[SunRescue] Usenet: SUN 330 Free to good home (Trenton Computerfest)

[Alan Robinson]

The Trenton Computerfest fleamarket is indeed one of the best places in the Mid-Atlantic states for finding used Sun equipment. There are usually several vendors with Suns for sale and at least one or two who arrives with palletloads of stuff. You have to be careful though. I looked inside some of those IPXes. Many were missing memory and hard drives. I almost bought a monitor for $40 but decided not to. If it didn't work (a lot of them were rather rough looking with broken bases), it would just be another bulky piece of junk cluttering up my apartment. 

However there are usually some real bargins. If you are looking for components, the fleamarket is outstanding. Get there early though. I arrived about 1/2 hour after it opened and waited 45 min in line to get in. At least there wasn't a traffic jam outside the parking lots. The previous year I arrived later in the day and had to wait over an hour just to park. 

Inside the convention center is mostly PC vendors and the crowds make it difficult to look at anything. I usually don't bother with the indoor stuff anymore. For the most part, these are the same vendors who come to the "convention center" shows that are held weekly somewhere in the region. 

Another excellent fleamarket is at the Greater Baltimore Hamfest and Computerfest ( http://gbhc.org/ ) March 31-Apr 1. Some of the same vendors at Trenton are at this show in Timonium MD (including the guys with the palletloads of Sun stuff). The fleamarket here is often even bigger than the Trenton computerfest. 

There are other hamfests in the region that are great sources of Sun equipment. The BRATS hamfest, also in Timonium (July 29), and the Bowie MD hamfest in (sometime in Sept), are ones that I like to go to. The American Radio Relay League ( http://www.arrl.org ) has a list of hamfests nationwide. There is always a fleamarket, and sometime you can really find a bargain (like the pristine LX, with Solaris installed that I got for $5).

Alan Robinson 


wa2egp at att.net writes:

>     It is known as the Trenton Computerfest and will be 
> held on May 5-6 in Edison, NJ at the Raritan Exposition 
> Center (I think that's the name).  $10 for both days.  
> I've going since the first one and it has grown so large 
> that it outgrew several sites.  I've seen things like 
> Sun color monitors (21 inch) for $50, IPX bare-bones for 
> $10 (pallets full), and AS400 for $35 each (OK, beat to 
> hell but the first 20 sold get a "complete" set of 
> manuals).  The outdoor flea market is where the "good" 
> stuff is.  Inside is generally PC stuff (usually never 
> go inside).  I picked up my 20 (64 m, 2.1 gig HD, SM51) 
> last year for $500 and the seller demonstrated that it 
> worked. Found a Solaris 6 CD in the drive when I got it 
> home. He also sold the same processor for $50 each.  Had 
> some 10s and other Sun stuff.  Surprised he is not 
> lurking around here somewhere.  My advice...bring money, 
> a hand truck, a large pickup, comfortable shoes and sun 
> tan lotion.  You never know what you'll find there.  
> It's the only local show that I know of that carries 
> stuff other than Wintel.
>     If you need directions, let me know.  BTW, there 
> are talks/seminars but rarely UNIX type stuff (hint, 
> hint).
>     BTW, I'm not associated with the clubs that run 
> this, nor do I have any vested interest in this event.  
> I'm just tired of going to shows that don't even have a 
> freaking Mac!
> > wa2egp at att.net wrote:
> > 
> > >   I don't know of any local fellows with freebies but
> > > there is one computer show in the beginning of May in NJ
> > > that usually has a lot (relatively speaking) of Sun
> > > stuff.  Picked up most of my stuff there.
> > > > > I have 4 4/330s sitting in my garage.
> > 
> > Great!  Can you let me know when and where when you know when and 
> > where? :-)
> > -Linc.
> 
> 

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