Old electronic data books

Moving to a new office. So the 15 years of accumulated treasure must be sorted and packed.

I am at a loss about what to do with 56+ boxes of old electronic data books. Some of these go way back. Nearly all are pre CD era. Full sets of Intel, Motorola, TI, National, (even a 1972 analog applicatons book), Philips. Many shelves worth of smaller company products. Then there is a nearly equal number of hardcover technical books, but those stay. And a full collection of Byte magazines: #1 to end.

Then there is my 1 year rule: If you haven't used it in a year then get rid of it. (albeit with a one time 1 year reprieve). Applying this rule, then nearly everything goes. But they have lived in a very comprehensive library for a long time And that is the purpose of a library. So I am torn: Pitch or Keep.

Or can I find a good home for these somewhere? They are incredibly useful when working on/restoring older equipment. They would be a good addition to a technical museum somewhere. Shipping costs would be high however. Anyone with any experience moving these on eBay?

Ideas, suggestions encouraged.

Blakely

Donate them to a university/college/tech-school library? As part of the deal, they might be willing to spring for a professional appraisal (for tax purposes).

--
Rich Webb   Norfolk, VA

Consult a nearby library for advice on how to sell the complete set of Byte. It's something a college library would surely like to have.

Some of the old National manuals (especially the linear IC manual of the late 1970s and the linear applications handbook) are worth KEEPING or selling. Those chips (555, 741, 7805, LM386, etc.) are classics still in use.

BTW, if I had to guess, a full set of Byte, in good condition, is probably worth $500.

off hand, BS and FO. Shut up and stuff it all in boxes or offer it outright somewhere.

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Rent a table at the next big hamfest... $15 or so. Visit with all the old timers that walk by and ex-co-workers you haven't seen in years. Maybe even sell a few of the books...

SNIP

I sold several old databooks on eBay. You wont get an awful lot of money for them (about $5), but it feels good that can help out some people with them.

Wim

You could try a VERY different sort of eBay auction, something like this:

Buy-it-now $10 Quantity available 100.

"I have a load of manuals, application notes, catalogues etc, too numerous to list individually and too expensive to ship. If however you need something, such as an old catalog, data sheet, contact me by email and I'll search to see if I have what you want. If I do, you "buy it now" on eBay and I'll ship it. If I don't, then you there is no need to "buy it now".

That way

1) You don't have to bother listing everything - just general terms. 2) People don't end up with as much junk as you. 3) Shipping is only paid on what people actually want. 4) You toss whatever nobody wants.

How is that for an idea????

You could add an entry at

but only if you willing to give away the items, not if you wish to sell them. Or take a look at the list of things people want.

I run that site, and whilst it is not normally the aim, in this case I will allow such a listing.

If you have to 'toss' anything, at least donate it to the nearest thrift store, who will sell paperbacks for $0.25 and hardbacks for $1 or so, to scroungers like me. It's where I get all my copies of "Spring Designer's Handbook" (okay, I've only had one copy) and other such esoteric books, and sell them on amazon.com for what the market will bear. The earlier National app note book(s) (at least the one with a lot of Bob Pease articles in it) it was reprinted by Old Colony a few years back. Towards the end, what I saw of Byte was much like any other consumer computer magazine, but the first 10-15 years should really be worth something to someone.

It's inevitable that someone will need to look at an old design, and need an old data sheet on an obsolete part by an out-of-business manufacturer. I'm sure there are many copies of these out there, but still, they're hard to find - they're on an office shelf like yours, or in a box in a warehouse, as opposed to in booksellers' inventories easily searchable from a site such as bookfinder.com.

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I was in the local used bookstore the other day and they had a surprising number of miscellaneous older data books lurking around the electrical engineering shelf. I would assume they don't pay much for these - they're not like popular novels with a price on the cover that they can offer half of, or whatever. You might check with the used bookstores in your area.

In the US, you might be able to do media mail, what used to be called book rate, which is reasonably cheap.

Matt Roberds

Thanks to all who replied. The books will make the move. Then their fate will be determined. Too much futzing around to sell, either all or in pieces. We will offer them to the local technical college and/or University. My bet is on the techies. I suspect this stuff is much too practical for the University.

Blakely

Could take them to your local Good will and ask them to put them on their book site. Maybe you could use the deduction.

Doug

The final disposition of the data book library was the dumpster. Two large ones filled to the top in fact.

I loaded them onto the truck and then backed up to the dumpster and went through every packing box. I kept most of the early application notes and manuals, any books on areas of interest (Bit Slice design, processor instruction sets, etc). Tossed the complete sets of Intel, Mot, National, Philips, Signetics, TI, Harris, Samsumg, etc. Too much work and too little time to find a proper home.

In retrospect, the whole process was quite saddening. And oddly, quite liberating. Every book carried it with it memories of past projects, people, places and times. Every book tossed freed one from being reminded again of the lost potentials of what could have/should have been with more enlightened management and more inspired individuals. Personally, the sense of freedom feels better.

Nearly all of the hardcover books made it across in this move. Next time, they get donated.

Blakely

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No> snipped-for-privacy@worldnet.att.net wrote:

To read your last letter was sad. I had a library of data books starting about the 1970's. I had RCA data boo ks with CMOS 4000A and 4000B series, linear books covering the linear monol ithic chips (LM), Fairchild,Advanced Micro. Motorola, National,Zilog,Harris ,Texas, Siemens,Intel,to name just a few. I had to move my lab so I packed it all in storage. About 2 years later I lost it all, my entire lab, I was devastated, I felt like a part of me had died, it was my life. I know of a web site that can use any old, new text,data,Manual,schematics,mags etc... This website is called "archive.org" They have everything you could ever dream of, like data books, text books, software for apple,commodore, IBM, MsDos,games,user manuals, music, videos, even Apks for Android. You can download almost everything, their are some products for loan and yo u have to request it first! I highly recommend going to this website to see for yourself, and you will feel the same way! You will simply be amazed!

Great collection

Found my first data book;

I had little money as a child so when I got it I spend countless hours on it, especially the appendix which has information on CMOS logic as amplifiers etc

Cheers

Klaus

When I was very young, I dug ditches for a week to buy a 6146 for my ham rig. They cost around $5.00 at the time.

I opened the box to admire it. It slipped out of my hands and smashed on the floor.

Dug ditches for another week. This tme I left it in the box until I got home.

That's the principal difference between then and now.

Then: prime skill is to (slowly) make full use of limited available information

Now: prime skill is to (speedily) decide which information sources to ignore.

I still have my paper copies of the RCA data books and others: Today, I use electronic copies, which can rapidly be searched, instead of using indexes and tables of contents. I should dispose of the old paper copies, but can't seem to let go of the past. Sigh.

--
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com 
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com 
Skype: JeffLiebermann     AE6KS    831-336-2558

Jeff Liebermann wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Let folks bid for 'em on ebay.

We should start an e-tion site for electronic related auctions.

Take a big chunk out of ebay if someone did it.