Finds in Houston

From: Chad Fernandez <fernande_at_internet1.net>
Date: Tue Aug 7 11:46:19 2001

Bill Bradford wrote:
> Do you not realize that Goodwill operates to make a *profit* ?
> Just because someone gives something to Goodwill for free doesent
> mean that they should turn around and give it away again.

Bill, they make there profit my volume apparently. Most stuff (not
limiting "stuff" to computers) is dirt cheap at the local GW. However,
sometimes with computer stuff they'll mark it up very high. What
happens is that the get a set of something, like a nice Lazer 128 or
//Gs or whatever, but mark it up way high. Well no one buys it but
everyone digs through it, scattering its pieces throughout the store.
now, it's worth even less, then someone starts selling it piecemeal.

The problem is that they don't have anybody that knows anything about
computers, which doesn't surprise me.... part of there mission is to
provide jobs for people that don't have good jobs.... often uneducated
people (please don't think I am being judgmental or harsh, that isn't my
intent). They don't know a good computer form a piece of junk el-cheapo
clone 386. The Local Goodwill in town here, routinely has old dirty
clone 386's out of the floor. I gave them a very clean IBM PS/2 Model
77 (486dx2-66), and I think they threw it away! The lady asked me if it
worked.... I told her it needed a HD. I think she figured, Oh, I guess
it's broken and tossed it, because I never saw it on the sales floor.
They do ship stuff in between stores so it's possible it ended up
somewhere else, but this Goodwill seems to handle the most computer
stuff.

>
> If someone gave you an IMSAI 8080 (bad example, I know) and you
> turned around and spent a day or so making sure it worked, would
> you then want to sell it for $25 a couple days later?

I don't know about your local region, but herem they don't fix anything.
 
> (although the members of this list tend to be more open and "free"
> with their hardware than other groups I've seen; I dont think anyone
> is going to give away an IMSAI..)

I have whole case, want one :-)

Chad Fernandez
Michigan, USA
Received on Tue Aug 07 2001 - 11:46:19 BST