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#21
I still keep a box or two of old known working parts. If someone came to me with an old beast and needed it working I'd hate to say "oh, if you just came a few months ago!"
I used to pick up old PCs that were dropped off at our local recycle center, fix em up and test them, and give them to family members (get the old folks on line!) or friends. I also could sell them on Craigslist for $30 - $40. Linux people would buy them.
But in the last few years nobody wants or needs a desktop PC. (No, Gamers don't want old crap). So I can't even give them away anymore. I've refurbished a couple of laptops, but it's even hard to give those away too. Most people are content to just use their phones. So I stopped doing that stuff. But I still keep the boxes of parts, and a test monitor, mouse, and PS2 keyboard.
Like the original poster, I've been involved in electronics since 1955 when I went in the Air Force. I still have some "good junk" parts around but I've sent most of it to the county electronics recycle bin. (I'm building up the next batch to go to the county dump).
I haven't found any way to completely disassemble a hard drive. I wind up destroying it with a "bigger hammer".
Surely anyone that's been into repairing PCs has a massive 'collection' of spares. 'That will be useful one day i'll hang on to it' is my reasoning......only very rarely (if ever) is it re-used. Technology moves on but hoarded parts just sit gathering age and dust. I must have a clear-out....oh wait....i might need that.....sounds familiar?
Good to know that I am not alone in keeping computer parts. I did toss some out last fall thou. Still have a box or 2 of parts left thou. :)
I have a wooden box in my garage full of old Computer parts, GPUs, HDDs, Heat Sinks, 100s of Cables, RAM, and a old Case :)