Hoarding Loved Electronics

My first computer was an Apple II Plus. It was pimped out with like 48k and rolled with two floppy drives. I had some awesome classic games (totally pirated always). Castle Wolfenstein, Miner 2049, Karatica, Burgertime, Lode Runner, Summer Olympics. On and on.

I also knew how to write some basic stuff in Basic. I could make my whole screen fill and scroll forever with:

TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!

I was all about...

10 PRINT "TODD IS AWESOME!!!!!"
20 GOTO 10                                               

I could even make it go diagonal or flash on and off or both! Programmer! (Awesome!) Then I turned my programming skills into creating my own maps in Ultima III and trying to hack into my Strip Poker game to see all the boobs. I really did love that Apple II back in the day...

But eventually it sadly went down into the basement with all the other pre-garbage. Insultingly replaced by some crap "word processor" from Radio Shack for my school papers. And for years I'd see my old Apple II sitting down in the dark. Sad and alone and forever off. As the years went by I'd occasionally get tingles of wanting to hook it back up for nostaglia's sake. Maybe check out what was on some of the floppy discs. I wondered how Castle Wolfenstein would hold up as a game. Would I still have my mad skills in Summer Olympics? But it never got hooked up...

As it aged along, I started to wonder if perhaps it would be worth something down the road. Would classic computers cross over to becoming something like antiques? Would they grow value like baseball cards or whatever? Was I holding on to a future treasure? Would it be in a museum one day!? I had to hold onto it. Also, what was I supposed to do? Put this childhood treasure in the dumpster? I'd never do that to an old teddy bear! Why should an old computer be held to a lower standard in terms of inanimate objects?

Then one day my parents told me they were cleaning out the basement. They wanted approval to toss the old dusty Apple II. I hadn't touched it in over ten years. It was a sad day but I had to accept that it had transformed itself into garbage. Who would want that old thing? I was rocking a P133 at that point! Windows! It was time to say goodbye to old Apple. I assumed it had to be worthless and less.

But meanwhile! Today I go on eBay just out of curiosity to see what they're going for. I figured they'd be sold for like $10-$20 or whatever... And now I see ones that still work can go for hundreds! Look at that! Dangnabit!! They are worth something!! (not that I'd ever sell it even if I had it...) 

But lesson learned! If you love something.... Hoard it forever!

Of course, I gotta assume the old Radio Shack ain't worth much these days. I can't imagine that would be worth anything ever. But has anyone ever loved a Radio Shack computer...?

ok bye!

tOdd

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