one for a long time). Haven't used it much lately, it might need a retune. Might be worth getting back into learning to play it as the weather cools down. :)

- A Moto G phone. I bought it mid last year to learn how to use Android (my other devices are all Apple). I used it for a while to learn how to use Android, and then used it as a modem for a bit after I moved in here. Now it's mainly used as a Netflix remote (with a Chromecast). :)

- A bunch of external hard drives. I use a couple for backups and that's about it.

- An external DVD drive. I bought it for my MacBook when its DVD drive carked it. I eventually fixed the DVD drive (although it hasn't seen use in a long time). I'm hanging on to it because it's highly likely that my next laptop won't have one.

- A USB hub. I bought it for whatever reason (I don't remember but it was ages ago), and it has barely seen use since I bought it. Not really worth putting it on Gumtree either.

I also have an elderly digital camera and iPod that are at my parents' place. The iPod has some clickwheel issues. I'm wanting to fix it, but we all know what'll happen there.

Part of the reason for not wanting to replace my venerable MacBook Pro is that I fear I'll be adding to the pile of stuff.

Come to think of it, I've probably only used my toaster two or three times since I moved in here. :)

[MLKnits]

Tooooo many gizmos. I'm actually not a big gizmo buyer (and I'm a frequent declutterer), and yet they seem to add up.

Soon to be out the door at my house:
1) TV (I watch my fair share, but it comes right to my lap, and the actual TV gets used about once every two years. This actually went out the door this morning, after six years of dithering about "I might need it someday!" Clearly, I won't.)
2) Old digital cameras--I have two point-and-shoots and one fancy one, but fancy for 2003, so not even as good as my phone camera anymore. Can't say I've touched any of these in years.
3) Couple of calculators. In the age of google and smartphones: why?? (I'm still irritated with one of my business partners for buying each of us a scientific calculator when we stocked our office. I'm pretty sure they're all still in the packaging.)
4) Two not-very-old laptops, which I need to clear my files off and pass down to family members (we pass around cars and computer equipment in an endless cycle)
5) My old external hard drive, which is most likely dead as a doornail after sitting in a closet for three years.

That's everything that comes to mind, but I know I've previously gotten rid of many other stupid devices (like the mandolin--a fancy veggie cutter--that lost me part of a finger), and there are probably more I should give serious consideration to donating.

[HipGnosis]

Sold a digital camera, extra cable modem, 2 keurigs, a TV, extra chromecast, and an xbox 360 this year. All of which was sitting in a closet, unused.

How / where did you sell them including how did you price them and how much did you actually take for them?

[HipGnosis]

Oh... I won an iPod in 2009, that I don't use because I don't ever listen to music (I mean, ever). (I hate music.)

I won't tell you it could also be used for listening to podcasts and audio books - I won't tell you that because now the battery is as dead as the parrot in the Monty Python bit.

[GuitarStv]

I have a first generation ipod shuffle that a relative gave my wife.  It has managed to brick itself, which is unfortunate as it was the only portable music player I've used in the last seven or eight years.  Pretty much all of our other electronics get used on a regular basis . . . but we don't buy new electronics often.

[purplepear]

Sold a digital camera, extra cable modem, 2 keurigs, a TV, extra chromecast, and an xbox 360 this year. All of which was sitting in a closet, unused.

How / where did you sell them including how did you price them and how much did you actually take for them?

Sold everything on Craigslist (except for the TV and chromecast which I sold to a friend). I listed everything on CL, then posted links to the CL post on facebook in case I had any friends that were looking to buy. Selling to friends is way less of a hassle.

Was able to sell each keurig for $60, modem for $50, digital camera for $90, and I'm still negotiating pricing on the xbox 360. Hoping for $150 for xbox + games + kinect.

I usually price for about $20-$30 more than I'm willing to take... but really, any offer is more money than I'd make if I donated the stuff.

[Cassie]

None. I get rid of stuff as it breaks or if I find it unused. Next time I want to buy a gadget it helps me to visualize if I really want it remembering the $ I wasted on crap I then gave away. It does help.

[BlueMR2]

A ton.  I get a lot of used equipment for free...  It's easy to say no when it costs money, but when it's free, it's easy to justify it as a "spare" or "backup"...

[grantmeaname]

All we've got unused right now is a bluetooth keyboard (tablet broke and we haven't replaced it) and an Amazon Kindle from a couple years ago that a family member wasn't using. I don't know if we'll use it again, so maybe I should think about ditching it.

[geekette]

Our local Boy Scout troop is collecting electronics to demolish in the name of learning.  So far we're up to 2 computers (one's an Atari!), a VCR, and a digital camera.  We may add a working receiver and a Windows Vista laptop to the pile if we can't find a buyer on Craigslist.

It's nice that they'll recycle the bits when they're done. 

[Retired To Win]

A ton.  I get a lot of used equipment for free...  It's easy to say no when it costs money, but when it's free, it's easy to justify it as a "spare" or "backup"...

Thinking of extra gear as spares and backups is part of the thinking that's led us to packrat a heck of a lot of gear.  Not to say that sometimes the backup function doesn't actually happen.  But I wonder if it's worth it.

[FrugalKube]

I guess for me its the SNES/Gamecube/PS2 that have been sitting in the office closet for a few years. I really should either make an effort to play the games I have with them or just get rid of them

[Rural]

Every old computer ever. TRS-80? Check. 286? Check.


Don't know how many old laptops, but some. Many, even.


Sadly, I don't think I have my Commodore 64.

[choppingwood]

I was really smug when I first read this question, but now that I've read other people's answers, I am humble. Looks like I have some de-cluttering to do when I finish my employment contract next month. SLR camera, lenses, laptop, DVD player, satellite TV receiver(s?).

[Retired To Win]

I was really smug when I first read this question, but now that I've read other people's answers, I am humble. Looks like I have some de-cluttering to do when I finish my employment contract next month. SLR camera, lenses, laptop, DVD player, satellite TV receiver(s?).

If you feel bad, imagine how I must feel.  I've got shelves full of the crap.  BAD, BAD Retired To Win.

[choppingwood]

I was really smug when I first read this question, but now that I've read other people's answers, I am humble. Looks like I have some de-cluttering to do when I finish my employment contract next month. SLR camera, lenses, laptop, DVD player, satellite TV receiver(s?).

If you feel bad, imagine how I must feel.  I've got shelves full of the crap.  BAD, BAD Retired To Win.

lol

Good thing we haven't bought into the whole consumer thing....

[ash7962]

I think all I've got right now is a keyboard that's probably something like 10 years old, a digital camera, a single cup drip coffee maker, and a macbook pro.  I'll probably ditch the keyboard in the computer part recycling bin at work, sell the digital camera since I never use it (can't believe this didn't cross my mind already), clean and sell/give the coffee maker, and finally sell the macbook pro.  I've been meaning to ditch the macbook pro for some time but need to bring it back to original factory settings.  The only thing on this list I've worked towards getting out of my house is the coffee maker, so looks like I've got a weekend todo list now!

[Nudelkopf]

Oh... I won an iPod in 2009, that I don't use because I don't ever listen to music (I mean, ever). (I hate music.)

I won't tell you it could also be used for listening to podcasts and audio books - I won't tell you that because now the battery is as dead as the parrot in the Monty Python bit.

When would I ever need to sit somewhere and listen to someone talk to me?

[MLKnits]

Oh... I won an iPod in 2009, that I don't use because I don't ever listen to music (I mean, ever). (I hate music.)

I won't tell you it could also be used for listening to podcasts and audio books - I won't tell you that because now the battery is as dead as the parrot in the Monty Python bit.

When would I ever need to sit somewhere and listen to someone talk to me?

On transit, on an airplane, on the treadmill, on a long walk ... lots of times when you want some low-key entertainment, especially when reading might be impractical (elliptical, going for a jog, driving).

That said, if you hate music, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say audio might just not be your thing, and guess you're about to tell me that you can't imagine ever wanting to listen to podcasts/audiobooks regardless of the setting. These are just in case you're curious why other people might enjoy those things.

Anyway, no one needs a separate device for podcasts and audiobooks in the age of the smartphone, so it's not a pro-iPod argument. Dump the iPods!

[MillenialMustache]

Don't forget to check your old tech gear on Ebay before you donate it if you have any inkling to sell something! Old keyboards, camcorders, walkmen etc can be worth $100s of dollars. You would be surprised at what sells!

[HipGnosis]

Don't forget to check your old tech gear on Ebay before you donate it if you have any inkling to sell something! Old keyboards, camcorders, walkmen etc can be worth $100s of dollars. You would be surprised at what sells!

How do you know what the winning / selling price was??

[grantmeaname]

Search the thing you want, then scroll to the bottom of the checkboxes in the left sidebar and select only "Sold listings".

[Retired To Win]

Don't forget to check your old tech gear on Ebay before you donate it if you have any inkling to sell something! Old keyboards, camcorders, walkmen etc can be worth $100s of dollars. You would be surprised at what sells!

What about Craig's List?  And are you doing the "auction thing" on Ebay or straight selling?

[sleepyguy]

I could probably open up my own used computer store with the amount of gear I have.

I have a 'bad' habit of not letting any unused gear go to the landfill, BUT I'm way too lazy to try to sell any of it.  Generally I just donate it to local NFP centres.  Over past few yrs I've given away probably over 30 pcs/laptops.

I still have WAY too much stuff.