[Outdated post] Vintage computers for sale or swap

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15-May-2021: Note this is a very old post – most of the items below are no longer available.

It’s time to thin out my vintage computer collection a little.

Below is a list of items currently available.

My order of priority for finding new homes for this equipment is as follows:

  • Free of charge (or a swap, if offered) to people in the following categories:
    • Under 21 years of age; or
    • Retired or unemployed; or
    • Not able to afford eBay prices
  • Swap for items that are on my wish list (see below)
  • Cash sale
  • Innovative offers (eg – free use of a holiday home, trade for other items such as a good quality DSO etc
  • “I’ll take it if it’s free”

I will however have to balance the above list against the practical problem of dealing with a large number of people. So for example if someone says “I’ll swap you an [insert description of desirable PDP-8 system] for everything on the list”, it may be all over.

This is more about getting the items into the hands of people that might use or enjoy them, rather than a fund raising exercise. Where items are given away for free, this is on the understanding that they will not promptly reappear on eBay or elsewhere!

These items are all located in a small warehouse in Melbourne, Australia.

It will be difficult for me to arrange shipping to you. I will however co-ordinate pickup with you or your shipper.

Please do send through your offers. I will evaluate the offers at the end of this month (October). Anything not sold, swapped or given away by early December will likely go to recycling.

My wish-list (if you are considering offering a swap) is:

  • PDP-8 equipment (8/e, 8/f, 8/I, TU56, etc)
  • UNIBUS front panel in good condition
  • Collectable S-100 systems
  • Single board computers (KIM-1) etc

A small number of items below are marked with an asterisk. I may decide to retain some/all of these items unless a good offer is made for them.

Here is the list….

Feature items:

  1. VAX 11/750 over 4 cabinets, with TU80 and RA81 (*)
  2. 2 x DECdatasystems in corporate cabinets (11/03 or 11/23, each with 2 x RL drives)
  3. 2 x VAX 11/730
  4. 2 x Microvax 3600 in corporate cabinets
  5. Approx 50 x MicroVAX 3100s (20s, 30s, 38s, 76s, 80s) or expansion units
  6. Approx 10-30 VAXstation 2000s
  7. Tektronics 8560 Multiuser Software Development System (11/23 based?)
  8. VAX InfoServer 1000 in vertical desktop cabinet (*)
  9. TA78, TA79, TE16 tape drives (*)
  10. Pedestal Vaxes (2 x 4000-600A) (*)

Other items:

  1. Approx 40-50 VT240, VT241, VT320, VT330, VT340, VT420, VT510 terminals
  2. 16 x BA23 chassis (*)
  3. Approx 8 x third-party QBUS desktop or rack insert chassis
  4. Approx 8 x BA123 “Worldbox” cabinets, some with MicroVax boards. Cosmetically these are not in great condition. Some are missing cover panels, others are scratched etc.
  5. 40-80 boxes of Vax-related documentation
  6. 3 x DecServer 550 style QBUS chassis suitable for rack mounting (2 x DS550, 1 x Firefox)
  7. Firefox pedestal
  8. R400X pedestal
  9. 4000-300 pedestal
  10. Approx 12 DEC desktop printers (LA50, LA75, Correspondent, LQP03)
  11. Approx 6 x Letterprinter 100, DECWRITER IVs, etc
  12. Approx 12 x VaxStation 17” colour monitors (various models)
  13. Approx. 20 x Emulex/Sabre/Integraph/Other SDI or SMD drives
  14. 7 x Pedestal Vaxes (2 x 3400, 3500, etc)
  15. Approx. 30 RL cartridges
  16. 2 x DEC LP25 printers
  17. Plessey VAX 11/750 over 4 cabinets (approx. 5 feet tall)
  18. DEC RM03 drive
  19. LG31 printer
  20. DEC 4000 Departmental Server (Alpha?)
  21. 2 x Webster Spectrum QBUS systems with 8” drives and Cipher tape drives (in 3 foot high cabinets)
  22. 2 x VAX8550 Consoles and one set of manuals
  23. Approx 10 Webster QBUS Desktop systems with 8” drives
  24. Approx 12 boxes VAX distribution media
  25. Approx 12 small tape drives (SCSI etc)
  26. Approx 30 DECserver and DECrouter products (eg DS200)
  27. AlphaStation 400
  28. 2 x BA356 blue SCSI racks
  29. Approx. 40 x BA350 cream SCSI racks
  30. 1 x HSJ50 cluster controller
  31. 4 x HSJ40 cluster controllers
  32. Approx 4 x VAXstation 4000 VLC
  33. DEC 3000 desktop
  34. AlphaServer 1000
  35. 4 x VAXmates with keyboards and mice and one set of manuals
  36. Various bulkhead panels and cables for VAX machines (2 x DMF32 distribution panels, etc)

Unfortunately I don’t have time to inspect and photograph each item. However the following pictures will give you some idea of what’s involved:

40 thoughts on - [Outdated post] Vintage computers for sale or swap

  • Hi Malcolm

    That’s a great collection. I’m in Christchurch New Zealand, and I already have a reasonable sized DEC and Data General collection, but not as large as yours! I also have a PDP 11/45 in a rack and various PDP8’s etc in the USA waiting to ship back in a container one day – one day!

    I worked for DG for 17 years in NZ before starting my own businesses. I have been a collector for the last five or six years – late into it yes, but I have some nice systems, my favourite being a DG S/130 – like the PDP 11/70 – lots of flashing lights and toggle switches.

    I picked up a horde of DEC kit including Vax / MicroVax and Alpha from Lincoln University a few years ago and have just obtained a hobbiest licence for openVMS and run up one Alpha system and a couple of Vax’s / MicroVaxes – great fun.

    The plan is ultimately donate the systems to a museum, or to start a small technology museum here in Christchurch.

    Anyway, I note that you have other rarer systems that you are presently planning to keep, but if you ever decide to part with them, then I’d be very grateful if you would let me know. More than happy to container them over to NZ, and especially if we get the Museum off the ground.

    All the very best.

    Reply

  • The Corestore is now based in NZ and will take the 11/750 and 11/730 and probably the RM03 and some other bits. I’d prefer a trade to a cash offer – I can probably get you some of what you want; certainly an -11 front panel (probably 11/70) and a working pdp-8e. I’m not rich but I’ll find the money to ship it across the Tasman somehow! Please email me and let me know – I’d like to pop across fairly soon and wrap this up!

    Reply

  • Hi Malcolm,
    I have just come across your blog and seen this post about your surplus equipment. I don’t have any of the items on your swap list but am happy to pay cash. I can’t find an email address for you – can you email me so that we can communicate further?
    Thanks,

    Reply

    • Hi Arthur, it is in Melbourne, Australia. There is still quite bit of stuff available thought diminishing at a steady rate.

      Reply

  • Hi Malcom –

    I am attempting to build up an 11/750 from parts. I have console, backplane, a number of the boards. Have been unable to find a cabinet. Let me know if you have – or know of someone who has – any 750 parts for sale… I am in Texas.
    Thanks in advance!

    Reply

  • hello Malcolm. I am very keen to rescue any DEC PDP-11 or VAX computers or peripherals. I wish I had known about this earlier. If you read TUHS newsgroup you can see my postings about building PDP-11 and VAX system images through cross compilation, ultimately I hope to create an operating system release with improvements over 2.11BSD and 4.3BSD. It would be the culmination of a 10yrs+ dream to see this run on real hardware. My email downing.nick@gmail.com my mobile 0425852352. I am in Melbourne. Please do not throw anything out!

    Reply

    • Hi Nick, thanks for coming down and rescuing a few items last month. If you are interested in a couple of very large tape drives (TA78/TA79), let me know. They are the next items that are heading for recycling in a couple of weeks, if I can’t find a new home for them.

      Reply

  • I am visiting Melbourne this week. Thursday through Monday. Any chance of seeing what you have left for sale ?
    Where are you located ?

    Reply

    • Hi Martin, apologies for not getting back to you. I’ve been flat out with work for the past 3 weeks and wasn’t able to dedicate any time to my hobbies. If you are still in Melbourne, please do make contact with me. malcolm@avitech.com.au.

      Reply

  • Hi,
    A real trip down memory lane. I cut my teeth on the Spectrum.

    “Approx 10 Webster QBUS Desktop systems with 8” drives”

    Any of these left?

    Reply

  • Hi malcolm.
    Would you have HDD, type NEC D3142 MFM or any Seagate ST225 or similar…?

    regards.

    Marcos.

    Reply

      • Hi Shaun, the Alphas and MIPS machine are all gone now. I may still come across some documentation in the next couple of months. If you are interested (and are able to pick it up?) let me know and I’ll put it aside for you. Feel free to contact me by email: malcolm at avitech.com.au.

        Reply

    • Hi Ralph, yes I have a VT240 and some 340s listed on eBay at present. I don’t think I have many VT330s left.

      Reply

    • Hi Oliver, I still have some QBUS PDP-11s, plus RL disk packs, VT-series terminals, printers, cables, floppy disks, floppy drives, manuals, etc.

      Reply

  • malcom, could not find another place to msg you.
    1 are you coming to the vcf east this year.
    2.if you are and have a breakout box, please bring one with you.
    thankx
    alex bodnar
    K3Cim

    Reply

    • Hi Alex, very sorry for not responding earlier. This got lost in my inbox. I didn’t make it to VCF East in 2019. Maybe I’ll get there this year, not sure. I’d love to come over for it. Can you remind me which breakout box you are looking for? FYI – you can email me directly from the contact form on the Home page of this website.

      Reply

    • Hi Sean, I no longer have any VAXMates. They have moved on to another collector. I have recently finished searching through and sorting all of my manuals. Unfortunately I didn’t find any additional manuals.

      Reply

  • Hi Malcolm,

    I’m an old VMSer in Melbourne, and am after something to run openVMS on at home. Do you still have any VAXstations or similar left?

    Pity I didn’t find your page til now.

    Regards,
    John

    Reply

    • Hi John, most of my VAX gear is gone now. I still have about 3 desktop MicroVAX 3100 units and a couple of MicroVAX 2’s in BA123 cabinets. All of those are in rally good condition cosmetically, but I haven’t done much testing other than booting to the BIOS prompts. I also have a couple of BA213 MicroVAX 4000s but I haven’t turned them on.

      Reply

      • Thanks for your reply Malcolm,
        I am willing to take a punt on one of the MicroVax 3100s working. Getting to BIOS is a good sign. It will also take up less space amongst my other vintage hardware in my study than the BA123. Also interested in an 8 inch floppy drive if you have any of those left. I have some old floppies from 1983 and would like to see what I wrote to them. Bit of a project I know.
        I’m in Oakleigh. Could you please contact me on BJohnR01 at gmayle dot com?
        Regards,
        John

        Reply

    • Hi Justin, I know its been a year since your comment, so I appreciate you may no longer be looking for a VT320. I really only have one spare that I would part with. It has a white CRT and some scratches in the glass. I’d part with it for $150. I don’t do shipping though, so would either need to be pickup from Macleod VIC 3085, or I can drop off at Pack and Send as is. They’ve shipped lots of terminals for me over the past 5 years (I’ve sold a lot on eBay, but stopped selling there now).

      Reply

  • Malcom, i finally saw your answer, i am lookin for the rqdx = bob board
    but have a question first, if it was there it must have hit me across the head and i did not realize it.
    will this board work in a Qbus environment? i am looking to put it into a heathkit H-11.
    Thank-you

    Reply

    • Hi Alex, apologies for the late response. I don’t check messages here all that often. Yes, it will work in a QBUS environment. It is designed to work with a QBUS RQDX controller (RQDX3 is the main controller I have used with it).

      Reply

    • Sorry, they are all gone. I do have a boxed DEC VAXserver 3100 for sale for A$1,250. It’s listed on FB Marketplace in Melbourne, Australia.

      Reply

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